Blue Steele by Neil Hodkinson – Moody Urban Street Preset

Think of Manchester on a damp evening. Neil Hodkinson designed Blue Steele around Northern English city life: shadows tinted a cold steel blue that keeps its depth, highlights pulled down to a soft cloudy grey and a fine grain that makes wet streets and brick look like film.

Contrast runs deep, so people separate from the gloom while the raw, unpolished edge of street photography stays intact.

Best subjects

• Street and urban scenes
• Atmospheric portraits
• Rainy nights in the city
• Documentary and everyday storytelling

Usage notes

Shoot RAW for maximum range, then tweak white balance and exposure. The preset performs best in low light and under heavy cloud. You get the Blue Steele XMP file and a short read-me, for Lightroom Classic and Camera Raw.