B2 Soft Silver | Portrait B&W Film Preset for Lightroom Desktop & Mobile

B2 is for portrait, lifestyle, and fine art photographers who want their black and white photography to look as flattering as their colour work.

For wedding photographers who deliver B&W portraits alongside colour — B2 produces the timeless, romantic quality that B&W wedding portraits should have.

For photographers who have tried B&W presets and found the contrast too harsh on skin. B2's deliberate softness solves this directly.

For lifestyle photographers who include occasional B&W editorial content and want a sophisticated, elevated quality.

Skin looks luminous, not harsh. B2's tonal calibration references how the finest portrait photographers used soft-gradation film to make skin glow. The luminance in the skin tone range is elevated, the contrast reduced — the result is flattering regardless of the subject's skin tone.

It has depth without drama. Soft does not mean flat. B2 has genuine tonal separation and depth — the softness is in how the contrast is distributed, not in a reduction of tonal range.

It is the most universally flattering B&W preset. B2 works across diverse skin tones, varied lighting conditions, and every portrait scenario from soft window light to direct sun.

It suits wedding photography specifically. The timeless, romantic quality of B2 is calibrated for the emotional register of wedding photography.

1 × B2 Soft Silver DNG file — for Lightroom Mobile on iPhone and Android

1 × B2 Soft Silver XMP file — for Lightroom Classic on Mac and Windows

Step-by-step installation guide

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This preset captures the soft, muted aesthetic and refined tonal range similar to the iconic B2 black-and-white filters. It’s the perfect professional alternative for those wanting an understated, analog-inspired monochrome look that feels light and timeless. By emulating the softer developing process of classic film photography, the B2 ensures your digital shots have a smooth, professional finish that works perfectly on both desktop and mobile.

B2 works best on photos where the subject is the primary element — close portrait shots, environmental portraits, lifestyle photography with a clear human subject.

For close-up portraits: apply at 85-90% strength. The soft quality is calibrated for moderate-distance portrait shots — at extreme close-up, you may want to reduce strength slightly to prevent the highlights from reading as too bright.

For outdoor portrait sessions in bright sun: pull Highlights -10 to -20 after applying to keep the bright skin highlight areas from washing out in direct light.

On phone photos: 80-85% strength.

What is the difference between B1 and B2? B1 is the balanced, versatile B&W baseline — works across every subject. B2 is specifically softened and calibrated for portraits — the reduced contrast and elevated skin luminance make it more flattering for people but less suited to street, landscape, and architectural photography where stronger contrast is appropriate.

Does B2 work for dark skin tones? Yes. B2's tonal calibration works across diverse skin tones. For very deep skin tones, the luminance lift in the orange channel means deep skin still reads as bright and present rather than getting lost in the darker midtone range.

Is B2 good for wedding photography? Yes — B2 is specifically well-suited to wedding photography. The soft, timeless quality works for getting-ready portraits, ceremony coverage, and couple portraits in varied lighting.