Light(ROOM) up your life! with Adobe Lightroom

A Recap of Nicholas Pappagallo’s Why do I need Lightroom as a Photographer? Seminar at Epiphany Studios.

Will using Lightroom making you a better photographer? NO.

And Yes. No, because the art of photography is about composition, the play of light,

points of view. And the science of photography is understanding your camera and

settings. On the other hand, Lightroom gives you the ability to process your photos, your

way. in less time – and therefore gives you MORE time to practice and learn the art and

science of photography. Want to know how? Well, then you should have attended the

November 29th Smug Mug meeting where Nick Pappagallo gave an preview/review of

the key features of Lightroom. Even after using Lightroom for almost year, I learned

some new tips, tricks, and reminders of the power of the program.

• Download and backup files in one step
• Quick culling of images – compare, color code, sort
• Apply adjustments (exposure, white balance, etc.) to multiple photos

•  Create an organized system of Catalogs and Files to manage photos
•  Add and search by keywords and metadata. (This means you can easily find photos to correspond to “Today’s Theme” on the PAC Facebook page!)

If you’re familiar with any of the Photoshop programs, you’re used to working with  layers. Lightroom doesn’t use layers – it creates virtual copies of your photos. So you  are always working on a “copy” – the original image remains in tact. Personally, I’ve found some of the adjustment options more powerful in Lightroom than Photoshop.  Now, if you want to create HDR, or get rid of the branch sticking out of your subject’s

ear, you’ll need to use another program. (And you may want to remember to check your background before you take the shot.) Lightroom easily lets you export photos in and out of other programs and import them back in.

Lightroom allows you to export directly to programs like SmugMug and Flckr. Upon export you can easily add your watermark (leaving your own copy unmarked). You can create Collections that let you gather photos you might want to group together

without removing them from their original file (just used this for picking photos for my 2013 “Klewicki Highways Calendar”). Plus, you can customize the Lightroom screen with your logo!

There are people who love processing and people who believe that ‘what you see is what you get.’ Lightroom works for both groups and for those in between. But it’s one thing to know what Lightroom can do and it’s another to get Lightroom to do it! If you’re thinking about using Lightroom, watch some tutorials, read some articles, take a class (regularly offered through the Photographer’s Adventure Club). I can almost guarantee you that the time you spend learning to use it will quickly be recovered in the time you save at your computer. Now – go take some pictures!

Sandy

Scribe for PAC