Chingliu — Lightroom

Set Temp to 4800k (slightly cool) and Tint to +5 (slightly magenta). This neutralizes the base.

In the ever-evolving world of photo editing, trends come and go. However, few styles have captured the imagination of portrait and street photographers quite like the Chingliu Lightroom aesthetic. If you have scrolled through Instagram or Behance lately, you have likely paused on a portrait that feels simultaneously cinematic, melancholic, and strikingly sharp—there is a high probability that image was edited using a Chingliu preset or methodology. chingliu lightroom

But what exactly is "Chingliu"? Is it a person, a specific filter, or a philosophy of color grading? In this long-form guide, we will dissect the DNA of the Chingliu Lightroom style, teach you how to achieve it from scratch, and explain why this specific preset has become a gold standard for modern digital photography. To understand the Chingliu Lightroom phenomenon, you must first understand the photographer behind the name. Chingliu (often stylized as Ching Liu) is a renowned photographer known for their ethereal, cinematic portraits. Their work blurs the line between high-fashion editorial and fine art. Set Temp to 4800k (slightly cool) and Tint

Save this as a user preset. Name it "My Chingliu Clone." Photography is emotional. The Chingliu Lightroom style resonates because it mimics memory. We don't remember harsh, neon daylight; we remember soft, golden evenings. By desaturating the greens and pushing blues to teal, the editor creates a nostalgic "buffer" between the viewer and the image. However, few styles have captured the imagination of

Whether you download a premium pack or build your own preset using the settings above, the goal is the same: create a sense of weight, mood, and timelessness. So, open Lightroom, grab a portrait, and start sliding those hues. Your next masterpiece is just a curve adjustment away.

Underexpose by 1/3 of a stop. Drag Highlights to -80. Shadows to +40.

Add grain. Then, go to Lens Corrections. Crucially , turn off "Remove Chromatic Aberration" or set it to low—the tiny purple fringe actually adds to the "analog lens" vibe that Chingliu loves.