OW Essentials No.09 - Minimalist Film Lightroom Preset

What kind of look does Minimalist Film create?

Minimalist Film creates a soft, modern look with warm muted colours, gentle highlights and balanced contrast. The result feels refined and filmic without becoming strongly vintage, faded or heavily stylised.

Is this an exact film emulation?

No. Minimalist Film is an original contemporary colour look inspired by the softer qualities associated with film. It does not reproduce a specific film stock, laboratory process or film scan.

How does the preset affect skin tones?

The preset is designed to retain natural-looking warmth in skin while reducing the harder, more saturated character that digital files can sometimes have. The final result still depends on lighting, camera profile and white balance.

Which applications can I use the preset in?

Minimalist Film is supplied as one .xmp preset for Adobe Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw. It can be used in Lightroom Mobile after importing and syncing it through Adobe Lightroom.

Do I need a camera-specific version?

No. There is one XMP preset rather than separate camera versions. Your Adobe camera profile, exposure and white balance will still influence the final result.

Does it work with RAW and JPEG photographs?

Yes. RAW files are recommended because they provide more latitude for adjusting exposure, white balance, highlights, shadows and colour. JPEG and TIFF files are supported but contain less editable image information.

What should I adjust after applying the preset?

Begin with exposure and white balance. After that, check the highlight level, shadow depth and overall colour intensity. Mixed-light photographs may require additional temperature or tint adjustments.

Can I reduce the intensity of the look?

Yes. Use Lightroom’s preset Amount control where supported, or refine the contrast, saturation and individual colour settings after applying it. The preset remains fully editable.

Can I use it across a complete photography set?

Yes, particularly when the photographs share similar lighting. Apply the preset to a representative photograph, refine exposure and white balance, and then synchronise those adjustments across the group. Different lighting situations should be treated separately.

Is this the same as the Minimalist Film LUT?

It follows the same soft, warm and contemporary colour direction, but it is rebuilt specifically for photography. The Lightroom version uses editable photographic controls, while the LUT version is designed for video and colour-grading software.

Will my photographs look exactly like the examples?

Not exactly. Camera profile, lighting, exposure, white balance and the colours present in the original photograph all influence the result. The gallery demonstrates the intended colour direction rather than guaranteeing an identical result for every photograph.