Best Lightroom Presets for Street Photography Beginners

If you’re just getting into street photography, editing can feel like a whole new language. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. The right Lightroom presets can help you go from “meh” to “wow” with just one click.

In this article, we’ll look at the best Lightroom presets for street photography beginners, and how you can use them to bring your photos to life, even if you’re just starting out.

What are the best Lightroom presets for street photography beginners?

The best Lightroom presets for street photography beginners are those that improve contrast, control color, and add mood with one click. Look for presets made specifically for urban scenes, moody lighting, or natural tones. Good starter packs include cinematic, black & white, and soft color looks.

What Makes a Preset Good for Beginners?

Not all presets are made equal. As a beginner, you want presets that:

• Don’t require tons of manual adjustments
• Work well on most lighting situations (day, night, overcast)
• Give you a clear “before and after” change
• Teach you how editing works just by using them

If a preset needs 15 tweaks to look good, it’s not beginner-friendly.

Editing becomes much easier with our street photography presets. With just one click, you can give your images the cinematic tone and depth they deserve.

Types of Street Photography Presets That Work for Beginners

Best Presets to Try (Beginner Picks)

Here are a few beginner-friendly options to start with:

• Pro Street Presets – Built for urban light and shadow play. A great intro to moody styles.
• Cinematic Neon – Works well with night shots and artificial lighting.
• Vintage Street B&W – Adds grit, contrast, and timeless vibes.
• Soft Urban Tones – Good for daytime photos with flat lighting.
• Color Street Presets – Boosts saturation and contrast for strong visual punch.

All of these are available under our Street Photography Preset Collection category.

Why Use Presets as a Beginner?

Presets do two things:

• They give you instant, consistent results.
• They help you learn how Lightroom works.

You can click a preset and then open the panels to see what changed, tone curve, color grading, contrast, and more. It’s like reverse-engineering good edits.

Also, you’ll stop wasting time trying to fix every little detail. Presets speed up your workflow so you can spend more time shooting.

Tip for Beginners

Use presets as a starting point, not a final result. Tweak small things like exposure or contrast to match your photo better.

Want to Learn the Full Editing Process?

Presets are just one piece of the puzzle. If you want a full beginner workflow that shows where they fit in, check out our article on editing street photography in Lightroom.

And if you’re into that moody, gritty vibe, we’ve got a full step-by-step here: How to Edit Moody Street Photos in Lightroom.

Final Thoughts

When you’re starting out, you don’t need 200 presets. You need a few solid ones that give your photos the look you want, fast, easy, and clean.

The best Lightroom presets for street photography beginners are the ones that help you grow while keeping editing fun. Start simple, learn as you go, and build your style over time.