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Adobe

Adobe Spark Post Comes to Android

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Fresh off of some major updates for Lightroom this morning, Adobe has announced an Adobe Spark Post beta for Android devices. Offering nearly the same feature set as its iOS and web counterparts, the Android version is a beta version – meaning that Adobe is still tinkering with a few things. The Android app lets you apply type and design filters to any photo in your camera roll, Creative Cloud library or to thousands of free stock photos. You'll find the same templates from the iOS and web versions, and have the ability to quickly resize, … [Read more...] about Adobe Spark Post Comes to Android

Adobe Brings Powerful New Features to Lightroom CC and Classic

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This morning, Adobe announced updates to its desktop versions of Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC. While both programs have added a few new enhancements and features, Lightroom CC has also been updated to make it further in line with its Classic counterpart. Lightroom CC Adds Preset and Profile Syncing The big feature announced today is the ability for Lightroom CC to sync your presets and profiles between instances of the program. This works for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, ChromeOS and on the web, so you can have all your favorite … [Read more...] about Adobe Brings Powerful New Features to Lightroom CC and Classic

Lightroom Secrets: The Power of Snapshots

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For ages, I've become accustomed to using Lightroom's Virtual Copy feature. It let me create multiple images and style them based off of the original edit I had made. But it was tedious when dealing with multiple virtual copies. Since then, I've discovered the Snapshots tool — a powerful yet under-utilized feature of Lightroom Classic. Think of this as a combination of the Virtual Copy feature and the History panel. It lets you record different versions of a photograph in one file, which ultimately helps you narrow down the edit you want to … [Read more...] about Lightroom Secrets: The Power of Snapshots

Quick Tip: Photoshop Curves Made Drop Dead Easy

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Find Curves a little confusing? Try this simple tip. Most users will either use Curves a lot or they won’t use it at all. The Curves interface is more complex than Levels, which scares away many users. A Curves adjustment allows for up to 16 control points. This can significantly open up more options when adjusting color and exposure. But where do you click? Step 1: Add a Curves Adjustment Layer. Step 2: Click the icon that looks like a pointing finger. Step 3: Now just click and drag in the image to modify the curve. The control … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Photoshop Curves Made Drop Dead Easy

Quick Tip: Visualize Sensor Spots in Lightroom

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Sensor dust is bound to impact our photographs at some time. But there's a quick and easy way to visualize these spots — and get rid of them. Click the Spot Removal (Q) brush in Lightroom, and then underneath your photograph, you'll see a checkbox and slider with the words "Visualize Spots." Click this checkbox and drag the slider up to the necessary point where you'll begin to see spots on your photograph. Then just click away with the Spot Removal brush to get rid of the sensor spots. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Visualize Sensor Spots in Lightroom

Using Photoshop Selections for Color and Tone Adjustments

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Great image color and tone adjustments start with a great selection.  Learn how to do this quickly and easily. Follow along with these photos (provided for educational use only). Starter image Ending Image Watch and Learn Using selections for color and tone adjustments from Photoshop Selections: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques by Richard Harrington Read Along Let's make some basic selections using a simple concept: tone. By limiting a selection to a particular area, such as the shadows or midtones, we can make precise … [Read more...] about Using Photoshop Selections for Color and Tone Adjustments

Quick Tip: Open Almost Any Image in Adobe Camera Raw

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Want to open almost any image in Camera Raw? It turns out that you can! You can, in fact, open TIFF and JPEG files using the Camera Raw plug-in. Here's how... In Photoshop, choose File > Browse in Bridge to switch to Adobe Bridge. Select the desired files. Choose select File > Open In Camera Raw. While you won't see any of the major benefits for image quality a raw file offers, you can use the Camera Raw dialog box to adjust the images. This is also a much easier way to open several photos and sync the same settings … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Open Almost Any Image in Adobe Camera Raw

Quick Tip: Stop Dumbing Down Your Raw Files

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Working with Raw Files in Photoshop? One of the major benefits of shooting raw is an increased bit depth.  If you don't make these two change to your Photoshop Raw workflow, you are just destroying the quality of your raw photos. Step 1: Open a raw image. Step 2: At the bottom of the Adobe Camera Raw window click the white underlined text (the Workflow Options link). Step 3: Set Camera Raw to develop 16-bit files. In the Workflow Options dialog box. Step 4: Choose Open in Photoshop as Smart Objects.  This way you can double … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Stop Dumbing Down Your Raw Files

Quick Tip: Change the Crop Orientation in Lightroom

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Cropping is a fundamental and basic tool of any photo editing program. And while Lightroom has a built-in cropping tool available, it's not super obvious on how to change orientations. To do so, start by using the crop tool and then click the X key on your keyboard. If you're cropping an image that's originally horizontal, this will change the orientation to vertical, and vice versa. To change the crop orientation back to the way it was, click the X key again, or click the Esc key to exit out of the crop tool and not have your crop applied. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Change the Crop Orientation in Lightroom

Diving into Lightroom’s New Profile System

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With Lightroom's latest 7.3 update, it introduced a new way to handle profiles. This combined the typical camera calibration tools that we were used to, along with a feature compares similarly to LUTs (lookup tables). How Do I Get My Old Camera Profiles Back? If you shoot in RAW, you might be used to using your camera profiles in Lightroom to restore some of the depth and color that you saw on the back of your camera screen. But in Lightroom 7.3, the camera profiles area has been moved, to the top of the Basic panel in the Develop … [Read more...] about Diving into Lightroom’s New Profile System

Quick Tip: What happened to “Camera Calibration” in Lightroom Classic Creative Cloud?

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I develop images in Adobe Lightroom Creative Cloud (LR CC) using a top-down approach, starting with "Basic". The one rule breaker was "Camera Calibration", the very last menu item. When working with RAW image files, I find starting with Camera Calibration can save time and energy. I shoot Nikon and Fuji and find that camera specific settings often outperform the generic Adobe presets in LR. I recently updated the LR Classic CC app (formerly called LR CC) to the latest 7.3 release and could not find "Camera Calibration". It seemed like a big … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: What happened to “Camera Calibration” in Lightroom Classic Creative Cloud?

Adobe Releases Lightroom Classic 7.3, Adds Custom Profiles

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This morning, Adobe released Lightroom Classic CC version 7.3, which added among other items, new Adobe Profiles, and Creative Profiles. These are similar to presets but are one-click actions that can be used in correlation with other adjustments you've made. Getting Started with Profiles Profiles are located in the Develop module, at the top of the Basic panel. The camera calibration profile has been integrated into this as well, allowing you to choose from Adobe Standard, Color, Landscape, Portrait and Vivid. But to go beyond that, click … [Read more...] about Adobe Releases Lightroom Classic 7.3, Adds Custom Profiles

Reminder: Adobe Increasing CC Plan Pricing, Photo Plan Unaffected

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I just got an e-mail reminder from Adobe, which is increasing some of its Creative Cloud plan pricing starting April 16. Announced last October at Adobe MAX, the pricing changes are as follows: Creative Cloud for Individual Single App plans will increase to $20.99 per month (instead of $19.99 per month; $1 increase). This plan is for a single Adobe Creative Cloud app. Creative Cloud for Individual App Apps plans will increase to $52.99 per month (instead of $49.99 per month; $3 increase). This plan includes all Adobe Creative Cloud … [Read more...] about Reminder: Adobe Increasing CC Plan Pricing, Photo Plan Unaffected

Quick Tip: Use the “Alt” or “Option” Key to Preview Lightroom Classic Adjustments

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Ever wonder what your Lightroom adjustments will look like without applying them? Instead of applying and undoing, next time hold the "Alt" (Windows) or "Option" (Mac) key to get a preview of what adjustments will do to your photograph. In the Basic panel, it'll show problematic highlights and shadows so you can further edit, while the Split-Toning, Detail and Camera Calibration panels will show previews of what the adjustments will do to your image. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Use the “Alt” or “Option” Key to Preview Lightroom Classic Adjustments

Quick Tip: Stay Organized with Lightroom Solo Mode

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Tired of scrolling up and down your Library or Develop adjustment panels in Lightroom? Right click on a panel heading, like "Basic" in the Develop mode, and turn on Solo Mode. Doing so will only allow you to have one section open at a time, meaning no more scrolling from the bottom to the top of the panel area. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Stay Organized with Lightroom Solo Mode

Quick Tip: Speed Up Lightroom Classic Culling Process with “Caps Lock”

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Next time you're culling through photos, click the "Caps Lock" key. Doing so will activate Auto Advance (which can also be activated through Photo > Auto Advance), meaning you no longer have to hit the arrow key to go back and forth through photographs. Then you can just use the number keys to select ratings (1-5) or color labels (6-9) as necessary, or hit 0 to advance without marking a photograph. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Speed Up Lightroom Classic Culling Process with “Caps Lock”

Evolution of a Glamour Image in Post

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Great Glamour Starts with Light but Finishes with Luminosity One of the concepts I stress most with my students is that photography is all about the play of lights and darks; tonal value is more important than color! I find that, most of the time, the path to a great color image runs through a B&W conversion, at some point. It is much easier to make tone and contrast decisions when you are not being distracted by color. Once an ideal B&W is achieved, you can apply the B&W luminosity to the original color. The following example, … [Read more...] about Evolution of a Glamour Image in Post

Quick Tip: Match Exposures in Lightroom Classic

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Have a series of photographs that have different exposure settings? While synchronizing your develop settings from picture to picture brings over all the adjustments you've made, it doesn't take into account different exposure settings you used while capturing the image. The solution? Once you're done editing one of your photos, select all of them in that set and go up to Settings > Match Total Exposures. You'll now see that all the photos have the same exposure settings, matching perfectly. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Match Exposures in Lightroom Classic

How Do You Add Text To A Photo In Lightroom?

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A friend asked me this question the other day. His website host doesn't allow him to show a picture's filename on the website which makes it hard to communicate with his clients about which photos they like best. He just wanted to be able to post the pictures with the filename showing, and he wanted to do this with several pictures all at once. Lightroom is not a terrific tool for adding text to photos, but there is a way this can be accomplished and it may be the fastest way to get it done even if you have another tool that could do it. Use … [Read more...] about How Do You Add Text To A Photo In Lightroom?

Adobe Releases Last Stand-Alone Update to Lightroom; Is it Time to Subscribe?

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Last week, Adobe released Lightroom 6.14, the last perpetual update to the photography organizer and editing tool. Going forward, updates will only be made available for Creative Cloud subscribers, who have access to the new Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC. This begs the question — is now the time to subscribe to the Creative Cloud Photography Plan? Lightroom has been around for just short of 11 years now, and up until this point, you've been able to buy it as a stand-alone product, and most recently as part of a subscription. While … [Read more...] about Adobe Releases Last Stand-Alone Update to Lightroom; Is it Time to Subscribe?

Adobe Sensei Auto Now in Lightroom CC & Classic

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Adobe has announced updates to the Lightroom CC product line for cloud-based and desktop versions. Happily, they have also been added to Lightroom CC Classic. The big news, of course, is these new features are driven by Adobe Sensei the company's powerful artificial intelligence engine. New Auto Settings I have never been a proponent of anything "auto" in photography with the exception of autofocus (hooray!) until now. Sensei powered "Auto" in Lightroom CC Classic works. It works amazingly well. Adobe's AI adjusts the major controls in the … [Read more...] about Adobe Sensei Auto Now in Lightroom CC & Classic

Get Creative with Adobe Stock

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Adobe Stock is a service that provides designers and businesses with access to millions of high-quality images to use in their creative projects. Here’s how to use Adobe Stock as a tool for creativity and inspiration. Finding inspiration If you find yourself in a creative slump, browse Adobe Stock for ideas. It can be an image, background or even an element that inspires a creative shoot. I used this concept while working on my Assassin Series. Up to this point, I’ve been photographing the subjects on a black background. I liked it, but I … [Read more...] about Get Creative with Adobe Stock

Adobe Releases Lightroom Downloader App to Recover Images from Cloud

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When Adobe announced their new cloud-based Lightroom CC app, one concern I had was that images weren't downloadable.  The initial launch said this feature was coming soon. Well, fortunately... the wait is over.  Adobe has released its Adobe Lightroom Downloader app. What is It? The Adobe Lightroom Downloader app is to download all your Lightroom photos and videos from the cloud as original files.  Everything that is downloaded is placed into a  date-based folder hierarchy on the hard-drive you specify.  Additionally, any edits made to raw … [Read more...] about Adobe Releases Lightroom Downloader App to Recover Images from Cloud

READ THIS BEFORE Upgrading To The New Lightroom

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Installing new updates can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. Exciting because you can’t wait to try out the new features. Terrifying because it may crash your system. Here are a few simple tips to make your upgrade experience better. Backup Your Lightroom Catalog(s) Backing up your Lightroom catalog(s) is a safety net in case the update gets corrupt.This will save valuable time and frustration if you have to reinstall the previous version. The best way to backup your Lightroom catalog is through Lightroom’s catalog settings. This … [Read more...] about READ THIS BEFORE Upgrading To The New Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom CC: The Best Features, And What’s Missing

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Last week there was a lot of uproar about the changes Adobe was making to its Lightroom platform. And while I've continued to use Lightroom Classic CC for my everyday work, I've taken a look at Lightroom CC to see if I'm missing anything, specifically in its organization and editing tools. The Best Features There's actually a lot to like about Lightroom CC, even though I consider it to be Lightroom CC Classic's little brother. Intuitive Interface The Lightroom CC interface is like a breath of fresh air. All of the panels are organized in a … [Read more...] about Adobe Lightroom CC: The Best Features, And What’s Missing

How to Use Plugins with the New Lightroom CC

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I keep hearing the question, can I use plugins with the new Lightroom (aka Lightroom CC). While Lightroom Classic CC (formerly Lightroom CC) fully supports third-party plugins like Perfectly Clear Complete or Macphun Luminar, the new Lightroom CC is a bit different. NOTE: We've got 3 specials for plugins Perfectly Clear. (with Free Upgrade to version 3.5) for only $79 (a Photofocus exclusive). This is almost half off! Aurora HDR. Add detail and depth to every photo or work with HDR brackets for maximum impact. Save $10 Luminar. A … [Read more...] about How to Use Plugins with the New Lightroom CC