Lightroom Journal

The Lightroom 1.1 update has been posted.  The update links are below as well as the top reasons to update to Lightroom 1.1. 

Lightroom 1.1 Update Downloads:  Mac   Win

• Improved multiple computer workflow with catalog import/export functionality
• Improved noise reduction and sharpening
• Vista Support
• Additional Camera Support (Canon 1D Mk III, Phase One medium format backs and more)

Update Notes:

• I recommend backing up your 1.0 library file(now catalog) before upgrading.
• The Lightroom 1.1 Readme File contains a more detailed list of new features and notes. (Does anyone ever reads these?)
• For those that tried the Lightroom 1.0 trial and did not purchase Lightroom, the 1.1 update resets the clock and provides another opportunity.
• This update will automatically replace your Lightroom 1.0 application (No need to uninstall)
• As with Lightroom 1.0, feedback on Lightroom 1.1 is always appreciated.  Post your comments on the Lightroom user to user forums or submit feature requests through Adobe.com’s request form.  I read every submission.
• Not sure if Lightroom is running fast enough for you?  Try the Optimze option in the catalog-specific preferences. (See what great information is already provided in the unread ReadMe?)

More information and external resources:

• Stay tuned for updates from Lightroom-News.
• Sean McCormack posted some very nice articles on his Lightroom blog
• Richard Earney has prepared an excellent version 3 of his Lightroom Develop presets on www.inside-lightroom.com
• Victoria Bampton has posted her own list of "What’s New"
• Jeffrey Friedl has a summary of the Lightroom udpate as well as an ingenious tool for customizing your metadata panel called Jeffrey’s Lightroom Metadata-Viewer Preset Builder

Please let me know if I’ve missed any resources that you find valuable.

Last night we released the Camera Raw 4.1 update that includes support for new sharpening and noise reduction functionality as well as support for 13 additional cameras. I’d like to discuss the timing of Camera Raw and Lightroom updates. One of my goals as product manager of both Camera Raw and Lightroom is to have the camera support update of these two applications coincide as closely as possible. However, many have noticed that the official statement from the Camera Raw 4.1 update is that Lightroom will be updated in the “near future.” Why can’t we be more specific? To be honest, it’s driven by the nature of software development. The camera raw plug-in is a discrete portion of code that has quietly matured and delivered numerous incremental updates over the last three years. So when a Camera Raw and DNG Converter update is ready to be released, customers expect Adobe to deliver the solution in the same timely manner that we’ve always provided. Lightroom on the other hand is a brand new product and the team has taken the opportunity to address a number of critiques on Lightroom 1.0 similar to the way the beta program was managed. Testing and qualifying all those improvements is taking more time than it takes us to get the Camera Raw update tested and out the door. I believe that you’ll find it worth the wait. Not only are all the additional raw processing controls found in Camera Raw 4.1 included in the next Lightroom update but we’ve added a few other features that should further streamline your workflow.
For those just looking for the updated camera support, you can use the free DNG Converter to convert your proprietary raw files to a standard that can be read by Lightroom 1.0 as well as prior versions of Adobe’s Camera Raw plug-in. I realize that for many photographers this extra step may not be a viable solution for their high volume workflow. It’s clearly a workaround until the Lightroom 1.1 update is available, something we’re working hard to provide as soon as possible.
Lets keep the dialog going and I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Regards,
Tom Hogarty

 

Here’s another entry i had on my blog in April that might be useful for LR journal subscribers – Barry Young.

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I have been using Lightroom frequently for about 5 months and thought i knew the product fairly well until i started watching Chris Orwig’s Training DVD from Lynda.com.

In the 5.5 hours of play time, I learned a great deal and it’s definitely helped me to work my way through LR a lot quicker and more efficiently. Even the basic F5, F6, F7 and F8 show/hide panel commands, that Chris repeats over and over, has the desired effect of planting those shortcuts in memory so you don’t forget them.

If you’ve been using Photoshop for years (as I have), you may be tempted to think you don’t need training, but believe me it’s worth the time. Lightroom is a completely different beast from Photoshop (and Bridge) and after the training you’ll really appreciate the functionality that LR has to offer.

Here is a link for two books that Chris recommends for Lightroom on his website.

NAPP’s Photoshop User Magazine also now includes Darkroom, a supplemental magazine which focuses purely on Lightroom features.

 

Here’s an entry i posted on my blog a few weeks ago, and thought it would be useful in the LR Journal page for those subscribers. — Barry Young.

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Lightroom has excellent Flash web gallery generation and built-in FTP upload capabilities, but if you use one of the many web services that are out there you may be wondering how to get your photos on the web. Up until last week i was wondering the same thing. Luckily, there is a solution, which came by way of Tom Hogarty, PM for Lightroom.

The solution is to add an uploader executable into the Export Actions folder. Most of the major services (Flickr, Smugmug, etc) have client uploader mechanisms.

I personally use Smugmug and i found a client uploader which worked like a charm. Here’s the steps:

1) Place your executable uploader into:

Win: C:\Documents and Settings\yourname\Application Data\Adobe\Lightroom\Export Actions

Mac:
/[user home]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Export Actions/

NOTE: i created an alias from my original location and pasted into the export actions folder.

2) In LR, select the images you want to upload

3) File > Export Photos

4) Select an existing preset that outputs in to web file sizes (I already had an Export For Web preset that i used previously)

5) In the post processing popup should now be a shortcut to the uploader exe – select it

6) Go back up to the preset popup Save As New Preset – give it a name

7) Now when you click Export it will generate the files and add them to the uploader application ready for upload

If you’re in the Boston area, or headed to Boston for Photoshop World next week, take a look at Ruth Knoll’s Photoshop Soup2Nuts Pre-Conference Session on Tuesday, April 3rd. This session will start at 1PM with a 2-hour Lightroom Workshop led by yours truly, followed by a panel discussion where you’ll get to hear an all-star panel discuss the new arrival of Lightroom v1.0. The panel consists of Andrew Rodney (moderator), Katrin Eismann, Shelly Katz, Thomas Knoll, Jeff Schewe and Mark Hamburg.

In addition to Mr. Knoll and Mr. Hamburg, several key members of the Lightroom team are expected to be present. This worthwhile afternoon will be a great way to kick off your PSW Conference on one of the hottest topics at the show.

Proceeds will honor the memory of Bruce Fraser, through a donation to the non-profit charity of the estate’s choice.

Check out the details at:

http://photoshopsoup2nuts.com/