When setting the White Balance in Lightrooms’ Develop Module you have to look for a neutral area of the image. This can be somewhat of a trial and error process.

I find an easy way is to focus my attention on the RGB pecentages as I move the white balance tool around likely areas.

You are looking for all three RGB values to be as near to 50% as possible. Then click with the white balance tool and the white balance is set.

Works well. Not rocket science - but it works.

Try it and see.

Update following comments feedback

You should make sure you pick an area of the image which you know should be neutral for this method to work properly - a grey color of some kind. The tip is more about getting the RGB values right once you have selected the area in the image.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: White balance, Develop Module, RGB Tool

When using Lightrooms' spot healing tools it is worth trying both the Clone and the Heal tools in order to see which gives the best result. As an example look at removing the red object in the portion of the sea in the image below.

The result with the Heal tool does a pretty good job. Now lets right click within the source region. This will bring up a menu which will let you switch between the Heal and the Clone tools. Note you can also select either tool in the toolbar.

In this case the Clone tool has done a better job of matching the sea. The Heal tool produced distracting light areas.

The Heal tool is usually selected as it samples the color and texture of the target area and attempts to blend in the results. The Clone tool just copies the pixels.

All this tip is saying is try both rather than just rely on one or the other.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Develop Module, Clone Tool

I often get asked 'How do I move my Lightroom catalog from one disk to another and keep all of my ratings, edits and keywords'.

An easy way in Lightroom is as follows:

• Open your original Lightroom catalog on the old disk
• Change to the Library Module Grid View
• Make sure you Include Photos from Subfolders which is selected in the Library menu
• Then Select All from the Edit menu to highlight all of the thumbnails in the catalog
• Now choose Export as a Catalog from the File menu

• In the dialog box that appears (shown below), select Include available previews and Export Negative Files

• Set the destination to the Lightroom Pictures folder on your new drive.
• Finally, open the newly exported catalog on the new drive in Lightroom

Note you can also use this method for importing a new catalog - which might be from your Laptop whilst out shooting, to your main Catalog on your home machine.

I Hope this helps ...

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom Tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Library Module

Have you tried the new Lightroom beta 2.0?

You should. Here are two good reasons...

Secondary Display

The new secondary display option is just what I have been waiting for. If you have second display you will have the option to show the Grid view, to use the loupe, to compare images and to survey (select the best pick).

Smart Collections

I used Aperture for a while, mainly because I could produce the equivalent of Lightrooms' new Smart Collections.
A breeze to use. When you click the plus sign you are offered the choice of either a normal or a smart collection.

Once you have selected Smart Collection you can then define the rules. Mac users will be very familiar with this as it is similar to other iTunes like smart applications.

Just what I have been waiting for.
Keep in mind this is a beta and things can and probably will change before the final release.

Download the new beta at Lightroom 2 public beta.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Beta 2, Lightroom

There is a quick and easy way in Lightroom to ensure that you have applied the same keyword, or set of keywords, to a group of images.

An easy way to be sure that all of the images are key-worded correctly is to look for the asterisk (*) symbol following a keyword in the keyword Tag window.

In the example above all of the thumbnails have been selected and a summary of the keywords which have been used is shown in the bottom right Keyword Tags box.

Note that there is an asterisk (*) following all of the keywords except the word Devon.

What this is telling us?

a) all of the images have been tagged with Devon
b) keywords which are followed by an asterisk have been applied to only a selection of the images.

So how do you quickly apply the keywords to the whole selection?

Simple. Just select the asterisk for each keyword that you want to apply. Delete the asterisk and press Return.

This applies the keyword to the whole selection of images.

This is very useful in situations such as when you want to mark a whole set of images as being shot in a specific location.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Keywords, Library Module

Lightroom should automatically launch and display the contents of memory card or other connected device such as a camera.

You can find that this no longer happens. If you are having to force Lightroom to read your media cards rather than them open automatically the read on.

To restore the auto launch behavior just do the following:

On a Mac

Run the application Image Capture.
Select Preferences and under the Camera setting set Lightroom as the default application to open when a new USB connection is established.

Make sure the Show import dialog when a memory card is detected box is checked under the Import tab in Lightrooms' Preferences.

On a PC

Under Windows XP select the Removable Drive icon which corresponds to your memory card whilst in My Computer.
Right click and choose Properties.
Select the Autoplay tab, choose Pictures from the drop down menu and then click the Restore Defaults button.

Now when you insert the memory card. Lightroom will Auto Run. You must also have the Show import dialog when a memory card is detected box checked under the Lightrooms' Preferences for this to work.
Try it and see for yourself.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

I recently had a problem whereby I opened Lightroom when I found that many my images were all messed up. Lots of wrong thumbnails and Lightroom was telling me that my files could be damaged. Scary!

No problem, just return to recent backup you say. Well, yes, but I had pruned my backups, and my last two backups had the same problem.

I tried relaunching and optimizing in Lightroom but it did not fix the problem either.

So how did I get out of this mess?

First I made sure that I could not use any of my backups.

I then tried resynchronizing the top level folder; that did not work either.

Then I created a new empty Catalog and then imported my folder structure using the File menu item
Import Photos from Disk.

I expected to have to re-rate and re-edit hundreds of images. I did not have to!

The reason being that I had retained my previous ratings and edits was because I had selected Automatically write changes to XMP in my catalog settings.

The primary purpose of Auto writing XMP changes is to keep in sync other XMP compatible software such as Bridge. However, it also writes all the rating and editing information as well into the XMP file. So when my import was completed I was in good shape.

The only data I have lost are my Collections. Keywords and keyword tagged images are fine. All my Develop Module edits are intact. Collections are not hard to re-create.
So make sure you turn on that XMP setting as well as keep backing up.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom Tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: General Tip, Catalog

If you want to speed up the rating and flagging process try turning on Auto Advance setting in the Photo menu.

Now every time you rate, pick, unpick or set a flag; the current image will be tagged as normal, but the filmstrip will auto advance by one image.

This works in both the Library and the Develop Modules. It also works even if the filmstrip is not visible.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom Tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Library Module

It is not obvious how to change the default backup location, say to an external hard drive.

The default backups are kept in

/Pictures/Lightroom\Backups (Mac) or

\My Documents\My Pictures\Lightroom\Backups on PC.

You cannot change this location directly via a Preference or Options setting. You have to do it via the Scheduled Backup dialog box which will pop up when it is time for your next backup.
To force it to open sooner and make the location change do the following.

1. Open Lightroom and select Catalog Settings from the File menu.

2. Select Every time Lightroom starts from the backup section.

3. Restart Lightroom

4. When the Back Up Catalog box opens you can then set a new location for the backup folder.

This allows you to backup to any drive, internal or external, even an USB key drive or iPod.


Try it and see for yourself.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom Tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Backups, General Tip

If you blend exposures, or shoot multiple shots, prior to making HDR images then determining which are the correct sets of images to blend can get quite confusing. Especially if you have many tens of images in one shoot.

An easy way to identify the sets of images to use is to set Lightrooms View options to show just capture time and exposure bias.

You can further refine this by grouping the images using stacks and capture time. The images are then displayed in groups and you can easily see which images belong together.

The information on the thumbnails, above, allows you to identify and ensure that you include the right exposure biased images.

Try it and see for yourself.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom Tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Library Module

If you want a quick display of the key commands in any of Lightrooms Modules press command '/' .
This will bring up an overlay screen with all the key combinations for the Module you are in.
Below is the overlay for the Library Module.

To clear the help screen just click on it.
Try it and see for yourself.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom Tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: General Tip

In the Develop Module pressing 'W' activates the White Balance Tool. You can then move the Eye- dropper over the image to set a white (gray) point.

Once you have set the white balance the Eye dropper disappears. That is unless you have un-checked the Auto Dismiss Box on the Toolbar. Note the Toolbar needs to be active to do this. Press the 'T' key to toggle the Toolbar.

Try it and see for yourself.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Develop Module

If you want a very quick look to see if an image works in black and white just select the image and press the 'V' key. You can quickly switch back and forth and between color and grayscale.

It works in both the Develop and Library Module. It also works in the Grid mode of the Library Module. There is a menu option in the develop module but its quicker to use the single 'V' key.

Where this really becomes very useful is when you select a set of images in the Library Module and can instantly see which will work well in grayscale. Select images and then press 'V'

Try it and see for yourself.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

Note: Thanks again to Steve Mcgonnell who highlighted the grayscale switch via an email to the Image-Space.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Develop Module

I shoot RAW as I want to ensure I can always return to the original untouched version of an image.
This is good practice but there are some good reasons why you may want to shoot both a JPEG and RAW for each image. I set the camera to generate a large (100%) JPEG of the same image.

Why? Because often the JPEG is good enough and I can avoid a lot of post processing.

Imported RAW files alone can lack contrast, and I find it helpful to see a JPEG. This jpeg is the same as the preview that I saw on the back of the camera.
It is very difficult to exactly duplicate the cameras jpeg settings on an imported RAW file. So having the JPEG allows you to match it if you need to.

So what's the Tip?

The default setting in Lightroom is to ignore additional JPEGs which are stored in the same folder as the RAW files. So you will have to import manually unless you select the preference option to

'Treat JPEG files next to raw files as separate photos'.

This approach can use up a lot of space on your storage card but that's the tradeoff for less post processing.

Let me know if this tip helps you.


More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Library Module

Lightroom has a very useful 'Before/After' function which allows you to switch back and forward in the Develop Module between the original, and edited image, using the '\' key.

The default behavior of 'Before/After' is to switch between the current state and the un-edited image.
What you may not know is that you can choose which individual Lightroom history state you want to switch between!

There are many other Before/After ' views available from the Toolbar, including top-bottom, left-right splits plus the same views but with a split-screen.

So how do you select intermediate states?

If you right-click on any of the History states you will see a menu and you can select 'Copy History Step Settings to Before'. as shown below. This allows you to switch back and forth between an intermediate editing state.

This is particularly useful when you are working on black and white image conversions. If you use the default you will switch back and forward between a colour and a black and white image.

You can set the Before/After point to switch between the Convert to Grayscale state and your current edit. Much more useful. Especially for black and white work.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Develop Module

The crop tool in Lightroom has some interesting overlays which are worth exploring. These overlays can be used to crop and position image elements in the frame to aid composition.

As well as the usual grid there are a number of other overlays which can be cycled through.

Type 'R' from anywhere in Lightroom and you will be taken to the Develop Module and placed into the Grid mode.

Now cycle through the available overlays using the 'O' key.

The available overlays are:

Lightroom Available Crop Overlays

Lightroom will remember your last overlay selection.
Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Develop Module

I was working in the Library Module the other day and I could not remember how to change the size of the thumbnails in the Grid view. Cycling through the views by pressing the 'J' key switches between three fixed thumbnail views but does not let you make other alterations to thumbnail size.

I knew it could be done, but how?

The answer was to press the 'T' key.

Pressing 'T' in any of Lightrooms' modules will bring up a module specific toolbar. Above is the toolbar for the the Library Module.

Lightroom remembers if the tool bar is on or off for each module so it is easy to turn it off and forget all about it.
Note that the little downward facing triangle at the end of the toolbar allows you to turn on and off the individual tools for each toolbar.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: General Tip

If you use Lightroom a lot then you can easily overlook some of the easy workflow shortcuts.

I often find myself using the main reset button, at the bottom right of the Develop Panel, even when I only want to undo the last adjustment. I then have to repeat the whole develop process.

There is a much more flexible way.

You hold down the 'alt' key whilst clicking the tool name. In the example below the tool name changes from 'Tone' to 'Reset Tone' . Now only this individual adjustment is reset.

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Develop Module

I prepared this tip following a question which was asked in the Image-Space Lightroom Forum.

I backup my lightroom catalog regularly. I use the Catalog Setting (below) which prompts me once a week, when I launch Lightroom, to do an automatic backup.

It's a good idea to have this reminder, and to do the backup, but if you have been doing this over many months, as I have, then a considerable amount of disk space gets taken up with backups.

I checked my '/Lightroom/Backups/' folder recently and there were over 3GB of backups!

You have to delete the backups manually so make sure you leave the last couple in place.

Worth doing if you are short of disk space!

Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Backups, General Tip

When you are working in the Library Module using quick develop, make sure you toggle the little black triangles on the right hand side of the Quick Develop box.
The default mode only shows you Tone Control, Exposure, Clarity and Vibrance. See the first box below.

Click the little black triangle, next to the Tone Control item, and the rest of the settings will appear for you to be able to quickly modify an image whilst staying in the Library Module.

Try clicking the other triangles and options will appear for additional white balance and preset settings.

This is a somewhat obvious Tip but I had forgotten that I could access these adjustments from the Library Module.
Let me know if this tip helps you.

More Image-Space Lightroom tips.

Technorati Tags: adobe, photography, lightroom tips, lightroom, workflow

Tags: Library Tips

In the Slideshow Module press 'T' to bring up the Toolbar and select the 'ABC' button. This will allow you to enter a variety of text information which can be displayed as the slideshow plays. Depending on your choices you can display a custom text string about you, or your company, image numbering, image name or a selection EXIF or IPTC data.

The Edit selection from the drop-down dialog box allows you to build up any combinations of the above. You can have as many of these text boxes as you like and they can be positioned anywhere in the frame or image surround.
<