Organize and take your favorite images from import to final product.

Welcome

Create a new catalog.
Start a new catalog in Adobe Lightroom: the first time you open the software, it will prompt you to create a new catalog.

(If you're just testing the waters of Lightroom you can download a free trial from Adobe.com)

If you've already created a catalog, and you'd like to start a new one, click File on the top bar, and then select New Catalog.
Locate the images to upload.
Choose the origin of the images we want to import into Lightroom.

For example, you can import directly from a memory card, or from an external/internal hard drive. Any drive that is connected to the computer will be present in the source section.
Choose the import style.
Make the organizational choices about file storage.

Select from one of the following options:

-Copy as DNG: Image files will be copied to a selected location and converted to DNG file format.

-Copy: Image files are copied to a selected location in native format.

-Move: Image files are moved to a selected location in native format.

-Add: Image files are neither copied nor moved to a new location, they're simply added to the catalog.
Choose destination options.
Choose where the files go and what information is applied to them upon import.

Depending on the the copy procedure you've selected, LR will prompt you with a number of options for what to do after the images have finished importing.

Destination: If you've selcted Copy as DNG, Copy, or Move, LR will want to know where to move the image files. Click To and select the destination.

File handling:

-Render Previews: I suggest either using 1:1 or Standard. 1:1 builds a full resolution preview. This will give you the ability to zoom in on the image in other modules without having to wait for the preview to build. Standard builds a preview that allows you to browse images quickly in the library module, however you will have to wait for LR to build a new preview if you choose to zoom in on the image. Some photographers feel this building process slows their workflow.

-Don't Import Suspected Duplicates: Always select this option so that you're not importing the same file mulitple times.

-Make a second copy to: Backs up your files on another drive of your choice.

-File Renaming: Allows for renaming individual files as they import. Some photographers prefer to rename images based on the shoot location or the project title.

Apply During Import:

-Development Settings: These are toning modifications made to all the images when they import. Example: converting all the images to Black and White.

-Metadata: This embeds each image with copyright and image-maker information.

-Keywords: Here you can add broad keywords that will be applied to every image. Example: country name, shoot location, or project title.

Destination: Drop-down menu allows you to choose a specific folder or location on your harddrive where the photographs will be stored.
Import images.
Click Import and watch the magic happen.

Exploring the Library Module

Explore the different view options.
After we import our images we have a number of different ways we can view our photographs in order to pick the best! Grid, Loupe, Compare, Survey.

The view mode options live in the lower left hand corner of the tool bar.

-Grid (shortcut key G) :

This mode allows for viewing of pages as thumbnails. This is a great way to quickly view an entire import or series. Under the dropdown menu View, choose View Options to select what file information is shown in the cells.

-Loupe (shortcut key E):

Loupe allows us to view a particular image individually. Automatically the maginfy glass is selected, so when you click on any portion of the image it will zoom in. Once you're zoomed in the hand icon will appear. Click and drag to move around the image. Other zoom ratios are located in the Navigator panel on the top left. I like Fit and 1:1.

-Compare (shortcut key C):

Use this when you want to compare two images. The selected image becomes the select (the image on the left with the white diamond) and the next image in the catalog becomes the Candidate (the image on the right with the black diamond). Using the left and right arrow keys you can change the Candidate. When you find an image you like better than the Select press the XY button on the Toolbar to switch them.

-Swap Candidate to Select.

-Survey (shortcut key N):

This allows us to compare multiple images at once. In the Grid view select any number of images. After your images are selected, click the Survey button. This will display all the selected images are in a grid pattern. By pressing the X in the corner of any photo you will remove it from the selection. I use Survey to build portfolios.
Rate images.
There are three ways to rate an image inside Lightroom: Flags, Colors, and Stars.

-Flags: Shortcut keys include X (Rejected), U (Unflagged), and P (Picks).

-Stars: Pressing numbers 1-5 will star images accordingly.

-Colors: Pressing numbers 6-9 will label images Red, Yellow, Green, or Blue.

Developing a rating system and sticking with it is key to keeping organized within Lightroom. I personally use a star rating, giving a higher number of stars to images I prefer. Use whatever method works best for you.
Create keywords.
Keywording allows you to attach specific words to an image. This feature will help you to locate images in an ever-growing archive.

Within the keyword box, type a list of relevant words describing the image.

-Keyword Suggestions: Lightroom will generate a list of your most frequently used keywords. Click on any of the words to add them as a keyword.

-Keyword Set: Groups of popular keywords from Recently Added, to Outdoor Photography, to Wedding Photography. The dropdown menu will allow you to change the theme. Click on the relevant words to add them to an image.
Create collections.
Collections organize images into different portfolios. This is a custom organization technique that groups images together within LR. The images are not moved around on the storage hard drive.

-Collection Set: These are groups of collections that are managed under a specific set. Think of a Collection Set as a filing cabinet.

-Collection: A folder within Lightroom that holds specific images that you choose. Think of the Collections as the folders inside the cabinet. You can also have a Collection outside of a Collection Set, depending on your personal organization preferences.

-Smart Collection: Collections that are automatically created based on a set of parameters.

Note: when you delete an image out of a Collection you're not deleting it from the Catalog or off of the hard drive. You're only removing the image from the Collection.

Toning Images in the Development Module

Understanding the histogram.
The Histogram is a tool to help us understand the overall condition of the image. The right of the graph represents the highlights, the left represents the shadows, and the center, the mid-tones. Typically, for a well-exposed image we want information reaching both ends of the graph without clipping any information. Clipping is when information is potentially lost, either in the highlights or shadows. If information is bunched at either end, press the J key to load the clipping indicators. Blue patches on the image will show shadows that are being clipped, red patches will show the highlights that are being clipped.

Right away, by looking at the Histogram we know if the image is properly exposed, and if any information is potentally getting lost. Use the histogram to evaluate every image before toning.
Adjust your white balance.
Use a combination of the temperature and tint slider to adjust the image's white balance. White balance adjusts color casts to make colors look more realistic. Our eyes adjust to different lighting situations, but the camera needs help.

WB: Dropdown menu allows you to choose from a group of presets similar to the ones in your camera. Note: if you imported jpeg images, you will be limited to the auto and custom options only.

Temp: Shifts the image between blue/yellow which cools or warms the image.

Tint: Shifts the image between green/magenta.

Eyedropper: Choose the eyedropper and click on something in the image that is supposed to be white or neutral grey. This will custom white balance the entire image.
Create the perfect tone.
Global adjustments are made in the tone panel. Global adjustments refer to toning choices that effect the entire image.

-Exposure: Adjustment that effects the overall brightness or darkness of an image. Move the slider to the right to brighten, and to the left to darken.

-Contrast: Adjustment that effects the difference between the lights and darks in the image. By moving the slider to the right you're increasing that difference (creating more contrast), by moving the slider to the left you're decreasing the difference.

-Highlights: Effects only the highlights of the image. By moving the slider to the left we can bring down the highlights and bring back some of the clipped information. Moving the slider to the right has the opposite effect and can cause more clipping if used aggressively.

-Shadows: Same effect as the Highlights slider but works in the shadows.

-Whites and Blacks: These two sliders adjust the specific white and black points of the image or the brightest and darkest pixels.
Fine tune the image with the presence feature.
Fine tuning your image with Clarity, Vibrance, and Saturation.

-Clarity: Effects the mid-tone contrast of an image. Moving the slider to the right will increase the contrast and moving it to the left will decrease it. Example: moving the slider to the left can decrease definition of wrinkles in skin, moving it to the right can add dimension to a landscape.

Before a Clarity adjustment.

After a Clarity Adjustment.

-Vibrance: A smart slider that increases the saturation of an image but gives priority to the muted colors leaving the saturated colors alone.

-Saturation: Depending on the direction moved, this slider either increases or decreases the intensity of the colors in the image. Be carefully not to overdo this slider!

Making too aggressive of an adjustment on the Saturation or Vibrance sliders can cause unrealistic colors.
Add quick corrections through presets.
Lightroom comes preloaded with many preset toning options. Each catagory contains multiple presets. Clicking on any of the individual names will apply that effect to your image.

By pressing the + sign you can save a series of corrections you've made in the basic panel to be applied to another image. These will be saved in the User Presets dropdown.

Some examples of the many possible Presets applied to the same image.

Original Image.

Blue Hi-Contrast Filter.

Antique Light.

Cross Process 3.
Remove adjustments with the history panel.
An ongoing list of every adjustment made in the Development Module is saved in the History panel. To go back, click on an earlier history version. If you decide to make further adjustments Lightroom will start recording from that point.

Exporting images!

Choose the export location.
In the dropdown menu choose the location where you want the images to be exported.
Create custom file naming and settings.
-File naming: This will change the actual file name upon export. The dropdown menu is loaded with a number of preset options, or you can create your own by clicking Edit.

Changing the file name can be helpful in a number of ways: clients sometimes have specific naming conventions they want, and proper naming can help your website with SEO rating.

-File Settings: In the dropdown menu, choose the proper file extension: JPEG, PSD, TIFF, DNG, or Original. Select your color space: sRGB, Adobe RGB, or ProPhoto RGB. Then select the Quality. In this unit, we're exporting our images for web display, so choose JPEG, sRGB at a Quality of 100.

Clients, online publishing sites, and printing houses all have specification for the file settings. If this is applicable to you, be sure to check what color space and image format they require.
Choose final export settings.
The final steps for exporting include Image sizing, Output sharpening, Metadata, Watermarking, and Post-processing.

-Image Size: Select output dimensions. The dropdown menu allows you to choose width and height, longest side, shortest side, etc. These can be measured in pixel, inch, and centimeter values. Finally, choose the resolution. Depending on where the image is going, this value will change. Example: if the image is only appearing on the computer, a resolution of 72dpi might be appropriate. If the image is to be printed, the printer might ask for a resolution of 300dpi.

For our purposes, change the longest edge to 1200 pixels with a resolution of 72dpi.

-Output Sharpening: Use the dropdown menu to select the appropriate destination and the amount you want the image to be sharpened. It's advisable to stick to standard sharpening.

Choose Screen for Sharpen For and Standard for Amount.

-Metadata: I leave this to include All Metadata.

-Watermarking: If you decide to include a watermark on your image, turn this on. The dropdown menu will give you a number of options. You can even create a custom watermark. I tend to steer away from watermarks as I find them distracting, but others may find use for them.

-Post-processing: By selecting a program from the dropdown menu, the image will open in the specified program after exporting.

We don't need the images to open in another software so choose Do Nothing.
Export your image!
Click Export and share them with the class!

Chris Maliwat

product manager and creator

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