LIGHTROOM – Looking to the Future
Additions and Modifications to Speaker Notes to be used in conjunction with the speaker notes provided at NECCC
Introduction Between the times my speaker notes were compiled and the NECCC Conference Photoshop Lightroom has been upgraded to Version 1.1
This is a significant upgrade and a number of new features have been added, some very significant. Each module is addressed in this addendum:
Library Module You can now use Ctrl-click or right-clicking on a photo to locate and viewing the image folder in the Library
You can now convert virtual copy of an image as the master and the original master will become the virtual copy.
The Find panel layout has been improved for better searching of image files.
In the library tool bar the old Keyword Stamper tool is now a Spry Can – this is now a general purpose applicator. It can be used to apply keywords, ratings, flags, labels, develop presets, metadata presets, and rotations. The icon can be used to click-and-drag to apply the specified content to multiple photos at one time.
By using Ctrl-click or right-click on a folder in the Library you will see a new "Synchronize Folder" command. Clicking this will check for new images in the folder, check for missing photos and scan for metadata updates.
Catalog Export provides the ability to create a new catalog of any active selection. This will create a new independent catalog file including only the selected images. The exported catalog has the option to include the master files or negatives and the previews associated with the files. This is ideal for image portability between computers.
Similarly Catalog import provides the ability to merge existing catalogs of different or identical images. Catalog import conflict: If the file sets overlap during a catalog import, the import dialog offers several options for "Existing Photos."
Metadata Snapsots in the Develop module are now stored in XMP and Metadata can now be updated in the file using the Command(ctrl) + S shortcut.
The Metadata menu has a new option to update previews along with metadata in DNG. This menu will operate on your selection in the grid view.
The copyright status field has been added to the metadata panel and Metadata presets can now be viewed, renamed, deleted, and updated in the Edit Presets dialog.
The metadata browser now shows ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Label
Develop module:
Clarity: This is a brand new control available in the Basic panel. Clarity adds depth to an image by increasing local contrast.
Clarity literally adds “punch” to any image – it is a very complex contrast tool that uses a technique similar to Local Contrast Enhancement, like in Unsharp Mask where a low amount and large Radius is used thereby increasing contrast in your image. It builds a mask of the image so that the USM is only applied to the mid tones which really gives the image the “punch”.
When using this setting, it is best to zoom in to 100% or greater. To maximize the effect, increase the setting until you see halos near the edge details of the image, and then reduce the setting slightly.
Sharpening Here is another set of tremendous enhancements. You can now use sharpening in Lightroom rather than having to go to Photoshop.
Here are the controls: Remember to set the zoom level 100% or greater for viewing the effects of these controls.
Amount: Adjusts edge definition. Increase the Amount value to increase sharpening. A value of zero turns off sharpening.
For cleaner images, set Amount to a lower value. This adjustment locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels based on the threshold you specify and increases the contrast of the pixel by the amount you specify. Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while dragging this slider to view the sharpening. The view is in grayscale.
Radius: Adjusts the size of the details that sharpening is applied to. Images with very fine details will require a lower radius setting, whereas images with larger details can have larger radius applied.
Use the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while dragging this slider to preview the effect of this adjustment on edge definition.
Detail: Adjusts how much high-frequency information is sharpened in the image and how much the sharpening process emphasizes edges. Lower settings primarily sharpen edges to remove blurring. Higher values will make the making the textures in the image more pronounced.
Masking: This is a fantastic enhancement that controls an edge mask. With a setting of zero, everything in the image receives the same amount of sharpening. With a setting of 100, sharpening is mostly restricted to those areas near the strongest edges.
Use Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while dragging this slider to see the areas to be sharpened (white) versus the areas that will be masked out (black).
In addition, you can also load a snapshot or history state into the Before view by ctrl-clicking or right-clicking it in the panel.
Slideshow module The Slideshow module has been enhanced. The slide transitions are now much smoother. Also now by default, slideshows will now only include the selected photos if there is more than one photo selected.
Print module A new checkbox has been added next to Print Resolution. Turning off this checkbox will cause the native resolution of the photo to be used as long as it is within 72 and 480 ppi.
An overlay on the print preview will show the dimensions of the photo inside each cell (in the print units) and if a specific resolution is not being used it will show the resolution that each image will be printed at.br> Web module
Now you can include all metadata with files generated from Web, or to elect to minimize the metadata to just the content of the Copyright field.
Generate web pages of only selected photos and the ability to turn off section borders and apply drop-shadows and photo borders.