Adobe LightRoom 2.0

[kevinbythebeach]

Someone in this forum mentioned this program so I got it and its pretty amazing..but I cant figure a few things out...

Is it just me or is there not anyway to click and drag an image into lightroom?

Is there a way to convert raw images into Jpgs?

Is there an HDR plug in?

[Bill44]

Someone in this forum mentioned this program so I got it and its pretty amazing..but I cant figure a few things out...

Is it just me or is there not anyway to click and drag an image into lightroom?

Is there a way to convert raw images into Jpgs?

Is there an HDR plug in?

You can click and drag by clicking on the shot you want to move and dragging it to the location you want, but, you must click on the shot not just the border.

Conversion is done by "Export", there you can select what type of file, resize, select quality percentage etc. When I do a Jpeg I usually export it to where it came from and it will appear beside your Raw file.

Photomatix (you have to buy it) now has a plug in for Lightroom.

[kevinbythebeach]

cool thanks... I found a free copy of photomatix,,,,, god bless the internet

[Bill44]

Free Photomatix? Where? Where? Where?

[Colin Southern]

cool thanks... I found a free copy of photomatix,,,,, god bless the internet

Just be aware that many "cracked" versions of software also come with trojan viruses as "added value".

[kevinbythebeach]

Just be aware that many "cracked" versions of software also come with trojan viruses as "added value".

totally,,,had a bad version of CS3 before,,,kept getting pop up PETA messages..

Have a good version now..I doubly and triply scan my DL'd programs...

[JayWarner]

OK, I've got the software (fair & square, thank you very much ),
I got Aaland's book, Lightroom 2 Adventure, and I almost absorbed it.
I love the control I get over my now much sharper RAW images, but I still want to know just what some of these controls do. I've got the 'Tone' controls down. But the 'Presence' ones...

1) What does Clarity do? It sorta makes things glow a bit, and the explanation sounds like it is expanding the difference of pixels along a boundary (boundary defined as a major transition between dark & light, or across colors). What does happen, at the pixel bit level and to the image?

2) Vibrance, and Saturation. Aaland says one of these increases the pastel intensity, and one the primary color density. Very high saturation looks like a poorly tuned TV screen. Which pixels and bits do each of these change, and how does it tell the difference between a pastel and a primary color?

Of course, after I understand the above, I'll start asking how valid it is to use these puppies, but I think I'll try them out when I can...

Jay Warner
Canon Rebel XT, 55 - 200 mm Tamron, 100 - 400 mm Canon.
Mac Cube - OSX 10.4.11, LightRoom 2

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Jay,

You need the book Colin recommended to me; Real World Camera RAW for Photoshop CS# by Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe. Not sure if there is a LR version, but it'll do you anyway I suspect.

It describes Clarity as an image content based midtone filter that works in a similar manner to USM with a small amount and large radius.

Vibrance is descrbed as affecting less saturated colours more than those nearer full saturation and additionally NOT affecting skin tones.

Saturation you know about I guess.

[hoffstriker]

Dave, I'm actually planning on buying ACDsee Pro 2.5. Will that book you and Colin recommended be a worthwhile purchase for someone in my position? Considering, I have absolutely no experience in digital post processing. Or, on the same note, should I ignore all the folks I'm reading on the web that shoot down Lightroom and stick with Adobe product? I received a free (new) cd of Photoshop Elements 2.0 and was starting to dive in, but still would like to move up to a more "full-featured" program in the near future. Plus, I do not have the photo album, and would like to get a program that allows for not only "fixing" but also storing. Thanks again.

[Bill44]

Persevere with Lightroom, you will be well rewarded.

[JayWarner]

Hi Jay,

You need the book Colin recommended to me; Real World Camera RAW for Photoshop CS# by Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe. Not sure if there is a LR version, but it'll do you anyway I suspect.

It describes Clarity as an image content based midtone filter that works in a similar manner to USM with a small amount and large radius.

Quick - what is USM? I'm not up on the jargon yet...

Vibrance is described as affecting less saturated colours more than those nearer full saturation and additionally NOT affecting skin tones.

Clearly, we're going to have to work on these terms. I'll find the book somewhere...

Saturation you know about I guess.

Yes. I'm using iPhoto to manage my originals, and the saturate command in that works the same way. Still looks like a lousy TV image.

Jay Warner
Canon Rebel XT, 55 - 200 mm Tamron, 100 - 400 mm Canon.
Mac Cube - OSX 10.4.11, LightRoom 2

[JayWarner]

Or, on the same note, should I ignore all the folks I'm reading on the web that shoot down Lightroom and stick with Adobe product? I received a free (new) cd of Photoshop Elements 2.0 and was starting to dive in, but still would like to move up to a more "full-featured" program in the near future. Plus, I do not have the photo album, and would like to get a program that allows for not only "fixing" but also storing. Thanks again.

Hoffstriker,
I agree fully with Bill44. LightRoom is not for dummies, true. Then again, neither is serious post-processing. I found that the 'workflow' that fits LightRoom best is well suited to processing lots of files, but if you (speaking only for myself of course ) have developed a different habit of working, you may become frustrated. Never mind if the way you have worked is grossly inefficient. As I conform to this improved method of working, I like the procedure better & better. Like, image selection first, then gross control adjustments, then fine ones.

The video instructions that are available on line are quick, and great if you can learn all you need from a video. I found it much better for my head to have Aaland's book, _Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure_ in front of me. Pretty pictures in it too...

LightRoom 2 gives you virtually all the control you can ask for. I have recovered grossly dark portions without loosing all the highlights, and I'm learning how to find some detail in highlights that would be lost in JPG format.

As for storage/data-basing your work, I _think_ LightRoom will do that. I am presently using iPhoto to hold everything - I am familiar with that db - and I have a separate folder for LightRoom operations & output, organized by sub-folders as I see fit. I may build a separate iPhoto LIbrary just for them. LightRoom does not require a separate copy of a file, so I ref it directly back to the iPhoto original file. If things get separated, there is a command to reconnect that does a whole mess at once. Like I said, it's designed for professional level work. Messing with the computer is not a pro's objective. My use of iPhoto probably complicates things a bit, but I like the organization, so far. It includes all my pics, not just the 'serious' ones.

Remember: "Intuitive" software commands work only when the user know all the desired operations intuitively. I thought iPhoto's commands were intuitive. Then in LightRoom 2 I found out what I could _really_ do.

Jay
Canon Rebel XT, 55 - 200 mm Tamron, 100 - 400 mm Canon.
Mac Cube - OSX 10.4.11, LightRoom 2

[Bill44]

Play around with the Tone Curve before you touch Saturation. I know Lightroom is laid out so you can just work your way down the list, but in Martin Evening's book he recommends adjusting the curve and then , if necessary, go back up to saturation.

This is what I do and have found that I don't have to adjust the saturation very often.

EDIT. I shoot only in RAW.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Jay,

I would agree with Bill's advice; although I don't have LR (yet? ) I find that once I have done a USM (= Un Sharp Mask) as a Local Contrast Enhancement (which is probably similar-ish to what Bill is talking about), I rarely need to touch Saturation. And yes, if you "give it a handful", it can look like a badly adjsted TV If I do adjust Saturation, it is rarely more than +10 or +15 (on a scale of 100 from memory)

Have you seen the Photography Tutorials section here at CiC? (There's a link in the header above) It may help to work through some of them to get a handle on the terminology.

Cheers,