Why ChatGPT Is My Secret Weapon for Lightroom Edits

I have always been a person who works smarter, not harder. Now that AI is everywhere, I’ve started to see where I can benefit from its use. This made me think: Can I leverage ChatGPT and ask it to help me create adjustment settings for Lightroom based on an idea?

It all started when a former coworker asked, “Have you seen this new thing called ChatGPT?” I told him I had not, and a conversation ensued. That afternoon, I started playing around with ChatGPT at work to see how to use it to free up more time. I thought, “What mindless tasks do I hate?” Email: I hated mindless emails. I started using ChatGPT to create emails that I turned into templates of the most common sales emails I sent and responses to common questions. I began to free up time to make more sales calls. Then, I started thinking about how this could help my photography.

I use ChatGPT mostly to brainstorm and help me narrow down photographic thoughts. Can I use it to help give me starting points in Lightroom adjustments as I do presets? After experimentation, this is what I found.

Tips on Writing Effective ChatGPT Prompts

First, to receive the best “advice” using ChatGPT, here are a few tips I found over time, as well as minor internet sloughing:

• Be clear and specific in your instructions: Use the K.I.S.S. method: keep it simple, stupid. Be straightforward, don’t fluff it up, and avoid open-ended questions.

• Talk to it like a friend: Really. Talk to it in a conversational way. For example, I asked it, "I am trying to come up with photo project ideas and thinking about projects focusing on social issues in the Midwest." Its response, "Focusing on social issues in the Midwest," offers a wealth of powerful, meaningful project possibilities. Here are a few ideas. It then provided about nine examples. I can use that information to start researching.

• Avoid multipart questions: I found that the more complex my input, the less precise the output became. It’s better to break it into smaller, focused questions.

• Check the information: Like anything, verify the info. It’s imperfect and sometimes provides incorrect or misleading answers. For instance, I asked photography questions, knowing the general answers, and it was wrong!

Adjustment Presets and Suggestions

Sometimes, you may have a specific look in mind for an image but don't know where to start when taking it from an idea to the final image. You can use ChatGPT to help get you in the right direction. Here is an input I used and the answers I received:

Input: I want Lightroom adjustments to create a 1940s feel.

ChatGPT Response: To create an image with a 1940s feel in Lightroom, you'll want to focus on warm tones, soft contrast, and a slightly faded, nostalgic look. Here are some specific adjustments to help achieve that vintage style:

• Basic Adjustments:

  • Exposure: Neutral
  • Contrast: +20
  • Highlights: -20
  • Shadows: +20
  • Whites: +10
  • Blacks: -15
  • Clarity: -10
  • Vibrance: -20
  • Saturation: -10
  • Temperature: +20

• Tone Curve:

  • Shadows: Lift slightly
  • Highlights: Lower slightly to soften bright areas
  • Apply a subtle S-curve for structured contrast

• Split Toning:

  • Highlights: Warm golden tones
  • Shadows: Cool blue tint for balance

• Effects:

  • Grain: Add noticeable grain to mimic old film stock
  • Post-Crop Vignetting: Apply a subtle vignette to focus attention on the subject
  • Noise Reduction: Add a small amount to smooth out the image

Now, I can start asking ChatGPT for specific adjustments, and it will respond with a range for particular adjustments, like the two examples below. I have not gone this far; I use this information as a starting point and then use my creativity and artistic expression.

• Basic Adjustments:

  • Exposure: Neutral
  • Contrast: +20
  • Highlights: -20
  • Shadows: +20
  • Whites: +10
  • Blacks: -15
  • Clarity: -10
  • Vibrance: -20
  • Saturation: -10
  • Temperature: +20

• Tone Curve:

  • Shadows: +15 for a more open dark range
  • Highlights: -10

• Color Grading:

  • Highlights: Hue 40, Saturation 15
  • Shadows: Hue 200, Saturation 10

• Effects:

  • Grain: Amount 20, Size 20, Roughness 50
  • Post-Crop Vignetting: -10
  • Noise Reduction: Amount 10

Simulating Film

The next thought came from spending hours online looking for presets that mimic film. I realized I should just buy a Fuji X camera. But who wants to spend a bunch of money on presets? These days, photographers either shoot film or make their images look like film. Photographers are researching “recipes,” and plenty of YouTube videos show you how to replicate your favorite film stock. I decided to ask ChatGPT to create the look of Kodak Gold 200. Again, I am using this as a starting point and can tweak the look to fit my preference.

ChatGPT Input: Create Lightroom adjustments for Kodak Gold 200.

ChatGPT Response: Kodak Gold 200 is known for its warm tones, slightly saturated colors, and nostalgic look, especially in daylight. These adjustments replicate that look:

• Basic Panel

  • Exposure: Adjust as necessary (no specific value—depends on the image).

  • Contrast: +15

  • Highlights: -15

  • Shadows: +25

  • Whites: +10

  • Blacks: -5

  • Clarity: -10 (softens the image slightly to mimic film)

  • Dehaze: 0

  • Vibrance: +20

  • Saturation: +10

• Tone Curve

  • Point Curve: Create a slight S-curve on the RGB channel:

  • Shadows: Input: 0, Output: 15

  • Darks: Input: 50, Output: 45

  • Midtones: Input: 128, Output: 128 (leave neutral)

  • Highlights: Input: 200, Output: 210

  • Whites: Input: 255, Output: 245

• HSL Panel

  • Reds: -5

  • Oranges: -5

  • Yellows: -5

    • Greens: +10

  • Aquas: +5

  • Blues: +5

• Saturation

  • Reds: +15

  • Oranges: +10

  • Yellows: +10

  • Greens: -10

  • Aquas: -15

  • Blues: -10

• Luminance

  • Reds: +10

  • Oranges: +10

  • Yellows: +15

  • Greens: +5

  • Blues: -5

• Color Grading

  • Shadows: Hue: 50, Saturation: 15 (warm shadows)

  • Midtones: Hue: 40, Saturation: 20 (golden tones)

  • Highlights: Hue: 60, Saturation: 10 (subtle warm highlights)

  • Blending: 50

  • Balance: -10 (favor shadows)

• Grain

  • Amount: 25

  • Size: 20

  • Roughness: 50

• Calibration

  • Red Primary: Hue: -5, Saturation: +15

  • Green Primary: Hue: +5, Saturation: +5

  • Blue Primary: Hue: -10, Saturation: +10

I then asked ChatGPT to see if it could create a .xmp file for Lightroom. ChatGPT created the file, and I could download it. This allowed me to upload the file to presets in Lightroom. Without asking, ChatGPT then gave me instructions on how to import the .xmp file into Lightroom! 

Is It a Good Idea? 

Is using ChatGPT a good idea for creating presets and adjustments? The answer: it depends. It boils down to what you are using it for and how far you take it. With anything, you can take it too far!

• Getting Started: If you are new to presets or considering different editing styles for your photographs, ChatGPT is an excellent resource for getting started and researching adjustments. Why waste time trying things over and over?

• Time-Saving: Use it as a translator for all your ideas and let it help organize the necessary steps to complete your task! It will save you time and allow you to test many more options quickly.

• Laziness: Here is where I see the downfall. With anything, you can take it too far and ultimately become lazy. You can rely on it so much that you expect it to give you the answers, like going on Instagram, finding a photo, and then going out to replicate it. Where is the fun and creativity in that?

In the End

Wrapping it up, ChatGPT is an excellent tool for any photographer in many ways, not just for creating adjustments in Lightroom. There are so many ways you can use it for photography. When it comes to Lightroom, it's a tool primarily to get started and then go a step further, tweaking the adjustments to your liking. I wouldn’t rely entirely on it, as it will hinder your creativity and create bad habits that I think will carry over to other areas of your photography. Again, work smarter, not harder.