All Entries in the "FAQ" Category
Social Networking Advice for Digital Photographers
A student in this week’s Lightroom for Photographers Workshop at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography asked for advice on social networking for photographers. Here is a short list of books and references that I have found useful in my understanding of this new emerging way of advertising your business. Helpful Websites: Seth Godin New [...]
Importing Images: Getting Your iPhoto Images to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v3
Moving images from iPhoto over to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom can be tricky because each program creates its own index. To do this right, you have to understand that these two programs do not work together. Moving files from one program to the other requires “exporting” a copy of your image from one program and then “importing” that file into the other….
Upgrading from Lightroom 2 to Lightroom 3
So, you’ve heard that Lightroom 3 is out. You’ve read about some of the new features for professional photographers. You’re sold. Now it’s time to upgrade.
Advice on Buying Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
Life is all about choices and software purchasing is no different. To get your copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, you could buy the product directly from Adobe, you could purchase the software from an online retailer, or you could pick up a copy at your local computer box store. So does your choice make any difference?
Backing Up a Mac with Carbon Copy Cloner
I am fond of a backup utility called Carbon Copy Cloner on my Mac. This wonderful little program has saved me from total disaster when one of my hard drives dies. Click here to learn more and to see my video tutorial on how I use this software to protect an entire hard drive full of photographs.
Backing Up Windows Computers Using Acronis True Image– Updated
Maintaining an up-to-date backup is painless if you choose the right software. For Windows (PC) users my favorite backup software is a product called Acronis True Image Home 2010. Click here to read more about backups and to see video tutorials on how to use this excellent backup utility.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom vs. The Adobe Bridge
This article is a follow-up to a recent post on how Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom differ. This time, we will explore the differences between the Adobe Bridge and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Lightroom Installation Issues with Snow Leopard (Mac OS 10.6)
Help! I have been trying to upgrade lightroom 1.1 to version two however Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v.2 will not install on my imac. My mac is using the 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Operating System. What’s wrong?
Camera Raw Profiles in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Reader Question:I recently shot some pictures with a Nikon D300 in raw. When I downloaded these raw files into Lightroom 2.5 the brilliant colors that I saw on the camera changed to dull within Lightroom. It actually happened as I watched, one after another, the pics on lightroom changed from brilliant to dull after the download was complete. Any Clues?
How to Update Adobe Photoshop Lightroom on a Mac
Keeping your installation of Lightroom and Photoshop up-to-date is important…and not too complicated. Check out this article for more details on how to download and install both Lightroom and Camera Raw updates.
Reader Question: Why does Lightroom tell me that my raw files are damaged but they work just fine in the Adobe Bridge?
Reader Question: “When I insert my flash card into my card reader, and try to use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to import my new files, I get a message that tells me that they are damaged. I tried opening the same files using the Adobe Bridge and they worked just fine. What is happening?”
If you are experiencing this problem please read this post. It might solve your problems!
Proper Exposure With a Digital Camera
The digital camera’s sensor does not see the world the way our eyes do. With our eyes, brightness and tonal variation are linear, but for the camera this scale is logarithmic. Basically, this means that the camera can record lots of tonal variation at the brightest end of the spectrum but it captures very little tonal variation at the darker end.
Cleaning a Digital SLR Camera
Dust spots on the sensor are annoying. Fixing spots in Photoshop or in Lightroom is time consuming. Most modern digital SLR cameras feature an internal cleaning feature that works up to a certain point. Sadly, even the best internal cleaning system is no match for this dusty, dirty world. Sooner or later, you are going to need to clean the camera yourself. Read on to learn about my favorite sensor cleaning equipment.
Digital Camera File Formats: Raw and Jpeg–Updated
Most digital SLR cameras can record images using either a Raw or a Jpeg file format. Both formats have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is up to you to decide which option is the most appropriate for the way that you work and for the equipment that you have at your disposal. Of the two formats, Raw is both the most straightforward and, ironically, the most complex.
The Mega-Important Automatically Write Changes into XMP Switch
Today’s article is all about the “Automatically write changes into XMP” switch which lives inside of the Metadata tab. When I teach classes, I call this the “happiness vs. unhappiness switch” and from the factory it is set to unhappiness! The good folks at Adobe make fantastic software, but they don’t always pick the best words for their buttons and knobs. “Automatically write changes into XMP” should have been labeled “Auto-Save.”
Setting Preferences in Lightroom 2– Updated Now with Video!
Lightroom has the power to be the photographic computer program that you spend the vast majority of your time in. Because of this, you want to make sure that you’ve tweaked it to perform just the way you want it to.
Check out this article for descriptions of each of the preference settings, as well as my recommendations for each.
How to get your Lightroom Catalog onto an External Hard Drive
Today’s tutorial is on how to get your Lightroom Catalog files onto an external hard drive. This process of moving an existing Catalog, or creating a brand new Catalog, on an external drive is one of the very first things that we do in my Lightroom workshops. I know that this process is not one of the most interesting part of digital photography, but I truly believe that the long-term benefits are worth the extra hassle. Please read this tutorial and watch the video to find out how I move my Catalog files from drive to drive.
Archives and Backup Copies
Most digital photographers are not taking the time to properly protect their precious digital images. As a professional photographer, the idea of losing a single important image scares me, but losing everything that I have ever shot because my computer crashes horrifies me. Ask yourself, “What would I lose if my computer died right now?”
Let me say this to you in bold for maximum impact: If you have neglected to prepare for total system failure, then you should expect to lose everything when disaster inevitably strikes.
How to Format an External Hard Drive – Updated
Regardless of brand or model, the very first thing that you must do when you buy a brand new external hard drive is to format it properly for your system. Format your new disk immediately, before you start using it for backup or for additional file storage. It is essential that you do this right away, before you start using the drive, because the formatting process erases everything on the external disk.
Read on for more information about properly formatting an external hard drive.
Reader Question: Can you recommend a good book on Lightroom 2?
Michal writes “I just upgraded to Lightroom 2.2 so now I would like your advice on a ‘How-To Book’ to purchase so that I can continue learning about the program…. I’m more computer-illiterate than computer-literate, so something that covers the basics in detail is important.”
Please read on for the answer.
MacWorld 2009 Keynote Wrap-Up
There were some fun new announcements today at the MacWorld 2009 Keynote Address. Much attention was focused on this year’s conference because it will be the last (apparently) that Apple will actually be attending and because Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, didn’t do the keynote presentation today. It was given, instead, by Apple’s Senior VP of Product Marketing, Philip Schiller.
Read on for interesting news about iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iTunes, and, of course, the new 17″ MacBook Pro!
Reader Question: Installing Lightroom on Multiple Computers
Reader and Twitter user Scott asks, “Do you know if the Lightroom license allows it to be installed on a desktop and a laptop at the same time?”
Please read on for the answer.
Reader Question: Catalogs vs. Libraries vs. Folders in Lightroom
Reader Jeff asks on Twitter, “Would love to better understand the relationship between the terms catalogue, library, and folders as applied to Lightroom.”
Read on for the answer.
Reader Question: Correcting an Incorrect ISO Setting
Reader “K” asks, “Is there any way to fix or correct pictures that I shot at ISO 100 that should have been shot at 1600?! I went to a concert and got so caught up in just being there and up close and personal that I never even thought about my ISO! I’m sitting here going through them…I have looked everywhere to see if there’s anything to do to fix it, and I’m pretty much coming to the conclusion that DELETE is the answer for most of them!!!”
Read on for the answer.
Reader Question: Moving Images From One Computer To Another
Martin asks, “How can I transfer the photos in Lightroom on my Apple laptop to Lightroom on my Apple tower?”
Read on for the answer.
Reader Question: Canon 5D Mark II Support in Lightroom
Nancee asks, “I’ve heard a rumor that the new Canon 5D Mark II camera will not be compatible with either Lightroom or Bridge as a RAW converter. Say it isn’t so!!!”
Read on for the answer.
Reader Question: LCD vs. LED Displays
Janelle asks: “I was wondering if you could explain how the new [Apple] LED [Cinema] display differs from the LCD displays? I was hoping someone could help me understand this before I purchase.”
Read on for the answer and a follow-up question.
Upgrading from Lightroom 1 to Lightroom 2
So, you’re ready to make the jump? You’ve been using Lightroom 1 for a while, and you think you’d like to try out version 2? Well, good idea. The switch isn’t too painful at all. In fact, you can download the trial of Lightroom 2 for free and try it out for 30 days.
Here are the instructions for upgrading to Lightroom 2, as well as some tips and things to watch out for along the way.
Useful Keyboard Shortcuts in Lightroom
The efficiency of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is really what makes it shine. In order to get the most bang for your buck, you’ll want to learn and master a number of the more frequently-used keyboard shortcuts. Learning these shortcuts takes practice.
Read on for a description of my favorite shortcuts (and just some random ones). There’s also a downloadable Quick Reference sheet at the end.
