Download Free Dreamy Lightroom Preset Soft & Glowing Edit

If you’re hunting for a free dreamy preset for Lightroom, you’ve landed in the right place. These magical filters can turn your ordinary photos into ethereal masterpieces without costing you a dime.

What Makes a Preset “Dreamy”?

Dreamy presets typically feature soft highlights, muted shadows, creamy whites, and a gentle film-like quality that gives photos an otherworldly, romantic feel.

Dreamy presets have a way of working their charm through some clever adjustments. They typically reduce contrast, gently brighten shadows, and add a hint of film grain. The colors get this lovely pastel treatment, making everything look like it’s enveloped in a soft morning mist.

I found this out for myself during a golden hour shoot a few years ago. My raw images were decent, but after applying a dreamy preset, they turned into something that felt like it belonged in a storybook. The harsh sunset softened into a warm glow, and the model seemed to float in this enchanting light.

Why Use a Dreamy Preset?

Have you ever found yourself spending hours trying to nail that soft, romantic look in your photos? It can be quite a challenge to balance brightness and detail without losing the essence of the mood.

That’s where a preset like this comes in handy. It does the heavy lifting for you, saving you time, keeping your edits consistent, and guiding you toward a style that feels distinctly yours.

Essential Settings in Dreamy Presets

Setting	Typical Adjustment	Effect
Highlights	-30 to -50	Prevents blown-out bright areas
Shadows	+20 to +40	Lifts dark areas for even exposure
Whites	+10 to +25	Creates that creamy, soft look
Blacks	+5 to +15	Reduces harsh contrast
Clarity	-10 to -25	Softens details and textures
Vibrance	-5 to -15	Tones down intense colors
Saturation	-5 to -10	Creates muted, pastel tones

How to Install and Use Free Presets

Installing presets in Lightroom Classic takes just a few clicks.

• Go to the Develop module, right-click in the Presets panel, and select “Import Presets.”
• Choose your downloaded .xmp or the old format .lrtemplate files.

For Lightroom CC (the cloud version), the process differs slightly.

• Click the Presets tab, hit the three dots menu, and select “Import Presets.”

Once installed, applying presets is simple. Select your photo, click the preset name, and watch the transformation. Don’t expect perfection right away. Most presets work as starting points that need fine-tuning.

Customizing Dreamy Presets for Your Style

No preset works perfectly on every image. Light conditions, skin tones, and subject matter all affect how presets perform.

• Start with exposure adjustments. If your photo looks too dark or bright after applying the preset, tweak the exposure slider first.
• Then adjust highlights and shadows to balance the tones.
• Color grading often needs personal touches. Some presets push too hard toward specific color casts. Use the HSL panel to dial back colors that don’t match your vision.
• White balance corrections matter more with dreamy presets because they’re designed for specific lighting conditions. A preset made for golden hour might look weird on overcast day photos.

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Common Mistakes When Using Dreamy Presets

Overdoing the dreamy effect ranks as the biggest mistake. When every photo gets the same heavy-handed treatment, your portfolio starts looking like a one-trick pony.

Ignoring skin tones causes problems too. Some free presets make people look sickly or unnatural. Always check how presets affect human subjects before committing to heavy edits.

Using presets on inappropriate photos wastes time. A high-contrast urban street scene probably won’t benefit from a soft romantic preset designed for portraits or landscapes.

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Making Your Own Dreamy Preset

Creating custom presets gives you complete control over your aesthetic. Start with a photo that represents your ideal dreamy look.

• Adjust the basic panel first. Lower contrast, lift shadows, and pull down highlights.
• Add a slight film grain through the Effects panel (amount around 15-25, size around 25).
• Work on color grading next. The split toning feature (or Color Grading in newer versions) lets you add warmth to highlights and coolness to shadows. This creates that film-like quality dreamy photos need.

Save your adjustments as a new preset once you’re happy with the results. Name it something memorable so you can find it later.

This free Lightroom Presets offers an Excellent Starting Point

They save time, provide inspiration, and help you understand how professional editors achieve specific looks. The best results come from understanding what each adjustment does and tweaking presets to match your vision.

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• Pro Cinematic Color Presets
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Check out our popular free presets:

• Download Free Night Preset
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