I receive a lot of requests from photographers who want to see examples of Twig and Olive presets and actions before and after so they can decide if they want to invest in them. So I decided to share my thoughts and faves here with you!
I discovered Twig and Olive at a conference in Niagara on the Lake in 2018 and fell in love with their rich velvety tones and super fun, emotive family sessions. That workshop made me fall in love with family photography again! I really feel like my style has been so much more consistent since implementing many of the techniques from the Children and Family E-Workshop and using their Lightroom presets consistently.
Presets and Actions
Lightroom and ACR Presets
I use the Twig and Olive presets exclusively, and I think I have every set they’ve put out. There are a few sets I find myself coming back to over and over again. They are Fernweh North and South sets, Earthen, Wanderlust, and Harvest Matte.
For my studio work, I have a modified copy of Smirk from the Sleepy Matte set that I use. Grin from this set is my “go-to” black and white for everything, usually with the grain dialed back a bit.
Photoshop Finishing Actions
For finishing images in Photoshop, I love the Skin and Tone actions, and the Image Enhancer actions. I have purchased and used various actions before, taking a little from each set. However, the way these are put together to be used as a workflow is just awesome.
It’s difficult to see the nuances in these above, but I assure you they are all unique. I’m showing you this collage because I was amazed at how I could have chosen literally any preset from the Harvest Matte collection to work with on this session. With little-to-no adjustments, they look great! (Not all presets will look amazing with all images, this session just happened to be one of those unicorn ones!)
Generally if I am making adjustments they are in the Basics Panel in LR – exposure, White Balance, and often the Blacks slider. I’ll also usually decrease any grain that is added, but that’s definitely a personal preference. The presets are so customizable, but I love how my images look consistent and polished with a couple of clicks.
Before & After
Here are a couple of examples of the type of edits I do, showing the before and after, using Twig and Olive presets and actions.
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Are you looking for help with your editing? I offer 1:1 if you’re brand new, just reach out. If you’re familiar with Lightroom and Photoshop already, I also have an online class available!