How To Edit Photos Under Quarantine
I’m a little late to the preset party, but you know what they say – better late than never!
These past 19 months as a stay-at-home-mom, then as a working-mom, would feel like a blur if I didn’t have the photos to show for it. Shortly after my daughter was born, I bought my first mirrorless camera and started playing around with Lightroom. Since then, I have become addicted to documenting her daily milestones. After 600-something days of sleepless nights and what has felt like as if I’m living in a time-warp, I might have gone a bit stir crazy. – which is why I’m always excessively taking photos.
But as many of you will already know, the act of taking a photo is only part of the process, the magic is added in post-production.
After using and creating many, many, many presets, I found there are four core presets that I use more than others.
shop the whole ‘BABY Mobile Presets Collection’ here
My Mat Leave Mom Presets
If I am honest, I only recently discovered the program Lightroom about a year ago. Before that, I had only edited photos in Photoshop. Pre-Instagram days, I barely tweaked my pictures at all, merely nudging the contrast and brightness levels. But after I took the time to learn Lightroom, I could not believe the difference it has made to my photos.
Lightroom is surprisingly easy for beginners. However, if you aren’t familiar with Lightroom, the easiest way to get started is to use presets. Presets are a one-click solution to transform your photos.
I created this collection with your everyday photos in mind. This pack has a true-to-life edit for both indoor, outdoor, and portraits, perfect for editing photos taken around your home or outside. These presets are only for Adobe Lightroom on your mobile device.
This four-pack mobile preset collection consists of three color, and one black + white. Outdoor baby has lower contrasts and RGB colors, offering earthy greens for your outdoor photos. Homely baby- adds warmth and brightness to the natural tones. Bright Baby- helps bring out an extra pop of contrast. B&W Baby- will turn your photos into a soft black and white image, while adding sharp contrast.
Tips For Taking Photos Under Quarantine
- Always make sure you clean your lens, whether it’s on your camera or iPhone.
- Take photos slightly underexposed if you can, especially if you’re shooting a RAW image file.
- Photos turn out best in natural lighting. Take your pictures at dusk or dawn or during what is known as the “golden hour,” which is one hour before sunset.
Tips For Photographing Your Children At Home
You don’t have to leave the house to get beautiful photographs of your family. There are various things you can do in and around your home to ensure you are documenting the growth of your kids alongside their interests and natural expressions.
- Running or standing in the yard. We live in an apartment, but we have a large balcony with a stunning view. It’s a comfortable spot to grab quick photos, and my daughter genuinely loves being outside.
- Shoot in the rooms of the house with the most natural lighting. Not only is this a great way to document your day-today-life, but you can use props such as toys, snacks, and chairs.
- The bed. A favorite and go-to option is either your bed or your children’s bed/crib. Lay them down and grab a toy to hold above to snap photos laughter and smiles.
