Editing a session involves a lot more steps than editing each photo. First there's the calm waiting period of importing all of the RAW files from your camera. Once the files are loaded, photographers will then sift through hundreds if not thousands of photos to select their favorites. Then begins the long process of editing every photo to fit the photographer's personal aesthetic or signature style. The editing process also includes cropping, rotating, and straightening the images.

Photographing and editing are two very different skills. While photography is very creative and editing can be as well, editing also leans more analytical and requires a lot of technical experience in softwares such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and Capture One.

Before preset companies became popular, most photographers created their own presets. However, more often than not, photographers would have dozens (if not hundreds) of presets that would work on only a select few photos or galleries. Some would even create a preset per session. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this method, of course. It's biggest con was how time consuming it could be.

When wanting to cut down your editing time, professional photography presets* are the best investment you can make. Nowadays, there are many preset brands to choose from with a variety of price ranges. We dive into the differences between Free, Low Cost, and Premium Presets in our blog post here. To save yourself the most money in the long haul and achieve max time efficiency, we recommend investing in Premium Presets that fit your signature style. 

A good preset will alter your RAW images vastly in just one click, giving you a huge head start on editing the photo. After the preset is added you can make minor adjustments to the image. These adjustments are often needed due to different location/lighting scenarios, different camera settings, white balance adjustments, or simply tweaking the photo so it fits your personal style. These minor adjustments are much less time consuming than creating your own preset, like we mentioned earlier. And a good, premium preset will require the least amount of adjustments and work on most-to-all of your galleries.

*If you find yourself asking what exactly is a photography preset...you can find your answer here. 

REFINED Co. was founded after our founder & CEO Marta Locklear would regularly receive questions about how she edited her professional and lifestyle photos. The answer to that question was: she had created her own preset that was designed to seamlessly match her digital photos to her Fuji Film scans. Her entrepreneurial brain started planning and brainstorming when fellow photographers asked if she would ever consider selling her preset for others to use. She began adjusting her own preset to be easier to use and work on photography styles outside of her own personal style. She prioritized making the preset time efficient, requiring as little adjustments as possible for the widest range of photographers. That's when our REFINED I Collection was born. 

5 years later, REFINED Co. now has 10 premium preset collections, with 8 of the collections being inspired by different types of film types/scans. Marta has dedicated days, weeks, and months of her time to create these collections that are unique from each other but all still feel elevated and professional. None of REFINED Co.'s collections would be considered trendy. Instead they will help you achieve a timeless & consistent look to your photography. Many of our community members use a variety of our collections when editing and are still able to achieve a cohesive look across the gallery. 

We polled our community and discovered that photographers who use REFINED Co. presets when editing a gallery save :90 seconds per photo on average.

What is REFINED Co?

REFINED Co is a brand that creates professional Lightroom presets designed to help photographers achieve stunning, consistent edits with ease.

Are REFINED Co presets easy to use?

Yes! Our presets are beginner-friendly and can be adjusted to fit any lighting situation or personal editing style.

Do REFINED Co presets work on both RAW and JPEG images?

Yes, but they work best with RAW files to retain the highest image quality.

Where can I purchase REFINED Co presets?

You can find all of our presets at www.refinedco.com.

Are Lightroom presets worth it for beginners?

Yes! Presets help beginners learn color grading and editing techniques by showing how adjustments affect an image.

Do Lightroom presets work on all photos?

Presets work best when they complement the original photo. Some adjustments may be needed to fine-tune exposure, white balance, or contrast.

Do professional photographers use presets?

Absolutely! Many professionals use presets as a starting point to speed up their workflow and maintain consistency in their work.

Can I use Lightroom presets on my phone?

Yes! Many presets, including those from REFINED Co, are available for Lightroom Mobile, allowing you to edit on the go.

Are paid presets better than free presets?

Generally, yes. Paid presets are usually well-developed, tested across different lighting conditions, and updated regularly. Free presets can be hit or miss.

See the difference in your editing speed and invest in a REFINED Co preset collection today! If you would like support from our community of photographers in selecting which preset would best fit your style, join our Facebook Community Group. You may also contact our support team at hello@refinedco.com.