Is Preset 3 Pack worth it if you’re shopping in Photography?
If you post photos of moody skies, rainy city streets, or crisp winter landscapes, you know the frustration: your camera captures the scene, but the phone app flattens it into a generic, washed-out square. You spend ten minutes fiddling with exposure, contrast, and color sliders on every single image, and the results still feel inconsistent. You need a starting point that already understands that specific “cold” aesthetic.
Preset 3 Pack from Ana Stowell is a $16 digital bundle designed to solve exactly that. It’s not a complex editing course or a massive library of 50 styles; it is a tight, focused trio of Lightroom Mobile presets—Blues, Rain, and Cool—built for people who want their feed to look cohesive and atmospheric without spending hours in post-production. It’s a quick win for creators who want a specific, moody vibe on demand.
Quick answer
| Best for | Mobile photographers who shoot cool-toned subjects (rain, blue skies, winter) and want a consistent, moody look in Lightroom Mobile. |
| Skip if | You shoot primarily warm portraits, use desktop-only Lightroom (these are mobile-optimized), or want a massive variety pack with 20+ styles. |
| Price | $16 |
| Format | 3 Lightroom Mobile presets (DNG files) |
| One-line take | A simple, affordable way to lock in a consistent “cold” aesthetic for your phone photos. |
What you’re actually buying
At $16, you aren’t buying a software license; you are buying a shortcut to a specific visual identity. The core of this offer is the Blues, Rain, and Cool presets, which are packaged as DNG files compatible with the Lightroom CC Mobile app. This is the critical detail: these are designed for your phone, not your desktop.
The workflow Ana Stowell describes is intentionally simple. You download the files, save the blank “grey” DNG image to your camera roll, and then use Lightroom’s “Copy Settings” and “Paste Settings” functions to apply the look to your photos. This means you don’t need to learn how to import complex XMP files or navigate desktop interfaces. You just paste the settings onto your image and fine-tune from there.
The value here is in the specificity. Instead of a generic “bright and airy” preset that works on everything, these three are tailored for cool tones. If your content is about travel in colder climates, urban rain photography, or just a personal preference for desaturated, blue-heavy color grading, this pack gives you a consistent baseline. You can paste the Rain preset on a street shot and the Blues preset on a sky shot, and they will likely complement each other because they share the same underlying color philosophy. It’s a small pack, but it’s a pack with a point of view.
Why it’s on our radar
This pack stands out because it solves a very specific mobile editing pain point: consistency without complexity. Many preset sellers offer 50-pack bundles that are overwhelming and often require desktop Lightroom, which is a barrier for creators who edit on the go. Preset 3 Pack cuts the noise. It’s three presets, one aesthetic, and a mobile-first workflow.
The $16 price point is also reasonable for the niche. It’s cheap enough to try if you like the look, but it signals that the seller has put thought into the color grading rather than just auto-generating files. The focus on “cool tones” means it won’t be a one-size-fits-all solution, but for the right photographer, that limitation is actually a feature. It forces a cohesive look.
What actually matters
Before you buy, keep these three things in mind to ensure it fits your workflow:
- Mobile-Only Compatibility: The instructions explicitly state you need the Lightroom CC Mobile app. If you edit exclusively on desktop using Lightroom Classic or Lightroom CC, these DNG files may not work as intended, or you may need to import them differently. Check if your workflow is mobile-first.
- The “Grey Image” Step: The installation process involves saving a blank grey image to your camera roll. This is a standard method for transferring DNG settings on mobile, but it can be confusing if you’re not used to it. Make sure you’re comfortable with this specific step before purchasing.
- Aesthetic Limitation: These are cool tone presets. If your photography is heavily warm (golden hour portraits, tropical sunsets), these presets will likely clash with your natural light. They are best for overcast days, blue hours, and subjects with inherent cool colors.
Mid-check
If you’re ready to test the look, you can view the Preset 3 Pack on Gumroad to see the current pricing and download options.
FAQ
Do I need to pay for Lightroom to use these? Yes. These are presets for the Lightroom CC Mobile app, which is a subscription service by Adobe. You cannot use these presets in the free Lightroom app or other editors like VSCO or Snapseed.
Can I use these on desktop? The pack is designed for mobile. While DNG files can sometimes be imported into desktop Lightroom, the instructions and optimization are specifically for the mobile “Copy/Paste Settings” workflow. If you are a desktop-only user, look for presets in XMP format instead.
How many photos can I edit with these? There is no limit. Once you have the settings, you can paste them onto as many photos as you want. The license is for personal use, and selling or sharing the preset files themselves is prohibited.
Bottom line
If you shoot on your phone and love a moody, cool-toned aesthetic, Preset 3 Pack is a low-risk, high-reward purchase. It’s not a massive toolkit, but it’s a precise instrument for a specific job: making your rainy, blue, and cold photos look intentional and cohesive. For $16, it’s an easy experiment to see if this “cold” look fits your brand.