Presets are a contentious topic in the world of photography, especially when it seems that every photographer on YouTube has a pack of film emulations to flog. That said, they do have their place, and the people at Mango Street run you through what to consider when buying and how to put them to good use.
In my experience, it’s not a simple matter of whether presets are something that should be bought or used: it’s all about how you use them, and that will determine whether they are worth buying. In the past, I’ve certainly found some downloaded presets to be little more than blunt tools that deliver exaggerated results through settings that I could easily have achieved myself in the event that I wanted my photos to look like I’d just discovered HDR and the clarity slider. Teal and orange, anyone?
Film emulations have come a long way in the last couple of years, and the Mango Street power couple makes a good point early on in this video when they argue that no one complained of photographers all producing similar-looking shots back when everyone was shooting on film.
What do you think? Are presets worth the money? Whose presets have you bought and whose presets would you recommend? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.