Adobe Photoshop Lightroom: Getting Started Guide

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© 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom™ Getting Started Guide
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Part number: 90062862

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Contents
4
Overview
6
Library: Working with Images in Lightroom
14
Library: Viewing & Using Your Catalog
24
Develop: Image Adjustments
40
Develop: Exporting Images
50
Slideshow
60
Print
68
Web
76
Resources
77
Index
iii

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overview
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
offers a complete environment
for digital photography, from
raw capture to creative output.
Start with the Library module,
where you import images into
your Lightroom catalog, move
seamlessly to the Develop
module to perform advanced
image adjustments (or export
LiBrArY
them to Photoshop), and share
your photos as slideshows,
prints, or web pages.
4
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom | Getting Started Guide

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sLiDesHow
DeveLoP
Print
weB
export to
Photoshop
Introduction
5

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Library | Develop | Slideshow | Print | Web
working witH imAges in LigHtroom
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom manages your photos by cataloging
your image files and all their associated metadata and settings.
Importing photos into Lightroom is the first step in working with
your photos. The Import dialog box offers valuable tools, including
file handling options, metadata templates, keywording,
and exposure presets.

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Library
7

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You must import photos into your Lightroom catalog to begin
For convenience, you can set up Lightroom preferences to detect
working with them. Importing tells Lightroom what photos you
when a memory card is connected to your computer. Lightroom
want to work with. Once imported, Lightroom starts building
wil automatical y bring up the Import dialog for the images on that
previews and cataloging metadata for each image.
card. Using Lightroom as your primary image management tool can
save you steps and speed up your workflow. Choose Lightroom >
Preferences (Macintosh) or Edit > Preferences (Windows).
Photoshop Lightroom Window Overview, Library Module
8
Library | Develop | Slideshow | Print | Web

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imPorting PHotos
FiLe HAnDLing
Importing images into Lightroom
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Move Photos to a New Location and
is the first step. Images can be
gives you four ways to handle your
Import relocates the original image
imported from memory cards,
imported files.
files to the User > Pictures folder.
removable media (CDs, DVDs), or
Advantage: This will be helpful if you have
hard drives, and can be in a variety
1 Look at your file handling
limited hard drive space or just want to keep
of formats: camera raw files, JPEG,
options in the menu at the top
all your files in one place without creating
DNG, TIFF, and PSD.
of the Import Photos dialog box.
duplicates.
Four choices appear.
If you’re not already shooting raw
Copy Photos as Digital Negative
files, we recommend that you adopt
Import Photos at Their Current
(DNG) and Import converts the image
this method for your photography
Location leaves the images where
files to DNG (digital negative) and
workflow. A raw file contains more
they are and stores their location
then adds them to your catalog.
information, and as you’ll later see in
in the Lightroom database.
Advantage: Lightroom writes metadata
the Develop module, Lightroom can
directly to the DNG file instead of using
Advantage: Lightroom lets you preserve
easily change the color balance and
a sidecar file and provides an openly
the current organizational structure of
recover blown highlights and other
documented alternative to proprietary
your folders.
raw file formats.
details you might have lost when
capturing JPEGs.
Copy Photos to a New Location and
2 Select Copy Photos as Digital
Import will leave the originals in their
Negative (DNG) and Import.
1 Make sure you have selected the
current location and add duplicate
Library module. Choose File >
files to Lightroom.
Import Photos from Disk and navigate
Advantage: Copying your images keeps your
to the images you want to import.
data in two locations until you are ready
to delete the first set of data as an added
Lightroom has options for backing
measure of safety.
up your images, renaming, applying
Develop presets, and adding
metadata and keywords during
the import process.
Library
9

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orgAnizing imAges
Metadata
Copying or moving your images
The remaining Organize choices
Metadata is information about data.
into Lightroom displays additional
are variations on organizing by date:
Lightroom writes exposure and
processing information, camera exif
options that determine how your
YYYY/MM/DD, YYYY/YYYY/MM/DD,
(Interchangeable Image File) data,
images are stored.
YYYY/Month/DD, and so forth.
copyright and image ratings to the
embedded XMP in PSD, TIFF, JPEG,
The default option, By Original
Advantage: Many photographers track their
and DNG files and in sidecar XMP
Folders, creates a new folder with
images by the date they were shot. This
files for camera raw files.
option allows you to continue to reference
the same name as the folder that
your images in the same manner.
Camera Raw
contained the imported images.
The raw file format is the digital
version of a negative. Just as a
Advantage: This is a good choice if you store
negative needs to be printed for
your images in folders according to the name
optimum visibility of the reverse
of the shoot.
image captured on the film, a digital-
raw file must be processed from 1s
The next choice is Into One Folder.
and 0s into a format that can be read
This creates a folder of images
and manipulated. When combined
with a workflow tool like Lightroom,
for your entire Lightroom catalog,
the raw file format gives you greater
and displays an option that enables
control over the final image.
you to add a named subfolder
on import.
DNG
Adobe’s Digital Negative (DNG) is an
archival format for raw files generated
Advantage: This is a good choice if you
by digital cameras. DNG addresses
are importing from memory cards, or from
the lack of an open standard for the
an unorganized group of images. You
proprietary raw files created by
can establish a logical order by creating
individual camera models and helps
named subfolders during import.
ensure that photographers will be
able to access their files in the future.
The free Adobe DNG converter easily
translates raw files from popular
camera models.
For more information please go to:
http://www.adobe.com/products/
dng/index.html
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Library | Develop | Slideshow | Print | Web

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