Can Presets Fix Poorly Shot Photos?
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Presets are a powerful tool in any photographer’s workflow. With a single click, they can enhance colors, improve tones, and give your images a consistent aesthetic. But one question comes up often—especially among beginners: can presets fix poorly shot photos?
The short answer is: not entirely. While presets can improve many aspects of an image, they are not a magic fix for fundamental mistakes made during the shoot. Let’s explore why.
What Presets Can Do
Presets are essentially a set of saved editing adjustments. They can:
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Enhance contrast and color balance
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Add mood or stylized tones
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Speed up your editing process
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Help maintain a consistent visual style
If your photo is already well-exposed and composed, a good preset can elevate it significantly—adding polish and character.
What Presets Can’t Fix
Presets can enhance, but they can’t work miracles. Here are some issues that presets alone won’t solve:
1. Incorrect Exposure
If your image is extremely overexposed or underexposed, there’s only so much a preset can do. Details lost in blown-out highlights or crushed shadows often can’t be recovered, even in RAW files.
2. Out-of-Focus Shots
No preset can bring a blurry subject into focus. Sharpness and clarity must be captured in-camera.
3. Poor Composition
While cropping can improve framing slightly, a preset won’t fix a badly composed image. Composition is a foundational skill that can’t be replaced by editing.
4. Low-Quality Light
Photos taken in flat, harsh, or unflattering lighting may still look unappealing no matter what preset is used. Light is everything in photography.
The Real Role of Presets
Presets are designed to enhance a strong photo, not save a weak one. They help you develop a consistent style and workflow, but they assume that the base photo is well-executed. In that sense, presets are like seasoning: they bring out the flavor in a well-cooked dish but can’t fix an undercooked meal.
How to Get the Most Out of Presets
To make presets truly work for you:
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Shoot in RAW to give yourself more flexibility in post.
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Nail exposure and focus in-camera.
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Use the preset as a starting point, not the final result.
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Learn how to manually adjust settings like white balance, highlights, shadows, and color tones.
Conclusion
Presets are an incredible asset for photographers, but they’re not a solution for bad technique. If your original image lacks proper lighting, focus, or exposure, no preset will fully rescue it. Focus on getting things right in-camera first—then use presets to enhance, stylize, and speed up your editing.
Remember: good photography starts before you hit the shutter, not after you apply a preset.
If you're looking to understand how to use presets effectively and improve your photography fundamentals, check out my Preset Pack + Editing Masterclass. It’s designed to help you get professional results and teach you how to adjust any preset to fit your photo.