The 12 Best HDR Effect Lightroom Presets for Photographers

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There’s nothing like 20/20 vision, but unfortunately, cameras still can’t magically transport viewers into the world of our photos. To get there, we need editing. There’s a good reason why it’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. You can tell an entire story without writing a single line.

Typically, photographers use Lightroom to give their photos extra oomph or to convey a specific atmosphere they felt while on location. But it’s tricky. Often, it includes countless hours of tweaking the settings and then reapplying the effects to every photo in the set. And if you’re shooting nature or specific subjects in high definition, you have to keep an eye on settings throughout the process.

The HDR (High Dynamic Range photography) effect involves blending multiple photos of the same scene with different exposures to create a single image with greater brightness and contrast range. It’s used to capture details in both the shadows and highlights of scenes with high contrast, such as landscapes and architecture.

Or you can simply use these Lightroom presets to add the HDR effect to your photos. These Lightroom presets will help you strike the perfect balance between highlights and shadows. They will sharpen and give structure to your images so that every detail stands out, and you can truly transport your viewers, clients, and followers into that magical moment.

You might also like our collection of HDR Effect Photoshop Actions.


10 HDR Presets for Lightroom

Bring light (and attention) to every corner of your photos with these ten HDR Lightroom presets. You’ll get various presets for enhancing your photos, no matter the camera settings, and creating gorgeous effects. From natural presets to punchy and surrealist presets, you’ll get the whole package!

10 HDR Presets for Lightroom

20 HDR Lightroom Presets Vol.1

If HDR is your go-to photography style, this collection is precisely what you need! Featuring 20 high-quality HDR presets for Lightroom, you can use this preset collection for a variety of shoots. They work great for a variety of photos and conditions, and bring out the best in your shots.

20 HDR Lightroom Presets Vol.1

Pro HDR Collection Lightroom Presets

Get HDR shots, no matter the weather. This professional collection of Lightroom presets for adding HDR effects to your photos easily adapts to different weather and shooting conditions and guarantees smooth and structured results. You’ll get 11 presets that you can fine tune to achieve the desired effects.

Pro HDR Collection Lightroom Presets

50 HDR Lightroom Preset Collection

HDR for landscape is easy, but what about portrait and lifestyle HDR? Not a problem with this HDR Lightroom preset collection. Featuring 50 HDR presets, this collection is excellent for adding natural brightness to your photos and making sure that every detail is clear. Edit your way to absolute perfection!

50 HDR Lightroom Preset Collection

14 Pro HDR Lightroom Presets

Get professional and authentic shots with these 14 HDR Lightroom presets. They’re perfect for pro photography, as well as blogs, social media, and marketing materials. You can easily fine tune the presets to achieve the desired effects and then apply them to all the photos in your set.

14 Pro HDR Lightroom Presets

8 Pro HDR Lightroom Presets

Bring out the details beautifully and subtly with this collection of 8 professional HDR presets for Lightroom. They give you subtle and natural results that are perfect for portfolios, magazines, social media, and more! Let’s amaze your audience!

8 Pro HDR Lightroom Presets

Faded HDR LightRoom Effect

Create a unique atmosphere with this faded HDR Lightroom effect. Perfect for portrait and fashion photography, as well as lifestyle and landscape shots that convey a distinctive atmosphere, this preset is a stellar and professional option.

Faded HDR LightRoom Effect

PRO HDR Premium Lightroom Presets

Get stunning and highly-detailed results with these professional and premium Lightroom presets that will give your photos the HDR effect. The collection consists of 5 presets that you can easily customize to achieve the desired effect in line with your unique style. Bring out the details – and the applause!

PRO HDR Premium Lightroom Presets

HDR Studio Vol. 1 Lightroom Presets

Perfect for product and professional photography, these HDR Lightroom presets are a stellar choice. You’ll get a high dynamic range with these 20 presets that leverage micro-contrast to provide you with detailed photos that contain none of the elements destructive to aesthetics, such as halos and noise.

HDR Studio Vol. 1 Lightroom Presets

15 HDR Pro Lightroom Presets

Bring the atmosphere of the shot a little closer to your viewers, clients, and followers with these 15 HDR Lightroom presets. Perfect for professional landscape, lifestyle, travel, and nature photography, these presets are highly customizable and incredibly easy to use. You’ll get beautiful results with half the work!

15 HDR Pro Lightroom Presets

15 HDR Lightroom Presets Vol.2

Breathe fresh life into your photos! Perfect for graphic designers and professional photographers, these premium HDR Lightroom presets offer 15 options to enhance the details of your photos, and correct wrong exposure and imperfect shooting conditions. From smooth to dramatic, there are plenty of stunning HDR effects to work with.

15 HDR Lightroom Presets Vol.2

HDR Studio Vol.2 Lightroom Presets

Add vibrancy and dynamism to your photos with this HDR Lightroom preset collection! This collection offers 20 professional presets that will add the HDR effect to your standard photos. It’s perfect for urban, nature, travel, and other types of photography where you want to convey an authentic atmosphere.

HDR Studio Vol.2 Lightroom Presets


Get better-looking photos with these HDR Lightroom presets! Forget about underexposed (or overexposed) photos that don’t show the details making up the whole atmosphere. And while you’re at it, make some room in your calendar because you won’t be wasting days trying to get the perfect results anymore.

With these Lightroom presets, the world of gorgeous HDR shots is at your fingertips. All you have to do is download the HDR preset you’ve been eyeing, apply it to your photos, and presto! You’ve got yourself a gorgeous shot!

No matter if you plan on showing your photos in an exhibit, magazine, or on social media, these presets will enhance their details. Now, we’re not saying they’ll instantly launch you into stardom, but hey! You know that every good photographer swears by their presets.

How to Install & Apply a Lightroom Preset

How to Install &and Use a Preset in Lightroom CC 2018+:

  1. Download &and unzip the preset file
  2. Open Lightroom
  3. Navigate to Develop Module
  4. Hover over the + sign next to the Presets
  5. Select Import Presets
  6. Apply the preset by selecting the photo you want to edit and clicking the preset name.

How to Install and Use a Preset in Older Versions of Lightroom:

  1. Open Lightroom
  2. Go to Preferences > Presets
  3. Click on the box titled Show Lightroom Presets Folder
  4. Double click on Lightroom
  5. Double click on Develop Presets
  6. Copy the folders of your presets into the Develop Presets folder
  7. Restart Lightroom
  8. Use the preset by selecting the photo you want to work with and clicking on the preset name
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