Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 for Dummies®

Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 for Dummies®

Released September 2008
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9780470345399

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Book description

Take your digital photography to the next level by learning how to use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 with Photoshop Lightroom 2 for Dummies! From how to install Lightroom and navigate the Lightroom interface to playing with advanced options like creating slideshows and sharing photos with friends and family, this easy-to-understand guide will walk you through every step.

You’ll find out all about the Lightroom modules and their functions while understanding the role of the Lightroom catalog, how to care for it, and work with its functions. You will learn everything about working with digital photographs, from distinguishing among various file formats to managing and importing photos. You’ll find out how to view, find, organize and develop photos in the library and utilize the digital darkroom. You’ll even find out how to work with external editors. After reading this book, you will know how to:

  • Install and get started with Lightroom

  • Recognize the role and function of the Lightroom catalog

  • Manage and save files

  • View, find, organize, and develop photos in the library

  • Unleash your creativity with photo editing options

  • Share and export files to share them with friends and family

  • Create copies, slideshows, and web galleries

Complete with lists of ten resources, ten common problems and solutions, and ten favorite tips and tricks, Photoshop Lightroom 2 For Dummies is your one-stop guide to setting up, working with, and making the most of Photoshop Lightroom for all your digital photography needs.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Author
  3. Author's Acknowledgments
  4. Publisher's Acknowledgments
  5. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. How This Book Is Organized
      1. Part I: Setting Yourself Up for Success
      2. Part II: Managing Your Photos
      3. Part III: Working in Your Digital Darkroom
      4. Part IV: Sharing Your Work with the World
      5. Part V: The Part of Tens
    3. Conventions Used in This Book
    4. Icons Used in This Book
    5. Where to Go from Here
  6. I. Setting Yourself Up for Success
    1. 1. Introducing Lightroom
      1. 1.1. Adding Lightroom to Your Photo Toolkit
        1. 1.1.1. Is it well supported?
        2. 1.1.2. Does it play nicely with others?
          1. 1.1.2.1. How Lightroom differs from Photoshop and Adobe Bridge
      2. 1.2. Checking out the Lightroom Modules
        1. 1.2.1. What makes each module unique
        2. 1.2.2. What the modules have in common
        3. 1.2.3. Controlling the interface
        4. 1.2.4. Using the secondary display view
      3. 1.3. Getting Up and Running
        1. 1.3.1. Preparing for installation
        2. 1.3.2. Configuring your settings
          1. 1.3.2.1. General preferences
          2. 1.3.2.2. The Presets preferences
          3. 1.3.2.3. The Import preferences
          4. 1.3.2.4. The External Editing preferences
            1. 1.3.2.4.1. Setting up additional external editors
          5. 1.3.2.5. The File Handling preferences
          6. 1.3.2.6. The Interface preferences
    2. 2. Understanding the Role of the Lightroom Catalog
      1. 2.1. Catalog Basics
        1. 2.1.1. Knowing where the catalog is located
        2. 2.1.2. Choosing which catalog to open
      2. 2.2. Caring for the Catalog
        1. 2.2.1. Backing up your catalog
        2. 2.2.2. Optimizing your catalog
        3. 2.2.3. Managing the Preview cache
        4. 2.2.4. Metadata options
      3. 2.3. Working with Multiple Catalogs
        1. 2.3.1. Transferring data between catalogs
          1. 2.3.1.1. Exporting a catalog
          2. 2.3.1.2. Importing from a catalog
    3. 3. Digital Photo Basics
      1. 3.1. Getting Familiar with File Formats
        1. 3.1.1. Which formats work with Lightroom
        2. 3.1.2. Making sense of bit depth
        3. 3.1.3. What is a color space?
        4. 3.1.4. The pros and cons of shooting raw
      2. 3.2. The Importance of a Color-Managed Workflow
        1. 3.2.1. Calibrating your monitor
        2. 3.2.2. Using printer profiles
      3. 3.3. Preparing for Hard Drive Failure
  7. II. Managing Your Photos
    1. 4. Tackling the Import Process
      1. 4.1. Exploring the Import Photos Dialog Box
      2. 4.2. Actually Importing Your Photos into Lightroom
        1. 4.2.1. Employing an import workflow
          1. 4.2.1.1. Initiating the import
          2. 4.2.1.2. Selecting the photos you want to import
          3. 4.2.1.3. Configure the settings to meet your input needs
        2. 4.2.2. Putting it all together
      3. 4.3. Automatic Import
    2. 5. Viewing and Finding Photos in the Library
      1. 5.1. Exploring the Library Module
        1. 5.1.1. Getting to know the panels and tools
        2. 5.1.2. Becoming familiar with the menu options
          1. 5.1.2.1. Creating a custom identity plate
      2. 5.2. Choosing the Right View for the Right Task
        1. 5.2.1. Working with thumbnails in Grid view
          1. 5.2.1.1. Changing the look of the thumbnails
          2. 5.2.1.2. Changing the sort order
          3. 5.2.1.3. Making efficient use of space with stacks
        2. 5.2.2. Taking a closer look in Loupe view
      3. 5.3. Using the Panels to Access Your Photos
        1. 5.3.1. Getting the 20,000-foot view from the Catalog panel
        2. 5.3.2. Using the Folders panel like a file browser
          1. 5.3.2.1. Adding new folders and subfolders to the Folders panel
          2. 5.3.2.2. Keeping the catalog in sync with the folders
        3. 5.3.3. Grouping photos into collections
          1. 5.3.3.1. Quick Collection
          2. 5.3.3.2. Smart collections
      4. 5.4. Creating Multiple Versions with Virtual Copies
    3. 6. Organizing and Developing from the Library
      1. 6.1. Evaluating Photos
        1. 6.1.1. Survey view
        2. 6.1.2. Compare view
        3. 6.1.3. Impromptu slideshow
      2. 6.2. Adjusting Your Photos in the Library Module
        1. 6.2.1. Using the Histogram to analyze your photos
        2. 6.2.2. Making adjustments with the Quick Develop panel
      3. 6.3. Making Choices: Flags, Ratings, and Color Labels
        1. 6.3.1. Using flags to pick the winners from the losers
          1. 6.3.1.1. Deleting photos from Lightroom
        2. 6.3.2. Using ratings to rank images
        3. 6.3.3. Applying color labels to differentiate images
      4. 6.4. Moving Beyond Camera-Generated Filenames and Metadata
        1. 6.4.1. Batch renaming with filename templates
        2. 6.4.2. Creating metadata templates to embed information into each image
      5. 6.5. Keywording
        1. 6.5.1. Adding and organizing keywords
        2. 6.5.2. Using the Keyword List to find photos
      6. 6.6. Using the Painter Tool
      7. 6.7. Finding Photos with the Filter Bar
  8. III. Working in Your Digital Darkroom
    1. 7. Develop Module Basics
      1. 7.1. Exploring the Develop Module
        1. 7.1.1. Getting to know the panels and tools
        2. 7.1.2. Becoming familiar with the menu options
        3. 7.1.3. Understanding the view options
          1. 7.1.3.1. The Loupe view
          2. 7.1.3.2. The Before and After views
        4. 7.1.4. Applying settings to other photos
      2. 7.2. The Presets, Snapshots, and History Triple Play
        1. 7.2.1. Saving time with presets
          1. 7.2.1.1. Creating your own presets
        2. 7.2.2. Freezing time with snapshots
        3. 7.2.3. Going back in time with the History panel
      3. 7.3. Development Essentials
        1. 7.3.1. Using the Histogram panel
        2. 7.3.2. Making basic adjustments
        3. 7.3.3. Controlling color casts
        4. 7.3.4. Adjusting tonal range to bring out the best
        5. 7.3.5. Making images pop
      4. 7.4. Fixing Common Problems
        1. 7.4.1. Creating strong compositions through cropping
        2. 7.4.2. Removing spots and healing blemishes
        3. 7.4.3. Correcting red-eye problems
        4. 7.4.4. Graduated Filter
          1. 7.4.4.1. New versus Edit
          2. 7.4.4.2. Putting the tool to use
        5. 7.4.5. Adjustment Brush
          1. 7.4.5.1. New versus Edit
          2. 7.4.5.2. Putting the brush to use
    2. 8. Taking Your Photos to the Next Level
      1. 8.1. Working with Contrast and Color
        1. 8.1.1. Mastering the Tone Curve
          1. 8.1.1.1. Applying a preset
          2. 8.1.1.2. Interacting with the curve
          3. 8.1.1.3. Sliding the sliders
          4. 8.1.1.4. Using the Target Adjustment Tool
        2. 8.1.2. Enhancing and changing colors
        3. 8.1.3. Creating black and white images
        4. 8.1.4. Adding color to shadows and highlights
      2. 8.2. The Devil's in the Details
        1. 8.2.1. Applying capture sharpening
        2. 8.2.2. Dealing with noise
        3. 8.2.3. Reducing chromatic aberration
      3. 8.3. Working with Vignetting
        1. 8.3.1. Correcting a photo with a vignette
        2. 8.3.2. Creative vignette applications
      4. 8.4. Modifying the Camera Calibration Settings
    3. 9. Using an External Editor
      1. 9.1. Configuring Your External Editors
      2. 9.2. Basic Editing in an External Editor
      3. 9.3. Advanced Editing Options with Photoshop CS3
  9. IV. Sharing Your Work with the World
    1. 10. Exporting Photos
      1. 10.1. Exploring the Export Dialog Box
      2. 10.2. Creating Copies of Processed Photos
        1. 10.2.1. Employing an export workflow
          1. 10.2.1.1. Step 1: Selecting the images you want to export
          2. 10.2.1.2. Step 2: Initiating the export command
          3. 10.2.1.3. Step 3: Configuring settings as needed to meet your output needs
            1. 10.2.1.3.1. The Export Location panel
            2. 10.2.1.3.2. The File Naming panel
            3. 10.2.1.3.3. The File Settings panel
            4. 10.2.1.3.4. The Image Sizing panel
            5. 10.2.1.3.5. The Output Sharpening panel
            6. 10.2.1.3.6. The Metadata panel
            7. 10.2.1.3.7. The Post-Processing panel
        2. 10.2.2. Saving settings as a preset for reuse
        3. 10.2.3. Putting it all together
      3. 10.3. Extending Possibilities with Export Plugins
    2. 11. Producing a Slideshow
      1. 11.1. Exploring the Slideshow Module
        1. 11.1.1. Getting to know the panels and tools
        2. 11.1.2. Becoming familiar with the menu options
      2. 11.2. Creating a Slideshow
        1. 11.2.1. Employing a slideshow workflow
          1. 11.2.1.1. Step 1: Bring your photos to the Slideshow module
          2. 11.2.1.2. Step 2: Select a template for your starting point
          3. 11.2.1.3. Step 3: Customize the slideshow as desired
            1. 11.2.1.3.1. Options panel
            2. 11.2.1.3.2. Layout panel
            3. 11.2.1.3.3. Overlays panel
            4. 11.2.1.3.4. Backdrop panel
            5. 11.2.1.3.5. Titles panel
            6. 11.2.1.3.6. Playback panel
          4. 11.2.1.4. Step 4: Save your settings as a template for reuse
          5. 11.2.1.5. Step 5: Save your photos and settings as a special module collection
        2. 11.2.2. Putting it all together
      3. 11.3. Playing the Slideshow for Your Audience
        1. 11.3.1. Playback
        2. 11.3.2. Export
    3. 12. Building a Web Gallery
      1. 12.1. Exploring the Web Module
        1. 12.1.1. Getting to know the panels and tools
        2. 12.1.2. Becoming familiar with the menu options
      2. 12.2. What's the Difference between Flash and HTML?
      3. 12.3. Creating a Web Gallery
        1. 12.3.1. Employing a Web gallery workflow
          1. 12.3.1.1. Step 1: Bring your photos to the Web gallery module
          2. 12.3.1.2. Step 2: Select a template or gallery type for your starting point
          3. 12.3.1.3. Step 3: Customize as desired
            1. 12.3.1.3.1. Site Info panel
            2. 12.3.1.3.2. Color Palette panel
            3. 12.3.1.3.3. Appearance panel
            4. 12.3.1.3.4. Image Info panel
            5. 12.3.1.3.5. Output Settings panel
          4. 12.3.1.4. Step 4: Save your settings as a template for reuse
          5. 12.3.1.5. Step 5: Save your photos and settings as a special module collection
        2. 12.3.2. Putting it all together
      4. 12.4. Web Gallery Output Options
        1. 12.4.1. Uploading your gallery with Lightroom
        2. 12.4.2. Exporting your gallery
    4. 13. Making Your Own Prints
      1. 13.1. Exploring the Print module
        1. 13.1.1. Getting to know the panels and tools
        2. 13.1.2. Becoming familiar with the menu options
      2. 13.2. Setting Up a Print Job
        1. 13.2.1. Employing a print workflow
          1. 13.2.1.1. Step 1: Bring your photos to the Print module
          2. 13.2.1.2. Step 2: Configure your page setup
          3. 13.2.1.3. Step 3: Select a layout engine for your starting point
          4. 13.2.1.4. Step 4: Customize the layout as desired
            1. 13.2.1.4.1. Image Settings
            2. 13.2.1.4.2. Layout
            3. 13.2.1.4.3. Guides
            4. 13.2.1.4.4. Rulers, Grid & Guides
            5. 13.2.1.4.5. Cells
            6. 13.2.1.4.6. Overlays
          5. 13.2.1.5. Step 5: Configure the output settings
            1. 13.2.1.5.1. Print Job
          6. 13.2.1.6. Step 6: Save your settings for reuse
          7. 13.2.1.7. Step 7: Save your photos and settings as a special module collection
          8. 13.2.1.8. Step 8: Printing the layout
          9. 13.2.1.9. Putting it all together
      3. 13.3. Working With Your Printer
  10. V. The Part of Tens
    1. 14. Ten Resources All Lightroom Users Need To Know
      1. 14.1. Making the Most of Adobe's Online Support Center
      2. 14.2. Lightroom Community Help
      3. 14.3. Lightroom Journal
      4. 14.4. George Jardine on Lightroom and Digital Photography
      5. 14.5. Lightroom-News.com
      6. 14.6. The National Association of Photoshop Professionals
      7. 14.7. Lightroom Killer Tips
      8. 14.8. Lightroom Forums
      9. 14.9. Lightroom Galleries
      10. 14.10. Lightroomers!
    2. 15. Ten Common Lightroom Problems and Their Solutions
      1. 15.1. Lightroom Troubleshooting 101
      2. 15.2. Restoring a Catalog from a Backup
      3. 15.3. How to Uninstall and Reinstall Lightroom
      4. 15.4. The Black/Blank Slideshow Problem
      5. 15.5. My Slideshow Stops after a Few Photos and Jumps Back to the Beginning
      6. 15.6. The Minimize, Maximize, and Close Buttons Have Vanished
      7. 15.7. Lightroom Shows Photos Are Missing, but I Know They're There
      8. 15.8. Previews Are Gray or Show a Color Cast
      9. 15.9. Previews Change After Import
      10. 15.10. Lightroom Seems Sluggish

Product information

  • Title: Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 for Dummies®
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: September 2008
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9780470345399