Today let's talk about some cool plugins for Adobe Lightroom 2.
My mate Sean McCormack is a wonderful guy and fellow photographer. In case you haven't notice Sean has been creating awesome galleries and slideshows modules for Lightroom since 2006 at Lightroom-blog.
With the introduction of Adobe Lightroom version 2 adobe has made available some tools that cause some great impressions over photographers and their workflow one of them was the Graduated Filter tool.
So Sean decided to create a very affordable set of presets with over 70 Graduated Filter (just €5.00, about $7.75) and simply called them LRB Graduated Filter Presets for Lightroom :)
Sean sent me the presets a couple of weeks but I can confess you that time and availability was against me for testing them and write this article... but now that I have test them I just want to say one thing AWESOME!!!!!
I could not leave you guys wondering where to get your Graduated Filter elsewhere except buying the Sean McCormack one's or take time to create your own, but after you buy them you can always change them to your taste and then create your own based on Sean initials.
With no more delays let's look at what he have to say about them and what you will find in the sent package. "While I provide a lot of free tips, tutorials, and even galleries to users, sometimes I do a little that requires some return on my time. To aid users in selecting the right look for their landscape images, I've created a set of over 70 Graduated Filter presets to get you started with making creative choices for your images. Covering both landscape and portrait orienations, as well as hard and soft line filters, these filters come in 3 standard colours: ND (Grey), Blue and Tobacco. As is also standard, they come in strengths of 1 stop (0.3), 2 stops (0.6) and 3 stops (0.9). It was a bit of work to create this, but I'm not charging a whole lot for them, just €5.00 (about $7.75). Obviously you can tweak the settings once applied. In fact I positively encourage it!
Why should you pay for these, when you could create them yourself? Well the fact that it takes a bunch of time to put them together is the best reason. Probably more than €5 of your time. Also by running down through the Presets panel on the left of Develop, you can preview them quickly to see how they look with your image. Much quicker than mucking around with sliders.
To install these presets, drop the Sample Grads folder into: User/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Develop Presets on OS X, C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Adobe\Lightroom\Develop Presets on XP-Note that Application Data is a hidden folder, C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Develop Presets on Vista, where User is your login name. Or you can click on Preferences>Presets>Show Lightroom Presets Folders to open this folder in Finder/Explorer. Then open the Develop Presets folder from there.
The full version folder contains 4 Sub folders, place these folders in the Develop Preset location mentioned above. You can also Right click on a preset or folder and import them from within Develop, which is fine for a small amount of presets, but for folders, manually placing them and restarting Lightroom is quicker.
Hard Grads have a tight transition, which Soft Grads user a wider transition. Landscape and Portrait Grads need to be separate as they don't rotate. The 3 colors (ND, Blue and Tobacco) come in 1, 2, and 3 stops varieties, equivalent to 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 in standard filter terminology. Also as most Landscape photographers use the Rule of Thirds to compose, each type is set on the bottom and top third, allowing you to choose the nearest one quickly. To change the filter, click on the pin to select it (Press M to activate Grad Filter in Develop, if it's not open). Drag the pin to move the center of the grad, and the outside lines to make it softer or harder. Finally click the color chip to change the tint. The Blue and Tobacco colors I've chosen are simply ones I like. You may prefer a redder Tobacco, or different blue. Actually then ones I have look similar to the Cokin set I own, so I was trying to get close to them.
To Download, add them to the cart. Payment is Paypal via E-junkie, but can also take Credit Card. Once Paypal sends notification, an email will be sent with a download code. Windows user that experience security issues related to downloaded Zip files should try an alternate decompressor such as 7-Zip.
Update: On the advice of Richard Earney, I've rezipped with BetterZip to remove Mac related components. Please let me know it you're still experiencing trouble after redownloading. Also rather than clicking on the link in the email, copy and paste it into your web browser. This works fine for me using XP under boot camp.
Update #2: I've found one of the presets had an incorrect value which has been fixed and the packages reloaded. Please download again. Apologies. I did check them before I posted, but somehow missed one.
Update #3: A few people commented the Portrait grads were upside down. Well, they're not.. They just shoot upside down! Seriously though you should turn the camera so you shoot with the shutter button up. It makes the camera more stable. Anyway for those that shoot upside-down, I added another 36 presets, duplicating the normal ones, but upside down. In fact they probably got more love!
A look at the sets (Click for Bigger version): Here's roughly how they look, first the hard set, then the soft."
Please note that VAT is charged in the EU.
THANK YOU Sean for taking the time to create this beautiful presets and have them available so cheap.
You can also follow Him and his fabulous Lightroom work at Lightroom-blog or visit his home page for photography business here.
Bob Gruen (born 1945) is an American photographer known for his rock 'n' roll photographs.
Gruen was born in New York City. He began photographing rock stars with Bob Dylan and served as John Lennon's personal photographer during his time in New York City. Gruen is best known for his photograph of Lennon wearing a New York City T-shirt. Other notable celebrities and rock bands photographed by Gruen include, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Led Zeppelin, Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono, Joe Strummer, and The Who.
If you want to know more about him check his Web Page or you can reach him at his MySpace page. For a world-class photographer who has rendered rock's past indelible with his iconic photography, Bob Gruen has no patience for nostalgia. Gruen takes us through some of his most iconic images in his own words.
Bob Dylan, Newport, R.I., 1965: This was the first time I had a photo pass. I talked my way into the Newport Folk Festival and was down in front when Dylan came out with a rock band. It was quite chaotic; a lot of people were very upset that he was playing so-called rock 'n' roll music at a folk-music festival. In hindsight, I kind of think of it as the time when rock 'n' roll was declared to be the folk music of America. It was people cheering, it was people booing, it was people fighting with each other in the seats. It was really pretty emotional and pretty dramatic. People are very scared of any kind of change. And I love change.
Iggy Pop & Deborah Harry, Toronto, 1977: This was at the opening of a tour where Blondie was opening for Iggy Pop. And what was also unique was that the piano player in Iggy Pop's band was David Bowie, who at that time was a much bigger star than either of these guys but was really downplaying it. And Debbie and Blondie was still just coming up, which is why they were the opening act. And it just shows what two people who have fun with the media and know what to do instead of just posing -- instead of just standing there without touching each other, they really went for it and got close. And made it like a real rock 'n' roll, hangin'-out shot.
John Lennon, New York, 1974: I had actually bought that shirt a year earlier; I had given one of them to John. I used to wear them quite a bit; I had about 7 or 8 of them. I was very proud to be from New York, still am. And John wanted an album design that required a series of very similar photos of his face making all different expressions, and he wanted to do it very simply. He had a rooftop penthouse apartment on the East Side, and so we went out on the roof and took the pictures for the album cover. Then he suggested we take some more for the publicity pictures, and I said, "Would you still have that T-shirt I gave you last year? Because this is a perfect setting, with the skyline all around." And he knew right where it was and went and put the T-shirt on and we took this photo. We had no idea when we were taking it that it would become such a well-known picture.
Sex Pistols, Luxembourg, 1977: Yeah, the Sex Pistols scared a lot of people, but they don't realize how funny they were. This was a completely spontaneous picture. We were in a bar in Luxembourg one morning, they were gonna do an interview with Radio Luxembourg, and they met the disc jockey at a bar. They were having a couple drinks beforehand. When I see all four of them sitting together I go like, "Quick! Let's take a group shot." It's a lot easier than trying to round people up and get one from one room and one from another place and put them together. But when you work with people who have a real creative flair for media and for entertainment, when you say, "Let's take a group picture," they see what situation they're in and immediately turn it into something humorous. And something as simple as sitting there with a couple of drinks turns into a very funny moment when you get the right talented people putting it together. They were having fun. They didn't really tear anything down, they tore a few things up [laughs].
Green Day, New York, 2005: I published this book about my John Lennon pictures in 2005. I'm really proud of it: I wrote a long story, besides the photos, of what it was like to be John Lennon's friend. When I went to see [Green Day when] they played here in New York, I brought copies of the book to give to them. Then at the end of the evening, I went to take a group shot of all them and Billie said, "Oh, let's pose with the book." But being the kind of comedians they are, they lifted it up and made it look like it was a porn mag or something. A good group that really works together gets ideas spontaneously, and when one gets the idea the others just fall with it, and so Tre and Mike just immediately saw what Billie was doing and fell right in with it. And they're a great band. They're kind of like the Marx Brothers -- they really work together as a comedian team.
Tina Turner, Paris, 1984: Tina's fantastic. She's one of the best, original entertainers [and] performers in rock 'n' roll, in the world. I actually just happened to be in Paris, found out Tina was there shooting a video and went and met her there. It's kind of great, because Tina's such a classy lady. To have a picture of her in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower is just kind of a natural, because she is such a world-class celebrity. Paris is the city of romance, and it's a great place for her to be.
Led Zeppelin, New York, 1973: This is interesting because I actually met Led Zeppelin the day I took this picture. I was on the first roll of film when I was working with them. We were flying to Cincinnati for a concert, and they had their own plane. When we go to the airport, I think it was Robert [Plant] ... who said, "Let's take a picture in front of our airplane." I don't think I took more than 10 shots between the color and black & white. And this one seems to sum up for a lot of people the excess and the decadence that was so rampant in the '70s. Inside the plane there was a brass piano built in, a lot of really comfortable seats and couches. And in the back there were two bedrooms, one of which had an electric fireplace. It was a pretty opulent plane, as those things go. Certainly for the '70s, it was pretty special. I can't tell you how many people have told me they grew up with this picture in their locker, in school or on their bedroom wall.
Ramones, New York, 1975: Well, the Ramones were a new group that we heard about that was just starting to play at this new club, CBGBs. I went out on assignment for Rock Scene magazine [with] Lisa Robinson, who is an editor of Vanity Fair now, but she was the editor of Hit Parader and Rock Scene magazine, and a big columnist for the New York Post. She had suggested I go out to Queens to meet the Ramones and take pictures of them, and so I went out to Forest Hills, where they lived, and we took some pictures out there at their house where they hung out. Took the subway into town with them and then got some pictures in front of the club, and then took more pictures later in the night when they played inside. People don't realize -- they think CBGBs was always famous, and that these bands came in and played there and became famous. Playing at CBGBs was no road to fame; playing at CBGBs was a road to meeting 20 people who went there. Fortunately, Lisa Robinson was one of them, and people ended up hearing about what went on down there.
The Rolling Stones, New York, 1972: This was my first photo pass for the Rolling Stones, when they played at Madison Square Garden in '72. But even with a photo pass, where you're down in the pit, it's not really as good as the vantage point from a couple of rows back, standing on the seats. I think I was on the second row standing on the seats when I took this. You get a much better perspective. The lights were a very special, unique staging that the Rolling Stones had, really bright lights. So I was able to get very sharp, clear pictures that day. The Rolling Stones were amazing; they always are. I don't know if they were more particularly amazing that year, but they seemed to be. Maybe it's because I was in seats in the second row.
Sid Vicious, San Antonio, 1978: This is another example of how they can help to make a photo. Sid was eating a hot dog when I said, "Oh, let me take a picture of you," and he said, "Wait a minute," and went and picked up the ketchup and mustard and poured more ketchup and mustard on the hot dog and smeared it around his face, and actually helped to create this photo. This wasn't an accident. He didn't just happen to be messy. He knew he had a button that said "I'm a mess" and he helped to create a photo that illustrated that. And then that's kind of a sense of humor, but a lot of people picked it up almost as a symbol of a messed-up kid.
Here is a great interview, with him, by Budd Mishkin for NY1.
Bob Gruen is currently touring with his photo exhibition "ROCKERS". All photographs taken by Bob Gruen.
From the 50 subscribed only one could not make it which makes us all 49 and rolling ;)
It was a lot of fun, well at least for me... I took some different pictures from the ones I normally do and try to be as open as I could to such a well known location.
Here is the tracking map of the Lisbon location.
Click on the map to see a description of all the marked places.
This is a subject that I had mentioned before on a previous post "You Can't Picture This" but due to it's high volatile subject I could not leave it with only one post and decided to mention this subject again so that you all could stay alert, just in case this would start to become too popular.
This security officer in the UK gets handsy with a photographer on a public street in Middlesbrough. From the photographer’s account:
"Two security guards from the nearby shopping center THE MALL came running over, we were surrounded by six hostile and aggressive security guards. They then said photographing shops was illegal and this was private land. I was angry at being grabbed by this man so i pushed him away, one of the men wearing a BARGAIN MADNESS shirt twisted my arm violently behind my back, i winced in pain and could hardly breathe in agony."
More on this after the bump... But that's not all... check out this video by Film-maker Darren Pollard. He was clearing up flood rubbish from his front garden when he noticed the police and a teenager opposite his house. Darren retrieved his camera and this is what he filmed!
More of Darren Pollards films & documentaries can be seen here.
Paula Bronstein was doing her JOB as an accredited APEC photographer and just check out what happens... and this could happen to anyone.
And don't you think it's only in the UK just take a look at a recent video footage from the Olympics 2008.
Arlington County,Virginia "While waiting for a scheduled military fly-over" March 6, 2008 3:20pm Key Blvd @ Adams st.
Last but not least...
Simon from "We Are Change UK" gets arrested for demonstrating within the SOCPA Zone in London.
If you got similar videos caught around your town feel free to post them on the comments so that everyone could share them.
Wedding photographer David Ziser show us, at his blog DigitalProTalk, a very nice example of one of his wedding techniques where he demonstrates a different approach to photograph weddings with multiple strobes.
I confess that I'm not into weddings, yet, but the multiple strobe part caught my eye.
He explains the technique so well, with some examples and diagrams it's a must.
Take a look... David explains:
"In this video tutorial, I'll walk you through my tried and true techniques for getting the best light on the wedding candids.
For candids to look better than good, you need to light your subject with a highlight next to a shadow. It is only then do we get the detail, depth, dimension, and color saturation in our images that separates the men and women from the boys and girls.
It's light that makes them pop out of the background finally giving your images that 3-dimensional polish they deserve."
Feel free to add your comments to the video.
Thank you David Ziser for the wonderful video and keep them coming.
As a photographer I always wondered what people would take to major events such has the Olympics.
Well I recently found the Vincent Laforet post about the gear he was carrying to the Olympics. Take a look at all the pictures from getting the Gear to the packing in here.
And if you would like to know more about it check the "Preparing for the Biggest Organized Event of Them All: The Olympics" article here.
Microsoft has been working hard and has posted a new demo video of Photosynth, which is pretty darned amazing stuff.
The Photosynth Technology Preview is a taste of the newest - and, we hope, most exciting - way to view photos on a computer. Our software takes a large collection of photos of a place or an object, analyzes them for similarities, and then displays the photos in a reconstructed three-dimensional space, showing you how each one relates to the next.
In our collections, you can access gigabytes of photos in seconds, view a scene from nearly any angle, find similar photos with a single click, and zoom in to make the smallest detail as big as your monitor.
I've been searching the web for something to help me out so I can better see my preview photos on the back of my cameras on bright light conditions.
As you may all be aware this is extremely difficult when bright light or direct sun hit the LCD on the back and yes I'm talking about any camera from any manufacturer.
I'm not saying that Canon has a better LCD and Nikon don't or vice verse... well I'm not into those kind of battles anyway. I do believe that if you bought a camera for sure it ain't to show your friends that you got the late technology issue and not make any pictures... or is it? Do you still think a better camera will make you a better photographer?
Anyway, what I will bring you here today may change the way you look at the back of your camera, under a bright sunlight or when lighting conditions will not let you evaluate the LCD screen on the back.
So I will show you what I bought... You may heard from so many people about this Loope device but did you ever feel it was worth the shot and buy it?
Well my friend I can tell you that since I bought this baby I cannot leave home without it.
It's call Hoodman Loope and it does the job You can get it directly from Hoodman USA and you may also check some other products they have there. One of the hardest things to deal with when it comes to digital photography is the LCD screen on the back of the camera.
This becomes even harder to deal with when that is the only thing you have to use for framing your shot. More and more point and shoot cameras are shipping with LCDs only, no optical view finders, many don't even have an EVF (electronic view finder) while basically a small LCD your eye and face block out light making it easy to see.
But, even cameras that have an optical view finder including dSLR cameras still have LCD screens that can be near impossible to see in daylight.
While you may not need the LCD for framing your shot you still need to for shot review, menu usage and the like.
Basically, the LCD screen is one of the top 5 most important things on your digital camera. Until someone can design an LCD screen or a coating or something for them that allows them to be seen as clearly in daylight as in the shade, indoors or in the dark we have to figure out something else.
The best option that I have found outside of only taking pictures in the shade or in the dark, which does limit your photo taking opportunities is Hoodman's HoodLoupe Professional.
This handy little device allows you to view your LCD screen in total darkness so that all that you see is the LCD screen and what is being displayed on it.
This is the image of the front package.
The back of the package.
Here is the Hoodman Loope (left) and the carrying leather pouch.
The HoodLoupe works by placing the large end up against your LCD screen blocking out the light. You then look through the eye piece to see the screen.
The eye piece has +/- 3 diopter adjustment so that you can see the screen clearly and sharp. To make carrying the HoodLoupe easy and to make sure that it is always at the ready it comes with a lanyard so you can carry it around your neck and when you don't need it, it comes with a nice little zippered storage bag.
Let's take a look inside the Hoodman Loope.
Here is the view from the Top.
I have also found it helpful as a framing device. Instead of holding it up to your camera just place it to your eye and use it to frame your shots, this is great for pre-shot visualization. Because it has generally the dimension ratio as the picture you are going to take it works very well. You can also turn it vertical for testing out vertical framing ideas.
While this at first thought may not seem like a useful thing, you can of course use your camera for the same thing. However, if your new to photography this can be a good learning tool.
Simply carry the HoodLoupe with you and practice framing and looking at things from different angles.
Framing and shooting angles are one thing that can really improve your photographs, this light weight little device is an easy way to do this on the go.
How you use it, some may ask? Well let's start with one of my Canon 1D MarkII.
You simply put the Hoodman Loope against the screen and voilá that's all you have to do with it. You do not need to have a MarkII, since you can use it on almost all camera screens. Now I am sure a concern is will this or can this scratch my screen? No it can't both the end that you press against the LCD screen as well as the part you press to your eye is soft, flexible rubber that is just as comfortable for your camera as it is you.
Finally, any LCD screen can be seen in the brightest day light, and you don't have to attach something to your camera with glue or double-sided tape.
Because you only use it when you need it, it doesn't get in the way. In my book this is the perfect solution to those hard to see LCD screens.
Here is a photo from a different angle and this is a perfect combination since the the Hoodman Loope is rubberized and water resistant so you can use it around your neck all day, even if it rains. The HoodLoupe is a high quality device, it is easy to use and it really works well. I highly recommend it no matter what type of camera you have.
Until LCD screens can be used in daylight this is your only real option.
You're invited to join Scott Kelby and his friends around the world for the first ever "Worldwide Photo Walk."
Join us on the 23rd August 2008 for this free, social photography event to celebrate the release of the update to the world's bestselling Lightroom book, "The Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers" (and you just might win a copy yourself).
Take a look at Scott's and Matt presentation video to find out more how you can make it happen in your city or if it's already available how can you join in... I'm already register in the Lisboa PhotoWalk and You, if you are here on vacations or just passing by come along and have a beautiful afternoon in Lisboa and have a lot of fun :)
Hope to see you there and rush it since spots are limited to 50.
In Portugal for Lisboa city you can register here and for the city of Porto in here.
Sorry no translation for the next part, since this came from Portuguese web release and since the meeting is in Portugal it doesn't make sense to translating it to English but if you are coming and only understand English please leave me a note and I can explain to you the round or just link to the maps.
Lisboa, Portugal
Photo Walk Leader: Fernando Almeida Meeting Time: 18:30 Start / Meet: Praça do Comércio End: Chapitô - Rua Costa do Castelo, nº1
Bem vindos a este passeio fotográfico pela cidade de Lisboa no dia 23 de Agosto , que se prevê animado e uma excelente oportunidade para conhecer pessoas que têm como interesse comum a fotografia.
- Estarei na Praça do Comércio a partir das 18h para vos receber
- Ás 18.30 iniciamos o nosso passeio em direcção ao Chapitô. Pelo caminho são imensas as oportunidades de fotografar (o bairro típico e as pessoas, os eléctricos, as igrejas, miradouros...). O tema e trajecto são livres e o grupo pode dividir-se nos sub-grupos que naturalmente se criem, tendo sempre em conta que estamos neste passeio para conviver.
- Ao PDS que acontecerá pelas 20.23h, conto estar no miradouro do Castelo para apreciar este momento com o rio, a ponte e a cidade no enquadramento
- O Chapitô é mesmo ao lado, onde nos encontraremos a partir das 20.30h para conviver e partilharmos experiências. Não há nenhum evento preparado no restaurante, vou no entanto avisá-los para estarem a contar com a chegada de um grupo que se prevê grande.
Depois do passeio e nos três dias seguintes, cada participante poderá fazer o upload das suas 20 melhores fotos no flickr (url a anunciar). O autor da melhor foto deste passeio receberá uma cópia do livro que está a ser promovido e todas as fotos farão parte do concurso para o 'mega prémio' :)
Até breve, Fernando Almeida
Algumas notas: - O âmbito deste passeio é meramente social, não se trata de uma workshop ou formação - Não estou a prever nenhuma jantarada, mas se for vossa vontade façam-me chegar esta informação e eu tratarei das reservas junto do Chapitô. - O passeio não tem custos de inscrição e as despesas durante o passeio são da responsabilidade de cada um. - O trajecto poderá sofrer alguns ajustes, após a sua validação no terreno. Porto, Portugal
Photo Walk Leader: Luís Rocha Graça Meeting Time: 10:00h Start / Meet: Cubo, Praça do Cubo, Ribeira, Porto End: Cadeia da Relação, Cordoaria, Porto
Dia 23 de Agosto, vai-se efectuar o primeiro Photo Walk na cidade do Porto. Este primeiro passeio terá como ideia principal fotografar parte da zona histórica da cidade, elevada pela UNESCO, em 1996 a Património Mundial.
O percurso partirá da pitoresca Praça do Cubo, mais conhecida por Praça da Ribeira, e seguirá pela Rua da Fonte Taurina, Igreja de S. Francisco, Praça do Infante, Rua de Belmonte, Rua das Taipas e terminará na Cordoaria.
On Tuesday 29/07/2008 Adobe announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 software, with new enhancements such as dual-monitor support, radical advances in non-destructive localized image correction, and streamlined search capabilities. Lightroom 2.0 Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers with Intel® processors and Microsoft® Windows® Vista® 64-bit operating systems, Lightroom 2 also provides improved memory performance for dealing with large scale images.
So let's take a deep look on what's new... New in Lightroom 2.0
Library
Streamlined Organization and Worfklow
Layout: The entire Library layout has been revisited to provide a more intuitive image organization experience. The left hand panel of the Library has been streamlined to include only the most relevant image sources: the folders the images are physically stored in and collections of images that the photographer creates.
Folders: Photographers working across multiple hard drives will find that the enhanced volume and folder layout will make it a much more intuitive experience to manage images on one or many hard drives. The volume indicators clearly indicate the hard drive that you’re working with and provide the option to show the online/offline status, the amount of space available, the number of photos you’re working with and there’s an indicator light that migrates from green to red as your hard drive fills up. Now it’s visually much easier to move your images from hard drive to hard drive and understand where your images are stored when a external hard drive is no longer connected.
Collections: The Collection panel has received significant attention with the addition of improved iconography and collection sets that allow photographers to create a hierarchy while maintaining collection-specific sort order. There is also the ability to save output specific collections for Slideshow/Print/Web. This can be accomplished by creating a new collection item while in the specific output module. The subsequent icon in the collection panel will provide a quick reference and link to the images and output settings you created. Collections still maintain their auto-save capabilities when it comes to on-the-fly output creations that don’t require a persistent entry in the Library.
Smart Collections are now available. Specify the criteria for a smart collection and images will be automatically added to the collection if they meet the criteria. An expert user tip: Try alt/option clicking when adding a new search criterion. Target Collection functionality allows you to specify any Lightroom collection as the destination of the quick collection shortcut key, B.
Filter Bar: With the source location of the images clearly defined in the left hand panel, the top of the grid view provides a panel that will filter the content. Use the ‘\’ key to hide or show the filter functionality and expand one section at a time to filter the content. Each category below can be toggled on or off by clicking on the name and multiple filter categories can be shift-selected to provide additional control.
Text: Search across your images using text search field
Refine: Filter your grid view by flags, star ratings, color labels and the type of file, Master or Virtual Copy. This functionality was previously located only in the right hand side of the filmstrip. It still remains in that location now labeled ‘Filter’ as a quick tool that can be used in any module.
Metadata: A wide range of metadata is now presented in easy to browse filter columns that can be added, removed and customized per your organization workflow. Choose the field to filter on by clicking on the column header and select menu icon at the right side of each column to add or remove a column. The column arrangement and selection can be stored as a preset that is defined in the upper right hand corner of the filter bar. Note that the Date and Location fields contain the option to show hierarchical or flat representations of the data. The Date field also includes the day of the week in addition to the numerical date.
The Keywording pane has a new Keyword Set called “Suggested Keywords.” Keywording is simplified through Lightroom’s ability to suggest keywords for the current image based on existing keywords applied to that image as well as keywords applied to images that are close neighbors in terms of capture time. For example, if a number of images in a catalog contain the keywords dog and beach, an image assigned the keyword ‘beach’ will cause the suggested keyword panel to automatically update to show ‘dog’ as a suggested keyword. The Keywording panel also includes a dedicated keyword entry field below the larger box that displays all of the assigned keywords. The Keyword List provides a convenient filter to help find and manage your keywords. Checkboxes are available to quickly apply additional keywords to the selected images and arrows to the right of each keyword are a link to view all of the images tagged with that keyword.
Multiple Monitors: Lightroom 2.0 offers a dual monitor solution that can adjust to fit your particular monitor set up. The main Lightroom window that includes the Module picker can be positioned on either monitor and the following views can be provided on an additional monitor. To activate a multiple monitor environment, choose the monitor icon in the lower right hand side of Lightroom, just above the filmstrip. If a second monitor is not attached, a second window will appear on a single display.
* Grid: Place the grid on a secondary monitor for quick image selection while the develop module is displayed on the other monitor. Or use the grid to reorder images while creating slideshow, print or web output. * Loupe: Allows an image at a preferred zoom level display on an alternate monitor. o In Normal mode, the image displayed on the alternate monitor is changed when the selection is changed in the primary Lightroom window. o Live mode is continually updated based on the image and area of an image the mouse is currently hovering or passing over. Zooming to a 1:1 view allows for quick focus checking across a number of images displayed in a grid view on the primary monitor. o Locked mode fixes the image displayed on the alternate monitor until you wish to change the selection by selecting alt/option-Enter to make the current selection visible. * Compare: Offers the same powerful compare functionality previously in the Library but can now be used to compare images while selections are made in the grid view in the Library or while adjustments are made in the Develop module. * Survey: View multiple images at once while organizing or adjusting in another display.
Photoshop Integration: Lightroom can now open images directly in Photoshop without writing out TIFF or PSD files first. The previous ‘write file to disk first’ behavior was inefficient and the new behavior enables a faster a more functional workflow that includes:
* Open files in Photoshop as a Smart Object: Utilize the non-destructive smart object workflow by opening the image as a smart object directly into a Photoshop document. * Select multiple images to merge as a Panorama utilizing Photoshop CS3’s incredible new panorama functionality * Merge multiple exposures into a single Photoshop HDR image * Load multiple files or virtual copies into Photoshop as separate layers in a single document. * Important Note: This integration is only available with Photoshop CS3 (10.0.1)
Export Functionality: Managing and organizing exported images is much easier now with the following capabilities:
* Export files automatically to the same folder as the original or a subfolder of the original * Add the exported images to the Lightroom catalog with the option of stacking the export file with the original * Sharpen images on export for Print or Screen usage utilizing an adaptive algorithm that takes into account the intended use and resolution. * Send exported images directly to another third party application selected in the export dialog
More notes on Library functionality:
* The 10k pixel limit has been lifted and now images with up to 65,000 pixels per side or 512MP total may be imported into Lightroom. This is particularly useful when utilizing the new Photoshop integration for panorama creation.
Develop Module Localized Correction: The develop module now provides the ability to correct specific areas of an image without affecting other areas. A common example of this in traditional photography would be the dodge and burn experience in the darkroom. Lightroom provides brushes that a photographer can ‘load’ with different types of corrective techniques that were previously only available globally including exposure, brightness, clarity and saturation. Images can also be tinted locally using specific hue and saturation values that can provide an excellent way of counteracting mixed lighting environments.
The tools previously available in the toolbar have been relocated to the right hand panel just below the histogram. (Crop, Clone/Heal, Red Eye and the new local correction brush) Selecting a tool from the panel will reveal the options for that tool. Click on it again to hide those options and return to the standard develop panel. Adjustment Brush
The controls available for the local correction brush are segmented into three basic areas: Mask, Effect and Brush. A quick walkthrough of the correction technique is below:
* On entering the local correction panel the brush will become active. * The type of desired correction should be selected from the Effect section. A photographer can paint in a positive brightness effect for the shadows and a negative exposure effect for a bright sky. * Combinations of effects can be selected and saved as presets by showing the effects sliders. (Horizontal toggle in the upper right area of the effect panel) * The brush size, feather and opacity can be set before applying the correction. An Auto Mask option is available to help confine the brush strokes and subsequent mask within an area of similar color. The airbrush option provides a diffused correction application relative to the standard painting mode. * Once a brush stroke is applied, a circular point or pin will appear on the image where you first applied the brush stroke. Additional brush strokes can be applied that will add to the current correction area. To refine the area hold down the Alt or Option key to begin erasing with the brush. * To adjust the amount applied to the entire area click down on the circular marker or pin and move the cursor to the left or the right to decrease or increase the amount setting. * To refine the correction settings, click on the pin and detailed adjustments are available in the right panel and will be applied to the selected pin. * Create a new correction mask or brush stroke by selecting the New option. * The pins can be hidden or shown with the H shortcut key. * Use one of the tint presets provided to apply a color tint or use the Lightroom color selection dialog by double-clicking on the rectangle to the right of the presets. Change a preset by selecting a color in the dialog then click-and-hold on the preset box to be populated by that selection. * There are two brush presets represented by A and B in the brush section. After modification of the brush controls, a preset can be updated by clicking and holding on the specific preset letter to be associated with the settings. Graduated Filter
Recreating the effect of a graduated neutral density filter, this tool goes even further allowing the ability to modify all of the effect parameters in a single graduated effect. Select the effect and click and drag the gradient onto the image. Rotate and adjust as necessary. You can also return to the specific effect settings and modify them after the filter is applied.
Shortcut Keys
Local Adjustment Keyboard Shortcuts
* Toggle Adjustment Brush - K * Toggle Graduated Filter - M * Graduated Filter Scale from Center - Alt/Option + Drag * Hide/Show Pins - H * Always Show - Shift + Command/Control + H * Show Selected/Never Show - Shift + H * New Adjustment Pin - Enter/Return * Switch Brush - / * Increase Amount - Right Arrow * Decrease Amount - Left Arrow * Erase - Alt/Option * Increase Brush Size - ] * Decrease Brush Size - [ * Increase Feather - Shift ] * Decrease Feather - Shift [ * Set Flow Amount - Number Keys * Auto-Mask - A * Show/Hide Mask Overlay - O * Cycle Mask Overlay Colors - Shift + O * Constrain brush stroke to straight line - Shift * Invert Gradient - '
Vignette: The previous lens correction vignette effect was only applied to the entire image frame and as an artistic effect could be obscured after an image was cropped. An additional framing vignette effect has been added that will apply a vignette to an image, respecting the cropped borders.
Basic Panel Keyboard Shortcuts: Photographers who prefer to utilize their keyboards for basic image adjustments will find that the +/- keys are linked to the Exposure adjustment in the Develop module. Adding the Shift key will boost the increment amount, the comma and period keys will cycle through the basic panel controls and the semi-colon will reset the control currently in focus.
Improved Auto Adjustment: The Auto adjustment has been modified in response to feedback that previous adjustments were too bright.
Improved profiles for Raw data: An enhanced set of profiles has been released on Adobe Labs in order to provide an improved default rendering of raw data. (Many Canon photographers complained that our reds were too orange.) In addition to the improved Adobe default profile, there are additional profiles for each camera that emulate the results that would be obtained were those settings chosen in the camera manufacturers software or if the photographer chose to shoot JPEG.
Print Module Picture Package: The print module now provides the ability to create multii-page layouts for a single image arranged in multiple sizes. This allows photographers to quickly and easily print a package of images quickly and easily.
* Choose Picture Package from the Layout Engine in the top right corner of the print module and a blank page will be presented. * In the Cells panel click on one of the preset size to add an image cell to the page or use the drop down option to edit and create your own custom size. Cells can be added to the page until the page is filled and a new page will be added to the layout automatically. Up to six pages can be included in a layout. * After all of the required cells have been added, choose Auto Layout to automatically create an efficient, easy to cut print layout or manually move the cells to your liking. * To move a cell, click on the image and move the cell to the desired location. To delete an image cell, click on the image and choose delete. A page can be deleted by mousing over the page and clicking on the ‘X’ in the red circle. * When an image aspect ration is much different than the cell aspect ratio, the image can be moved within the cell by holding the CMD/CTRL key down and clicking on the image and dragging it.
Print to JPEG: Many photographers have asked for the ability to send their Lightroom print layouts directly to a lab that will print JPEG files. Choose JPEG as the option in the Print Job dialog to specify your print output as a JPEG file for lab delivery. (Select a custom ICC profile for your lab in the color management area)
Print Sharpening: Lightroom previously provided three levels of print sharpening. Impressive new algorithms have been added to automatically determine the correct amount of print sharpening required based on the output media and resolution of the file.
Lightroom 2 SDK
The Lightroom SDK allows you to customize and extend certain Lightroom features by creating plug-ins. In the current release these features are extensible:
Export functionality: You can create an export plug-in, which customizes the behavior of Lightroom's Export dialog and export processing. You can add or remove items from the Export dialog, alter or augment the rendering process, and send images to locations other than files on the local computer.
Metadata: You can define customized public or private metadata fields for Lightroom. Public or private metadata can be associated with individual photos.
Web engine functionality: You can create an HTML web-engine plug-in, which defines a new type of HTML photo gallery. The engines you define appear in the Gallery panel at the upper right of the Web module.
A Lightroom plug-in consists of Lua-language files (scripts) that define the plug-in functionality, and an information or manifest file that describes the contents of the plug-in. The information file must have a specific name, and be placed in a folder with the Lua source files and resource files; the folders may need to be in specific locations.
Lightroom 2 beta vs. Lightroom 2
Changes from LR2 beta to LR2 below:
* Hierarchical Dates and locations in the Library Filter. (Including days of the week for the date) * The Volume Browser in the folder panel. * Improved iconography for folders, collections, collection sets and output collections. * Dedicated keyword input field in the keywording pane. * Ability to add or remove metadata filter columns. * Improved Keyword List interface. (Including filter by keyword to manage and organize keywords) * Repositioned and refined dual monitor support location and experience. (Moved from right to left and the ultimate dual monitor experience is much more polished in terms of performance and stability * Ability to set target collection for quick collection shortcut(b). (Target any collection as the target when you hit the B key) * Lightroom Web, Metadata and Export SDK available on the Adobe Dev Center * Local control improvements o Complete list of local controls including, Exposure, Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, Clarity and a color toning option available for the brush or gradient adjustment tool o Additional gradient adjustment tool o Improved auto-mask functionality o Improved brush performance * Additional post crop vignette options: roundness, feather * DNG Profiles Concept o DNG Profile Editor available on Labs o Profiles for our current raw support list available o Match camera JPEG looks in the Calibration tab by selection Camera Standard profile * Export to JPEG functionality in the Slideshow Module. (Intermediate format for additional authoring tools) * Enhanced output sharpening * 64-bit memory handling improvement
Tom Hogarty (Lightroom’s Product Manager) has the inside track, so his blog is always a good place to start when a new version is released.
Camera Raw 4.5 Camera Raw for Photoshop CS3 has been updated to version 4.5. It will provide exactly the same rendering obtained in Lightroom 2 but will not have all of the new controls provided in Lightroom 2. Download Camera Raw 4.5 and DNG Converter 4.5 (Mac, Win) Camera Profiles and DNG Profile Editor Download the new Profile Editor and Profiles that are available to help provide photographers with a starting point that is appropriate for their raw workflow.
I've been doing my stuff over version 2.0 and I can tell you that this Lightroom will promise great new features and is becoming my main workflow software.
I still think that they need a browser for when you just want to navigate a couple of folders without having to import them. They now have that but you still need to import the folder.
And the winners are ....
Honorable Mention to Rui Lebreiro from Porto PhotoWalk.
Individual Photo Walk Winner from the Lisboa Photowalk Paulo Dias.
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