Urban and streetscape photography is a captivating style that allows photographers to capture the vibrant essence of cityscapes and scenic roads. They’re a dynamic and fun way to capture cityscapes, winding country roads, and everything in between. They stay in constant motion. And sadly, this can make capturing scenes perfectly a real challenge for photographers.
Fortunately, you don’t have to get it perfect in real time! That’s where street and urban Lightroom presets come in. If you’re not familiar, Lightroom presets allow you to apply the same stylistic edits to any photo, over and over. They lend a distinct look and feel to any image. And you can apply them with just a single click in Adobe Lightroom.
In this collection, we’ve gathered the best urban and street Lightroom presets for you. They span everything from rich, lush, colorful designs to stark, black-and-white imagery. They’re meant for photographers of any skill level. Again, that’s the beauty of presets. They’re amazingly easy to use and take only seconds to apply.
You’ll enjoy the time savings that come from applying the same edits again and again. Instead of adjusting settings manually, you can apply them all at once. This way, multiple photos from one shoot can instantly take on the same aesthetic and vibe.
So, what are you waiting for? Explore the free presets below, and don’t forget to explore our other Adobe Lightroom preset collections below. You’ll find compelling effects for any photo theme.
What is Urban or Street Photography?
Urban and street photography are captivating styles of capturing the essence of city life. Urban photography focuses on the physical aspects of the city, and street photography delves into the human element. Both styles offer unique perspectives that allow us to appreciate the beauty and authenticity of city life.
The key attributes of urban and street photography include:
- Candid Scenes: Street photography is all about motion and action. In short, you’re capturing life as it happens. These aren’t vast landscapes. Nor are they intimate portraits. Urban and street photos grasp the ebbs and flows of humanity in motion.
- Vibrant Hues & Colors: Color lends itself to urban scenes. Think of your favorite cityscapes and rural scenes alike. Odds are, they stand out in your memory because of their colors and visuals. By enhancing color, you can make any urban street photo more true to life.
- Crisp Contrasts: Photography like this revolves around contrasts. No single element should fade into the background. If it does, you’ll miss out on the complete dynamic effect of any scene.
- Motion in Action: Let’s face it, streetscapes are seldom static. Whether it’s pedestrians or vehicles, something is always moving. Presets enhance the motion effects that you capture with your lens for truly unforgettable urban photography.
- Gritty Realism: Gritty details make for magical photos. Urban and street photography shows these details in real, raw form.
In essence, the below presets capture the heart of urban life. Every dull and flat scene that you capture can be transformed into something truly dynamic and magical.
The Top Urban & Street Lightroom Presets for Photographers
Skyfall Lightroom Preset (Free)
Skyfall lends a sunlit, crisp look to your street photos. This free preset amplifies contrast and gives new life to darker shades. It’s a useful option for urban landscapes as well.
ARTA Manhattan Street Presets for Lightroom
These presets infuse a modern color palette into your photos, making them an excellent fit for travel, fashion, or lifestyle photographers. Crafted with meticulous attention, these presets serve as an excellent foundation for taking your street or urban photos to the next level.
Brilliante Lightroom Preset (Free)
Brilliante sharpens and brightens colors in your streetscape scenes. You’ll see each tone appear brighter and more vibrant. It’s a crisp, quick edit for any urban photo in your portfolio.
Street Photography Lightroom Bundle
The thirteen presets that come with this Lightroom bundle have all been created to give your shots an instant street and urban look and feel. The bundle also includes black and white, film, and night photogrpahy effects.
City Vintage Lightroom Preset (Free)
Street photography deserves great light and enhanced colors. This free preset delivers these effects to your photos. It’s designed for road photography. Details are brought out, and contrast is boosted.
Street Tones Lightroom Preset
These presets have been created to give you a one-of-a-kind, polished aesthetic that enhances the subtle tones and shades of your photos. These presets are perfect for bringing dimly lit pictures to life.
California Dreamin Lightroom Preset (Free)
California Dreamin is a sleek street and road preset. It’s ideal for urban scenes, especially when buildings are featured. It adds a glow to any flat, dull image. Shadows are reduced, and details emerge in every shot.
Contrasena Lightroom Preset (Free)
Searching for a sunset or a golden-hour glow for your photos? Contrasena provides it – even if your camera misses the mark. Orange and gold hues are enhanced, and your photos can take on a timeless feel with the preset applied.
Street Film Lightroom Preset (Free)
Film effects are the perfect way to enhance your cityscape photos. They bring motion to life and lend a gritty look to every scene. Street Film is a preset that does exactly that. You’ll see each detail sharpen and come into focus.
Street View Lightroom Preset (Free)
In urban photography, contrast is the name of the game. Many scenes will appear dull and flat. But your photos don’t have to! The Street View preset will brighten the tones in any urban or street photo.
Muyvibrante Lightroom Preset (Free)
Muyvibrante is a classic street preset. It’s a powerful option if you really need to experience color depth in your imagery. Color hues are enhanced for a rich look and feel. Try it for your next streetscape image edit.
Havana Lightroom Preset (Free)
Are you looking for a retro look for your street photos? Havana is a free preset with this goal in mind. Streets are given an earthy, sunlit tone. Surrounding features are brightened to add unique contrast.
Sincerely Yours Lightroom Preset (Free)
Street scenes are all about vibrance and thrilling scenes. The Sincerely Yours preset brings these visuals to life. Try it to make the most of any street photo that you’ve captured with your lens.
The Walk Home Lightroom Preset (Free)
Black and white scenes capture the essence of many street scenes. The best way to capture them is with a preset like this. Any photo can be transformed into a sharp, two-tone scene. This one is designed for any street or urban scene.
Street Photography Lightroom Presets (Free)
Here are street photography presets with twelve design options. With them, you can enhance any urban photo in your portfolio. The perfect option for street photographers.
Vintage Streets Lightroom Preset (Free)
Often, subtle changes are the most powerful. That’s especially true with street photography. This free preset adds vintage effects with gritty details. It works for an array of street and urban scenes.
Black & White Lightroom Preset (Free)
Black and white images are a great way to treat streetscapes. Clutter fades into the backdrop with the focus on the road itself. This free preset is tailor-made for street photos, with grayscale effects.
Narrow Streets Lightroom Preset (Free)
This free street photography preset adds warm tones to your images. It serves to highlight the contrast between light and dark shades, and delivers a classical look and feel to your street photos.
Your Old TV Lightroom Preset (Free)
Another black-and-white option, Your Old TV is another top choice for urban photo presets. Pavement, concrete, and earth tones are amplified and boosted with the one-click edit. Use this preset for street scenes, skylines, and more.
City Dusk Lightroom Preset (Free)
Night photography often captures streetscapes at their very best. This preset is meant to enhance these scenes. Contrasts and shadows are boosted. Plus, it adds a cool effect if you’re shooting wet pavement.
Soft Film Lightroom Preset (Free)
With film effects, you can give any photo in your collection a timeless look and feel. These soft film Lightroom presets are meant for street photos, and they do exactly that by sharpening tones and contrasts while preserving a natural look and feel.
Urban Soot Lightroom Presets (Free)
These free street photo presets provide a cinematic look. To each photo, they will add a gritty, crisp feel. They help photos look like they were captured on old film, with a classic appearance and warmth.
Cobble Street Lightroom Preset (Free)
Cobblestone streets are highly photogenic. But they can often appear dull and flat. This free preset solves that issue, boosting contrasts and adding a dose of natural color to stone streets everywhere.
How to Install a Lightroom Preset on Your Computer
- Download the Preset: Download the Lightroom preset you want to use. Make sure you save the MXP file somwhere memorable.
- Open Lightroom: Launch Lightroom on your desktop.
- Access the Develop Module: Once Lightroom is open, navigate to the “Develop” module by clicking on it in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Find the Presets Panel: On the left-hand side, you will see a panel labeled “Presets.” Click on it to view the preset options.
- Import Preset: Right-click anywhere within the “Presets” panel and select “Import.” Locate the preset file you downloaded and then click “Import” again.
- Apply the Preset: With the preset now imported, you can apply it to your photos by clicking on the preset name in the “Presets” panel. Your photo will instantly take on the preset’s settings.
How to Install a Preset in Lightroom Mobile
- Download Lightroom Mobile: If you haven’t already, download and install the Lightroom Mobile app from your device’s app store.
- Transfer the Preset: To get the preset onto your mobile device, you can use cloud storage or email it to yourself. Once it’s on your mobile device, make sure you know where it’s located.
- Open Lightroom Mobile: Launch the Lightroom Mobile app on your device.
- Import the Preset: Tap the “+” icon at the bottom of the screen to create a new project. Then, select “From Files” or the equivalent option based on your device’s file management system. Locate and select the preset file you transferred in step 2.
- Save as a Preset: After importing the preset, open any photo in Lightroom Mobile. If required, adjust the settings to your liking, using the preset as a reference. Once satisfied, in the top-right corner of the screen tap the three dots (…) and select “Create Preset.” Give your preset a name and save it.
- Apply the Preset: Now, whenever you edit a photo in Lightroom Mobile, you can apply the preset you created by tapping the “Presets” icon and selecting your custom preset from the list.
That’s it! You’ve successfully installed a Lightroom preset on your mobile device.
The Very Best of Urban & Street Photography
This preset collection captures the very best options for urban and street photography. Every urban scene can transform into something truly magical with just a few clicks. That’s all thanks to the power of Lightroom presets.
So, what are you waiting for? Download your favorite presets today! Then, start applying them to all of your favorite photos. You’ll be amazed by the stunning results.