Street Photography Editing Workflow with Lightroom Presets

Editing street photos doesn’t need to feel overwhelming. If you shoot regularly, you want a quick, repeatable process that gives you strong results every time. That’s where presets come in, they speed things up and help you stay consistent.

In this article, you’ll learn a simple street photography editing workflow with Lightroom presets that helps you get great edits with less guesswork and more style.

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What is the Best Lightroom Editing Workflow for Street Photography?

Start by culling and selecting your best shots, apply a street-style preset, then adjust exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows. Refine color and tone using HSL and color grading tools. Finish with sharpening, lens corrections, and export.

Take your edits further with our Lightroom street photography presets. They’re crafted to highlight contrast, colors, and textures that define authentic street moments.

Step-by-Step Street Photography Workflow

Whether you’re editing for Instagram or building a portfolio, this workflow gets the job done without wasting time.

1. Import and Cull Your Shots

Start in the Library module. Select the best 5–10 photos from your shoot, don’t waste time editing everything. Use flags or star ratings to mark keepers.

📌 Tip: Look for photos with strong composition, light contrast, or interesting expressions.

2. Apply a Street Photography Preset

Once you’ve got your selects, apply a preset that fits your mood.

• Moody/cinematic? Try a preset from Street Preset collection.
• Beginner-friendly? Use presets covered in our beginner’s preset guide.
• Grainy and raw? A film-style preset can get you there fast, see our film-look guide.

Presets give your photo an instant base look – now it’s time to refine.

3. Adjust the Basic Panel

Tool	What to Do
Exposure	Correct brightness (usually -0.2 to +0.3)
Contrast	Boost for punch or lower for soft street light
Highlights	Pull down to save skies or bright areas
Shadows	Lift to bring back hidden details
Whites/Blacks	Fine-tune overall tone — don’t crush or clip

You’re aiming for balance, not too dark, not washed out.

4. Use the Tone Curve for Style

This is where you shape your edit. Add a soft S-curve for contrast. Raise the blacks for a faded look. Push the midtones slightly for extra clarity.

Tone curve = mood control.

5. Fine-Tune Color with HSL

HSL = Hue, Saturation, Luminance.

Use it to:

• Desaturate greens and yellows (if distracting)
• Boost reds and oranges (for skin tones or signs)
• Adjust brightness of specific colors

This part helps make colors feel right without overdoing them.

6. Color Grading: Split the Tones

Set the vibe.

• Shadows → add warm tones (orange, rust, brown)
• Highlights → add cool tones (teal, blue)

This technique gives street photos that cinematic finish.

7. Add Grain, Sharpening & Lens Corrections

• Add subtle grain for a film feel
• Apply sharpening (especially if using a soft lens or shooting wide open)
• Use Lens Corrections to remove warping or vignetting

8. Export for Your Final Destination

Set export settings depending on your platform:

Platform	Recommended Size	Format
Instagram	1080px wide	JPEG, 80–90%
Portfolio Website	2000–2500px wide	JPEG, 90–100%
Print	Full size	TIFF or high-res JPEG

How This Workflow Helps You

• Saves time
• Gives consistent results
• Teaches you editing basics without overwhelm
• Helps build your personal editing style

Once this becomes muscle memory, you can edit a full shoot in under 30 minutes.

Want a More Specific Look?

If you’re into moody edits, follow this full breakdown: How to Edit Moody Street Photos in Lightroom

Or if you’re starting out, check the best presets for beginners – perfect for testing what kind of edits you like.

Final Thoughts

This Lightroom editing workflow keeps your street photography sharp, fast, and consistent. Presets set the tone, and small tweaks bring your vision to life. Don’t get stuck overthinking every slider, let the workflow guide you and spend more time creating.

A clean, repeatable process lets you focus on the streets, where the real story happens.