Why I Don't Recommend Purchasing Photography Presets (From a Branding Photographer)
I don’t recommend purchasing photography presets. Here’s why.
I am probably going to get a lot of shade from other photographers and bloggers with this statement, but that’s okay. I see a lot of brands selling photography presets and filters for consumers to use on their photos for social media and their website. It’s pretty appealing - the promise of a consistent editing style that will make things look “prettier.” And it’s easy too - with the click of a button, your photo is automatically adjusted to these new settings.
But there is a drawback to purchasing photography presets. Let me explain.
Why you shouldn’t purchase photography presets:
1) Photography presets don’t establish your brand as being unique. Chances are, a lot of other people probably purchased the same photography preset as you from the same seller. Meaning, their photo aesthetic is that same as yours. This can hurt your brand - looking like everyone else doesn’t help you stand out from your competition.
2) Applying a preset to an image doesn’t automatically turn it into a professional photo, and people can tell. For a good example of this, see the photo above. I applied an Instagram filter/preset to my cell phone photo on the right hand side. As you can see, the image still doesn’t compare to the photo on the left that was taken with a professional camera. Nowadays, many people can tell the difference between a professional photo and a cell phone photo. Although appealing, presets aren’t going to make your photos look professional.
3) If you hired a branding photographer to take photos for you, many of them do not allow you to apply presets to their images. This one is a big deal, and it’s super common. Many brand photographers have a specific editing style, or can edit your photos in a particular way that fits your brand. Because of this, there is likely a clause in their contract that states that you are not allowed to alter their images in any way. Applying a preset to your image goes against this, and therefore, you would technically be breaking your contract. We have this clause in all of our contracts.