The editing phase of concert photos is one of the toughest to master.
The nature of the artificial lights, constantly changing lighting conditions, and lack of control over your subjects, colors, and even where you’re physically able to shoot from make it tough to get a good shot in the first place, and impossible to maintain the processing consistency you could expect from some other varieties of photography. And when you’re just starting out, finding a way to maintain a consistent style and dealing with the unique problems of concert photos can be overwhelming.
Below you can download 2 free Adobe Lightroom presets I’ve created and use in my own work. You can take these presets and use them however you’d like, including on your own work, without crediting me. I hope that if you’re a beginner photographer you can install and dissect them to learn some new techniques in Lightroom.
The color preset gives a nice concert-friendly tone curve, some general slider and exposure adjustments I consistently make when editing, and a touch of split-toning. The other preset is a classic black and white filter that I use often in my work.
If you enjoy these presets, you might enjoy https://www.mattyvogel.com/best-dating-sites-brooklyn/ where I sell concert photography preset packs and other assets for photographers.
2 free Lightroom Presets to up your concert photography game, right to your inbox
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Color Lightroom Preset


Black & White Lightroom Preset


When you’re editing with these presets, make sure you don’t just slap them on and call it a day! They should just be a foundation to start editing from, and then you can adjust and fine-tune everything; trying to envision what you hope your final image.
These presets won’t work on every image, and that’s okay. The color of the lights, natural contrast of the photo, exposure, and more all contribute to how effective the preset will be — not to even mention personal preference. My style probably isn’t your exact style, but give them a go and let me know what you think.