Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic For Dummies

Learn to make your digital photos *pop* with easy-to-follow help using AI-powered software from Adobe

With no prior photography or editing experience necessary, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic For Dummies delivers a must-have walkthrough for taking your photos to the next level using Adobe’s powerful consumer software. You’ll learn the fundamentals of opening your pictures, managing your photo library, and fixing common problems—like redeye and poor lighting—before jumping into more advanced topics, like creating slideshows and troubleshooting problems.

The perfect place to begin learning how to improve your family photos, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic For Dummies also helps you discover:

• How to take control of and organize your photo library
• How to apply common artificial intelligence-powered photo enhancements with the click of a mouse
• Ways to share your photos with the world, both digitally and on paper

The premier jumping-off point for aspiring photo editors everywhere, this book is a can’t-miss resource for anyone who wants to make the most of their digital photo collection and for professionals who want to expand their design skillset by learning Adobe Lightroom Classic.

Rob Sylvan is a photographer, educator, and writer. Rob also authors and curates tutorials found within the Photoshop and Lightroom applications, is a Canon Product Educator, writes for LightroomKillerTips.com, regularly contributes to Photoshop User magazine, and teaches at photography industry conferences such as Adobe MAX, Photoshop World, PHOTOPLUS, and more.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

How This Book Is Organized 2

Part 1: Getting Started with Lightroom Classic 2

Part 2: Managing Your Photos with Lightroom Classic 3

Part 3: Working in Lightroom Classic’s Digital Darkroom 3

Part 4: Sharing Your Work with the World 3

Part 5: The Part of Tens 3

Conventions Used in This Book 3

Icons Used in This Book 4

Beyond the Book 5

Where to Go from Here 5

Part 1: Getting Started With Lightroom Classic 7

Chapter 1: Getting to Know Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 9

The Two Versions of Lightroom 10

Understanding the Creative Cloud 11

Creative Cloud Photography Plan 11

Figuring out whether Lightroom Classic is right for you 12

Knowing whether you need the new Lightroom 13

Introducing the Lightroom Classic Interface 14

Getting what makes each module unique 14

What the Lightroom Classic modules have in common 19

Controlling the Lightroom Classic interface 21

Using Lightroom Classic’s secondary display view 23

Getting Up and Running 25

Preparing for installation 25

Chapter 2: Working with Catalogs 27

Understanding How the Catalog Works 27

One catalog to rule them all 28

Knowing where the catalog is located 29

Choosing which catalog to open 30

Caring for the Catalog 32

Backing up your catalog 33

Optimizing your catalog 36

Managing the preview cache files 36

Exploring the Metadata options 40

Working with Multiple Catalogs 42

Transferring data between catalogs 43

Chapter 3: Lightroom Classic Basics That You Should Know 47

Configuring Lightroom Classic Preferences 47

General preferences 48

The Presets preferences 49

The External Editing preferences 50

Setting up additional external editors 52

The File Handling preferences 53

The Interface preferences 54

The Performance preferences 56

The Lightroom Sync preferences 58

The Display preferences 58

The Network preferences 58

Local Storage versus Cloud Storage 59

Local storage 59

Cloud storage 59

What if I stop my subscription? 60

Getting Familiar with File Formats 61

Supported file formats 62

Making sense of bit depth 63

Understanding color spaces 65

Part 2: Managing Your Photos With Lightroom Classic 67

Chapter 4: Tackling the Lightroom Classic Import Process 69

Knowing How the Import Process Works 69

Exploring the Import Dialog 70

Importing Your Photos into Lightroom Classic 74

Employing an effective import workflow 74

Putting it all together 82

Auto Import 85

Shooting Tethered 87

Chapter 5: Viewing and Finding Photos in the Library 91

Exploring the Library Module 91

Getting to know the panels and tools 92

Becoming familiar with the menu options 94

Creating a custom identity plate 95

Choosing the Right View for the Task 98

Working with thumbnails in Grid view 98

Taking a closer look in Loupe view 102

Using the Panels to Access Your Photos 105

Getting the 20,000-foot view from the Catalog panel 105

Using the Folders panel like a file browser 105

Grouping photos into collections 109

Creating Multiple Versions with Virtual Copies 114

Chapter 6: Getting Organized with the Library 117

Evaluating Photos 118

Survey view 118

Compare view 119

Flags, Ratings, and Color Labels 121

Deleting photos from Lightroom Classic 124

Using ratings to rank images 125

Applying color labels to photos 125

Applying color labels to folders and collections 126

Filtering folders and collections 127

Filenames and Metadata 128

Batch renaming with filename templates 128

Creating metadata templates to embed information into each image 129

Keywording 131

Adding and organizing keywords 133

Using the Keyword List to find photos 136

Using the Painter Tool 137

Finding Photos with the Library Filter Bar 137

Chapter 7: Exploring the Library Module’s Advanced Features 141

People View 141

Finding faces 142

Tagging faces with names 143

Adjusting Your Photos in the Library 146

Considering the Histogram 146

Making adjustments with Quick Develop 147

Merging Photos into HDR and Panos 149

Photo Merge to HDR 149

Photo Merge to Panorama 151

Photo Merge to HDR Pano 153

Super-size it 154

What Is DNG? 155

Types of DNG 156

Converting to DNG 157

Putting Photos on the Map 159

Getting oriented to the Map module 159

Map module basics 160

PART 3: WORKING IN LIGHTROOM CLASSIC’S DIGITAL DARKROOM 163

Chapter 8: Editing Photos in the Develop Module 165

Exploring the Develop Module 166

Getting to know the panels and tools 166

Becoming familiar with the menu options 168

Understanding the view options 168

Applying settings to other photos 172

Development Essentials 173

Using the Histogram panel 174

Making basic adjustments 176

Choosing a starting profile 177

Controlling color casts 179

Adjusting tonal range to bring out the best 181

Making images pop 183

Customizing panel order 184

Chapter 9: Solving Problems and Saving Time 185

Fixing Common Problems 186

Stronger compositions through cropping 186

Removing spots and healing blemishes 188

Correcting red-eye problems 191

Correcting pet eye problems 192

Get oriented to Masking 193

Radial Gradient 201

Brush 202

Select Subject and Select Sky 203

Presets, Snapshots, and History 204

Saving time with presets 204

Freezing time with snapshots 206

Going back in time with the History panel 206

Chapter 10: Taking Your Photos to the Next Level 209

Working with Contrast and Color 210

Mastering the Tone Curve 210

Enhancing and changing colors 214

Creating black-and-white images 216

Adding color to shadows and highlights 219

The Devil’s in the Details 221

Applying capture sharpening 221

Dealing with noise 224

Correcting lens distortions and vignetting 226

Reducing chromatic aberration 228

Transforming perspective distortions 230

Creative Effects 232

Creative vignette applications 233

Creative grain applications 234

Modifying the Calibration Settings 235

Part 4: Sharing Your Work With the World 237

Chapter 11: Exporting Copies and Using External Editors 239

Exploring the Export Dialog 240

Creating Copies of Processed Photos 242

Employing an export workflow 242

Saving settings as a preset for reuse 255

Creating a Batch Export 258

Configuring Your External Editors 258

Basic Editing in an External Editor 261

Advanced Editing Options with Photoshop 264

Chapter 12: Designing a Book 267

Exploring the Book Module 267

Getting to know the panels and tools 268

Becoming familiar with the menu options 269

Setting Up a Book 270

Employing a book workflow 270

Some things to keep in mind 283

Chapter 13: Producing a Slideshow 285

Exploring the Slideshow Module 285

Getting to know the panels and tools 286

Becoming familiar with the menu options 287

Creating a Slideshow 288

Employing a slideshow workflow 288

Playing the Slideshow for Your Audience 301

Playback 301

Export 302

Chapter 14: Printing Your Work 305

Exploring the Print Module 305

Getting to know the panels and tools 306

Becoming familiar with the menu options 308

Setting Up a Print Job 309

Employing a print workflow 309

Chapter 15: Creating a Web Gallery 327

Exploring the Web Module 327

Getting to know the panels and tools 328

Becoming familiar with the menu options 329

Creating a Web Gallery 330

Employing a web gallery workflow 330

Web Gallery Output Options 338

Uploading your gallery with Lightroom Classic 338

Exporting your gallery 340

Part 5: The Part of Tens 343

Chapter 16: Ten Things to Know About Using Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Together 345

Why Would You Use Them Together? 346

Know Before You Go 347

Setting It Up 347

Lightroom Classic Preferences 348

Syncing Collections from Lightroom Classic 349

Making Collections Public 350

All Synced Photographs 350

Collections or Albums? 351

Lightroom for Mobile Interface 351

Change Is a Constant 352

Chapter 17: Ten Things to Know About Organizing and Editing in Lightroom 353

Help & Support 354

All Photos and Filtering 354

Segmentation and View Options 355

Adobe Sensei Search 355

Adding Photos from Camera Roll 356

Apply During Import 358

Creating Albums and Folders 358

Applying Ratings and Flags 360

Edit Photos Anywhere 360

Export Copies 362

Chapter 18: Ten Things to Know About Using the Lightroom Mobile Camera 365

Shooting in Raw Mode (DNG) 366

Shooting in Professional Mode 367

Using Shoot-through Presets 368

Helpful Overlays 369

Self Timer, Burst Mode, and Remote Trigger 370

Last Photo Preview 370

Exposure Lock 371

In-Camera HDR Mode 371

Take a Selfie or Switch Lenses 371

Camera Launch Shortcuts 372

Index 373

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