A Brief Introduction

Presented to the Warner Robins Aperture Photography Club September 6th, 2011

 Cataloging and Library Functions

Managing work flow Locating files and catalogs

Editing metadata

Non-Destructive Correction of Images

RAW Image Processing Tone and hue control Exposure compensation

Sharpening and Lens correction

Tilt and angle distortion correction

 Ad Hoc Presentation Creation

Slideshows Web Pages

Proof Printing

Lightroom can be used as a stand-alone image processor or as a pre-processor for Photoshop or other image editing software.

Workflow is the sequence of actions needed for the production of a product.

Full Navigation of local hard drives allow files and catalogs to be located anywhere except on a remote network drive. Collections are selections of images within catalogs. Tiled and full previews also assist in selection of images. Photo ribbon allows previewing and selection of images.

A catalog is a list of files and their locations. A catalog does not contain files.

Not never! Not no-how! Now go away!

The Doorman of Oz
More on this later

Metadata is the information, contained within the image file or the catalog file, that is not the image nor image processing instructions itself.
Lightroom allows the user to caption and keyword catalog entries as well as correct some metadata within the image file. The metadata can be used to select groups of like images. For example, images with similar exposures can be selected for similar processing.

RAW is a term that refers to the data that is collected by a digital cameras sensor without any compression or correction applied. RAW files are stored (formatted) differently by different camera manufacturers. Lightroom can read almost all of them. Some common file extensions: Cannon: .crw, .cr2 Nikon: .nef, .new Adobe: .dng Minolta: .mrw Hasselblad: .3fw

Tone is the lightness and darkness of the image. Hue is the color value of the image. Lightroom allows the user to adjust these values as well as shadow recovery (pulling data out of shadows) and color temperature corrections. Recall that Lightroom allows groups of images with similar exposures to be selected for similar processing.

Exposure compensation entails recovering highlights, shadow details and overall brightness and contrast. Again, coupled with the selection of similarly exposed images, these feature is a power time savers.

As Shot Sharpening is the reduction of anti-aliasing around detected edges. Antialiasing is the blur around edges. Full sharpening control adjusts edge detection and the width of the allowed blur. A full range of tools is available to help prevent or limit artifacts (glowing edges) after sharpening.

After Sharpening

More Barrel Distortion Lens correction tools compensate for barrel distortion and lens vignette. Barrel distortion is often the result of a wide angle lens. A vignette results when the outside edges of the frame are darkened or lightened.

These may be applied for correction or to achieve artistic effects.

After Correction

Before Images can be rotated to compensate for camera tilt. Likewise, the image can be virtually tilted left of right to compensate for odd shooting angles. The image can be tilted toward, away, left or right as well a rotated to any degree. Lightroom superimposes a grid while these tools are in use to aid in using vertical and horizontal elements of he image in this process. After

Lightroom allows the user to quickly create and edit ad hoc slideshows. These can be quite useful in a professional environment to rapidly show clients their images. This feature is of limited utility for hobbyists as there are more effective ways to create shows for family and friends. Windows Live features a free, downloadable, utility for creating slideshows and burning them to DVD.

Once web space is established with your ISP, Lightroom can quickly create and upload web enabled photo albums to your site. Several predefined HTML and Adobe Flash formats are available.

1. Dont EVER alter an original image file! 2. Always make a copy and work only on the copy! 3. Backup everything! Lightroom does NOT alter original images. Lightroom saves the recipe (what you did in Lightroom) in the same location you designated for the catalog. Photoshop saves the history with the image IF you save the image in the native Photoshop format (.psd). The history allows Photoshop to revert to the original image.

Whats this?!? You didnt make a backup?

 General Method to Preserve Original Image Files

Open an image file with software of choice, Immediately Save as another file name, Procede with editing the image, then Save thereafter.

Use Meaningful File Names

Windows sorts numerically and alphabetically If using dates use YYYY-MM-DD Use leading zeros e.g. 21011-09-06 Avoid peoples name in file names Names are easily forgotten Names of subject should not be released Use shoot location instead

For example: 2011-06-09_Mission_Conception.jpg