Artificial intelligence has rapidly expanded what you can do in photography, and now it's stepping into Lightroom presets. Creating custom presets that match the editing style of images you admire can be tricky, but using AI could make this process simpler and faster.
Coming to you from Anthony Morganti, this informative video demonstrates how to create Lightroom presets with ChatGPT by analyzing the edits of an image you admire and applying those adjustments to your own photographs. Morganti shows how to begin by selecting two JPEG images—one representing the editing style you'd like to emulate, and the other your own unedited photo. After uploading these to ChatGPT, you provide specific instructions about the exact style elements you want the AI to match, such as brightness, tonal range, and color saturation. Morganti points out that being precise in your instructions will greatly affect the accuracy of the resulting preset. However, the effectiveness varies; in Morganti’s experiments, the initial preset was impressively accurate, but subsequent attempts needed minor adjustments.
This video is especially valuable because it not only explains the practical steps clearly but also highlights realistic expectations. Morganti honestly discusses the limitations, noting the AI-generated presets may require slight manual tweaks, particularly adjustments to exposure, blacks, or tone curves. Additionally, Morganti shows how easily these presets integrate into Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw, demonstrating the practical workflow in real time.
What makes this method intriguing is the combination of simplicity and control. You’re essentially giving AI the task of detailed image analysis—typically a complex and nuanced part of editing—and in return, it provides you with a preset as a strong starting point. Morganti suggests it's most effective when you clearly communicate specific style features, such as "brightness level" or "lack of color," rather than vague descriptions.
Beyond the technical walkthrough, the video subtly encourages thoughtful reflection on your editing choices. When the AI doesn't perfectly match the image style you selected, you need to consider which adjustments to make manually. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Morganti.
Maybe you should give "match look" a try? You'll find it in Capture One as a built-in feature.