Is INGREDIENTS - VOL 1 worth buying right now?
INGREDIENTS Vol 1: Six cinematic Lightroom presets for sports shooters who hate post-processing
You just shot a 400-frame sequence under harsh stadium lights or a dimly lit gym floor. The raw files look muddy, flat, or blown out. You need a consistent, dramatic look that makes the action pop, but you don’t have the time to tweak sliders for every single image. This is the exact bottleneck that INGREDIENTS - VOL 1 from Joseph Fokum is designed to solve. It’s a focused pack of six premium Lightroom presets built specifically to handle the unpredictable lighting conditions of sports photography, delivering a cinematic finish in seconds rather than minutes.
If you are a sports photographer, content creator, or casual shooter who wants that “big game” aesthetic without spending hours in post-production, this $20 pack is a sharp, low-friction tool. It cuts through the noise of generic preset packs by focusing entirely on the environments where sports photos are actually taken: flash-heavy arenas, outdoor daytime fields, and moody indoor settings. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
Quick answer
| Best for | Sports photographers and action shooters who want a consistent, dramatic look across different lighting conditions without manual slider tweaking. |
| Skip if | You shoot primarily portraits, landscapes, or food, or if you prefer building a custom editing workflow from scratch. |
| Price | $20 |
| Format | 6 Lightroom presets (compatible with Lightroom, Classic, and Mobile) |
| One-line take | A no-nonsense, sports-specific editing kit that turns muddy raw files into cinematic shots in one click. |
What you’re actually buying
At $20, you are not getting a bloated library of 50 presets that you’ll never use. You are getting a tight, purpose-built set of six tools: Lab, Daytime, Dreamy, Flash Mob, B&W, and Industrial B&W. The value here isn’t just in the number of files, but in the specificity of the look. Most preset packs try to be everything to everyone, resulting in generic, safe edits. INGREDIENTS - VOL 1 is different because it targets the visual language of sports: high contrast, punchy vibrance, and a cinematic mood that makes the subject feel like the main character in a film.
The Flash Mob and Lab presets are particularly interesting for indoor or flash-lit scenarios, where raw files often suffer from color casts and harsh shadows. These presets are engineered to tame that chaos, giving you a clean, dramatic base to work from. Meanwhile, the Daytime preset handles the tricky business of outdoor sports, balancing bright skies with shadowed subjects to keep the action visible. The two black and white options—B&W and Industrial B&W—offer a gritty, timeless alternative for when you want to strip away color and focus purely on the emotion and motion of the shot. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
Because these presets work across Adobe Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom Mobile, you can apply the same look whether you are editing on your desktop at home or doing quick tweaks on your phone at the field. This cross-platform consistency is a huge workflow saver. You can shoot, edit a few key frames on your phone to check the vibe, and then batch process the rest on your computer with the exact same aesthetic. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
Why it’s on our radar
This pack stands out because it solves a very specific problem for a very specific audience. Generic preset packs often fail in sports photography because they don’t account for the extreme dynamic range and mixed lighting of athletic events. INGREDIENTS - VOL 1 is built with that reality in mind. The fact that it includes both color and black-and-white options, along with presets for both flash and natural light, shows that the creator understands the full range of environments a sports photographer faces.
The “cinematic” angle is also a strong draw. In a sea of over-saturated, HDR-heavy sports edits, a more restrained, film-like look can make your portfolio stand out. The Dreamy and Industrial B&W presets suggest a move away from the typical “loud” sports look toward something more artistic and editorial. If you are looking to elevate your work from “documentary” to “artistic,” this is the kind of tool that helps you get there quickly. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
What actually matters
Before you hit buy, keep these three points in mind to ensure this pack fits your workflow: (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
- Lighting Specificity: The presets are designed for sports environments. If you are shooting weddings, product photos, or landscapes, these looks may not translate well. The Flash Mob and Lab presets are particularly tuned for artificial lighting, which is a pro for indoor sports but a con for other genres. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
- Mobile Compatibility: If you edit on the go, the Lightroom Mobile compatibility is a major plus. You can apply the Daytime preset right after a game to get a quick, consistent look for social media posts. This is a feature many premium desktop-only packs lack. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
- No Refunds: The listing clearly states that all sales are final and no refunds will be issued. Make sure you are confident that the sports-specific aesthetic matches your brand before purchasing. Since it’s a small, focused pack, the risk is low, but it’s worth noting for your peace of mind. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
Mid-check
If you are a sports photographer who wants to speed up your post-processing workflow and add a dramatic, cinematic edge to your images, this is a straightforward, no-frills option. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
FAQ
Does INGREDIENTS Vol 1 work on Lightroom Mobile? Yes. The presets are compatible with Adobe Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom Mobile, so you can apply the same look on your phone as you do on your desktop.
What kind of lighting conditions are these presets best for? They are designed for the varied lighting of sports photography, including harsh stadium lights, outdoor daytime conditions, and indoor flash. The Flash Mob and Daytime presets are specifically tuned for these environments. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
Can I use these presets for non-sports photography? While the presets can be applied to any image, they are optimized for the contrast, color, and motion found in sports photography. For portraits or landscapes, you may need to make additional manual adjustments. (INGREDIENTS - VOL 1)
Bottom line
INGREDIENTS - VOL 1 is a focused, effective tool for sports photographers who want to save time in post-production without sacrificing style. At $20, you get six versatile presets that handle the toughest lighting conditions in sports, from bright outdoor fields to dark indoor arenas. If you are tired of tweaking sliders for every single frame and want a consistent, cinematic look, this pack is a smart, low-risk addition to your editing toolkit.