If you like moody, filmic black and white portraits, this video is a full walk-through of how I get there in a way that still feels natural. Nothing too crunchy, nothing too “effecty”. It’s mostly about subtle control: exposure that sits in the right place, tones that feel intentional, and a bit of shaping so the frame has purpose.

I show the process in two ways.

First, using my own Lightroom presets as a starting point - specifically Mullins Film Edition Three, and the Arizona Film look. I’ll show you how I apply it, what I tweak afterwards, and how I use grain and contrast without turning skin into sandpaper.

Then, for anyone who wants to do it without presets at all, I build a similar feel using standard Lightroom tools. Tone curve work, clarity (used carefully), and a bit of colour grading so the monochrome has depth rather than looking flat and grey. It’s the same destination, just a different route.

There’s also a practical Photoshop section where I tidy up and extend backgrounds. It’s not heavy retouching, more a clean-up so the image looks considered, especially if you’re shooting against backdrops that aren’t quite big enough or you’ve got distractions creeping in at the edges.

If you’d like 10% off my Mullins Film Advanced Presets, you can use code YT10.