Lightroom Week 1 Notes

Howdy!

Welcome to the Clark College Lightroom Class.

This is an outline of Week ones class discussion with web links.

Generally the Lightroom Primer website has detailed notes covering class material and discussions. If details need to be added you will find them in these class blog notes, or I will update the website.  

If you have questions contact me via e-mail, garry@uofgts.com or leave a comment

The Lightroom Primer website is http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/index.html

Things you Need to Do Before You begin using Lightroom

1. Calibrate your Monitor

At the bare minimum you should make sure that you set the Brightness and Contrast of your monitor.

On the Mac go through these steps …

In System Preferences choose

Hardware > Displays > Color > Calibrate

and Follow the steps…

On the PC 

If you have Windows 7 or 8, Youll find calibration software in the Control Panel

To start Display Color Calibration

For more details go to this web page Calibrating Your Monitor

2. Establish a plan to ingest AND backup your Photographs

The Structure of your Main Photo hard drive and the backup hard drive should look like this, Your backup drive would have a different name

The folders are at the "root" of the Hard drive. 

If the Drive with the Working Catalogue fails… You just need to disconnect the failed drive, rename the backup drive with the name of the working drive… In this case Photo2, when you startup Lightroom, it will immediately find your catalogue and photos!!!

This method also allows the easy transport of All your photos and the Lightroom Catalogue!

3. Fill out and save your IPTC Metadata Preset

In Lightroom

Menu item:

Metadata > Edit Metadata Presets…

If you want to learn more about IPTC (International Press Communications Council) Metadata check out their website

4. Extra:  Here are two excellent videos 

How Lightroom works… A video by George Jardine (This should be required viewing for ALL Lightroom users. )

And here is a video on how to use the Filter bar  http://mulita.com/training/sample-lib4/, A Free sample Movie by George Jardine

Its a really REALLY good tutorial on how to use the Filter Bar.

That should do it for now… If you have a question… holler

Available link for download

Lightroom Essentials and Beyond

A Clark College Continuing Education Class

Register for Clark College Class
Mondays, July 11 - August 8, 2016
6:00pm - 09:00pm
Sign up Now! Lightroom Essentials and Beyond

Watch the slide show

Skip the slideshow? Click here!

Available link for download

Lightroom The Develop Module a Case study

Howdy

Ive completed the review of the Develop module up to the end of the Basic Panel… 

You can find an overview of the Develop module and the editing panels on the Class Website

The First 4 parts of the Case study can be found here at The Develop Module a Case Study

Process 2010 and Process 2012 are compared…

Next… Working with Smart Objects in Photoshop

Got a question? holler

Dont forget to bring to class your "last chance" questions and problematic photos…

Available link for download

Lightroom part2 weekly review

Ive come to the realization that I either need to write a Lightroom instructor install script the adds all my presets so that the Class Demos work as I would expect it to… Theoretically an exported catalogue should also contain MY presets.  More on that later…

Synchronizing Metadata

Lightroom makes it easy to synchronize Metadata, and Develop Edits.  Basically select the images and click the "Synchronize button"

At the end of this link are some things you should know about adding Metadata and synchronizing it…

The Adjustment Brush

Dodge and Burn on steroids…

I used Camera Raw but, its almost the same in Lightroom

Using the Adjustment Brush

Cropping

“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”

Ansel Adams quotes (American Photographer, 1902-1984)

Lighroom

Choose the Crop Tool...Lightroom can display the Golden Ratio solutions... Golden Spirals, The Golden Ratio, diagonals, triangles, plus the rule of thirds and grids.

Press the letter O to cycle through grid overlays in the crop area.

Press Shift plus the letter O to rotate the overlay displays.

You can also find the Crop Tool settings in Lightroom using the
Menu: Tools > Crop Guide Overlays

Heres more about Cropping

The Detail Panel

Its about sharpening

Sharpening… 

Smart Objects

Up Next what to do when you need to send a Raw file as a smart object to Photoshop

Available link for download

Lightroom CC 2015 4 6 4 now available

New Lightroom and Photoshop Camera Raw update

You can read all of the release information at Lightroom’s Blog http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Tom Hogarty | Comments (0)

Available link for download

Lightroom Part 2 Week1 Bring YOUR Photos

Just a reminder that this week we are working on YOUR Photos This week.
Bring 2 or 3 in Raw format, Jpg is okay if that’s what you have.
Our goal is to establish a “Work Flow”

Enhance The Keeper Photos

• Do everything you can in Lightroom
• Only edit photos that are in a collection

• Do Global Edits
• Start with the Develop Basic Panel
• Work your way down through each slider
• • Do not skip panels, especially the Tone Curves
  • TAT!
  • Other “Choices”
• Do Selective "Local" edits

• • The adjustment Brush
  • gradients

  Polish

  • In Photoshop if Necessary

  Finish

• Softproof
• For Print
• And, for the web!

See you in class!

Available link for download

Lightroom Last Class Review Where to from here

Hope you enjoyed the class, and you had a wonderful Thanks giving… 

In the Last Class we worked on How to find the real picture in the photograph. using Cropping

http://uofgts.com/PS-P2Site/crop.html

So, Now what... 

Here are some other suggestions…

• Take another class, At some point Clark will have a Photoshop for Photographers Class

• Visit Websites, go to the library…
• … This is a Collection of Photoshop/Lightroom Websites, it’s a bunch of Links to most visited/popular blogs
• http://photoshop.alltop.com/
• A Collection of LightRoom Websites
• http://lightroom.alltop.com/
• National Association of Photoshop Users
• http://www.photoshopuser.com/
• The best Photoshop Magazine in my opinion is PhotoShop Creative
• http://www.photoshopcreative.co.uk

Garrys Favorite web sites

1. The Luminous Landscape
   1. http://luminous-landscape.com/whatsnew/
2. http://www.dpreview.com/
3. http://www.imaging-resource.com/news
4. http://www.photographyblog.com/
5. http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer

1. Join a forum and lurk!

   http://www.photoshopforums.com/

   http://forums.adobe.com/community/photoshop

   At some point someone will post a question…  And you’ll be able to provide them the answer!  Pay it forward!

There are lots of videos on the Adobe TV web site

http://tv.adobe.com/

LUMINOUS LANDSCAPE  has a bunch of video tutorials that they sell. Get them and their video Journal...

http://luminous-landscape.com/videos/download-videos.shtml

And, Don’t forget the links to other reference material on the Class Lightroom Website Click the tab ‘Resources”

http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/index.html

One more thing
Dont be shy, Stay in touch and share your photographs!

and

Photograph, Photograph, Photograph!

Then in Lightroom & Photoshop

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Best  Wishes

Garry Stasiuk

Available link for download

Lightroom Class Review 2

Lightroom - Class Review #2

1. Importing and exporting catalogues.

You can find details here on this blog at  http://psforphotos.blogspot.com/2014/05/importing-and-merging-catalogues-in.html

2. Control + J (PC) and Command + J (Mac)

The Library View Options, Grid View This panel lets you customize the metadata information displayed on the Library Thumbnails.

The Loupe View panel lets you customize metadata in the Librarys Loupe view or on the Develop Modules display... Press the "I" (eye key) to cycle through the data being displayed. The image farther down the page is displaying Loupe View metadata.

3. The Develop Module.

For a synopsis of what each panel does in Lightroom check out the following web page. http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/input.html Click the Tab: Develop --Global Adjustments

Youll find keyboard shortcuts, and a brief description of what each panel does and links to the pages below and more...

This is a case study of the enhancing steps I took in Lightroom for the image "Rocky Creek."

The Histogram: http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/DevelopModule/index.html

Photo Analyses: http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/DevelopModule/part2.html

White Balance http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/DevelopModule/part3.html

Basic Panel http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/DevelopModule/part4.html

and the

Tone Curves http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/DevelopModule/tonecurves.html

By the way, as you work on an image, you can compare the image you are working on to the way the image originally looked by pressing the backslash key "" (Its under the Delete key Mac, Backspace Key (PC))
Under the Develop Module window in the Tool Bar (T Key) is a comparison tool that lets you see Before, and After images.

If you have any questions, send me an e-mail or bring them to class.

4. Making a "Watched Folder"

A "Watched Folder" is a handy method for quickly importing files into Lightroom and have presets, keywords and settings applied to the images!

You can find instructions at the following web page "Click the Import Tab" http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/input.html

Next Class... Bring some of your images, well work on them in class.

Available link for download

Lightroom 4 released Price dropped!

Price dropped from $299 to $149 for the FULL version

Upgrade price is now just $79.00

If you purchase Photoshop CS 5.5 or the Creative Suite CS 5.5 you can get Lightroom for $99

details

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html

ENJOY!!!!

Available link for download

Lightroom Develop Module and References

I have updated the Develop Module overview.

It details keyboard short cuts with notes about the Develop Panels.

The Develop Module Overview

I have also begun updating a case study of the Develop Module

Part 1 and 2 are now ready.

Lightroom Case Study, Part 1 and 2

Martin Evenings Lightroom 5 book is now available…

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Book, The: The Complete Guide for Photographers

Available link for download

Lightroom Week 2 Review

Before we review the Develop Module, a few notes about Importing and the Library Module.

This article originated in a Blog article posted on my Blogger page http://psforphotos.blogspot.com
You can always read the articles I e-mail you at the above link.

In my previous Review, that I sent to you Via e-mail, an embedded video didnt survive the transition from Blog to e-mail. So, here is the link to the video. This video IS REQUIRED viewing for all new Lightroom users!  It is by George Jardine… in the video he explains how LR works with your Photographs, and how it saves your non-destructive edits in the catalogue…  

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/george-jardine-on-lightroom/the-lightroom-catalog/

A note about updating Lightroom to version 5

Mac Requirements are OSX 10.7 (Lion)

Windows Requirements are: Microsoft® Windows® 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows 8

 Import using the "Watched Folder"

You can set up a folder on your Desktop that is "watched" by LR. If you place an Photograph in the folder LR will automatically import the photos and put it in your catalogue. This works well for the occasion(s) when you get photos via e-mail or you download from the web.

FIRST you must make the watched folder on your desktop, I call mine "LR-ingest" , then in the settings Dialogue Box

The Menu is:

File > Auto Import > Auto Import Settings…

Step 1. Tell Lightroom what folder to watch.

Step 2. Set the location for the import in Lightroom, 

Step 3. 
You can also include Metadata in the import

Then with the menu 

File > Auto Import > Enable Auto Import

Toggle Auto Import "On" by selecting "Enable Auto Import" then clicking the mouse button so you can see the ? Check Mark

or check ? Enable Auto Import in the Dialogue Box.

The Menu should now look like

File > Auto Import > ? Enable Auto Import

Lightroom 4 can import .jpg, tiff, raw and psd files

Lightroom 5 adds the import of .png files, just drop em in the watched folder!.

Lightrooms Develop Module

Lightrooms Develop module is a non-destructive image editor. There is no save button. As you make "edits" Lightroom automatically writes the edits to the database, and will apply the edits either on Export and/or, if you have 
1.  Turned on "Automatically write changes into XMP in the catalogue Settings Dialogue > Metadata…

Lightroom never changes your "original files"

Lightroom can also recover data in "clipped" highlights or "shadows" if there is data in one or more of the three RGB Channels.

Over the next few days Ill post a "Case Study" of the workings of The Develop Module.  The case study is based on material I wrote about using Photoshops, Camera Raw Basic Dialogue Box in my Photoshop for Photographers Class.

Well begin with a basic over view of the Develop Module.

 Got a question? Holler!

Available link for download

Lightroom 6 Whats New

Lightroom 6 is now available via a Cloud Subscription or as a Stand alone “forever” purchase.

Adobe Product Manager,  Tom Hogarty details the changes in Lightroom 6 in a blog post at photoshop.com. http://blogs.adobe.com/photoshopdotcom/2015/04/the-cc-photography-plan-keeps-getting_better.html  This post includes video highlights of the new abilities in Lightroom. 

For a more detailed list of Lightroom 6 features, The blog post at Lightroom Queen, by Victoria Bampton,  http://www.lightroomqueen.com/whats-new-lightroom-cc-6-0/ lists them all…

Note: The features in Lightroom 5 have NOT been changed, and as a result Everything you have learned about Lightroom 5 is available in Lightroom 6. Victoria Bampton has a free Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 – Quick Start Guide, a 76 page PDF eBook that is available here… http://www.lightroomqueen.com/free-ebook/lr5/

Craft&Vision at http://craftandvision.com/products/lightroom-6-up-to-speed?mc_cid=f0e9a9f79d&mc_eid=87d61c6f70 has an e-book  “Lightroom 6 Up to Speed Everything You Need to Know About the Adobe Lightroom 6 Upgrade by  Piet Van den Eynde
It’s $6.00 Canadian ($4.74 US)  until March 29… 

By the way Lightroom 6 now takes advantage of your computer’s graphics card, and yes, it is much faster…

Enjoy!!! I am.

Available link for download

Keyboard Shortcut on line app for Lightroom

Learning Aid 

by Waldo  Bronchart
http://www.waldobronchart.be

He only asks for a "donation" via GitHub

For Lightroom, Photoshop and Blender… available for Windows, Apple and Linux keyboards

It’ s interactive and online keyboard shortcut app! Try it out at 

http://waldobronchart.github.io/ShortcutMapper/

Application Shortcut Mapper

A visual shortcuts explorer for popular applications. This is a work in progress. More applications can be added by contributing on GitHub.

Available link for download

Lightroom for Mobile July Releases

You can read the full news release  at  the Adobe Lightroom Blog website

http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/2016/07/lightroom-mobile-july-updates.html

Two big updates for Lightroom for mobile are now available for download: Lightroom for iOS 2.4 and Lightroom for Android 2.1.

Available link for download

Lightroom Week 4 Review

Howdy

Edit as a smart object…

In class we learned how to send a raw file to Photoshop as a smart object, and used the fact that saved snapshot settings travel with a raw file.  (They are embedded in the raw file) We used the TAT (Targeted Adjustment Tool) in The HSL panel to make 2 different global edits 

We saved the setting with makeup first and then one without makeup, saving each as a Snapshot setting…
We sent the image to Photoshop as a smart object and used layers in Photoshop… 

You will find the details on how this was achieved on the web page Editing as a Smart Object in Photoshop

 The Adjustment Brush

We also looked at Editing Locally using the Adjustment Brush in the Tool Bar in the Develop Module

With the Adjustment Brush you can apply Local Edits, edits that are confined to a part of the entire image… 

  You can find the details on how this is done on the web page The Adjustment Brush

Spot  Removal

We also learned how to remove Spots caused by “dust on the sensor…” 

 and apply the dusting out to a series of photos…

Select Only Spot Removal and click the synchronize button..

The dust removal is applied to ALL SELECTED PHOTOS…

Reminder, there is NO Class November 11th

See you all on November 18th

Available link for download

Lightroom Class 2 Review

More iPhoto to Lightroom

I found a nifty little program called iPhoto To Disk

 Not only can you see the photos

You can export them to a new location!

The trial version lets you export 50 files… The full version is $12.95

Remember, no matter what program you use, your Photos are on somewhere on a Hard Drive, They are never "in" the program or tied to a specific program.  They are, after all YOUR photos, Not Apples… Got that Apple???

How to "kill" The annoying Photo Down Load requester popup

Yep, the toggle is a Preference!

iPhoto Menu: Iphoto > Preferences > General Tab

In Lightroom Preferences, General Tab, uncheck "Show import dialogue when a memory card detected…

Other programs?  Look in their preferences!

The Develop Module

Link: Select the Tab Develop

Note that the Exposure slider now does Exposure and Brightness. 

 For different processing views of Rocky Creek Check out The Rocky Creek Collection at my Revel site

As an aside, the Develop Module allows a 32 bit pipeline, so now you can use a program like Photoshop to stack HDR images and export the 32 bit files for Develop processing in Lightroom… You can see an example at the Revel site

Soft Proofing Notes

Select the Softproof Tab in the "output" web page

  Got a question? Send an e-mail, Ill let you know if/when the class continues.

Available link for download

Lightroom Last Class Review

Sharpening

If you only do one thing to a photo, this is it, Sharpening!

Heres the links to my notes on Softproofing in Lightroom and Photoshop

 Heres the link to Editing Smart Objects in Photoshop via Lightroom

 Hope you enjoyed the class… 

So, Now what... 

Im often asked… now that the classes are over, what do we do now?

Here are some suggestions...

• Take another class, At some point Clark will have CS 6 (Ill let you know)
• Visit Websites, go to the library…
• … This is a Collection of Photoshop Websites, its a bunch of Links to most visited/popular blogs
• http://photoshop.alltop.com/
• A Collection of LightRoom Websites
• http://lightroom.alltop.com/
• Photoshop Tutorials from Layers Magazine
• http://layersmagazine.com/category/photoshop/page/8
• National Association of Photoshop Users
• http://www.photoshopuser.com/
• The best Photoshop Magazine in my opinion is PhotoShop Creative
• http://www.photoshopcreative.co.uk/

Garrys Favorite web sites

1. The Luminous Landscape
   1. http://luminous-landscape.com/whatsnew/
2. http://www.dpreview.com/
3. http://www.imaging-resource.com/news
4. http://www.photographyblog.com/
5. http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer

1. Join a forum and lurk!

   http://www.photoshopforums.com/

   http://forums.adobe.com/community/photoshop

   At some point someone will post a question… And youll be able to provide them the answer!

There are lots of videos on the Adobe TV web site

http://tv.adobe.com/

LUMINOUS LANDSCAPE  has a bunch of video tutorials that they sell. Get them and their video Journal...

http://luminous-landscape.com/videos/download-videos.shtml

George Jardine has a terrrifics web site a a series of videos

http://mulita.com/blog/

One more thing
Dont be shy, Stay in touch and share your photographs!

and

Photograph, Photograph, Photograph!

Then in Lightroom & Photoshop

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Best  Wishes

Garry Stasiuk

Available link for download

Liberate your Photos with Lightroom

Class at Clark College begins on July 6th

The images speak for themselves...

Lightroom and Photoshop for Photographers at Clark College
Starts on July 6th

Register now and learn how… with Lightroom and Photoshop 

Available link for download

Lightroom Week 1 Review

Lightroom -- Week 1 Review

Welcome to Clark Colleges Lightroom Class

If you do not have Adobes Lightroom installed (or you own a purchased version) you can take advantage of Adobes Creative Cloud Photography deal.

There are no previous product ownership requirements. You get Lightroom & Photoshop with additional free supplements. For example you can now edit your Lightroom photographs on an iPad or Android Tablet using a free app.
https://creative.adobe.com/plans/photography

If you are still not certain that you want to commit to Lightroom & Photoshop, at the above web page link, at the bottom of the page, you may download a 30 day trial version of Lightroom and Photoshop.

Also note, that if you wish, you can purchase the software at full price and use it "forever."

Links to subjects covered in class

The Class Lightroom Primer website portal page is located at http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/

In class we discussed "Calibrating you Monitor" At the least, you need to set the contrast and brightness of your monitor.

Details on how to do monitor calibration, can be found at this link http://uofgts.com/PS-P2Site/Calibration.html

Please read and watch the videos found on the "Things to do First" Tab http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/index.html

On that page is a link on how to set up your IPTC Metadata http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/metadata.html and how to apply the data to existing files in your Library/Catalogue

We went through the steps To Import Your Photographs into Lightroom using the "Import" module

I have just updated information in the "Import..." tab on the Input Module page of the website (makes much more sense now... ) http://uofgts.com/Lightroom/input.html

Reminder

This Monday there is no class as it is Martin Luther King day, January 19. As a result the next class will not be until the following Monday on January 26. See You Then... If you have any questions, send an e-mail.

Ill send YOU another e-mail next week with a reminder of what you should bring to class... and maybe more "news." Ill also tell you what will be covered in the next class.

Available link for download

Lightroom doesnt like Nvidias Desktop Manager!

Running Lightroom 3.6 on a Windows XP Laptop with an Nvidia Graphics Card.

I do 99% of my work in Lightroom an a Mac, and occasionally I use the above mentioned PC. I had recently re-installed Win XP on the laptop and had never turned on the Nvidia Desktop Manager. A few weeks ago I was doing some maintenance on the laptop and turned on the Nvidias Desktop Manager which controls dual monitor displays among other things.

A friend brought over some photos he shot with his Nikon 7000… so I Downloaded and updated Lightroom to version 3.6 and when I tried switching from the Library module to the Develop Module, Lightroom would "hang" slow down, basically quit working.

No error messages, nothing.

At one point, when I force quit Lightroom the Microsoft error reporting requester popped up… so I wrote down the location of the error message and attempted to decipher it… found a reference to Nview, part of Nvidias Desktop management software...

Web searches with the wording Lightroom hangs on WinXP laptop didnt yield any useful information…. but Did a Google search using Nvidia and Lightroom and there it was!

Unconfirmed at present - NVidias NView Desktop Manager may cause problems with Lightroom. (Dated 2007)

Workaround - If you have this manager (and are having problems) please disable the NVidias NView Desktop Manager on your computer. The option to change NView should be found by going to control panel and opening the NVidia NView icon.

Problem solved

So, now we know...

And, now I can enjoy using Lightroom on my laptop!

Available link for download