A few months ago — it might have been March, it might have been February — Lightroom Mobile received an update. Among all the other shiny new features (which, I swear, I have no problem with: I’m a real fan of Lightroom Mobile, generally, I swear), there was one change made to one single setting which is continually driving me nuts.
I’ve written before about how crooked skylines just get me right in the nails-on-a-chalkboard department of my brain. I don’t know why, but it just grates on me. Maybe it’s because I used to not notice it, and so when I see one of my own photos from back in the day (you know, when I used to shoot in JPEG only), and I see that it hasn’t been straightened, my brain mentally shakes its head at past-Jemma for her misdeeds.
I also (seemingly) completely lack the ability to judge horizontality. Is that a word? I guess it is; my spell-check isn’t passive-aggressively underlining it. I try, but I fail. Maybe it’s my camera’s fault … and all my cameras since time immemorial. Maybe I’m the common factor here. I don’t know. Whatever it is, I can’t get straight lines horizontal in camera.
So, there’s one tool I use on almost every photo that I import to my Lightroom catalog on my phone.
The crop tool.
This brings us to …
The one feature of Lightroom Mobile that drives me nuts
Did you see it?! Right there! There’s the culprit. I’ll zoom in so you can see it easier.
The aspect ratio is no longer locked by default on Lightroom Mobile. This is a world gone crazy! Every time I open the crop tool, I have to remember to hit the lock symbol to lock my aspect ratio (which I don’t remember, leading to an infuriating cycle of “oh dang,” undo, start again), before I start rotating to fix those pesky horizontals.
The same can’t be said for Lightroom on my computer, where the aspect ratio is in fact locked by default.
It seems to be a change that’s only happened to the crop feature of Lightroom Mobile. Now, I’m not one to point fingers, but I’d like to know who I can point a finger at for doing this to me if I were inclined in the future to start pointing fingers.
It’s just one more thing to remember
For the same reason as my I-hate-wonky-lines vendetta, I also hate breaking out of the standard crop ratios. I used to do it all the time. Just cropping away like a madwoman to random ratios, meant nothing could ever be put logically on any kind of standard print.
It is a habit I’ve regretted (not least because I’d, ahem, save over my originals after cropping them, because why not? I’d never need them again) and through hard work and learning the error of my ways, I managed to break away from my reckless youth.
Look, I know, I know, it’s just one extra step to remember. It’s not that big of a deal. I even have vague memories of once upon a time having to remember to click the lock in Lightroom Classic to maintain the original aspect ratio. So it’s not like it’s an entirely new thing I have to add to my workflow.
But I’m just so used to it being the default. Maybe I’ve been spoilt. I just can’t go back to the way things were before. Now, excuse me while I go straighten that photo …
Strange. It’s locked on my version of Lightroom Mobile.
I’m so jealous! If you find out how you managed that, let me know.
Hey Jemma,
Yes, it’s “unlocked” in my app too. This is definitely the pain in the head. Don’t know how Kristine’s app has it locked by default.
I’m glad it’s not just me, but also wish that it was for your sake!
Funny thing, they still did not repair it…
I know… I’ve been hoping an update would fix it, but it hasn’t. Using auto-straighten sometimes locks it to the original aspect ratio, but sometimes not. I’ve gotten into the habit of locking it manually before cropping 🙄