Output Sharpening
In modern digital photo workflows, we usually use three types of sharpening capture sharpening, creative sharpening and output sharpening. In Lightroom, the first two are applied in the Develop module (see Chapter 4). At export time, Lightroom provides the capability to automatically apply output sharpening see Figure 5-11. With this method, the new files are sharpened at the ideal point in the processing and at the proper amount for the image size and intended media. Sharpen For 1 Glojsy Paper...
Single Image Contact Sheet
Use a Contact Sheet Grid when you want all the photos to be printed in the same size cells. This determines the maximum possible size for the longest side of the photo(s). This style is also ideal for printing one single image, including making fine art prints. (The term contact sheet comes from the old days of film and photo paper. Strips of processed film were placed in rows on the photo paper, which was then exposed. This produced a sheet of thumbnail images for proofing and client...
Global Adjustments To Saturation And Vibrance
Because these two adjustments are applied globally, it's very easy to overdo them with destructive effect on the appearance of the photo. (Set the Saturation and Vibrance sliders all the way to the right to see what I mean.) In this age of digital photography, in my opinion, there is a preponderance of over-saturated, garish images out there. Of course, sometimes this is the appropriate treatment for the photo, but more often, I believe, the photographer doesn't intend it. In critiquing images...
Show import dialog when a memory card is detected
This setting, in Lightroom Preferences General (moved to the General tab in v3 see Figure 2-20 on previous page), is intended to automatically open Lightroom's import screen when you insert a memory card or connect a camera directly to your computer. However, this can be overridden by your operating system and other programs may also get in the way. If you want to use this feature you might need to change your system settings. On OS X, use the Image Capture application preferences and specify...
Docking folders
To make folder lists more manageable, Lightroom 3's Import screen includes a Dock Folder option. This hides the subfolders above the chosen folder, making it easier to navigate within the panel. Double-click a folder to dock and undock it, or right-click or Ctrl+click on a folder name, and from the popup menu, check or uncheck Dock Folder. 4. When you're choosing the folder containing photos to import, if you have multiple subfolders below an upper-level folder you selected, by default, the...
Preparing print files to send to a lab
You can very effectively use Lightroom to generate print-ready files for printing by a lab. All photographic print labs accept jpg files for output. Lightroom's Print module has controls for you to save out jpg files using the current print layout and settings, instead of spooling the job to your own printer. Perform the workflow steps as usual, up to the point where you are setting the options in the Print Job panel. Then, set the popup menu for Print To jpeg File see Figure 6-45. Print...
F7
S+Ctrl+0, 1, 2, 3 etc. or Ctrl+Shift+0, 1, 2,3 etc. The Navigator (see Figure 1-18) is in the first position of the left panel group in the Library and Develop modules (it's called Preview in the output modules, where it functions a bit differently). The Navigator shows a preview of the selected photo, or the active photo if multiple photos are selected. The Navigator panel can be used to select zoom ratios, or levels of magnification. Selecting a zoom ratio in the Navigator enlarges the photo...
Use dedicated disk drives for your image library
It's better to not store your image files on your system disk. I recommend you store your photos (and usually, your Lightroom catalogs) on disk drives used only for that purpose. If you currently are storing your photos on a single internal disk, I recommend you set up new drives to use only for your imaging work. Whenever possible it's easiest to use just one large disk for your entire image library. Fewer, larger disks are easier to manage than many small ones. A single disk also provides for...
Develop Presets
Using Develop presets can save you lots of time processing files. With them you can quickly apply any previously saved settings to large numbers of images all at once. Lightroom also offers many built-in Develop presets see Figure 4-123. You can make your own presets or use presets made by other people there is a growing number of Web sites where photographers share presets, a few of which are listed at the end of this section. After you've worked with Lightroom a while you will begin to...
Export postprocessing
You can apply post-processing actions in the Export window (see Figure 9-10). These can be Photoshop actions saved as droplets, or in many cases, actual standalone programs on your computer. In these cases, Lightroom will fully complete all its processing, then hand off the file to the specified application or script. For example, if you run a Open in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Open in Adobe Photoshop C53
Red Eye Correction
Red-eye in photography is a phenomenon caused by light from a flash bouncing off the inside of a person's (or animal's) eyeball. Usually, it's an undesirable effect. looks for red-colored pixels and changes them to neutral gray or black. Its application is similar to that of the Spot Removal tool. Drag from the center of the eye or click to use current size To remove red-eye from a photo, Figure 4-103 zoom in close to see the affected eye work on one at a time. Click to activate the red-eye...
Original And Derivative Files
When you export photos from Lightroom, the original is the photo from which the new files are being made. An original can be any photo or virtual copy in your catalog. For this reason, you might have more than one original version of a photo in your catalog, all made from a single file on the hard disk. In this case, each variation could be considered an original in terms of exporting. For example, if you use virtual copies vcs to produce three versions of a photo with different crops, each vc...
Selective Color Adjustments
In addition to the global Saturation and Vibrance settings, you can adjust colors in the image based on their named hue orange, purple, aqua, etc. . Ths e colors may seem arbitrary, but quite the opposite is true Lightroom's color ranges are loosely based on the color wheel as defined more practically by Mark Hamburg at Adobe and divided into distinct hues that blend together in between. The defined colors are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Aqua, Blue, Purple and Magenta. You may be surprised to...
GPS and Altitude
If there is gps and or altitude metadata embedded in the file, Lightroom will display it. If no gps and or altitude metadata is found, the fields do not show in the panel. If gps data is shown, click the button next to the coordinates. This opens your default Web browser and loads that location on the Google Maps Web site. To go to Yahoo maps instead of Google, hold the Option or Alt key while clicking. If you recorded voice notes with your image files, Lightroom will show and allow you to play...
Tone Curve
After adjusting the settings on the Basic panel, you can further refine the photo's contrast by manipulating specific tone ranges with the Tone Curve panel see Figure 4-43 . Get as close as you can to your desired result with the controls on the Basic panel before moving on to settings in the other panels. If you've used curves in Photoshop or other software, the Tone Curve panel will be familiar to you. The horizontal axis represents the original, unaltered values in the image, with the black...
Info
If you need to change the settings for this session, click the gear icon at the right end of the capture control strip circled above to re-open the Tethered Capture Settings window. Or, to cancel the session, press the small X above the gear. 10. The large round button is a shutter control. You can click it to fire the shutter from your computer, or work as you normally would from behind the camera. Notes at the time of my testing, Lightroom's shutter button did not replicate the full...
What Happens During The Import
Depending on the type of import you're doing and the options you've selected, Lightroom will read each of the files in the selected folder s , copy the files if directed to do so, create records in the catalog and builds previews for all the photos in the import. As soon as you begin the import, the Import screen closes and the Library module loads with the Current Import image source selected. Photo thumbnails begin appearing in Grid view immediately as each file is imported. When the top...
Scrolling Panel Tracks
When multiple left and right panels are open, it's likely their contents will be too long for all the panels to show on the screen. In this event, scroll bars appear to allow you to move up and down within the panel track see Figure 1-23. Click and drag the bar to scroll, or use your mouse wheel. Exposure Program Aperture priority
Panel End Marks
The panel end mark ornaments at the bottoms of the left and right panel groups see Figure 1-24 are designed to let you know there are no more panels below. You can change the graphic used for the panel end marks, you can add your own, or you can remove them completely. Once you get used to the panels, these end marks become unnecessary. I prefer to leave them hidden to reduce screen clutter. Right-click or Ctrl click on or around the end mark and select a panel end mark from the list. From the...
Using Multiple Catalogs
You can use one or many catalogs to manage your photo library, though as of this writing the Lightroom application can only have one catalog open at a time. For example, some photographers might use different catalogs for work and personal photos, or a unique catalog for each specific client. Also, using temporary working catalogs you can maximize the potential of your workflow. One example of how using multiple catalogs can greatly enable your workflow is when traveling, and using Lightroom on...
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Let's take a look at how the Lightroom program works with its catalogs and your image files on disk. The default catalog's location on disk When the Lightroom application is first installed, it creates a new empty catalog file in these default locations Mac OS X User Pictures Lightroom 3 Catalog Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat Windows XP User My Documents My Pictures Lightroom 3 Catalog Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat Windows Vista and 7 User Pictures Lightroom Lightroom 3 Catalog Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat...
