As you develop your Lightroom workflow there are few things that will make you more efficient than incorporating more keyboard shortcuts. I wanted to share a few of my favorite tips for speeding up the process of separating the wheat from the chaff. Clear the Screen The first part of the tip is about maximizing your screen real estate to focus on just your photos and not the Lightroom interface, so to really clear the decks press the Shift+Tab key to collapse both side panels as well as the Module picker and Filmstrip (you can press Shift+Tab … [Read more...] about Lightroom Shortcuts for Faster Culling
Rob Sylvan
Rob Sylvan is a photographer, trainer, and author. Aside from also being the Lightroom Help Desk Specialist for KelbyOne, an instructor for the Perfect Picture School of Photography and the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, adjunct faculty in the Visual Arts department at NHTI, he is a founding member of Stocksy United.
Rob writes the “Under the Loupe” column for Photoshop User Magazine, and is the author of many photography related books.
Rob writes the “Under the Loupe” column for Photoshop User Magazine, and is the author of many photography related books.
Latest posts by Rob Sylvan (see all)
- Lightroom Shortcuts for Faster Culling - February 8, 2016
- Lightroom Hangout: Demystifying Import - October 26, 2015
- Upgrading from a Second Generation Drobo to Gen 3 - December 17, 2014
Lightroom Hangout: Demystifying Import
You gotta join us live for our next, totally free, Google+ Lightroom Hangout! Not only will you learn terrific tips and techniques, but if you tune in live you can be entered to win excellent prizes to help you in your work. (Note: MUST BE TUNED IN LIVE TO WIN). We'll be giving away a copy of Photomatix from HDRSoft. Plus you never know what else. We kick off Friday 10/30, 12:00pm Eastern, 11:00am Central, 10:00am Mountain, and 9:00am Pacific. 1:30pm in Newfoundland. RSVP here and it'll show your local time. This Month: Demystifying … [Read more...] about Lightroom Hangout: Demystifying Import
Upgrading from a Second Generation Drobo to Gen 3
Back in 2009 I purchased a (second generation) 4 bay Drobo to use as a local backup solution in my office. At the time I put four 1 TB drives in the unit, turned it on, and it has worked reliably ever since. During that five year span one of the original hard drives in the unit did fail (all hard drives will die), but replacing that one bad drive was as easy as ejecting the old drive and popping in a brand new one. After the Drive Swap... No data was lost. No downtime. It has pretty much been a set-it-and-forget-it type of system. I have this … [Read more...] about Upgrading from a Second Generation Drobo to Gen 3
Mastering Keywords in Lightroom: Part 1
Keywording is one of those tasks that many photographers dread, put off, forget about, and then at some point in the future wish they had done more thoroughly from the start. I am guilty of this myself. Applying keywords (or tags) to your photos allows you to leverage the power of Lightrooms database (catalog) to help you find, filter, and organize your photos in a variety of ways (and it only gets more powerful over time). The only downside is that it is a manual process that we just have to make ourselves follow through on a regular basis. In … [Read more...] about Mastering Keywords in Lightroom: Part 1
Adobe Camera Raw 8.7 Release Candidate Available
Adobe has just announced that the Release Candidate version of Camera Raw 8.7 and the standalone DNG Converter 8.7 are now available via Adobe Labs. Note, you won't see this as an automatic update, and unless you need the new camera support listed below it is fine to wait until the final release version comes out. New Camera Support That said, this is great news for any Photoshop user who has just purchased a Nikon D750 (like me), but also for any new owners of the following cameras: Casio EX-100PRO Fujifilm X30 Leaf Credo 50 Leica V-Lux … [Read more...] about Adobe Camera Raw 8.7 Release Candidate Available
The Flexible HSL and Color Adjustments
This is an excerpt from our eBook, "Develop Great Images in Lightroom". Download it over at iTunes and Scribd! In the Mastering Exposure and Tone chapter we looked at ways to make global tonal adjustments to your photo using the Basic and Tone Curve panels. We also discussed how you can affect colors using the Vibrance and Saturation sliders in the Basic panel. Next up is the HSL / Color / B&W panel, which is an incredibly powerful and flexible tool for fine-tuning the colors in your photo. The HSL, Color, and B&W panel is actually … [Read more...] about The Flexible HSL and Color Adjustments
Calculating Exposure with Slower Shutter
I love long exposure photography because it has the power to make even the most mundane scenes a bit more interesting visually. When shooting daytime scenes I often turn to my Lee Big Stopper 10-stop ND filter. The Big Stopper is so dark you can't actually see through it, which means your cameras internal metering is off the table. Lee does include a small cheat sheet with the filter to help you determine the correct exposure with the ND filter based on the correct exposure without the filter. Unfortunately the cheat sheet doesn't cover all … [Read more...] about Calculating Exposure with Slower Shutter
Putting it All Together: Planning with Post-Production in Mind
Knowing multiple ways to use Lightroom and Photoshop for post-production can help you save time by shooting with your post-production workflow in mind. The final image you see here was the result of pre-production planning, capturing the images I needed, processing them the same exact way in Lightroom, then blending them together in Photoshop before a return back to Lightroom for output. Heres the story. I was testing out a cool app called PhotoPills (www.photopills.com), which is an app packed with all kinds of data to help you plan for … [Read more...] about Putting it All Together: Planning with Post-Production in Mind
Dave Black – Photographer, Teacher, and Author
I first met Dave Black at Photoshop World several years ago. He was setting up a balance beam in a lecture hall for a live shoot he was doing with a champion gymnast for a session he was teaching. As I watched him set up, interact with the gymnast, his assistant, and the room full of attendees; one of the things I was struck with the most was how much Dave loved photography. Daves career as a world-renowned sports photographer spans 30 years, hes covered every kind of sport you can think of, including 12 Olympic games, but the joy in his face … [Read more...] about Dave Black – Photographer, Teacher, and Author
What’s New in Lightroom 5.6
Adobe release Lightroom 5.6 today. You can get it here for Windows | Mac. This update was all about support for a few new cameras, the addition of new lens profiles, and some bug fixes. No new features were expected and none delivered. New Camera Support Lightroom 5.6 adds raw format support for the following cameras: Nikon D810** Panasonic LUMIX AG-GH4 Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ1000 **Note: D810 tethering support is not available yet. New Lens Support Support for the following lenses was also added: Canon Mount Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS … [Read more...] about What’s New in Lightroom 5.6
Looking back at our Lightroom to Photoshop Round Trip Hangout
We're busy getting ready for our next Google Hangout on Lightroom Wednesday the 30th on using Lightroom in a mobile world. Thanks to our partners we have some great prizes to win (like a free pass to Photoshop World!), but you must attend the hangout live to win. Back in March Levi, Rich, Gerard, and I had the wonderfully talented Lesa Snider on to discuss and demonstrate different ways to go back and forth between Lightroom and Photoshop. Lesa's written books about Photoshop and Lightroom, is an excellent educator, and an all around … [Read more...] about Looking back at our Lightroom to Photoshop Round Trip Hangout
Create Customized File Name Templates in Lightroom
There are a few places where you can batch rename photos in Lightroom. The most common is during the import process via the File Renaming panel of the Import dialog, but you can also batch rename by selecting photos in Grid view of the Library module before going to Library > Rename Photos. A less often used option is to rename copies created via export via the File Naming panel of the Export dialog. In each of these scenarios you can gain access to the various file name templates that ship with Lightroom, or you can choose the Edit option … [Read more...] about Create Customized File Name Templates in Lightroom
Looking back at our Creating Great Black and White Images in Lightroom Hangout
We're busy getting ready for our next Google Hangout on Lightroom Wednesday the 25th on the Print Module. Thanks to our partners we have some great prizes to win (like a free pass to Photoshop World!), but you must attend the hangout live to win. Back in February Levi, Rich, Gerard, and I were super psyched to get to hang out with Bryan O'Neil Hughes from Adobe to discuss and demonstrate various techniques for converting color originals to black and white masterpieces. Bryan is not only an incredible Photoshop and Lightroom resource, but he's … [Read more...] about Looking back at our Creating Great Black and White Images in Lightroom Hangout
Looking back at our Getting Organized in Lightroom Hangout
We're busy getting ready for our next Google Hangout on Lightroom Wednesday the 25th on the Print Module. Thanks to our partners we have some great prizes to win, but you must attend the hangout live to win. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDEIsMXVANU]Click here to RSVP and join the live Hangout. Tune in live to ask questions and enter the drawings for some terrific prizes. Our hangouts are brought to you in partnership with Mosaic Archive and Photoshop World. To learn more about how Google Hangouts work, click here … [Read more...] about Looking back at our Getting Organized in Lightroom Hangout
What’s New in Lightroom 5.5
Wednesday was a big day for Adobe, which made some huge announcements about the new features added to the Creative Cloud subscription. With a bit less fanfare Lightroom 5.5 was also released. You can get it here for Windows | Mac. Creative Cloud or Standalone? Lightroom is a funny animal in that it is available via a Creative Cloud subscription or you can just purchase a good old fashioned perpetual license for it alone. Because Lightroom exists in both spaces it won't see the same new features that might get added into the Camera Raw plugin … [Read more...] about What’s New in Lightroom 5.5
Using Target Collections in Lightroom
You may have heard about collections, smart collections, and collection sets, but have you ever used a target collection? If you haven't then Ive got something pretty cool to share with you. The original target collection is the Quick Collection, which is found in the Catalog panel of the Library module. The Quick Collection The purpose of the Quick Collection is to provide a simple way to quickly gather together a group of photos for whatever reason that makes sense to you. Perhaps you need to temporarily round up several photos that are … [Read more...] about Using Target Collections in Lightroom
Understanding the Snapshots and History Panels in Lightroom
One of Lightrooms greatest strengths is the fact that it stores all the work you do in its catalog file and never changes the pixel data in the source photos. Having all of that data on hand gives you a tremendous amount of freedom and flexibility in your post-production workflow. The most obvious benefit is that you can always return to the un-processed state of your photo at any time, which gives you the freedom to explore and experiment without fear of doing permanent damage. It doesn't have to be all or nothing though as you can step back … [Read more...] about Understanding the Snapshots and History Panels in Lightroom
Fixing Shadows and Highlights with Lightroom
Editors Note: The following is an excerpt from a new book called the Photofocus Guide: Develop Great Images in Lightroom. This book is almost done and well be giving away free copies soon to all our readers thanks to Mosaic. Be sure to check out the Lightroom Learning Center. There is a direct connection between the histogram and the tonal adjustments in the Basic panel. If you hover your cursor over the left end of the histogram you will see the word Blacks appear under the histogram and the Blacks slider lights up in the Basic … [Read more...] about Fixing Shadows and Highlights with Lightroom
How to Read a Histogram: Underexposed? Overexposed? Or Just Right?
Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from a new book called the Photofocus Guide: Develop Great Images in Lightroom. This book is almost done and we'll be giving away free copies soon to all our readers thanks to Mosaic. Be sure to check out the Lightroom Learning Center. The Histogram panel contains a number of tools to help you evaluate your photos exposure and even begin making adjustments. The most visible part of the panel is the histogram itself, which is simply a graphical representation of all of the tones contained in your … [Read more...] about How to Read a Histogram: Underexposed? Overexposed? Or Just Right?
Playing with the Painter Tool
An often overlooked feature of the Library Modules Grid view is the Painter Tool. Do you see that little spray paint icon in the Grid view Toolbar? If you don't see it make sure you are in Grid view by pressing G, and if you still don't see it then press T to make sure the Toolbar is visible. What? Still don't see it? OK, click the drop-down arrow on the far right end of the Toolbar and make sure Painter is checked. Got it now? Good. After selecting the Painter from the Toolbar to enable it (or go to Metadata > Enable Painting) you can … [Read more...] about Playing with the Painter Tool
Lightroom’s Adjustment Brush Essentials
Lightroom's Adjustment Brush is a powerful tool intended for making local adjustments to your photos with any combination exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, clarity, sharpness, and color settings. Here are 10 tips to make your experience with the tool more efficient and effective. 1. Press K from anywhere in Lightroom to take the selected photo straight to the Develop module with the Adjustment Brush active. Press K again to exit the tool when finished. 2. As soon as you click on the photo to begin your adjustment a "pin" will appear … [Read more...] about Lightroom’s Adjustment Brush Essentials
Better Skies with Lightroom’s Graduated Filter
5. Click above the horizon line and drag away from the sky to apply the Graduated Filter. As you drag the cursor you will see 3 lines and a dot appear.The area behind the point of your first click will have the full amount of settings applied, while the area in front of your cursor will have no settings applied. The graduated part of the filter is the area in between the outer lines. The further you drag, the wider the lines, and smoother the transition between maximum and zero effect.The dot, or pin, located on the center line is the axis … [Read more...] about Better Skies with Lightroom’s Graduated Filter
Top tips for working in Lightroom’s Grid view
It's normal to spend a lot of time in Lightroom's Grid view, so it pays to learn a few ways to make your time there more efficient. Here are ten ways to get you working at the top of your game: 1. Press G from anywhere in Lightroom to jump to Grid view. 2. While in Grid view, you can quickly zoom in on a selected photo by holding the Z key. Keeping the Z key pressed allows you to click and drag around the zoomed photo as needed. Release the Z key to return to Grid view. 3. Increase the size of thumbnails with the + key and decrease with the … [Read more...] about Top tips for working in Lightroom’s Grid view
Customizing your Camera Raw defaults in Lightroom
If you find you are making a lot of the same adjustments to your raw photos after import, or perhaps you have a favorite Camera Profile that you want to be your regular starting point, then it is time to update your default settings to suit your tastes! Don't worry as you can always go back to the Adobe defaults or even customize yours again in the future. Here's how: 1. Start with a unprocessed raw file that is well exposed and not in need of too much work. 2. Adjust the settings you want to be applied to all newly imported photos from that … [Read more...] about Customizing your Camera Raw defaults in Lightroom
Two Fast Ways to Apply Develop Settings to Multiple Photos in Lightroom
It is pretty common to have a series of similars that can all benefit from the same Develop settings. Here are two quick ways to apply the same settings to all selected photos at once. The first is the often overlooked Quick Develop panel in the Library module. 1. Press G to jump to Grid view. Whenever you want to apply something to more than one photo in the Library module make sure you select all the photos in Grid view. 2. Expand the Quick Develop panel. 3. Now you can quickly apply presets, set white balance, crop or tweak any of the … [Read more...] about Two Fast Ways to Apply Develop Settings to Multiple Photos in Lightroom
Migrating Lightroom 2 Catalogs to Lightroom 3 – Revisited
Adobe has made two somewhat contradictory sounding statements in the Lightroom 3 Beta release notes that all users should be aware of: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/releasenotes.pdf 1. Lightroom 3 beta will not upgrade Lightroom 1.x or Lightroom 2.x catalogs. The beta is intended to be used for testing and feedback purposes. Lightroom 1.x, 2.x and 3 beta libraries will be able to be migrated to the finished version of Lightroom 3. 2. Develop settings applied in Lightroom 3 beta are not guaranteed to transfer correctly to the … [Read more...] about Migrating Lightroom 2 Catalogs to Lightroom 3 – Revisited
Importing Photos From Lightroom 2 into Lightroom 3 Beta
Im sure youve heard, but in case you haven't, Adobe has released a free public Beta version of Lightroom 3 for the purpose of getting public feedback on new functionality/features. You can read my take on Lightroom 3 Beta if you want to learn more. When you read the LR3 Beta release notes (seriously, you should!) you'll notice 3 important statements in the known issues section: "Lightroom 3 beta will not upgrade Lightroom 1.x or Lightroom 2.x catalogs. The beta is intended to be used for testing and feedback purposes. Lightroom 1.x, 2.x and 3 … [Read more...] about Importing Photos From Lightroom 2 into Lightroom 3 Beta
Avoiding Problems + Improving Performance = Happy Lightroom User
I spend a lot of time helping other Lightroom users troubleshoot, identify and solve problems. In my continuing effort to write myself out of a job I pulled together a collection of tips that probably account for a third of all the issues I see. Some of these tips are preventative measures (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!) and some are intended to help you work faster, but hopefully together they help you become a more productive Lightroom user. 1. If Lightroom suddenly starts running slowly, freezing up or acting strangely … [Read more...] about Avoiding Problems + Improving Performance = Happy Lightroom User
10 Things I Wish I Could Tell Every New Lightroom User
When I heard that Scott was interested in adding Lightroom to his workflow I asked if I could share some things Ive learned over the years helping other photographers get the most out of this amazing (though sometimes frustrating) program. Many thanks to Scott for the opportunity. I hope you find it helpful! 1. Use Twitter. It may seem odd to start out a Lightroom list with a social media application, but while I have had Photofocus in my RSS reader for awhile it was through Twitter that I learned about Scott's new interest in Lightroom! I use … [Read more...] about 10 Things I Wish I Could Tell Every New Lightroom User
