Is The Summer Collection worth it if you’re shopping in Photography?
You have the camera. You have the outfit. You have the golden-hour light hitting the water just right. But when you open your phone that night, the photos look flat, muddy, or just… not you. That gap between the scene you saw and the image you saved is exactly where a preset pack earns its keep. (The Summer Collection)
The Summer Collection from BRITTMERL is a $40 four-preset pack built specifically for that coastal, bright, airy feed aesthetic. It is not a generic “lighten and desaturate” bundle. It is a tight set of four looks—everyday, skin-tone focused, low-light, and overcast—designed to make ocean blues and summer pinks pop without turning your entire feed into a warm orange haze. If you are shooting beach content, travel, or lifestyle photos and want a consistent look without spending hours in Lightroom, this is a focused, affordable entry point.
Quick answer
| Best for | Creators who shoot beach, travel, or lifestyle content and want a consistent, bright, airy look without manual editing. |
| Skip if | You shoot primarily indoor, moody, or high-contrast urban content, or you prefer building your own color grades from scratch. |
| Price | $40 |
| Format | 4 custom Lightroom presets + immediate digital download |
| One-line take | A tight, purpose-built four-preset pack that nails the “bright but not orange” summer aesthetic in one click. |
What you’re actually buying
At $40, you are not getting a massive library of 50 presets. You are getting four highly specific tools, each built for a distinct shooting scenario. That is the real value here: specificity over volume. (The Summer Collection)
The first preset, “IT’S BRITTANY BEACH”, is your everyday workhorse. It is designed for standard daylight shots where you want that clean, crisp, slightly lifted look that makes a beach scene feel inviting rather than harsh. The second, “BIKINI BABE”, is where this pack gets really useful. It is tuned specifically for skin tones, meaning it handles the tricky balance of keeping warm skin natural while letting the blue of the ocean or a bright swimsuit pop. If you shoot a lot of group photos or outfit content, this is the one you will reach for most. (The Summer Collection)
Then you get “LOW LIGHT”, which is ideal for sunset shots or any image taken with flash. Sunsets are notoriously hard to edit without blowing out the highlights or crushing the shadows, and this preset is built to handle that dynamic range. Finally, “CLOUDY DAY” solves the overcast problem. Flat, gray, rainy-day photos usually look dull, but this preset is designed to make those images “pop” anyway, so you are not stuck with a folder of unusable shots just because the sky was gray. (The Summer Collection)
Together, these four presets cover the full range of a beach or summer trip. You are not buying a single filter; you are buying a small, curated system that matches the specific lighting conditions you will actually encounter. That is why it feels like a complete solution rather than a single trick. (The Summer Collection)
Why it’s on our radar
This pack stands out because it solves a very specific aesthetic problem: the “bright and airy” look that doesn’t fall into the orange trap. Many summer presets push warmth too far, turning skin tones and ocean blues into a muddy peach. BRITTMERL explicitly designed The Summer Collection to be “warm, inviting, yet not orange,” and that is a hard balance to strike. The fact that the seller uses these presets year-round, not just in summer, suggests they are versatile enough to become a staple in your editing workflow, not just a seasonal novelty.
The four-preset structure is also smart. Instead of overwhelming you with options, it gives you a clear decision tree: Is it a normal day? Use the everyday preset. Is it skin-heavy content? Use the skin-tone preset. Is it sunset or flash? Use the low-light preset. Is it overcast? Use the cloudy-day preset. That simplicity is the feature. You are not spending ten minutes scrolling through a folder of 30 presets, trying to guess which one will work. You know exactly which one to pick based on the conditions in front of you. (The Summer Collection)
What actually matters
Before you hit checkout, there are a few practical details to confirm. (The Summer Collection)
- Software compatibility: These are Lightroom presets. If you are editing in a different platform (like Snapseed, VSCO, or Photoshop), you will need to verify if these files are compatible or if you need a different format. (The Summer Collection)
- The email address is critical: The listing emphasizes that you must enter the correct email at checkout to receive the immediate download link. Double-check your email before you pay. If you use a work email that you don’t check often, or if you typo your address, you will not get the files automatically. (The Summer Collection)
- Skin tone testing: If you shoot a lot of content featuring diverse skin tones, test the “BIKINI BABE” preset on a sample image first if possible. Presets that are tuned for specific skin tones can sometimes look off on others, so it is worth verifying it matches your audience. (The Summer Collection)
- Overcast performance: The “CLOUDY DAY” preset is a standout feature, but overcast lighting varies wildly. If you shoot in consistently gray, low-contrast environments, this preset is likely to save you a lot of manual work. (The Summer Collection)
Mid-check
If you are ready to lock in your summer aesthetic, View on Gumroad to get the download link and start editing.
FAQ
Do I need to be a pro to use The Summer Collection? No. These are one-click presets. You apply them, and they adjust the color, contrast, and tone automatically. You can still fine-tune the exposure or saturation afterward if you want, but the base look is handled for you.
Will these presets work on my phone? The listing specifies Lightroom presets. If you are using Lightroom Mobile, you will need to import them correctly. If you are using a different app, you will need to check compatibility. The core value is in the color grade, which is designed for the Lightroom engine. (The Summer Collection)
Can I use these presets on non-beach photos? Yes. The seller notes that they use this collection year-round. The “IT’S BRITTANY BEACH” and “CLOUDY DAY” presets are versatile enough for everyday lifestyle shots, not just ocean views. The “BIKINI BABE” preset is more specific to skin tones, so it may be less relevant for product or landscape shots. (The Summer Collection)
What if I enter the wrong email at checkout? You will not receive the automatic download link. The listing strongly warns about this. If you make a mistake, you will need to contact BRITTMERL directly at brittmerl@gmail.com to get the files sent to you. It is a small step, but it is the only way to get your download, so pay close attention. (The Summer Collection)
Bottom line
If you are tired of flat, muddy beach photos and want a consistent, bright, airy look that doesn’t turn your feed orange, The Summer Collection is a sharp, affordable pick. Four presets, four specific use cases, and a look that is designed to pop without over-editing. It is a small investment for a big visual upgrade, and the simplicity of the four-preset system means you will actually use them instead of letting them sit in a folder.