This PhotoTools preset will add a nice boost to your flat photos while providing you the ability to enhance details in the photo as well.

The preset combines the Global Contrast Boost with the Amazing Detail Finder to improve the dynamic range of the photo as well as bring out more details in the main subject. Next, to give it a little more dramtic look, we’ll use Kevin Kubota’s The Look effect. Parts of the image were still too dark so I added the Kubota Mid-Puller effect not once, but twice. You may want to remove one or add more based on your image. The final image is to the left and the original is below.

This PhotoTools preset was created by Dan Harlacher. He calls it the Bridal Enhancer, but should work just fine on pictures of just about anybody. The preset combines 7 different PhotoTools effects to give a great new look.

Don’t forget if any one of these effects in the preset don’t work for a particular image you’re working on, you can simply adjust the effect, change it’s strength using the Fade slider or remove it completely.

Last weekend I went to the beach with my family and we got incredibly lucky with the weather. This was one of my favorite shots from the trip and of course, I ran it through PhotoTools.

Original Photo

I started off with one of the Jack Davis effects, the Global Contrast Boost to increase the contrast of the photo. Next, I added the very popular Lord of the Rings effect by Kevin Kubota. No it doesn’t add any goblins or orcs to the image, but rather gives a bit of that dreamy, punchy color look from the Lord of the Rings movies. I finished the preset off with an edge blur (reduced a bit) and the Edges to Black (Large) effect. Of course, if you only like part of the preset, you can remove the edge treatments if you don’t like them. The effect with just the Global Contrast and the Lord of the Rings works just fine by itself if that is more to your liking.