The day is here!

I am ECSTATIC to announce that over the last few quarantined months, I have been working really hard on creating presets for you! Photography is a true passion of mine, and when I began, editing was so foreign to me. I was unfamiliar with color theory and I certainly didn’t understand all the tools and how to use them. Over the last couple years as I have been putting more of my energy and my heart into photography, I’ve formed quite a love for the editing process. I’ve pulled inspiration and tricks from other photographers that I gravitate towards, but I’ve also learned how to throw my own little signature into my work. And now I feel so confident and proud of what I have created and I want to share it with you!

The first time I realized I could make presets was when I got a catered ad for them by some influencer. The edit was SO simple. Her “preset” that she was charging $20.00 for was a simple boost of the exposure, a boost in temperature, and a bit of sharpening. It was an edit that would have taken me moments. And she was selling it for $20! (I’m not throwing shade at anyone who buys simple presets like this. It just dawned on me in that moment that editing doesn’t come naturally to everyone and there are people who need the help.) My first thought was, “go ahead girl, get your coin,” and my second thought was “why am I not doing this?”

Editing and photography are such an artistic form for me that I couldn’t just create a couple presets that I didn’t think were WORTH spending money on. I spent a lot of time tweaking these until they were just right, and if you follow me on my Instagram, you’ve seen almost every one of these used at one point or another.

The other thing that was super important to me was figuring out the cost. There have been plenty of times I’ve wanted to buy preset packs from photographers I admire, but their prices were just too high for me to rationalize the spending (especially when I already possess the capability to create my own edits for free). If I was going to sell my presets, I needed them to actually be affordable. There are 8 presets in total. Each individual preset is $5.00. There are two preset packs, each including 4 presets, for $15.00. And if you can’t decide and you want all 8, that bundle is $30.00. That’s among the lowest prices I’ve ever seen for presets, and I promise you my whole heart went into them.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

THE ALOOF JONES

You ever meet someone so cool, distant, or mysterious that you spend an unhealthy amount of time creating their entire backstory in your head? This preset brings that same energy.

Muted highlights, desaturated blues and exaggerated blacks give this preset a softness and a depth that lures the viewer in.

All three photos weren’t tweaked at all once the preset was applied.

THE BLOGGER JONES

I kind of created this one on accident. I was trying to compensate for a shoot that was bathed in magenta light. For reference, this was the shoot I created this preset with:

With the edits applied, those photos were taken back to normal, but when I applied the preset to a photo with an already balanced tint, this is what happened.

Moody shadows, boosted clarity and a slight green tint gives photos a dramatic and purposeful edge.

The first two photos weren’t tweaked at all. The second two were tweaked slightlly!

The only change made to this photo after I applied the preset was on the tint. The preset tends to bring reds and magentas towards oranges and yellows, and in this case, it brought those colors a little too far in that direction. So I pulled the tint a little further towards the magenta to bring that life back into Adam’s skin and his jacket.

This photo was a similar situation to the last. Since this photo is bathed so heavily in that one orange-y hue, the preset made the photo a little too yellow-y for my taste, so I brought the tint back up and also brought the warmth up a bit.

THE CINEMATIC JONES

This preset was directly inspired by my love for film. My photographic eye makes it so I cannot miss a stunning shot without leaning over to whomever I’m watching with and pointing it out.

Darkened shadows, muted colors and a warmer palette bring your photos to life.

The first two photos weren’t altered at all after applying the preset.

This photo started out a little on the darker side, so once the preset was applied I raised the exposure by .25!

THE ETHEREAL JONES

This simple preset turns dull locations into mystifying fairytale lands. Think Taylor Swift’s “Lover” era. Use for photos you want to have an ethereal glow.

This photo wasn’t altered after applying the preset.

This photo, which happens to be one of my favorite edits of all time, was just ever so slightly too dark after applying the preset, so I raised the exposure by .10, and the rest is the preset!

This photo goes to show that the preset’s result depends on the photo. The Ethereal Jones is my least used of all of the presets. But when the right photo comes along to use it, like this one, the result can be incredible. This seriously is one of my favorite edits I’ve ever done.

THE GRUNGY JONES

The 90’s are strong with this one. For when your photos need a vibe check. This preset is the filter version of when your best friend blots the sweat off your forehead while giving you a pep talk about how rad you are so you can go talk to your crush.

Desaturated blue tones, lifted shadows and boosted clarity give photos a raw and effortless feel.

The first two weren’t altered at all after applying the preset.

This preset worked really well on this photo and I could have left it as is, but I took this of Adam at golden hour, and I wanted to bring in more of that golden light that was happening in real life, so after applying the preset I just added a touch more warmth.

THE REMINISCENT JONES

This was actually one of the first few presets I created. It is simple but effective!

A simple edit to add some light to your feed. This preset will make the right colors pop and brighten up your image that people are sure to stop scrolling for.

Turn just a moment into a memory with this preset.

I RARELY have to tweak anything once this preset is applied. None of these photos were altered once the preset was on.

THE SUBTLE JONES

You and People Magazine have seen this preset before! (hehehe) I created this preset when I took our engagement announcement photos. I needed something that was pretty, but vague enough that People Magazine would be able to use it. (That means no dramatic shadows or grain, which is not normally my style.) Turns out it works on almost every photo. I applied this to dozens of photos in my library and it worked on almost every single one.

Your followers might not even notice this preset, that’s how subtle it is. Perfect for when your photo is just a bit overexposed. Use when you’ve done such a pro job in-camera that the photo only needs some small tweaks.

THE VINTAGE JONES

I created this preset when I did that shoot with Lilly. I had a 1970’s aesthetic in my head and wanted my edit to reflect that. This was the result! It doesn’t work on every photo but the ones it works on it is SO MUCH FUN!

May you forever edit your photos to look like they were taken on a lower quality camera 40 years ago. This preset gives you all the nostalgia of groovier times.

The first photo wasn’t tweaked at all after the preset was applied.

This shoot was the inspiration for the preset, yet this photo was tweaked a bit to achieve the look I wanted. The Vintage Jones can tend to make the blacks and shadows a little too dark in some circumstances, so I toggled the highlights/shadows/whites and blacks until it was a bit less contrasted here.

And that’s all I’ve got!

Wow! I can’t explain how excited I am to finally be able to share this with all of you! The presets will be available in my shop which is launching Saturday, August 22nd. Over the next week, I want you to tweet me your photos, and I will be applying the presets and sharing them on Twitter so you can see how you like them with some more context! My twitter handle is @samimatarante. I’ll be super active there over the next week and that is the only place I’ll be checking for photos, so be sure to connect with me there!

I hope that you like the presets, and I look forward to seeing them on your feeds soon :)

xo