Can You Create a New Drawing in Lightroom

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Captions

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Alvesgaspar

You can add captions on your photographs using the Slideshow module.

The appearance and position of the captions will be the same in each photograph.

Do the following.

Collection

1) Press g to go to the Library module.

2) Select photographs and place them in a collection, if needed.

Perhaps add them to the Quick Collection in the Catalog panel.

The Quick Collection is for temporary collections.

Click the faint circle in the upper-right corner of each preview.

Add Photo to Quick Collection

3) Select Quick Collection in the Catalog panel.

Metadata Panel

4) Press Ctrl + d to deselect all of your photographs.

5) Select your first photograph.

6) Open the Metadata panel on the right side of your screen.

Enter the caption for the photograph in the Caption box.

Select the next photograph, and repeat the above.

Caption Box

7) Go to the Slideshow module.

The photographs in the Quick Collection are in the filmstrip at the bottom of your screen.

8) Open the Overlays panel on the right side of your screen.

9) Deselect these sections:

• Identity Plate

• Watermarking

• Rating Stars

You don't want the above to appear on your photographs.

10) Select the Text Overlays section.

Text Overlays Section

11) You can change the following.

As mentioned, the appearance and position of the captions will be the same in each photograph.

The only way to vary the appearance and position of the captions is to only have one photograph at a time in the Slideshow module.

Color

To change the color, click the color picker rectangle.

Initially, you will only see black, grays, and white.

If you need a color, move the saturation slider (narrow white rectangle) from the bottom to the top.

Saturation Slider

Click on a color in the field.

Opacity

If needed, decrease the opacity percentage to blend your caption with the photograph.

Font & Face

Open the menus to change the font and face (bold, etc.).

12) Click the the ABC icon below your photograph.

13) Open the ABC menu (tiny double triangle icon) and select Caption.

ABC Menu

The caption appears.

Caption

14) You can change the following.

As mentioned, the appearance and position of the captions will be the same in each photograph.

Move

To move the caption, click on it, hold, and move your mouse.

You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Resize

To resize it, click and hold on a corner, and move your mouse.

Delete

To delete the caption from the photograph (not from its metadata), mouse over it and press Delete.

Saving as JPEGs

To save the photographs and their captions, do the following.

1) In the lower-left corner of your screen, look for the Export PDF button.

2) Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option (Mac).

The Export PDF button changes to Export JPEG.

3) Click the Export JPEG button.

4) Release the Alt or Option key.

5) At the top of the Export Slides as JPEGs window, navigate to destination for the photographs.

6) Enter a name for the photographs in the File name box.

Lightroom will create a folder with the name, and will rename the exported files with the name.

7) Select the Quality and Size options.

8) Click Save.

The export folder and exported files.

Import

To use the captioned photographs in Lightroom, import them.

More

You can use the LR/Mogrify 2 plug-in to add captions.

More >

Catalog With Multiple Devices

Lightroom CC is designed to sync your catalog and photographs across multiple devices.

What about Lightroom Classic?

There are three methods.

Method #1

Your catalog and photographs are located on an external hard drive.

You move the external hard drive from computer to computer.

Pro

Tried and true

Of course, the external hard drive is backed up.

Con

Lightroom may run more slowly by having it on an external hard drive.

Method #2

Your photographs are on an external hard drive.

You copy your catalog from computer to computer.

Let's say you're at your cabin in Maine working with Lightroom.

You copy the Lightroom catalog to your external hard drive.

You travel to your villa in Costa Rica.

There, you copy the catalog to your computer.

Pro

Lightroom may run faster with this method.

Con

The copying is cumbersome if you're switching computers often.

And, one could delete the wrong catalog.

Method #3

You create a catalog in your Creative Cloud Files folder—and import photographs stored in the cloud.

Go to the video tutorial by Dan Watson:

Sync Lightroom Catalogs & Images Across All Your Devices

Pro

Convenient

You can use Dropbox or another service instead of Adobe's cloud.

Con

New method

You need fast and reliable connection to the cloud.

You're paying for cloud storage.

More >

Change & Reset the Develop Module Defaults

Change

The settings in the Develop module are defaults.

If needed, you an change the default settings.

The new user default settings will be applied to your photographs.

You can revert back to the Lightroom defaults at any time.

Do the following.

1) Press d to go to the Develop module.

2) Press the Reset button in the lower-right corner.

3) Adjust the settings.

4) Press and hold Alt.

5) The Reset button will change to Set Default.

6) Click Set Default.

Reset

To return to the Lightroom default settings, do the following.

1) Press and hold Shift.

5) The Reset button will change to Reset (Adobe).

6) Click Reset (Adobe).

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Color in Lightroom

Choosing Colors

Most of the time, you use sliders to change colors.

However, when using the Adjustment Brush and the Split Toning panel, you may need to choose a particular color.

Click the Color box . . .

Color Box

. . . and the Select a Color window appears.

Select a Color Window

If you haven't already, go to Select a Color Window.

X Axis (Horizontal)

The x axis, the horizontal axis, is the hue.

As you click from left-to-right, the hue changes.

The values go from 0 to 359.

Y Axis (Vertical)

Saturation is on the y axis, the vertical axis.

A hue is more saturated at the top, and less saturated further down.

The values go from 100% (most saturation) to 0% (least saturation).

HSL Color Model

The color you see is based on the HSL color model.

A color model is a mathematical and visual representation of color.

Think of a color model as being like a color "language."

You can do okay with baby talk, i.e., clicking until you find a color you like.

To do better, learn to "read" the color languages, the color models, that Lightroom uses.

RGB & HSL

As mentioned, Lightroom uses the HSL color model.

It also uses part of the RGB color model.

Let's start with RGB.

R G B

The R G B color model uses red, green, and blue.

Lightroom expresses the RGB color values as percentages.

In other programs, such as Photoshop Elements, the values go from 0 to 255.

Explore RGB Color in Lightroom

You can explore RGB color in Lightroom with the White Balance Selector.

White Balance Selector

Do the following.

1) In the Library module, select a colorful photograph.

2) Go to the Develop module.

3) Click the White Balance Selector in the Basic panel.

4) Move the tool around your photograph.

5) Note how the percentages for each color change as you move the tool around.

Let's say you're exploring the RGB colors of this clown photograph.

When you move the cursor on the red nose:

Of course, red increases.

Blue and green, decrease.

Red and cyan (blue/green) are opposite colors.

So, when one goes up, the other, goes down.

Next, let's look at the HSL color model.

HSL

HSL stands for:

• Hue

• Saturation

• Luminance

Hue

Hue is another word for color.

The HSL color model is depicted as a sphere with 360 degrees.

As you travel around the sphere, the hue changes.

Red is at 0 degrees.

The other major colors are spaced every 60 degrees.

0°	Red
60°	Yellow
90°	Green
120°	Cyan (Blue/green)
180°	Blue
240°	Magenta

Red Yellow Green Cyan Blue Magenta

Lightroom modified the HSL color model.

The program:

• Added Orange and Purple.

• Changed Cyan to Aqua.

So, there are now eight major colors.

They're spaced every 45 degrees.

0°	Red
45°	Orange
90°	Yellow
135°	Green
180°	Aqua
225°	Blue
270°	Purple
315°	Magenta

Red Orange Yellow Green Aqua Blue Purple Magenta

Saturation

Saturation is the amount of gray in a color.

Think of it as being the vividness/richness of a color.

In the HSL sphere, saturation changes as you move from the center point to the surface.

Luminance

Luminance is the brightness of the tones.

Think of it as being the black-and-white component of color.

Choose a Color Space When You Export

When you export a photograph from Lightroom, you can choose the color space for the JPEG file.

• sRGB

• Adobe RGB

• ProPhoto RGB/gamma 1.8

Because most monitors, printers, and online labs use sRGB, you'll probably want to select sRGB.

Lightroom Color Spaces

This section is for those curious about how Lightroom handles and displays color.

You can be an advanced and proficient Lightroom user without reading what follows.

How Is Color Recorded by Your Camera?

Color is recorded in black-and-white by your camera sensor.

Huh?

There are millions of photosites on the sensor in your camera.

Photosites are minuscule cups that collect photons.

Each photosite is covered with a filter: red, green, or blue.

When you press the shutter release, no color is recorded by the photosites.

The photosites only record the brightness levels coming through the red, green, and blue filters.

How Is the Color Created?

JPEG File Format

If you're using the JPEG file format, the camera firmware uses the brightness levels to determine the color of each pixel.

This process is called interpolation or demosaicing.

Raw Files

If you're shooting raw files, the above process occurs when you're using the Develop module in Lightroom.

How Is Color Handled & Displayed?

Color spaces are used to handle and display colors.

Think of a color space as being like a recipe for the color.

The sRGB color space is the most common.

Your camera was set by default to the sRGB color space.

Adobe RGB is another color space.

It has more colors than sRGB.

That's good.

But, only a few monitors can display Adobe RGB.

Lightroom Uses ProPhoto RGB

Lightroom uses the ProPhoto RGB color space.

This color space has more colors than sRGB or Adobe RGB.

That's good.

ProPhoto RGB can handle every color that your camera can record.

Two Versions

Lightroom uses two versions of the ProPhoto RGB color space.

The gamma differs between them.

Gamma values greater than 1.0 spread out the tones in a file so it corresponds more to human vision.

Go to Gamma Explained.

Version #1 - Linear Gamma (1.0)

When you're editing a raw file in the Develop module, Lightroom is using the ProPhoto RGB color space with a linear gamma (1.0).

Raw files have a gamma of 1.0.

So, it's appropriate that the color space used by Lightroom has the same gamma as do raw files.

Version #2 - sRGB Gamma (2.2)

Lightroom displays your photographs using the the ProPhoto RGB color space, but with the same gamma as sRGB.

The sRGB gamma value is 2.2, but is linear (gamma 1.0) in the shadows.

The ProPhoto RGB/sRGB gamma 2.2 color space is often referred to as the Melissa RGB color space.

It's named after Melissa Gaul, a Lightroom developer.

More >

Color Labels

Typically, color labels are used to denote what actions have been performed on photographs.

The default color label captions are their colors.

You can change them to reflect your workflow.

Red	Unedited
Yellow	Edited
Green	To Photoshop Elements
Blue	To be printed
Purple	Done

See the chart below for a summary of the ways you can set the color labels on previews.

Auto Advance

When setting color labels, use Auto Advance.

Press the Caps Lock key.

Then, when you flag a preview, the next preview is automatically selected.

Remember to turn off the Caps Lock key when finished!

Color Labels Chart

On Tool Bar?	Click triangle at right end of the tool bar to add to the tool bar.
Keyboard Shortcuts	Red = 6 Yellow = 7 Green = 8 Blue = 9 Purple = None
Right Click Menu	Yes
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Set Color Label
On Preview Cell (Border)?	Yes. Press Ctrl + j. Select Show Grid Extras & Expanded Cells at the top. At the bottom, select Include Color Label.
Other & Related Methods	–

More >

Color Space

Lightroom uses the ProPhoto RGB color space.

You can't change this color space.

While Photoshop supports the ProPhoto RGB color space, Photoshop Elements doesn't.

The closest color space is sRGB.

Check each program as follows.

Check Photoshop Elements for sRGB

Make sure Photoshop Elements is set to sRGB.

Do the following in Photoshop Elements.

1) Go to Edit > Color Settings.

2) Select Always Optimize Colors for Computer Screens.

Check Lightroom's Export Color Space

Do the following in Lightroom.

1) Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

2) Click the External Editor tab.

3) Set Color Space to sRGB, the closest match to the ProPhoto RGB color space used in Lightroom.

BTW—Gamma

The gamma of ProPhoto RGB is 1.8

In Lightroom, the gamma for ProPhoto RGB is 1.0.

This is the same gamma as raw files.

Go to Gamma Explained.

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Compare Original to Edited Version

The comparison views below compare the original photograph to the edited version.

The original photograph is the before view.

The edited version is the after view.

Before: B&W, After: Cyanotype Preset

Comparison View Tool Bar Icons

Click the tool-bar icon below to cycle through the before-and-after views.

There's a menu to the right of the button with the different views.

Cycle

To return to the after view, click the Loupe view icon or press d.

Loupe View

You can also use these keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Toggle

To toggle between before-and-after views, press \.

Split Left & Right

To see the left half as the before view, and the right half as the after view, press y.

Press y again to return to the after view.

Split Top & Bottom

Use Alt + y to see the top half as the before view, and the bottom half as the after view.

Press Alt + y again to return to the after view.

Two Entire Photographs

Press Shift + y to see the entire photograph twice, the before version on the left, and the after version on the right.

Press Shift + y again to return to the after view.

Keyboard Shortcuts Summary

\	Toggle between before & after
y	Split left & right
Alt + y	Split top & bottom
Shift + y	Two entire photographs, side-by-side

When Creating a B&W Version

When you're creating a black-and-white version of a photograph, you adjust the colors to adjust the grays.

Use one of the comparison views to see both, the colors in the original photograph, and the grays in the black-and-white version.

Before: Color, After: B&W

Copy History Step Settings to Before

What if you need to compare the current edit—with an earlier edit—not with the original?

For example, let's say you're editing a headshot.

You've done ten edits.

You're now adjusting the skin tone.

After doing all that editing, you probably don't want to use the original as the before view.

Do the following.

1) Open the History panel on the left side of your screen.

2) Right click on the history step that you would like to use as the new before.

3) Select Copy History Step Settings to Before.

Copy History Step Settings to Before

More >

Copy/Paste Settings & Sync Settings/Metadata

Which One?

You can edit a photograph—can copy the settings—and can paste them to another single photograph.

Go to Copy/Paste Settings.

You can edit a photograph—can sync the settings—with many other photographs.

Go to Sync Metadata & Sync Settings.

Copy/Paste Settings

In the Develop module, there are two methods.

Method #1 - Copy/Paste

1) Edit one of the photographs.

2) Click the Copy button in the lower-left corner of your screen.

The Copy Settings window opens.

3) Select the settings that you want to copy and click Copy.

4) In the Filmstrip at the bottom of your screen, click on another preview.

5) Click the Paste button.

The editing settings are copied to the photograph.

Method #2 - Previous

1) Edit a photograph.

2) In the Filmstrip at the bottom of your screen, click on another preview.

3) Click the Previous button in the lower-right corner of your screen.

If you don't see the Previous button—more than one preview is selected.

Press Ctrl + d to deselect all previews.

Then, click on a preview.

All of the settings from the photograph you edited are copied to the second photograph.

The Copy Settings window—where you select what to copy—doesn't open.

When you click Previous—all of the settings are copied and pasted.

Library Module

You can copy and paste settings to many photographs—in the Library module.

1) Right click on a preview or go to Photo at the top of your screen.

2) Select Develop Settings > Copy Settings.

3) Select what you want to copy in the Copy Settings window.

4) Select previews in Grid view or in the Filmstrip at the bottom of your screen.

5) Select Develop Settings > Paste Settings.

Sync the Settings

There are two variations of the Sync Setting button.

Variation #1 - Edit & Then Sync

You can edit a photograph—and can then choose which photographs to sync.

Do the following.

1) Edit a photograph.

This is the active photograph.

2) In the Filmstrip at the bottom of your screen, select other previews.

Press and hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Cmd key (Mac), and click on other previews.

When more than one preview is selected in the Filmstrip, the Previous button changes into the Sync button.

3) Click the Sync button in the lower-right corner of your screen.

The Synchronize Settings window opens.

4) Select the settings that you want to copy and click Synchronize.

The settings are applied to the selected photographs.

Library Module

You can also do the above in the Library module by clicking the Sync Settings button.

Variation #2 - Edit & Sync in Unison

You can also edit multiple photographs at the same time.

Do the following.

1) In the Filmstrip at the bottom of your screen, select several previews.

Press and hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Cmd key (Mac), and click on other previews.

When more than one preview is selected in the Filmstrip, the Previous button changes into the Sync button.

2) Click the tiny on/off icon next to the Sync button in the lower-right corner of your screen.

This changes the Sync button to Auto Sync.

Auto Sync

3) Edit the photographs.

Sync the Metadata

Syncing the metadata is similar to syncing the editing settings, as explained below.

Go to the Library module and click the Sync button instead of the Sync Settings button.

Reminder

When you're done, you can deselect all of the photographs by pressing Ctrl + d (Windows) or Cmd + d (Mac).

More >

Default Develop Settings

When editing in the Develop module, you can:

• Apply Presets.

• Copy and paste the settings for one photograph to a another photograph.

• Sync the editing of a photograph with many other photographs.

You can also do similar actions when importing photographs.

You can have Lightroom apply your Develop module settings to every photograph that you import.

Do the following.

1) Select a photograph.

2) Press d to go to the Develop module.

2) Press Ctrl + ' to make a virtual copy of the photograph.

3) Click Reset in the lower-right corner of your screen.

4) Edit the photograph.

For example, in the Lens Corrections panel, in the Basic section, select Enable Profile Corrections and Remove Chromatic Aberration.

5) Press and hold Alt, and click the Set Default button in the lower-right corner of your screen.

6) If you're using more than one camera—and the cameras are the same model—and want to use different develop settings for each camera—press Ctrl + , to open Preferences.

Click the Presets tab, and select Make defaults specific to camera serial number.

You can also create default settings based on the ISO of the photographs.

Preferences

7) In the Set Default Develop Settings window, click Update to Current Settings.

Set Default Develop Settings Window

The default develop settings will be applied to newly imported photographs.

To apply the settings to a previously imported photograph, click Reset in the lower-right corner of your screen.

Not Undoable

The dialogue says: Please note that these changes are not undoable.

The default develop settings are not undoable by pressing Ctrl + z or by clicking Reset.

Instead, in the Develop module, select the photographs in the Filmstrip that you would like to undo.

Press and hold Alt, and click the Set Default button in the lower-right corner of your screen.

In the Set Default Develop Settings window, click Restore Adobe Default Settings.

Click Reset.

More >

Dehaze

1) Go to the Develop module or press d.

2) Open the Effects panel.

3) Drag the Dehaze slider to the right to reduce haze.

More >

Dual Monitors

You can easily use two monitors with Lightroom.

On the left end of the Filmstrip, look for the two buttons labeled 1 and 2.

1 is your main display.

2 is the secondary display.

If you're using only one monitor, click the 2.

You can also press F11 (Windows) or Cmd + F11 (Mac).

A window will open simulating the secondary display.

Secondary Display

Change the View

To change the view in the secondary display, press and hold Shift.

Then press g, e, c, or n.

Grid	Shift + g
Loupe	Shift + e
Compare	Shift + c
Survey	Shift + n

Loupe - Live

Do the following.

1) Go to Loupe view in the secondary display.

2) Click Live in the upper-right corner of the secondary display.

When you mouse-over a preview in Grid view or in the Filmstrip, it will appear in Loupe view in the secondary display.

Locked

Locked freezes the current photograph in Loupe view.

Swap the Two Displays

To swap the displays, drag Lightroom from one display to the other display

Click and hold the bar at the top.

It's the bar with the buttons.

If you don't see the buttons, press f until you do.

Modify the Secondary Display

Here's another way to modify the secondary display.

To change the secondary display, click and hold on the 2 button.

The secondary display menu opens.

Move the Panel?

Unfortunately, you can't move a panel to the secondary display.

More >

Edit in Photoshop Elements

If Lightroom doesn't do something that Photoshop Elements can do, edit the photograph in Photoshop Elements.

Lightroom automatically designates Photoshop Elements as the default external editing program if it's installed on your computer.

Set the External Editing Preferences

Before editing in Photoshop Elements, do the following in Lightroom.

1) Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

2) Click the External Editor tab.

3) Set File Format to TIFF or PSD.

The tiff file format is somewhat more universal than the psd file format.

If you select PSD, read PSD File Format: Maximize Compatibility below.

4) Set Color Space to sRGB, the closest match to the ProPhoto RGB color space used in Lightroom.

5) Set Bit Depth to 8 bits/component.

If you select 16 bits, the editing tools are limited in Photoshop Elements.

6) Set Resolution to the ppi that you typically use, such as 300.

7) By default, Lightroom will append -Edit to the file name.

To change, look for the Edit Externally File Naming section at the bottom of the window.

Open the Template menu, and select Edit.

Change {Filename}-Edit to {Filename}-Edit PSE, for example.

Send to Photoshop Elements

To edit a photograph in Photoshop Elements, do the following.

1) Select a photograph in Lightroom.

2) Go to Photo > Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop Elements, or press Ctrl + e.

3) There are three choices in the Edit in Adobe Photoshop Elements window.

You'll probably want to use the first choice.

1st Choice - Edit a Copy

With Lightroom Adjustments

A copy of the Lightroom-edited photograph will open in Photoshop Elements.

The editing that you've done with Lightroom will be preserved in Photoshop Elements.

The following two choices are not available with raw files.

2nd Choice - Edit a Copy

A copy of the photograph will open in Photoshop Elements.

The editing that you've done with Lightroom will be discarded in Photoshop Elements.

3rd Choice - Edit Original

A copy isn't made.

The original file opens in Photoshop Elements.

The editing that you've done with Lightroom will not appear.

Raw Files

You may expect a raw file, coming from Lightroom, to open in the Raw Converter in Photoshop Elements.

However, the raw file has already been converted in Lightroom.

Therefore, it opens directly into Photoshop Elements.

Saving in Photoshop Elements

Save the file after it opens in Photoshop Elements.

Do the following.

1) Press Ctrl + s.

The Save As window will open.

2) Click Save.

A window will open:

File DSC_12345-Edit already exists. Do want to replace it?

DSC_12345-Edit is the file that Lightroom created to be sent to Photoshop Elements.

3) Click Yes.

The file is saved back to Lightroom.

By default, Lightroom will:

• Append -Edit to the file name.

• Stack the edited file with the original file.

The edited file is placed on the top of the stack.

Save as You Edit

Save periodically as you edit the file.

Just press Ctrl + s.

No windows will open, as the link back to Lightroom has already been established.

Don't Change the Name or Format

If you use the Save As command, and change the name or format of the file, the link back to Lightroom is lost.

The file is not saved back to Lightroom.

The file is saved to where the original file is located in My Pictures or Pictures.

Layers & Lightroom

Lightroom doesn't support layers.

So, when you save a file with layers back to Lightroom, the layers are temporarily flattened by Lightroom.

Later, if you want to reopen the file with the layers, select Edit Original.

The file will then open in Photoshop Elements with its layers intact.

Make sure you select the edited version, DSC_12345-Edit, not the original raw file, DSC_1234.

PSD File Format:

Maximize Compatibility

For Lightroom to be able to display Photoshop files (psd), Maximize Compatibility must be selected.

Maximize Compatibility is the default setting.

Check to see if you've been saving psd files with the Maximize Compatibility option selected.

This is the default setting.

In Photoshop Elements, go to File > Preferences (Windows) or Photoshop Elements > Preferences (Mac).

Click, on the left side, Saving Files.

Look for Maximize Compatibility menu in the center of the screen.

Always should be selected.

More > E-mail

Lightroom's E-mail Preset

You can attach photographs to e-mails easily with Lightroom.

Do the following.

1) In the Library module, select the photographs you want to send.

2) Click Export in the lower-left corner of your screen.

The Export window will open.

3) On the left side of the Export window, in the Lightroom Presets menu, select For Email.

Export Window

The Email preset will reduce the size of the exported JPEGs for faster e-mail transmission.

You can change those settings, as well as the settings in the other sections.

4) Click Export in the lower-right corner of the Export window.

The E-mail window will open.

Usually, Lightroom selects your default e-mail client (program).

If your preferred e-mail client isn't selected, go to Select a New E-mail Client.

Here, Mozilla Thunderbird was selected by Lightroom.

E-mail Window

5) Enter the recipient's address and the subject.

6) If needed, click the Preset menu, at the bottom of the E-mail window, to change the size of the exported JPEGs.

Preset Menu

7) Click Send.

Your e-mail client will open.

8) Add a message.

9) Click Send in your e-mail-client window.

Select a New E-mail Client

Do the following to select a new e-mail client in Lightroom.

1) In the E-mail window(step four, above), open the From menu.

2) Select Go to Email Account Manager.

From Menu

The Lightroom Email Account Manager window will open.

3) Click Add in the lower-left corner.

Lightroom Email Account Manager Window

The New Account window will open.

New Account Window

4) Enter an account name, such as the name of the e-mail client.

5) Select a service provider.

6) Click OK.

The Lightroom Email Account Manager window will reopen.

Lightroom is usually able to enter the server and port values (red rectangle).

If not, get the values in the account settings section of your e-mail client.

7) Enter your e-mail address, user name (e-mail address), and password (green rectangle).

8) Click the Validate button.

Lightroom Email Account Manager Window

9) Click Done.

Lightroom > More >

E-mail: Preset Method

If you have difficulty setting up Lightroom to attach files to your e-mails, you can do so with a preset.

The method below bypasses the automated e-mail function in Lightroom that isn't working for you.

Do the Following

Once you do the steps below, you'll just have to click a preset to attach files to e-mails.

1) In the Library module, click on a thumbnail.

2) Click Export in the lower-left corner.

3) Scroll down in the Export window to the Post Processing section.

4) Open the After Export menu and select Go to Export Actions Folder Now.

5) The Export Actions folder will open.

If the window fills the entire screen, make it smaller.

Go to Your E-mail Client

Windows

6) Go to Computer or My Computer > C: > Program Files.

If the window fills the entire screen, make it smaller.

7) Look for the folder for your e-mail client.

Let's say it's Mozilla Thunderbird.

8) Open the Mozilla Thunderbird folder and look for thunderbird.exe.

9) Make a shortcut to it—and place the alias in the Export Actions folder—by doing the following.

a) Click and hold on thunderbird.exe in the Mozilla Thunderbird window.

b) Drag it to the Export Actions folder.

Again, you have thunderbird.exe in the Mozilla Thunderbird window.

You're going to drag it to the Export Actions folder.

10) thunderbird.exe is now listed in the After Export menu.

11) thunderbird.exe or is now listed in the After Export menu.

12) Select thunderbird.exe in the After Export menu.

Next

Mac

6) Click Finder (The two-faced icon on the left end of the dock.)

If the window fills the entire screen, make it smaller.

7) Look for Applications, and double click it.

8) Look for the folder or icon for your e-mail client.

Let's say it's Mozilla Thunderbird.

9) Click on Mozilla Thunderbird (once) to select it.

10) Make an alias (shortcut) to it—and place the alias in the Export Actions folder—by doing the following.

a) Press and hold the Cmd and Opt keys . . .

b) . . . while dragging Mozilla Thunderbird to the Export Actions folder.

Again:

• You have Mozilla Thunderbird in the Applications window.

• You're going to drag it to the Export Actions folder while holding down the Cmd and Opt keys.

11) Mozilla Thunderbird is now listed in the After Export menu.

12) Select Mozilla Thunderbird in the After Export menu.

Export Location Section

13) You have to tell tell Lightroom where to send the exported file in the Export Location window.

Do the following.

a) Make a folder called E-mail on your Desktop.

b) Select Specific folder in the Export To menu.

c) Click Choose and navigate to the E-mail folder.

Export Location Section

File Settings & Image Sizing Sections

14) In the File Settings and Image Sizing sections, reduce the size of the file.

Adapt the settings below to your needs.

File Settings & Image Sizing Sections

Check the Other Sections

15) Look at the other sections in the Export window, and change the settings as needed.

Make a Preset

16) Save all of the above settings as a preset by doing the following.

a) Click the Add button on the lower left corner of the Export window.

b) Enter a name, such as Thunderbird.

c) Click OK.

The preset appears in the User Presets menu.

How to Use the Preset

17) In the Library module, click on a thumbnail.

18) Click Export in the lower-left corner.

19) Click on the Thunderbird preset in the User Presets menu.

20) Click Export.

The file is:

• Exported to the E-mail folder on your Desktop.

• Attached to a new e-mail message.

More >

Flags

A flagged preview often is considered to be a keeper, and a non-flagged or rejected preview is a dud.

You can use flags to:

• Remove the duds from Lightroom.

But, they're still in My Pictures or Pictures.

• Delete the duds from Lightroom and from My Pictures or Pictures.

• Move them to a sub-folder, such as, Others.

Flag in the Folder

You can flag in a collection.

But, if you flag in the folder containing the previews, you can easily create a sub-folder for the duds.

Flag Filter Confusion

We'll be using the flag filter to select only the unflagged or rejected previews.

The settings for the three flag icons below are confusing at first.

Here's a summary of the settings.

Refer back to it as you read below.

Here are the three flag icons.

Flag Icons in the Filter Bar under Attribute

You can click more than one of the flag icons.

Below, we're just clicking one at a time.

Here's what they do.

	1st Flag Icon	Middle Flag Icon	3rd Flag Icon
Off Position
	Unflagged	Unflagged	Unflagged
On Position
	Flagged	Unflagged	Rejected

Three Flagging Methods

The first method uses the Painter tool.

You press p or x in the second method.

The third method allows you to make several passes over your previews, winnowing them down to the very best.

Flagging Method #1 - Painter Tool

1) Press g to make sure you're in the Library module.

2) Click on the folder containing the previews in the Folders panel.

3) In the Tool bar, under the previews, click the Painter tool.

Painter Tool in the Tool Bar

4) On the menu to the right of the painter tool, select Flag.

5) By default, the next menu to the right is set at Flagged.

Change it to Rejected.

6) Click and hold, and drag the cursor on the duds.

Black flags will appear in the upper-left corner of the cells.

7) Click Done in the tool bar.

Four Options

You have four options for the duds.

You can sort, remove, delete, or move, the duds.

Option #1 - Sort	Option #2 - Remove	Option #3 - Delete	Option #4 - Move
You can keep the duds where they are. But, you can sort them. In the Tool bar below the previews, do the following. 1) Look for the Sort icon. Sort Icon 2) On the menu to the right of the Sort icon, select Pick. The rejected previews are now the last previews to appear in the work area.	You can remove the rejected previews from Lightroom. They're not deleted from My Pictures or Pictures. Do the following. 1) Click Attribute in the Filter bar above the previews. 2) Click the last flag icon. Last Flag Icon You'll see only the rejected previews. The last flag icon toggles between showing Any Flag Status and Rejected Photos Only. 3) Press Ctrl + a to select all of the rejected previews. 4) Right click on one of the previews, and select Delete Photo. 5) Click Remove. Don't click Delete from Disk. The rejected previews are: • Removed from Lightroom. • Still in My Pictures or Pictures. 6) Click None in the Filter bar.	You can remove the rejected previews from Lightroom—and—from My Pictures or Pictures. Do the following. 1) Click Attribute in the Filter bar above the previews. 2) Click the last flag icon. Last Flag Icon You'll see only the rejected previews. The last flag icon toggles between showing Any Flag Status and Rejected Photos Only. 3) Press Ctrl + a to select all of the rejected previews. 4) Right click on one of the previews, and select Delete Photo. 5) After a pause to double check yourself, click Delete from Disk. The rejected previews are: • Removed from Lightroom. • Deleted from My Pictures or Pictures. 6) Click None in the Filter bar.	Let's say your previews are in a folder called 2010_12_20. You'll create two subfolders, Best and Duds. 2010_12_20 Best Duds Do the following. Best Subfolder 1) In the Folders panel, click on the folder 2010_12_20 to select it. 2) Click the + icon in the Folders panel, and select Add Subfolder. 3) Name the subfolder as Best. Duds Subfolder 4) In the Folders panel, click on the folder 2010_12_20 to select it. 5) Click the + icon in the Folders panel, and select Add Subfolder. 6) Name the subfolder as Duds. Move the Rejects to the Duds Subfolder 7) Click Attribute in the Filter bar above the previews. 8) Click the last flag icon. Last Flag Icon You'll see only the rejected previews. The last flag icon toggles between showing Any Flag Status and Rejected Photos Only. 9) Click the black triangle to the left of the 2010_12_20 folder, to show the Duds subfolder. 10) Press Ctrl + a to select all of the rejected previews. 11) Click on one of the previews and hold, and drag the previews onto the Duds subfolder. Move the Keepers to the Best Subfolder 12) Click Attribute in the Filter bar above the previews. 13) Click the middle flag icon. Middle Flag Icon You'll see only the unflagged previews. The middle flag icon toggles between showing Any Flag Status and Unflagged Photos Only. If you used the second flagging method below, click the first flag icon to show the flagged previews. 14) Click the black triangle to the left of the 2010_12_20 folder, to show the Best subfolder. 15) Press Ctrl + a to select all of the previews. 16) Click on one of the previews and hold, and drag the previews onto the Best subfolder. 17) Click None in the Filter bar. If you click on: •  2010_12_20, you'll see all of the previews. • Best, you'll see your best previews. • Duds, you'll see your duds.

Flagging Method #2 - P/X/U

You press p or x with this method.

Step #1 - Flagging

1) Press g to make sure you're in the Library module.

2) Click on the folder containing the previews in the Folders panel.

3) Press the Caps Lock key to engage Auto Advance.

Auto Advance automatically clicks the next preview for you, speeding your travel through the previews.

4) Click the first preview.

5) Press p or x.

p = Flag (Keeper)

x = Reject

Press u to undo p or x.

6) Continue flagging or rejecting your previews.

7) When you're finished, press the Caps Lock to turn it off!

Step #2 - Ctrl + Backspace or Cmd + Delete

You can remove or delete the duds easily.

Press Ctrl + Backspace (Windows) or Cmd + Delete (Mac).

If you click Remove in the Confirm window, the rejected previews will be:

• Removed from Lightroom.

• Still in My Pictures or Pictures.

If you click Delete from Disk, in the Confirm window, all of the rejected previews will be:

• Removed from Lightroom.

• Deleted from My Pictures or Pictures.

You can also sort or move the duds, as described above.

Flagging Method #3 - Refine Photos

This method allows you to make repeated passes over your previews.

Pass #1

Flag your previews with the Painter tool or by pressing p.

Then, go to Library > Refine Photos.

If you click Refine:

• The unmarked previews are changed to rejected.

• The flagged previews are changed to unmarked.

Pass #2

The duds from the first pass are now marked as rejected.

The best previews, flagged during the first pass, are now back to being unmarked.

You can now go through them again to flag the best-of-the-best.

Flag Chart

On Tool Bar?	Yes
Keyboard Shortcuts	p = Flag x = Reject u = Unflag ` = Toggle between flagged & unflagged (The key is located above the Tab key.)
Right Click Menu	Yes
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Set Flag
On Preview Cell (Border)?	Yes
Other & Related Methods	• Press Ctrl + Up Arrow & Press Ctrl + Down Arrow to change the flagging. • Press the Caps-lock key to engage Auto Advance. • To delete the rejected previews, press Ctrl + Backspace (Mac: Delete). • Go to Library > Refine Photos to change all unflagged previews to rejects, and all flagged previews to unflagged.

More >

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography

With Lightroom

What's HDR Photography?

HDR allows you to merge multiple exposures into one photograph.

Go to High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography.

The Basic Process

Let's say you're at Zion National Park.

It's a sunny day, so the light is contrasty.

Your camera can't record both the bright sky and what's in the shadows of the rock formations.

With HDR photography, you take several photographs of the same scene at different exposures, using exposure compensation.

Do the following.

1) Photograph the above scene.

The rocks look fine, but the sky is washed out and the shadows are too dark.

2) Set the exposure compensation to –2 and photograph the scene again.

The sky looks great—but the shadows are too dark.

3) Set the exposure compensation to +2 and photograph the scene.

The sky is washed out—but the shadows are brighter.

4) Later, the best parts of the the three photographs are merged into a single photograph.

If There's No Movement in the Scene

You may be able to set your camera to take several bracketed exposures rapidly.

Use a tripod if possible.

If you can't use a tripod, try to frame each exposure identically.

Lightroom 6, and HDR plug-ins used with Lightroom 5, can align these hand-held photographs.

Occasionally, however, hand-held photographs can't be merged successfully.

If There's Movement in the Scene

Photograph the scene—once.

For the best result, save as a raw file.

Do the following in Lightroom.

1) Go to the Develop module.

2) Make a virtual copy of the photograph.

3) Edit the virtual copy to make the sky look good.

4) Make another virtual copy.

5) Edit it to make the shadows look good.

You now have three versions of the photograph.

Lightroom 5

Lightroom 5 can't merge photographs.

You have to use a plug-in.

A plug-in does the following.

1) Imports photographs from Lightroom to the plug-in.

2) Does something to the photographs.

3) Exports them back to Lightroom.

Download LR/Enfuse or another Lightroom HDR plug-in and install it in Lightroom.

LR/Enfuse is donation-ware.

Pay what you want.

The trial version limits the output size to 500px, and donating towards this project will give you a registration code that will remove this restriction. All future updates are free.

Using LR/Enfuse

Scene with No Movement

Do the following.

1) Go to the Library module.

2) Select all three photographs.

3) In the Library module, go to File > Plug-in Extras > LR/Enfuse > Blend exposures using LR/Enfuse.

The LR/Enfuse window will open.

4) Click on the tabs and set the preferences.

In the Output tab, by default, the photograph is saved as a 16-bit TIF file.

TIF files are similar to Photoshop files.

Photoshop Elements users will need to convert the 16-bit file into an 8-bit file.

A window will prompt you to do so when you open the file in Photoshop Elements.

5) LR/Enfuse will create the merged photograph in the folder that you designated in the Output tab.

6) Import the merged photograph into Lightroom.

7) Edit the merged version, as needed, in Lightroom.

Scene with Movement

Do the following.

1) Go to the Library module.

2) Export the original—and the two two virtual copies you made—of a scene with movement.

Export them to a folder on your Desktop called HDRs.

The three files have the same name.

Lightroom will append a number to the file name of the second and third photographs.

DSC_1234.jpg

DSC_1234-2.jpg

DSC_1234-3.jpg

3) Import the three JPEGs from the above folder into Lightroom.

4) Put them in a collection called HDRs.

5) Select all three photographs.

6) In the Library module, go to File > Plug-in Extras > LR/Enfuse > Blend exposures using LR/Enfuse.

The LR/Enfuse window will open.

7) Click on the tabs, and set the preferences.

In the Output tab, by default, the photograph is saved as a 16-bit TIF file.

TIF files are similar to Photoshop files.

Photoshop Elements users will need to convert the 16-bit file into an 8-bit file.

A window will prompt you to do so when you open the file in Photoshop Elements.

8) LR/Enfuse will create the merged photograph in the folder that you designated in the Output tab.

9) Import the merged photograph into Lightroom.

10) Edit the merged version, as needed, in Lightroom.

Lightroom 6

Lightroom 6 is able to merge photographs.

Do the following.

1) Go to the Library module.

2) Select all three photographs.

3) Press Ctrl + h.

4) In the upper-right corner, select:

• Auto Align if a tripod wasn't used.

• Auto Tone.

• The amount of deghosting if there was movement in the scene.

5) Click Merge.

The merged photograph is added to your catalog with -HDR appended to its file name.

More >

Import from Mac Photos App

More >

Keyword Searches

Preparation

In the Library module, do one of the following.

Do #1 - Select All of Your Photographs

If you need to search all of your photographs, do the following.

1) Open the Catalog panel on the left side of your screen.

2) Select All Photographs.

Searching all of your photographs may take longer than searching a folder or collection.

Do #2 - Select Some of Your Photographs

Select the folder or collection that you want to search.

Do the following.

1) On the left side of your screen, open up the Folders panel or the Collections panel.

2) Click on a folder or a collection.

Search for One Keyword

To search for one keyword, do the following.

Let's say you're searching for Russia.

1) Open the Keyword List panel on the right side of the Library module.

2) Click on the tab for Russia.

Don't click on the ends of the tab.

Click in the middle of the tab.

3) Click the tiny white arrow on the right end of the keyword tab.

Photographs with the Russia keyword will appear.

Search for Two or More Keywords

Let's say you want to search for photographs that have the keywords Russia and Jim.

Do the following.

1) Look for the Library Filter bar above the work area.

If you don't see the Library Filter bar, press \ (backslash).

2) Click Metadata in the Library Filter bar.

You'll see four columns, including the Keyword column.

You need to add a second keyword column.

2) In the upper-right corner of the keyword column, click the tiny menu icon.

3) Select Add Column.

The new column is labeled as None.

4) Click the word None at the top of the column and select Keyword from the menu.

5) In the first keyword column, select Russia

6) In the second keyword column, select Jim.

All of the photographs of Jim in Russia will appear.

More Columns

If needed, you can have up to eight columns in the Library Finder.

You can change and existing column to a different category by clicking the column's name to open the category menu.

More >

Lightroom File Locations on Your Computer

Go to Preference file and other file locations | Lightroom CC and 6.

More >

Merging Catalogs

First time Lightroom users often make more than one catalog.

If you did so, you can merge the extra catalogs.

Let's say you have two catalogs:

• Messy

• Tidy

You want to merge the Messy catalog into the Tidy catalog.

In Lightroom-speak, you're going to import the photographs from Messy to Tidy.

New versus Existing Photographs

Lightroom labels your photographs as new or existing.

New photographs are those in the Messy catalog—but not in the Tidy catalog.

Existing photographs are those in the Messy catalog—and in the Tidy catalog.

	Messy Catalog	Tidy Catalog
New photographs are . . .	Here	Not here
Existing photographs are . . .	Here	Here

Import Messy to Tidy

Do the following.

1) Open the Tidy catalog.

2) Go to File > Import From Another Catalog.

3) Navigate to the Messy catalog and click Open (Windows) or Choose (Mac).

4) The Import from Catalog window will open.

The window has three areas.

Area #1 - Catalog Contents

This area pertains to the contents of the Messy catalog.

5) Select the folders and photographs that you want to import.

6) Select Preview in the lower-left corner to see previews of the photographs.

Area #2 - New Photos

Area #2 - New Photos

Again, new photos are photographs that are in the Messy catalog—but not in the Tidy catalog.

7) Open the File Handling menu.

There are three choices.

#1 - Add new photos to catalog without moving

The new photographs are imported—but they're left at their current location.

#2 - Copy new photos to a new location & import

The new photographs are imported—and are moved to a new location.

#3 - Don't import new photos

The new photographs are not imported from the Messy catalog to the Tidy catalog.

Only existing photographs will be imported.

Area #3 - Existing Photos

As mentioned, existing photographs are in the Messy catalog—and—in the Tidy catalog.

Let's say you have a photograph of your pet toucan in both catalogs.

The develop settings are different for the photograph in each catalog.

Which develop settings do you want to keep?

Those in the Messy catalog—or those in the Tidy catalog?

8) There are two selections in the Existing Photos area.

Area #3 - Two Selections

Selection #1

Select the Preserve old settings as a virtual copy option to keep both versions of your photographs.

The Messy catalog versions will be virtual copies in the Tidy catalog.

Selection #2

Select the Replace non-raw files only option if you want to import JPEG, TIFF, and PSD files only.

The raw files won't be replaced.

The Messy catalog raw files are used in the Tidy catalog.

Replace Menu

Area #3 - Existing Photos

9) Open the Replace menu.

There are three choices.

#1 - Nothing

If you choose Nothing, Lightroom won't replace anything.

The metadata, develop settings, and photograph files in the Messy catalog are used in the Tidy catalog.

#2 - Metadata & develop settings only

If you choose this option, the metadata and develop settings in the Messy catalog are used in the Tidy catalog.

The photograph files are not changed.

#3 - Metadata, develop settings, & negative files

If you choose this option, the metadata, develop settings, and photograph files, in the Messy catalog are used in the Tidy catalog.

Import

10) Click Import.

More >

Missing Files & Folders

Seattle Municipal Archives

When a Lightroom Can't Find a File . . .

. . . in the Library module, an exclamation-point icon appears in the upper-right corner of the preview.

Missing File

When Lightroom Can't Find a Folder . . .

Lightroom displays the same exclamation-point icon on the preview.

It also displays a question mark in the Folders panel on the left side of the Library module.

Missing Folder

In the Develop Module . . .

. . . these error messages are displayed.

Before discussing missing files further, let's review what happens when you import photographs into Lightroom.

Importing Is Linking

We import photographs into Lightroom.

Obviously, that means the photograph files are moved into Lightroom.

Nope.

The files are never moved into Lightroom.

They stay where they are—probably in Pictures or My Pictures.

Lightroom only links to the files.

Missing = Faulty Links

A file goes missing when Lightroom tries to travel on the link to the file—and can't find the file—because the links goes to nowhere.

Why can't Lightroom find the file?

The folder containing the file may have been deleted, moved, or renamed.

If the folder is unchanged, the file may have been deleted, moved, or renamed.

Prevention

When In Pictures/My Pictures

When you're in Pictures or My Pictures, you can view the photographs that have been imported into Lightroom.

Don't delete, move, or rename the folders or photographs.

The Murano glassware below is like Pictures/My Pictures.

Look at the glassware—the photographs.

Don't touch them—delete, move, or rename.

Pictures/My Pictures

Martina Nolte

Touch Them In Lightroom

If you need to delete, move, or rename folders or files, go to the Library module.

Open the Folders panel on the left side.

The Folders panel is like the mud-wrestling photograph below.

Jump into the Folders panel to delete, move, or rename.

Folders Panel in the Library Module

Stinkie Pinkie

Gather All of the Missing Files

In the Library module, go to the Library menu and select Find Missing Photos.

Find the Missing

Step #1 - Is Your Disk Disconnected?

If you store your photograph files on a flash drive or external hard drive, make sure it's plugged in and mounted.

On a Windows computer, go to Computer or My Computer to see if the flash drive/external hard drive is displayed.

On a Mac, go to Finder and look for the flash drive/external hard drive under Devices on the left side of the window.

Step #2 - Is the Folder Missing?

Check if the folder has gone missing.

Do the following.

1) Open the Folders panel in the Library module.

2) If a folder has a question mark, right click on the folder tab.

3) Select Find Missing Folder.

The last-known location of the folder opens.

4) Check if the folder has been deleted, moved, or renamed.

Moved or Renamed Folder

5) Navigate to the moved or renamed folder and select it.

6) Click Select Folder in the lower-right corner of the Find Missing Folder window.

Deleted Folder

5) If the folder was deleted, go to Step #3 below.

Step #3 - Missing Files That Were Deleted

If you went to Pictures or My Pictures—and deleted files—Lightroom won't know that they were deleted.

Lightroom is still linking to the deleted files—and isn't finding them.

You have to delete the links—delete the previews—in Lightroom.

Do the following.

1) Select the previews of the files that were deleted.

2) Right click on one of the previews and select Remove Photos.

3) In the window that opens, click Remove.

Step #4 - Moved or Renamed Files

Do the following.

1) Click on the exclamation-point icon in the preview.

2) In the Confirm window, note the former location or name of the file.

3) Click Locate.

The last-known location of the file opens.

Moved File

4) Navigate to the moved file and select it.

5) Make sure Find nearby missing photos is selected.

6) Click Select in the lower-right corner of the Locate window.

Renamed File

4) Select the renamed file.

5) Click Select in the lower-right corner of the Locate window.

More >

Nik Collection

Go to Photo Tips > Nik Collection.

More >

Panoramas with Lightroom >

1 - Preparation

You Need . . .

. . . Little Movement

Movement is okay in the center of the frame, but not elsewhere.

If there are waves breaking on a beach, clouds scudding by, people walking everywhere, and so forth, a panorama may not be possible.

. . . Even Lighting

Avoid photographing:

• When the brightness is changing rapidly, as when the sun is covered and uncovered by clouds.

• Scenes with both bright and dark areas.

Manually Set 4 Controls

Your photographs must be nearly identical.

Set the following controls manually so there's less variation between the photographs.

Control #1- Exposure

First, measure the light using Program mode.

Set the exposure mode dial to P, and press the shutter release slightly to turn on the light meter.

Point the camera at the scene, and note the lens opening and shutter speed values.

Then, switch to manual mode, M, on the exposure mode dial.

Set the lens opening and shutter speed to the values obtained using Program mode.

On DSLR cameras with two knobs:

• One knob will set the lens opening, and the other knob, the shutter speed.

On a DSLR camera with one knob:

• The knob usually sets the shutter speed.

• To set the lens opening, press and hold and the button with the aperture icon, and turn the knob.

Control #2- White Balance

Set the white balance to a setting appropriate to the scene.

If automatic white balance is used, the color may vary from one photograph to the next.

Control #3- ISO

Set the ISO to a setting appropriate to the scene.

If Auto ISO is used, the exposure may vary from one photograph to the next.

Control #4 - Focus

Set your lens to manual focus, if possible.

Focal Length

To prevent distortion, avoid using wide focal lengths.

No Polarizing Filter

Don't use a Polarizing filter.

Light is unevenly polarized in the sky.

If you were to use a Polarizing filter, the color of the sky may vary unnaturally.

Hand Held or Tripod

Hand Held

It's not necessary to use a tripod when making a panorama from several photographs.

Just be sure to hold the camera:

• Perpendicular to the ground.

• Level to the horizon.

Your camera must "fly" straight and level.

If your camera can display a grid in the viewfinder or LCD screen, it will help you to hold the camera properly.

Tripod

If you're stitching together many photographs, use a tripod.

A bubble level will help you to set up the tripod properly.

Rotation Axis

This section can be ignored by beginning panoramic photographers.

If you're hand-holding your camera, rotate the camera as if it's on a tripod.

That is, the camera rotates over the same spot on the ground.

Imagine that a plumb bob is hanging from your camera.

A plumb bob is used to confirm that an object is vertical (90°).

The plumb bob string hangs from the bottom of your camera.

The weight at the end of the string is positioned over, let's say, a dandelion in the lawn.

As you rotate the camera lens for each shot, keep the plumb bob over the dandelion.

If objects in the scene are not close, there's less need for accurate rotation of the camera lens.

Why Is the Rotation Axis Important?

Close one eye, and then, the other.

The perspective changes.

The perspective also changes dramatically when the camera lens moves.

The optimal way to rotate the camera lens is on a tripod with a special panorama head.

The rotation axis is the entrance pupil of the lens at a particular focal length.

When the lens rotates on this axis, close and distant objects keep their positions relative to each other.

Framing

Space for Cropping

Leave some space at the top and bottom of the frame.

This will allow you to crop uneven edges and errors easily.

Consider holding your camera the wrong way.

Let's say you're photographing a horizontal subject, the Grand Canyon.

Hold the camera vertically, as if you're doing a portrait.

Let's say you're photographing a spiral stair case, a vertical subject.

Hold the camera horizontally, as if you're photographing a landscape.

By holding your camera the wrong way, there's more area that can be cropped later.

Overlap the Photographs

Most importantly, overlap the photographs by about 25% or so.

By doing so, Lightroom can stitch the photographs together more realistically.

Below, there are three photographs of trees along a stone wall.

The red and blue areas were overlapped when the trees were photographed.

Now, you're ready to stitch your photographs together.

2 - Stitching

Do the following.

1) Go to the Library module.

2) Select the photographs.

3) Go to Photo > Photo Merge > Panorama or press Ctrl + m.

The Panorama Merge Preview window opens.

4) Choose one of the three projections or select Auto Select Projection.

From Adobe:

Spherical: Aligns and transforms the images as if they were mapped to the inside of a sphere. This projection mode is great for really wide or multirow panoramas.

Perspective: Projects the panorama as if it were mapped to a flat surface. Since this mode keeps straight lines straight, it is great for architectural photography. Really wide panoramas may not work well with this mode due to excessive distortion near the edges of the resulting panorama.

Cylindrical: Projects the panorama as if it were mapped to the inside of a cylinder. This projection mode works really well for wide panoramas, but it also keeps vertical lines straight. All of these projection modes work equally well for both horizontal and vertical panoramas. Cylindrical layout projection for wide panoramas.

5) Select Auto Crop to remove the empty areas around the panorama.

Or, use the Boundary Warp slider to warp panoramas to fill the empty areas.

If you photographed verticals, as described in the first section, you probably won't need to crop use this feature.

6) Click Merge.

More >

People View (Facial Recognition)

If you have lots of people photographs—and need to search for particular people—this feature is great.

Starting with Lightroom 6, you can tag people in your photographs using facial recognition.

As Lightroom searches for people in your photographs—you identify them manually.

As Lightroom continues to search—it automatically tags these people.

Preparation

1 - Style Sheet

Publications use a style sheet so all of their writers are consistent.

Think about the best way to enter the names of people—and be consistent.

Lightroom will list the names alphabetically.

Therefore, you may want to list the surname first.

You can't use commas.

For example, let's say you know a family, the Eriksons.

Enter Erikson Jens, for example.

Alternatively, you can enter their first names: Jens, Jon, and Wendy.

Then, in the Keyword List panel, create the keyword Erikson.

Click the plus icon in the Keyword List panel tab.

Enter Erikson and click Create.

Drag their first names onto to the Erikson keyword.

To see every member of the family, click on Erikson.

To see one member of the family, click on his or her name.

Keyword List Hierarchy

2 - Forgot a Name Style?

If you forgot how you entered someone's name, go to the People tab in the Keyword List panel to display the names you have entered.

This is described below.

3 - Already Have Keywords for People?

If you have keywords for people, convert them into the People keyword category.

By doing so, you can use them with People view.

Let's say you converted the keyword Jones Matilda.

When you're using People view, and start entering her name, Lightroom will autocomplete the name.

Right click on your people keywords and select Convert Keyword to Person Keyword.

If you have a hierarchy of keywords, right click on the parent keyword (the one on top of the others), and select Convert Keyword to Person Keyword.

The parent and its child keywords will all be converted.

4 - Stacks

Lightroom places photographs of a person in a stack.

If a preview is a stack, you'll see a badge in the upper-left corner.

The badge displays the quantity of previews in the stack.

To open a stack, click on it and press s.

To close a stack, press s.

Or, click the badge in the upper-left corner to open and close the stack.

5 - Selecting Previews

You'll be selecting more than one preview below.

With several previews selected, you can enter a name in all of the selected previews at the same time.

You can also do other actions to the selected previews.

Windows

If the previews you want to select are scattered:

1) Press and hold Ctrl.

2) Click on each preview.

3) Release Ctrl.

If the previews you want to select are all in a row:

1) Click on the first preview in the row.

2) Press and hold Shift.

3) Click on the last preview in the row.

4) Release Shift.

Mac

If the previews you want to select are scattered:

1) Press and hold Cmd.

2) Click on each preview.

3) Release Cmd.

If the previews you want to select are all in a row:

1) Click on the first preview in the row.

2) Press and hold Shift.

3) Click on the last preview in the row.

Getting Going

1 - Open People View

1) Press g to make sure you're in the Library module.

2) Click the People view icon in the tool bar, below the previews or photograph.

Or, press o.

2 - Start Small

The Welcome to People View window opens.

If you click Start Finding Faces In Entire Catalog, Lightroom will slowly churn through every file.

This is called indexing.

It may take days.

To begin, this writer suggests starting with a collection.

3) Select a collection containing a small number of people photographs.

Let's say you selected a collection called Friends.

4) Click Only Find Faces As-Needed.

3 - Two Sections

There are now two sections in People view: Unnamed People and Named People.

Lightroom indexes, looks for faces, in the collection.

Let's say you have a friend: Chuck.

Lightroom places all of the photographs of Chuck in a stack in the Unnamed People section.

4 - Wait

You can start doing the following steps right away.

But, it may be less confusing if you wait for Lightroom to finish indexing the collection.

Look for the progress bar in the upper-left corner.

5 - Continue

5) Click the stack badge in the upper-left corner of the stack to open it.

6) Select all of the previews of Chuck in the stack.

7) Click on the question mark below one of the previews of Chuck, and enter Smith Chuck.

8) Press Enter.

The Smith Chuck previews are moved to the Named People section.

If there are people in the stack that are not Chuck, enter their names.

You have trained Lightroom to look for Chuck photographs.

As you enter names, Lightroom will suggest names in the Unnamed People section.

More

1 - Special Tags

If you:

• Will never need to search for a person, consider entering the keyword No Search Needed.

• Don't know the name of a person, consider entering the keyword Unknown Person or Unimportant Person.

2 - Stray People

Lightroom will have difficulty automatically tagging people due to lighting, hats, sunglasses, profiles, rear views, and the like.

Let's say you tagged Watson Janet.

There's a stack in the Named People section called Watson Janet.

However, she is appearing in the Unnamed People section.

You may see these previews labeled as Watson Janet? or with only a question mark.

There three ways to choose the Watson Janet previews.

Way #1

Open the stack if there is one.

Move your cursor over a preview.

Click the checkmark if it's Watson Janet—or the circle-with-a-diagonal line if it's not her.

Way #2

Open the stack if there is one.

If every preview in the stack is Janet, close the stack and drag the stack onto the Watson Janet stack in the Named People section.

If there are previews that are not Janet, enter the name of the person(s) or click the circle-with-a-diagonal line.

Then, drag the stack onto the Watson Janet stack in the Named People section.

Way #3

In the Named People section, double click on the Watson Janet stack.

Single Person view opens.

There are two sections: Confirmed and Similar.

In the Similar section, select the ones that are Watson Janet, and drag them into the Confirmed section.

Press o to return to People view.

3 - Non-people People

If Lightroom selects something that's not a person, move your cursor over the preview and click the x.

Or, click on the preview and press Delete.

If you have selected several previews, right click on the selected previews and select Remove Face Region.

4 - Missing People

If Lightroom fails to find a person, you can draw a facial frame on the person's face manually.

Facial Frames

Lightroom places a frame on a person's face.

Press e to go to Loupe view.

The Draw Face Region tool, in the tool bar, is selected by default.

The facial frame appears.

If there are several people, each will have a frame.

Add a Facial Frame

Press e to go to Loupe view.

The Draw Face Region tool, in the tool bar, is selected by default.

Click and hold, and drag out a box, a facial frame, on the face.

Enter the person's name in the gray field at the top of the facial frame.

Search for People

Press g to make sure you're in the Library module.

Method #1

In the Library module, go to the Library Filter bar, above the previews or photograph.

If you don't see the Library Filter bar, press \.

Click Text and enter the person's name in the search field.

Method #2

In the Library module, open Keyword List panel.

To the right of the search field, click the black triangle.

Tabs appear: All | People | Others

Click the People tab.

Click on a person's name.

Next

In the example above:

• We selected a collection called Friends.

• We selected Only Find Faces As-Needed.

Lightroom will search for people in the Friends collection only when in People view.

If you add photographs with new people to the collection, go to People view (press o) to tag them.

To tag a different collection, select it, and go to People view (press o).

Faster Indexing

If you create Smart Previews—Lightroom will index—look for faces—more quickly.

Smart Previews are smaller versions of your photographs.

They are compressed, lossy DNG files, resized so the longest edge is 2540 pixels.

They are stored in the Smart Previews.lrdata file, which is located in the same folder as your Lightroom catalog.

To create Smart Previews for the photographs in a collection, do the following.

1) Go to the collection.

2) Press Ctrl + a to select the photographs

3) Go Library > Previews > Build Smart Preview

In the future, you can create Smart Previews when you import photographs.

In the Import window, open the File Handling section and select Build Smart Previews.

Export a Name?

By default, Lightroom will export the name with the photograph.

If you don't want to export the name, do the following.

1) Open the Metadata section in the Export window.

2) Deselect Remove Person Info.

More >

Perspective

1) Go to the Develop module or press d.

2) Open the Lens Correction panel and check Enable Profile Corrections.

3) Open the Transform panel and click the Guides button.

4) Look for a line in the scene that should be vertical or horizontal.

5) Click, hold, and drag partway along that line.

When you release the mouse button an Upright Guide is added.

6) Repeat the above step, as needed.

You can create four Upright Guides.

7) Click Done.

The other buttons in the panel do the following.

• Level corrects horizontal distortions.

• Vertical corrects vertical distortions.

• Auto corrects both vertical and horizontal distortions with little, if any cropping.

• Full corrects both vertical and horizontal distortions as well as extreme distortions.

Parts of the photograph may be cropped.

More >

Plug-in: LR/Mogrify 2

LR/Mogrify 2 is a Lightroom plug-in by Timothy Armes:

This plugin allows you to add watermarks, borders and text annotations to your images as they are exported from Lightroom 2 and later.

Offering a great deal of flexibility in the desired output, it is ideal for those wishing to export images for use on websites or anywhere else where a final presentation of your image is required.

It also includes other useful features, such as the ability to compress an exported JPEG to a maximum file size.

If you're not familiar with plug-ins, go to Presets & Plug-ins.

Example

Arnie is an avid bird photographer.

Download

Go to the download page for LR/Mogrify 2.

Download the plug-in.

It's located inside a zip file.

Windows

Right click on the zip file, select Extract All, and click Extract.

A folder called LRMogrify2.lrplugin will appear.

You also need to download and install ImageMagick.

Mac

Double click the zip file.

A folder called LRMogrify2.lrplugin will appear.

Everyone

If you haven't already, create a folder for your Lightroom plug-ins.

For example, create a folder called Lightroom Plug-ins, in Pictures or on your Desktop.

Move the

LRMogrify2.lrplugin Folder

Select the LRMogrify2.lrplugin folder (not the zip file).

Press Ctrl + c (Windows) or Cmd + c (Mac).

Navigate to your Lightroom Plug-ins folder.

Press Ctrl + v (Windows) or Cmd + v (Mac).

The plug-in is now in your Lightroom plug-ins folder.

Install

You can follow LR/Mogrify 2's installation instructions, or can use those below.

1) Go to Lightroom.

2) Press g to go to the Library module.

3) Go to File > Plug-in Manager.

The Plug-in Manager window opens.

4) In the lower-left corner of the window, click Add.

5) Navigate to your Lightroom Plug-ins folder and select LRMogrify2.lrplugin.

6) Click Select Folder in the lower-right corner of the window.

7) If it's not already selected, click LR/Mogrify 2 on the left side of the window.

8) Enter your registration code into the User Registration section, located at the top of the window.

9) Click Done in the lower-right corner of the window.

Windows Users

You need to tell the plugin where to find ImageMagick's mogrify application.

Do the following.

1) Go to Lightroom.

2) Press g to go to the Library module.

3) Select any preview.

4) Click Export in the lower-left corner of your screen.

5) Look for Post Process Actions on the left side of the Export window.

6) Click the black triangle to open the LR/Mogrify 2 menu.

7) Double click Mogrify Configuration.

The Mogrify Configuration section will appear to the right.

8) Click the black triangle to open the Mogrify Configuration section.

9) Click Choose and navigate to

This PC > Windows > Program Files > ImageMagick-6.9.9-Q16 > mogrify.exe

10) Click Cancel in the lower-right corner of the window.

The LR/Mogrify 2 tools of are described here.

Adding captions is described below.

Text Annotations

LR/Mogrify 2 also allow you to add multiple text annotations to your images. The text may be broken up onto several lines, and may include references to the photo's metadata. Simply click "Add metadata token" to add the token to the end of you text.

Do the following.

1) Press g to go to the Library module.

2) Select a preview.

3) Click Export in the lower-left corner of your screen.

4) In the Post Process Actions section, on the left side of the Export window, click the black triangle to open the LR/Mogrify 2 menu.

5) Double click Text Annotations.

The Mogrify Text Annotations section will appear to the right.

6) Click the black triangle to open the Mogrify Text Annotations section.

7) Enter text in the Define your text box.

8) Adjust the controls as needed.

9) Click Export in the lower-right corner of the window.

Use the Metadata

If you're adding unique text to each photograph, and there are many photographs, enter the different texts in the metadata for each photograph.

Do the following.

1) Press g to go to the Library module.

2) On the right side of your screen, open the Metadata panel.

3) Enter your text in the Caption box.

4) Repeat the above for each photograph.

5) Select the previews for the photographs in the work area.

6) Click Export in the lower-left corner of your screen.

7) Enter {caption} in the Define your text box.

8) Adjust the controls as needed.

9) Click Export in the lower-right corner of the window.

You can insert the contents of other metadata fields, and other data, by clicking Add Token.

More >

Presets & Plug-ins

Presets versus Plug-ins

Presets do the work you don't want to do in Lightroom.

Plug-ins do the work that you can't do with Lightroom.

Let's mix editing with cooking.

When:

• You're editing—you're chopping with a knife.

That's a lot of work.

• When you use a preset to do some editing—you're using a food processor.

That's easier.

• When you use a plug-in to send your files to Flickr—you're calling up the sushi-take-out place.

Lightroom can't make sushi.

It needs a plug-in.

Presets

A preset is a saved set of Lightroom instructions.

If you use the same editing steps repeatedly (chopping), you can make a preset (food processor).

The preset will do the many steps with one click.

In the Library module, you can create metadata presets.

In the Develop module, there are develop presets.

The Export window has presets, too.

To use a preset, just click on it.

Plug-ins

Plug-ins are programs that operate outside of the Lightroom program (at the sushi-take-out place).

When you start a plug-in, it does the following.

1) Gets a file from Lightroom.

2) Performs an action on the file, such as adding a watermark.

3) Sends the file back to Lightroom, or to another location, such as Flickr.

Go to File > Plug-in Manager to see what plug-ins are already installed for use with Lightroom.

Change a Preset Preference

If you're taking your Lightroom catalog from computer to computer using an external hard drive, read on.

If not, jump ahead.

Your presets—the ones you created or downloaded—won't travel with you.

That's because they're stored, by default, in a location distant from your Lightroom catalog.

Preference file and other file locations | Lightroom CC and 6

You can store them with your Lightroom catalog.

1) Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

2) Click the Presets tab.

3) In the Location section, in the middle, select Store presets with catalog.

Download Presets & Plug-ins

You can search online for presets and plug-ins.

Create a Develop Preset

Do the following.

1) Press d to go to the Develop module.

2) Do some editing.

3) Open the Presets panel on the left side.

4) Click the + icon to open the New Develop Preset window.

5) Enter a name for the preset.

6) Select the folder, such as the default, User Presets.

7) Click Select None at the bottom of the window.

8) Select only the settings specific to the editing you did.

9) Click OK.

Change a Preset

Do the following.

1) Open the Presets panel and click the preset.

2) Change the settings.

3) Right-click on the preset in the Presets panel and select Update with Current Settings.

Read a Preset

You can open a preset file to see the settings.

When you click a preset, the settings in the Develop module are changed to the settings in the preset file.

Ansel Adams 2.lrtemplate from Bryan Wheeler's

27 Free Lightroom Presets

Click Photograph to Enlarge

To read a preset, do the following.

1) Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

2) Click the Presets tab.

3) Click Show Lightroom Presets Folder.

The presets are probably in the Develop Presets folder or in the Local Adjustments Presets folder.

4) Double click the preset file.

Install

Preset Installation

If you've downloaded a preset, or a folder of presets, follow the instructions provided by the preset source.

Or, if the preset uses the features of the Basic panel, do the following.

Note, Adjustment Brush presets are placed in the Local Adjustments Presets folder.

1) Press d to go to the Develop module and open the Presets panel on the left side.

2) Right click on the panel, and select New Folder.

3) Enter a name for the folder, such as the name of the downloaded preset, and click Create.

4) Right click on the new folder, and select Import.

5) Navigate to the downloaded preset, select it, and click Import.

Or, navigate to the downloaded folder full of presets, press Ctrl + a, and click Import.

Plug-in Installation

Plug-ins come with installation instructions.

Generally, do the following.

Let's say you want to install a plug-in called easy-autochrome.

1) Follow the instructions as to where the plug-in should be installed.

You may create a folder, called Plug-ins, in which to store the plug-ins you download.

This folder could be in the Lightroom folder in My pictures or Pictures.

2) Download the easy-autochrome plug-in, which is probably a zip file.

3) Unzip the zip file.

There's a folder (Windows) or a module package (Mac) inside the zip file with the file name extension .lrplugin.

The folder/module package contains a file called Info.lua.

That's the actual lug-in.

However, you handle the entire folder, not the Info.lua file.

4) Copy the easy-autochrome.lrplugin folder/module package (Ctrl or Cmd + c).

5) Open the folder specified in the plug-in instructions.

6) Paste (Ctrl or Cmd + v).

The easy-autochrome.lrplugin folder/module package is now in the folder.

Now, you have to "tell" Lightroom about the new plug-in.

7) Go to File > Plug-in Manager, and click Add.

8) Navigate to your Plug-ins folder, select easy-autochrome.lrplugin, and click OK.

9) You may be prompted to update the catalog.

10) The plug-in may be located:

• At File > Plug-in Extras.

• In the Export window.

More >

Previews

Smart Previews

If all of your files are located on your computers internal hard drive, you don't need smart previews.

Smart Previews are handy if your files are located on an external hard drive.

When you create a smart preview of a file, you don't need to have the external hard drive connected.

Lightroom makes a DNG of the file of sufficient size for editing.

DNG files are higher quality than JPEG files of the same size.

When you reconnect your external hard drive, Lightroom updates the editing instructions for the original file.

Create Smart Previews

1 - Files Already in Lightroom

Do the following.

1) Go to the Library module and select one or more thumbnails.

If you want to create smart previews for all of your photographs, open the Catalog panel, select All Photographs, and then press Ctrl + a.

2) Go to Library > Preview > Build Smart Previews.

2 - When Importing

Select Build Smart Previews in the File handling panel.

Smart Previews

Import Preferences

Your photograph files have JPEG previews.

They're embedded in the files, or are in sidecar files.

You can specify how Lightroom creates previews when importing.

There are four choices.

As you go from Choice #1 to Choice #4:

• Importing takes longer.

• The space occupied on your hard drive by the previews increases.

The import-speed and hard-drive space differences are small between the first three choices.

Choice #4, 1:1, slows importing substantially, and takes up a lot of hard drive space.

Many photographers use the default choice, Minimal.

That's because Lightroom can create a larger preview whenever it's required.

Choice #1 - Minimal

Lightroom creates a small preview from the existing embedded/sidecar preview.

Choice #2 - Embedded & Sidecar

Lightroom makes the best possible preview from the existing embedded/sidecar preview on the memory card.

Color Management

The above two choices are not color managed.

The two choices below are color managed using the ProPhoto RGB color space.

Choice #3 - Standard

The Standard preview is what you see when you click Fit on the zoom bar in the Loupe view.

Choice #4 - 1:1

1:1 previews are what you see in the Develop module when you click 1:1 (100%).

1:1 previews display sharpening and noise reduction.

Choose One of the Four Choices

When you're importing some files, do the following.

1) You've done one of the following.

• You've connected your camera to your computer, and have turned it on.

• You've connected a card reader with a card.

• You've selected a folder to import.

2) Press g to make sure you're in the Library module.

3) Click Import in the lower-left corner.

4) Open the File Handling panel on the right side.

5) Choose one of the following on the Renders Previews menu.

• Minimal

• Embedded & Sidecar

• Standard

• 1:1

6) Finish the import process.

Display Preferences

You can set the size and quality of the previews that Lightroom displays.

Use the size and quality that corresponds to your monitor's specification and to your needs.

Do the following.

1) Go to Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + Alt + ,.

2) Click the File Handling tab.

3) Choose the preview size and the review quality.

• For Standard Preview Size, the default setting, 1440, is fine for most monitors.

If you have a very large monitor, try 2048.

• For Preview Quality, the default setting, Medium, is fine for most monitors.

If you have a very large monitor, try High.

All three quality levels are in the upper range of JPEG quality.

Render Previews after Importing

If you don't want to wait for Lightroom to render previews, do the following.

1) Press Ctrl + a to select all of the previews in a folder or collection.

2) Go to Library > Previews > Render 1:1 Previews.

3) Do something else for a while while Lightroom works.

Automatically Discard

1:1 Previews after 30 Days

As mentioned, 1:1 previews take up a lot of space on your hard drive.

By default, Lightroom deletes 1:1 previews after thirty days.

Automatically Discard 1:1 Previews after 30 Days

To change the setting, go to Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + Alt + ,.

Then, click the File Handling tab.

More >

Resizing

You may want to resize a photograph to:

1) Fit on a webpage.

2) Make a small file (few megapixels) bigger for better viewing and printing quality.

Fit on a Webpage

chensiyuan

The above photograph is 6265 pixels x 2336 pixels.

Let's say you want it to be 400 pixels wide.

Do the following.

1) Press g to go to Grid view in the Library module.

2) Select the photograph.

You can select more than one photograph, if needed.

3) Click Export in the lower-left corner of your screen.

If you haven't already, go to Export.

4) In the Image Resizing section:

a) Select Resize to Fit.

b) Select Width & Height.

c) Enter 400 in the W box.

d) The H box is empty.

e) Deselect Don't Enlarge.

f) Ignore the Resolution box.

When changing the size in pixels, the resolution value doesn't apply.

4) Use the other sections in the Export window, as needed.

5) Click Export.

Image Resizing

Resolution

If you were resizing using inches instead of pixels, you would do the following.

a) Change the size menu to inches from pixels.

b) Enter a value for inches in the W box.

c) Set the resolution to 72 pixels per inch for websites, and 300 pixels per inch for printing.

Don't Enlarge

It's Not Selected

Let's say you're resizing two photographs.

Photo A – 6000 x 4000 pixels.

Photo B – 2000 x 1000 pixels.

You enter 3000 pixels in the W box.

Don't Enlarge is not selected.

You click Export.

The exported photographs are:

Photo A – 3000 x 2000 pixels.

Photo B – 3000 x 2000 pixels.

It's Selected

If you're resizing the above photographs—and Don't Enlarge is selected—the exported photographs are:

Photo A – 3000 x 2000 pixels.

Photo B – 2000 x 1000 pixels.

Photo A was reduced from 6000 to 3000 pixels.

Photo B wasn't resized because Don't Enlarge wasn't selected.

Bigger for Printing

Sarah Angelina Acland

The above photograph is 752 × 544 pixels.

The file size is only 251 KB.

If you display it on a large monitor, or make a large print, the quality will be poor.

Do the following.

1) Press g to go to Grid view in the Library module.

2) Select the photograph.

You can select more than one photograph, if needed.

3) Click Export in the lower-left corner of your screen.

If you haven't already, go to Export.

4) In the Image Resizing section:

a) Select Resize to Fit.

b) Select Width & Height.

c) Enter 2000 in the W box, are another value, depending on the photograph.

d) The H box is empty.

e) Deselect Don't Enlarge.

f) Ignore the Resolution box.

When changing the size in pixels, the resolution value doesn't apply.

4) Use the other sections in the Export window, as needed.

5) Click Export.

More >

Resources

Adobe

Photoshop Lightroom Help and Support

Forums

Photoshop Lightroom

Twitter

http://twitter.com/Lightroom

Book Authors

Look for books by:

• Martin Evening

• Scott Kelby

• Sean McCormack

• Chris Orwig

Other

Jeffrey's Lightroom Goodies (Plugins and Tools)

Blogs & Websites

Lightroom Blog Sean McCormack

Lightroom Killer Tips Matt Kloskowski

More >

Select a Color Window

Most of the time, you use sliders to change colors.

However, when using the Adjustment Brush and the Split Toning panel, you may need to choose a particular color.

Click the Color box . . .

Color Box

. . . and the Select a Color window appears.

Select a Color Window

Like a Graph

Think of the window as being like a graph.

X Axis (Horizontal)

The x axis, the horizontal axis, is the hue.

As you click from left-to-right, the hue changes.

The values go from 0 to 359.

Y Axis (Vertical)

Saturation is on the y axis, the vertical axis.

Hues are more saturated at the top, and less saturated further down.

The values go from 100% (most saturation) to 0% (least saturation).

Click to Choose

Click on the chart.

The hue/saturation combination that you clicked on appears in the upper-right corner of the window.

Other Ways to Select

You can click on the tiny white square, hold, and drag.

Or, use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the square.

You can use the two tools at the bottom of the window to change the hue and the saturation.

To change the hue:

1) Place the cursor on the value to the right of the H.

2) Click, hold, and drag left-and-right.

Saturation has a slider.

Choosing Colors from Outside the Window

You can choose a color from elsewhere on your screen.

Do the following.

1) Click inside the window, and hold.

2) Move the cursor to the color that you would like to select.

3) Release the mouse button.

Close the Window

Click the x to close the window.

More >

Set Up Lightroom

1 - Backup the Catalog

If your Lightroom catalog becomes corrupted, you're in trouble.

Back it up every time Lightroom closes.

If you haven't already, go to Backup the Catalog.

2 - Catalog Settings

Go to Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + Alt + ,.

General Tab

In the Backup section, consider changing the default to Every time Lightroom exits.

File Handling Tab

Standard Preview Size & Preview Quality

You can set the size and quality of the previews that Lightroom displays.

Use the size and quality that corresponds to your monitor's specification and to your needs.

Do the following.

1) Go to Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + Alt + ,.

2) Click the File Handling tab.

3) Choose the preview size and the review quality.

• For Standard Preview Size, the default setting, 1440, is fine for most monitors.

If you have a very large monitor, try 2048.

• For Preview Quality, the default setting, Medium, is fine for most monitors.

If you have a very large monitor, try High.

All three quality levels are in the upper range of JPEG quality.

Automatically Discard 1:1 Previews

1:1 previews are large.

Therefore, the default setting, After 30 Days, will conserve your hard drive space.

Metadata Tab

The default metadata settings are fine for most photographers.

3 - Preferences

Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

General Tab

• Deselect the splash screen if you wish.

The splash screen is the credit window that appears briefly when you open Lightroom.

• By default, Automatically check for updates is selected.

• By default, Lightroom will open in the Import "module" when you attach a memory card to your computer.

If you don't want Lightroom to do so, deselect Show import dialog when a memory card is detected.

• If you're saving both JPEG and raw files on your camera, Lightroom will:

 • Import the raw file.

• Add + JPG to the raw file name displayed in Lightroom.

The JPEG file is hidden as a sidecar file.

If you want to edit the JPEG file, press Ctrl + r.

If you want to see both the raw file and the JPEG file in Lightroom, do the following.

1) Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

2) Click the General tab.

3) In the Import Options section, in the middle, select Treat JPEG files next to raw files as separate photos.

Presets Tab

The default preset settings are fine for most photographers.

However, if you're taking your Lightroom catalog from computer to computer using an external hard drive, read on.

Your presets—the ones you created or downloaded—won't travel with you.

That's because they're stored, by default, in a location distant from your Lightroom catalog.

Windows 10: C: > Users > username > AppData > Roaming > Adobe > Lightroom

Windows 7: C: > User > username > AppData > Roaming > Adobe > Lightroom

Mac: Macintosh HD > Users > [your username] > Library > Application Support > Adobe > Lightroom

You can store them in the Lightroom folder with the Lightroom catalog, in the Lightroom Settings folder.

Windows 10: C: > Users > username > Pictures > Lightroom > Lightroom Settings

Windows 7: C: > User > username > My Pictures > Lightroom > Lightroom Settings

Mac: Macintosh HD > Pictures > Lightroom > Lightroom Settings

Then—wherever your catalog goes—so do your presets.

Do the following.

1) Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

2) Click the Presets tab.

3) In the Location section, in the middle, select Store presets with this catalog.

If you already have presets in the distant location, and you want to store them near the catalog, do the following.

1) Go to the distant default location.

2) Copy the preset folders.

3) Go to the folder where your catalog is located, and paste the preset folders into the Lightroom Settings folder.

4) Close and restart Lightroom.

External Editing Tab

Lightroom automatically senses the presence of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements on your computer.

Set the external editor preferences.

• Select the file format that you're familiar with.

If you use programs other than Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, consider using the TIFF file format.

Also, while most labs want JPEGS, and a few labs can handle TIFFs, very labs want to work with PSDs.

• Set the color space to the one you're using in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

• If you're using Photoshop Elements, set the bit depth to 8 bits.

• Set the resolution to the value you use in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

External Editor Preferences

File Handling Tab

The default file handling settings are fine for most photographers.

Interface Tab

• Select Zoom clicked to center.

Then, wherever you click, that will become the center point of the photograph when zooming.

Zoom clicked point to center

4 - The _In_Lightroom Folder

Your photographs are probably located in My Pictures or Pictures.

You can import all of them into Lightroom.

However, you may want to import them more slowly.

If so, create a folder in My Pictures or Pictures called _In_Lightroom.

The underscore, _, at the beginning of the folder name keeps the folder on top of the list.

Let's say you want to import a folder called 2010 12 20 into Lightroom.

Drag the 2010 12 20 folder in to the _In_Lightroom folder.

Then, go to Lightroom and import the 2010 12 20 folder.

Now, when you go to My Pictures or Pictures, you know which folders have been imported into Lightroom, and which ones have not.

5 - Import Set Up

Do the following when you import some photographs into Lightroom.

Your photograph files have JPEG previews.

They're embedded in the files, or are in sidecar files.

You can specify how Lightroom creates previews when importing.

There are four choices.

As you go from Choice #1 to Choice #4:

• Importing takes longer.

• The space occupied on your hard drive by the previews increases.

The import-speed and hard-drive space differences are small between the first three choices.

Choice #4, 1:1, slows importing substantially, and takes up a lot of hard drive space.

Many photographers use the default choice, Minimal.

That's because Lightroom can create a larger preview whenever its required.

Choice #1 - Minimal

Lightroom creates a small preview from the existing embedded/sidecar preview.

Choice #2 - Embedded & Sidecar

Lightroom makes the best possible preview from the existing embedded/sidecar preview on the memory card.

Color Management

The above two choices are not color managed.

The two choices below are color managed using the ProPhoto RGB color space.

Choice #3 - Standard

The Standard preview is what you see when you click Fit on the zoom bar in the Loupe view.

Choice #4 - 1:1

1:1 previews are what you see in the Develop module when you click 1:1 (100%).

1:1 previews display sharpening and noise reduction.

Choose One of the Four Choices

When you're importing some files, do the following.

1) You've done one of the following.

• You've connected your camera to your computer, and have turned it on.

• You've connected a card reader with a card.

• You've selected a folder to import.

2) Press g to make sure you're in the Library module.

3) Click Import in the lower-left corner.

4) Open the File Handling panel on the right side.

5) Choose one of the following on the Renders Previews menu.

• Minimal

• Embedded & Sidecar

• Standard

• 1:1

6) Finish the import process.

More >

Shortcuts

Here are the most useful shortcuts.

Many are single letters.

Others require you to press and hold Ctrl (Mac: Cmd), while pressing a letter.

Press Ctrl + ?, to see the shortcuts for the module you're using.

For all of the shortcuts, go to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Keyboard Shortcuts.

For a list of the most-used shortcuts, go to Lightroom Shortcuts: Word file or PDF file.

Modules

g	Library Module: Grid View
e	Library Module: Loupe View
d	Develop Module

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Views

g	Grid
e	Loupe
c	Compare
n	Survey

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Hide & Show Stuff

Press the shortcut to toggle back-and-forth.

Full Screen	Press f to cycle: Normal →  Full Screen w/Menu Bar  → Full Screen
Module Picker	F5
All Panels	Shift + Tab
Left & Right Panels	Tab
Left Panel	F7
Right Panel	F8
Tool Bar	t
Filmstrip	F6

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Change the Preview Features/Information

You can change the features and information displayed around the previews.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Darken the Area Around Image

Press L to darken the area around the image.

You can cycle from gray, to dark gray, to black.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Selecting Previews

Ctrl + a	Select All
Press & Hold Shift	Select a contiguous series of previews.
Press & Hold Ctrl	Select non-contiguous previews.

Go to Click a Preview.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Flags

On Tool Bar?	Yes
Keyboard Shortcut	p = Flag x = Reject u = Unflag
Right Click Menu	Yes
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Set Flag
On Preview Cell (Border)?	Yes
Other & Related Methods	• Press Ctrl + Up Arrow & Press Ctrl + Down Arrow to change the flagging. • Press the Caps-lock key to engage Auto Advance. • To delete the rejected  previews, press Ctrl + Backspace (Mac: Delete). • Go to Library > Refine Photos to change all unflagged previews to rejects, and all flagged previews to unflagged.

Go to Flags.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Star Ratings

On Tool Bar?	Yes
Keyboard Shortcut	0 = No stars 1 = ★ 2 = ★★t 3 = ★★★ 4 = ★★★★ 5 = ★★★★★
Right Click Menu	Yes
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Set Rating
On Preview Cell (Border)?	Yes
Other & Related Methods	Press the Caps-lock key to engage Auto Advance.

Go to Star Ratings.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Color Labels

On Tool Bar?	Click triangle at right end of the tool bar to add to the tool bar.
Keyboard Shortcut	Red = 6 Yellow = 7 Green = 8 Blue = 9 Purple = None
Right Click Menu	Yes
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Set Color Label
On Preview Cell (Border)?	Yes. Press Ctrl + j. Select Show Grid Extras & Expanded Cells at the top. At the bottom, select Include Color Label.
Other & Related Methods	–

Go to Color Labels.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Stacks

On Tool Bar?	No
Keyboard Shortcuts	Ctrl + g
Right Click Menu	Select Stacking > Group into Stack
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Stacking
On Preview Cell (Border)?	No
Other & Related Methods	• Open & collapse stacks: s • To change the preview on top of the stack: Select the new preview & press Shift + s • Move a preview up or down a stack: Shift + [ or Shift + ]. • Unstack: Shift + Ctrl + g

Go to Stacks.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Magnification (Zoom)

On Tool Bar?	Yes
Keyboard Shortcuts	Zoom in: Ctrl + = Zoom out: Ctrl + –
Right Click Menu	No
Menu on Top of the Screen	View > Zoom In & Out
On Preview Cell (Border)?	No
Other & Related Methods	To toggle between Fit & the last magnification used: • Press the spacebar • Press z • Double click on a preview to enlarge to Fit, and then single click it to toggle between Fit & the last magnification used

Go to Zoom.

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

Zoom Entire Grid In & Out

Back to the Shortcuts Menu

More >

Speed Up Lightroom

1 - Computer

Adobe

For the minimum computer requirements, go to system requirements | Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.

Processor

A faster processor (CPU, chip) is beneficial.

RAM

More installed physical memory (RAM) will also speed up Lightroom.

Don't confuse RAM memory with hard drive "memory."

The size of RAM memory is measured in gigabytes (GB), and the speed, in megahertz (MHz).

RAM memory comes in different "flavors," such as SDRAM, DDR2, and DDR.

RAM modules are called DIMMs.

Desktop computers have at least four DIMM slots, and laptops have at least two.

If you're using 32-bit Windows 7, 3 GB appears to be the maximum that can be used by Lightroom.

Check to make sure you're using the latest driver for your graphics card.

To see the specifications of your computer, and the hardware, do the following.

Windows 7

1) Click the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of your screen.

2) In the Search box, enter System Configuration.

3) Click System Configuration in the search results.

The System Summary describes the processor and the Installed Physical Memory (RAM).

4) To see the graphics card, double click Components, and then double click Display.

Mac

Go to Apple Menu > About This Mac > More Info.

Also

Try the Crucial's System Scanner and Memory Advisor™ tools.

2 - Backup the Catalog

If your Lightroom catalog becomes corrupted, you'll save a lot of time if you've been consistently backing it up.

If you haven't already, go to Backup the Catalog.

You'll need to go to Preferences and to Catalog settings.

3 - How to Go to . . .

. . . Preferences

Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

. . . Catalog Settings

Go to Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + Alt + ,.

4 - Speed Up Importing

To speed up importing, do the following when you import some photographs into Lightroom.

Your photograph files have JPEG previews.

They're embedded in the files, or are in sidecar files.

You can specify how Lightroom creates previews when importing.

There are four choices.

As you go from Choice #1 to Choice #4:

• Importing takes longer.

• The space occupied on your hard drive by the previews increases.

The import-speed and hard-drive space differences are small between the first three choices.

Choice #4, 1:1, slows importing substantially, and takes up a lot of hard drive space.

Many photographers use the default choice, Minimal.

That's because Lightroom can create a larger preview whenever its required.

Choice #1 - Minimal

Lightroom creates a small preview from the existing embedded/sidecar preview.

Choice #2 - Embedded & Sidecar

Lightroom makes the best possible preview from the existing embedded/sidecar preview on the memory card.

Color Management

The above two choices are not color managed.

The two choices below are color managed using the ProPhoto RGB color space.

Choice #3 - Standard

The Standard preview is what you see when you click Fit on the zoom bar in the Loupe view.

Choice #4 - 1:1

1:1 previews are what you see in the Develop module when you click 1:1 (100%).

1:1 previews display sharpening and noise reduction.

Choose One of the Four Choices

When you're importing some files, do the following.

1) You've done one of the following.

• You've connected your camera to your computer, and have turned it on.

• You've connected a card reader with a card.

• You've selected a folder to import.

2) Press g to make sure you're in the Library module.

3) Click Import in the lower-left corner.

4) Open the File Handling panel on the right side.

5) Choose one of the following on the Renders Previews menu.

• Minimal

• Embedded & Sidecar

• Standard

• 1:1

6) Finish the import process.

5 - Preview Display

You can set the size and quality of the previews that Lightroom displays.

Use the size and quality that corresponds to your monitor's specification and to your needs.

Do the following.

1) Go to Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + Alt + ,.

2) Click the File Handling tab.

3) Choose the preview size and the review quality.

• For Standard Preview Size, the default setting, 1440, is fine for most monitors.

If you have a very large monitor, try 2048.

• For Preview Quality, the default setting, Medium, is fine for most monitors.

If you have a very large monitor, try High.

All three quality levels are in the upper range of JPEG quality.

6 - Render Previews

As described, you can speed up importing by having Lightroom create Minimal previews.

The downside to this choice is that Lightroom will have to make larger previews when you're editing.

Lightroom will display a Loading notice.

You can have Lightroom render all of the previews while you do something else.

Do the following.

1) Select the previews.

2) Go to Library > Previews.

3) Select either Standard or 1:1 previews.

Library > Previews

7 - Save More Camera Raw Cache Settings

The preview of a raw file that Lightroom creates in the Library module is rendered from the JPEG preview in the sidecar file associated with the raw file.

When you go to the Develop module, Lightroom creates a higher-quality preview from the actual raw file—not from the JPEG preview.

The rendering of this better preview takes some time.

The cache file that stores these previews is, by default, only 1 GB.

If you increase the size, Lightroom can store more previews.

When you go to the Develop module, the preview will be more likely to be ready and waiting in the cache folder.

Do the following.

1) Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

2) Select the File Handling tab.

3) Increase the size of the camera raw cache.

Camera Raw Cache Settings

More >

Stacks

You can stack related previews.

The term stack is from when photographer's stacked slides on light tables.

By stacking previews, you clear space in the work area.

You can make stacks in collections as well as folders.

Create a Stack

Select the previews, and then create the stack by doing one of the following.

On Tool Bar?	No
Keyboard Shortcuts	Ctrl + g
Right Click Menu	Select Stacking > Group into Stack
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Stacking
On Preview Cell (Border)?	No
Other & Related Methods	• Open & collapse stacks: s • To change the preview on top of the stack: Select the new preview & press Shift + s • Move a preview up or down a stack: Shift + [ or Shift + ]. • Unstack: Shift + Ctrl + g

Open & Collapse a Stack

After creating a stack, a white rectangle appears in the upper-left corner of the preview at the top of the stack.

The rectangle contains the number of previews in the stack.

To open or collapse the stack, click the white rectangle, or press s.

More Options

There are more options in the above chart under Other.

There are even more options when you go to Photo > Stacking.

Compare & Survey Views

You can use the Compare and Survey views to edit the order of the images in a stack.

More >

Star Ratings

Typically, star ratings are used to rate the quality of photographs.

See the chart below for a summary of the ways you can set the star ratings.

Auto Advance

When setting star ratings, use Auto Advance.

Press the Caps Lock key.

Then, when you set a star rating, the next preview is automatically selected.

Remember to turn off the Caps Lock key when finished!

Star Ratings Chart

On Tool Bar?	Yes
Keyboard Shortcuts	0 = No stars 1 = ★ 2 = ★★t 3 = ★★★ 4 = ★★★★ 5 = ★★★★★
Right Click Menu	Yes
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Set Rating
On Preview Cell (Border)?	Yes
Other & Related Methods	Press the Caps-lock key to engage Auto Advance.

More >

Troubleshooting

For minor problems, such as a missing panel, go to 8 - Problems in Introduction in Part 1.

If Lightroom misbehaves, try the following, in order.

Adobe Documents

From the troubleshooting section:

• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 preferences file and other file locations

• Navigator panel keyboard shortcut does not work in Lightroom (Mac OS, Windows 7, Windows Vista)

• Photoshop Lightroom 3 or 2 doesn't start

• System errors and freezes - Troubleshooting - Mac OS 10.x

• System errors and freezes - Troubleshooting - Windows

• Warning: "...all comments and ratings will be lost..." displays when republishing to Flickr from Lightroom 3

General Solutions

1 - Check for Updates

1) Go to Help > Check for Updates.

2 - Restart

1) Close Lightroom.

2) In the Back Up Catalog window, make sure the two functions below are selected.

Two Selections

3) Click Backup.

4) If that doesn't help, shut down your computer, restart it, and open Lightroom.

3 - Turn Off Anti-virus Software

If you're using a Windows computer, the anti-virus software may create a problem with Lightroom.

Try disabling your anti-virus software.

If this solves the problem, exclude the Lightroom folder located in My Pictures or Pictures from the anti-virus software.

You may also have to exclude the folder containing the photograph files that are in Lightroom.

4 - Test a New Catalog

1) Go to File > New Catalog.

2) Import a few photographs into the new catalog, and test various functions.

3) If the new catalog functions properly, then the problem is a corrupted catalog.

Do the following.

1) Close Lightroom.

2) Go to My Pictures or Pictures > Lightroom, and rename Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat.

For example, rename it as Lightroom 3 Catalog_bad.lrcat.

3) Go to where your backup of the catalog is located, select it, and copy it (Ctrl + c).

By default, the backup of your Lightroom catalog is located at My Pictures or Pictures > Lightroom > Backups.

You may have changed the default so that you're backing up to an external hard drive.

4) Go to My Pictures or Pictures > Lightroom, and paste it (Ctrl + v).

5) Double click the file to open Lightroom.

5 - Rename the Presets Folder

A preset may have become corrupted.

Or, did you recently create, or download, a preset?

If so, the new preset may be causing the problem.

1) Close Lightroom.

2) Locate the Presets folder.

The folder is either in the default location, or it is stored with the Lightroom catalog if you selected that option.

Go to Change a Preset Preference.

3) Rename the Presets folder.

For example, append _qwerty to its name.

Append _qwerty

4) Restart Lightroom.

If the problem is now solved, do the following.

1) Close Lightroom.

2) Go to the location of the Presets_qwerty folder.

3) Lightroom probably created a new Presets folder.

Make sure it's empty and delete it.

New Develop Presets Folder

4) Rename Presets_qwerty back to Presets.

5) Delete the new preset.

6) Open Lightroom.

6 - Rename the Preferences File

The preferences file may create problems with Lightroom.

You'll rename the old preferences file to delete it—and will create a new preferences file.

Record Your Preferences

Because you'll have to redo your preferences, you may want to record what they are.

Go to the two locations below and jot down your preferences.

Location #1

Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + ,.

Location #2

Go to Edit > Catalog Settings (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings (Mac).

Or, press Ctrl + Alt + ,.

Record Your Catalog Location

Lightroom may forget the name and location of your catalog.

Jot down the name and location of your catalog before you reset your preferences.

Go to Edit > Catalog Settings > General (Windows) or Lightroom > Catalog Settings > General (Mac).

Your catalog name and location are listed in the Information section.

If you click the Show button, you'll go to go to the catalog folder in Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).

If Lightroom does forget your catalog's location—after resetting the preferences file—open the above folder and double click the catalog file.

Rename the Preferences File

1) Close Lightroom.

2) Navigate to the preferences file.

Windows 7 & 10

If you can't find the folders below on your Windows computer, go to Hidden Files & Folders.

Go to: C: > Users > username > AppData > Roaming > Adobe > Lightroom > Preferences > Lightroom 6 Preferences.agprefs

Mac

The Library file, below, is hidden.

To access to the Library file, press Option and choose Go > Library in the Finder.

Go to: Users > username > Library > Preferences > com.adobe.Lightroom6.plist

3) Rename the preferences file.

For example, append _old to its name.

4) Restart Lightroom.

Lightroom might ask you to upgrade your catalog.

Do not choose Upgrade.

Instead, click Choose a Different Catalog.

If the problem is now solved, delete the renamed preferences file, if you wish.

If the problem isn't solved, do the following.

1) Close Lightroom.

2) Delete the new preferences file.

3) Rename the old preferences file back to its original name.

Specific Solutions

1 - Lightroom Won't Open after Crash

Lightroom creates a "lock" file when it opens.

Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat.lock

When the program closes, the lock file is deleted.

If Lightroom, or your computer crash, the lock file may still be present, preventing Lightroom from opening.

If Lightroom or your computer crashed, and Lightroom won't open, do the following to check for the lock file.

1) Go to My Pictures or Pictures > Lightroom.

2) Delete Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat.lock.

Make sure you delete the lock file, not your catalog!

2 - Raw Files

If you're using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, make sure you're using the latest version of the Adobe Raw Converter that's compatible with your version of Photoshop/Photoshop Elements.

Go to Adobe Updates.

3 - Printing

Your print driver may have become corrupted, or may be out-of-date.

Go to the website of your printer manufacturer and download the print driver or an updated version.

None of the Above Worked

If Lightroom is still acting out, go to Resources.

More >

Updates from Adobe

Click Check for Updates in the Help menu periodically.

More >

Virtual Copies & Snapshots

Long Story Short

A virtual copy is a separate version of the original.

You can:

• Edit it.

• Place it in one or more collections.

• Easily export it.

A snapshot is like a bookmark.

Let's say you've edited a photograph in a realistic way.

There are twenty editing steps in the History panel.

You create a snapshot.

You continue editing the photograph—but now—in a surrealistic way.

There are now thirty more editing steps in the History panel—fifty total.

You create a second snapshot.

To compare the two versions of the photograph—realistic and surrealistic—simply click on the snapshots.

If you didn't have the snapshots—it would be hard to click on the right editing step in the History panel.

Where did the realistic editing end?

Without a snapshot—that step would be hard to find.

Virtual Copies

When you press Ctrl + ' Lightroom creates a virtual copy of the photograph.

The photograph file is not duplicated.

Lightroom creates a second editing instruction file for the photograph.

There are several ways you can create a virtual copy.

On Tool Bar?	No
Keyboard Shortcuts	Ctrl + '
Right Click Menu	Create Virtual Copy
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Create Virtual Copy
On Preview Cell (Border)?	No
Other & Related Methods	When you create a new collection, you can select Create a Virtual Copy.

Which Is Which?

The virtual copy has the white corner.

Look in the lower-left corner of the two previews.

The lower-left corner of virtual copy is folded back.

If you don't see the white corner, press j until you do.

Reasons

Here are some reasons why you may want to create a virtual copy.

Reason #1 - Compare

Let's say you're about to edit a photograph.

Make a virtual copy of it—and edit the virtual copy.

You can click back-and-forth between the original and the virtual copy.

You can do the above in the Develop module—without a virtual copy—by pressing y to see before-and-after views.

By creating a virtual copy, you can see the original and the edited virtual copy in the other modules.

Reason #2 - Cropping

You're about to crop a photograph.

Make a virtual copy of the photograph—and crop it—not the original.

Reason #3 - Several Variations

You've been editing a photograph.

You're about to convert it to black-and-white.

Make a virtual copy of the photograph—and convert it—not the original.

You edit the black-and-white virtual copy.

Then, you're about to experiment with split toning.

You can make a virtual copy of a virtual copy.

Make a virtual copy of the black-and-white virtual copy.

Then—split tone it—not the plain black-and-white virtual copy.

You now have three previews:

• Original

•  Black-and-white version

• Split-toned version

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Virtual copies use very little memory.

• Virtual copies can be placed in more than one collection.

• You can export any combination of the original and its virtual copies all at once.

Cons

• The previous editing steps seen in the History panel of the original are not available in the History panel of the virtual copy.

• There may be more clutter.

Each virtual copy creates another preview.

However, you can stack the virtual copies with the original.

Note

When you create a virtual copy of a photograph in a collection, the virtual copy also appears in the folder of the photograph.

Let's say you have the same photograph in three collections.

You create a virtual copy of the photograph in each of the three collections.

You have three virtual copies.

All three of them appear in the folder containing the original photograph.

Folder	Original, VC1, VC2, VC3
Collection A	Original, VC1
Collection B	Original, VC2
Collection C	Original, VC3

If a Virtual Copy Doesn't Appear

Library Filter

Let's say you're using a filter in the Library Filter panel (above your previews).

You've searched by a certain lens type.

This lens information is stored in the metadata of your original photograph.

A virtual copy doesn't inherit the metadata of its original.

Therefore, because of the lens-type filter in place, the filter won't find the virtual copy.

It's there, but not visible, due to the filter not finding it.

Also, in the Library Filter panel, if you've selected Master Photos, virtual copies won't appear.

Smart Collections

A virtual copy won't appear in a Smart Collection if it doesn't meet the rules of the smart collection.

For example, let's say you create a virtual copy of a photograph.

Later, you rate the original photograph as being five stars.

The virtual copy doesn't have the five star rating.

When you click on the Five Stars smart collection, the virtual copy won't appear because it doesn't have a five-star rating.

Collection Set Selected

If you have selected a collection set and make a virtual copy, it won't appear.

Collection sets can only contain collections.

Original photographs and their virtual copies can't be in a collection set.

Sort Menu

If you've set the Sort menu (below your previews) to Edit Time instead of Capture Time, the virtual copy will appear at the end of the previews.

Snapshots

After editing a photograph, you can designate when a series of editing steps is finished.

As mentioned, you can think of a snapshot as being like a bookmark.

You can quickly go back to a certain point in the editing steps by clicking the snapshot.

In the History panel, right click on the last editing step and select Create Snapshot.

Enter a descriptive name and click Create.

Create Snapshot

The snapshot, here called Ver 1, appears in the Snapshots and History panels.

Snapshots and History Panels

There are several ways you can create a snapshot.

On Tool Bar?	No
Keyboard Shortcuts	Ctrl + n
Right Click Menu	Create Snapshot
Menu on Top of the Screen	Develop > New Snapshot
On Preview Cell (Border)?	No
Other & Related Methods	Click the plus icon in the tab for the Snapshots panel.

Reasons

The reasons for using snapshots are similar to the above virtual-copy reasons.

Where snapshots are different is when you're experimenting.

For example:

Edit a photograph.

Make a snapshot.

Edit the photograph in a new way.

Make another snapshot.

Edit the photograph in another new way.

Make another snapshot.

Click on the three snapshots to choose the best version.

Alphabetical

Snapshots are saved alphabetically.

Therefore, you may want to preface the name of a snapshot with a number.

For example, three snapshots were created in this order:

1) WB

2) Exposure

3) Contrast

Lightroom orders them alphabetically.

Here they are named with numbers, to preserve the order.

Change the Before

After creating a snapshot, you may want to change the before view from the original to the edited version.

In the Snapshots panel, right click on the snapshot and select Copy Snapshot Settings to Before.

When you press y to look at the before-and-after views—the before is now the edited version—not the original.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Snapshots use very little memory.

• There's less clutter.

You only see one preview.

Cons

• If a photograph has more than one snapshot, you can only export one snapshot at a time.

Snapshots in Virtual Copies

If your original photograph has snapshots—and you make a virtual copy—the snapshots appear in the virtual copy.

You can create a snapshot in a virtual copy.

When you do so—the snapshot is also added to the original photograph.

If you edit the original photograph—and create a new snapshot—the snapshot is added to the virtual copy.

More > Watermarks

Watermarks are text and images placed on your photographs.

Most often, photographers place their copyright information on their photographs.

You can add watermarks when:

• Exporting.

• Printing.

Exporting with Watermarks

1) In the Library module, click the Export button in the lower-left corner.

2) In the Watermarking section:

• Select Watermark.

• Open the empty menu.

Watermarking Section

3) Click Edit Watermarks in the menu window.

4) Enter your copyright information in the box under your photograph.

a) Copy and paste the copyright symbol.

©

There are other methods in Characters & Symbols.

b) Enter the year.

c) Enter your name.

5) You can modify your watermark using the tools on the right side of the Watermark Editor window.

Image Options

Use Image Options to insert a photograph of your copyright information on your photograph.

Text Options

Use Text Options to modify your copyright information.

Watermark Effects

Use Watermark Effects to adjust the opacity, size, and position of your copyright information on your photograph.

6) Click Save.

7) Enter a name for the watermark.

8) Click Create.

You can access the Watermark Editor by going to Edit > Edit Watermarks (Windows) or Lightroom > Edit Watermarks (Mac).

Printing with Watermarks

1) Go to the Print module.

2) Open the Page panel.

3) Select Watermark.

4) Click the menu that says None.

Follow the instructions at 5) above.

More > Zoom

There are many ways to zoom.

Navigator Panel: Zoom Bar

You can change the size of your photograph in the work area by using the zoom bar in the Navigator panel.

Zoom Bar

Fit, Fill, 1:1, & 2:1

Click Fit, Fill, 1:1, and 2:1.

Fit fits the entire photograph into the workspace.

Fill fills the work area with the photograph that may be cropped.

1:1 magnifies the photograph to 100%.

2:1 magnifies the photograph to 200%.

1:1, and larger magnifications, may take a moment to be created.

Fit	Fit to work area
Fill	Fill work area
1:1	100%
2:1	200%

More Magnifications

Open the zoom-bar menu by clicking the up-down-arrow icon at the end of the zoom bar.

Click a magnification to enlarge your photograph.

If you're in Grid view, the view changes to Loupe view.

The magnification you selected from the zoom-bar menu becomes the fourth choice on the zoom bar.

Grid & Loupe Views: Sliders

Grid View

In Grid view you can use the slider in the tool bar to change the size of the previews.

Double click a preview to go to Loupe view with Fit as the magnification.

Loupe View

In Loupe view, add the zoom slider to the tool bar.

Click the white triangle on the left end of the tool bar, and select Zoom.

Zoom Click Point to Center

By default, Lightroom enlarges a photograph from the center of the photograph.

Let's say you photographed Mount Everest, and the mountain is in the center.

No matter where you click on the scene, the mountain will be in the center.

But, what if you want to zoom in on the base camp?

You want the base camp to become the new "center" of the photograph.

Do the following to change the default setting.

1) Go to File > Preferences (Windows) or Lightroom > Preferences (Mac).

2) Click the Interface tab.

3) At the bottom under Tweaks, select Zoom clicked point to center.

Zoom clicked point to center

Shortcuts

On Tool Bar?	Yes
Keyboard Shortcuts	Zoom in: Ctrl + = Zoom out: Ctrl + –
Right Click Menu	No
Menu on Top of the Screen	View > Zoom In & Out
On Preview Cell (Border)?	No
Other & Related Methods	To toggle between Fit & the last magnification used: • Press the spacebar • Press z • Double click on a preview to enlarge to Fit, and then single click it to toggle between Fit & the last magnification used

Can You Create a New Drawing in Lightroom

Source: http://www.photokaboom.com/photography/learn/Lightroom/8_Lightroom_more.htm

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