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An excerpt from my latest Newsletter
I just thought I would post an excerpt from my latest newsletter on the improvements in Lightroom 2.0. You can download the newsletter on my website here. The newsletters are free and back issues are also available on my website here.
So, without further ado, here it is:
With the release of Lightroom 2.0, Adobe has created the ultimate raw processing workflow tool in my opinion. It isn't often, well never really, that I have gotten this excited about a piece of software but Lightroom 2.0 has streamlined my workflow like never before. There are a few features aside from the new localized adjustment tools that haven't really been advertised but for my workflow - and I am betting many other photographer's workflows - will be huge improvements. The biggest of these improvements is that now Lightroom can handle seemingly any number of high resolution digital images, both raw and high resolution film scan files.
For a number of years I have been looking for a complete Digital Asset Management (DAM) tool. A DAM tool is a piece of software that helps download, rename, backup, rate, group, catalog, filter, archive and keep track of all my digital images which may be scattered across several hard drives. A DAM will also aid in creating image submissions for clients without me having to chase down all those images individually. In the last several years there have been two well known pieces of DAM software: iView Media Pro (now Microsoft's Expression media 2) and Extensis Portfolio. Apple's Aperture was also a potential candidate but it was so slow that it didn't take long for me to dismiss it as a contender. I tried iView and while it worked well I wasn't enthralled. I have heard good things about Extensis Portfolio but I never gave it a try. I was hoping Adobe Lightroom would step in and become the end all be all of digital asset management. Well, hold onto your hat, Lightroom version 2 is now a real world working digital asset management tool for photographers!
When Lightroom was announced and even during the beta testing process over the last year or so (that I have also been a part of) I never heard anybody discuss this issue or talk about this as a feature of Lightroom 2. Previous versions of Lightroom choked with more than 10,000 high resolution raw images in a single catalog. That was the reason I had individual catalogs for each shoot. But now that Lightroom can seemingly handle any number of images it is a much more useful and versatile piece of software. I have a feeling 64-bit processing plays a big part in this new development.
I have to say this feature is the most exciting aspect of Lightroom 2 over and above any other feature bar none for my workflow. Being able to import all of my digital files into one catalog solves a lot of issues I had to work around in my previous workflow. As a result, my workflow has changed quite a bit. Gone are the days of having to chase down individual Lightroom catalogs. Gone are the days of having to look for images according to folder and file names. I'll just do a search with Lightroom's phenomenal new filter tool. And now that the Web module includes output sharpening I can filter images, make a collection and submit web galleries to clients all within the same program. It is beautiful!
I have over 40,000 high-resolution raw images in my Lightroom catalog right now. My catalog file size is 74.53 GB and that includes the standard previews. Another beautiful thing with Lightroom is that the image previews travel with the catalog. Hence, if I copy that catalog to a pocket hard drive and open it up on my laptop I still have access to all of the image previews and I can submit images when I am on the road. Or if I unplug some hard drives I will still have access to those images and their location if I need to access them again.
Yet another great feature in Lightroom is the ability to go straight from Lightroom into Photoshop to create panoramas directly from your raw, tiff or jpeg image files. Ever since the Photomerge feature appeared in Photoshop CS3 I have been shooting a lot more panoramas because it is so easy now to assemble a panoramic image from multiple vertical or horizontal digital images. And the Photomerge feature works so well that you don't even need to use a tripod anymore to get great results. Photoshop basically does all the work for you. If you still want to get technically perfect (and realistic to the scene) panoramas then I would advise investing in a good tripod adapter made specifically for panoramas - something like the Really Right Stuff Panning Clamp. This clamp works with your tripod head to keep everything level using a base plate to position your camera so that the optical center of the lens sits at the axis of rotation. For more info on this set up read Really Right Stuff's excellent tutorial on setting up cameras for shooting stitched panoramas.
To create a panorama just select the images you want to use for the image and go to Photo > Edit In > Merge to panorama in Photoshop. Check out my Fall 2007 newsletter for more info on building panoramas in Photoshop. Other options are "Merge to HDR" and and "Open as Layers in Photoshop."; Both are excellent options for going straight into Photoshop and working on images.
Of course the new localized adjustment tools are the most raved about feature in the new version of Lightroom and rightly so. The brush tool is easy to use, and allows the editing of contrast, exposure, clarity, saturation and sharpening on any area of the image. And any number of masks can be used as in the screenshot on the previous page. Once you start using the Lightroom brush tool, using Photoshop to dodge and burn is going to feel pretty archaic. Likewise, the gradient tool is just as easy to use as the adjustment brush and multiple gradients are snap to create. In just a few minutes I felt completely comfortable with these complex looking tools. I won't get into it here as describing how to use these simple tools makes them seem overly complex. Spending a few minutes with them will give a pretty good feel for how they work. As is standard with Lightroom, these tools are very intuitive. And I find myself taking my images much farther and into more creative directions than I thought was possible in Lightroom.
At right, I have created a mask for a localized adjustment using the Adjustment Brush tool. By mousing over the control point (which is just to the right of the mountain biker) I can see exactly what areas of the image I have painted for an adjustment. Even with such advanced features Lightroom is still a very intuitive piece of software and dodging and burning in Photoshop seems archaic in comparison.
Lightroom is now a full meal deal that fulfills pretty much all the needs of a professional photographer save for advanced image editing and compositing in Photoshop. And since Lightroom and Photoshop work together seamlessly Lightroom just became the biggest dog on the block - not that it wasn't already. So jump in. The water is nice and cool here in Lightroom-land.
A large part of this review is a revamped excerpt from my updated Lightroom workflow eBook entitled Adobe Photoshop Lightroom: A Professional Photographer's Workflow. That eBook is available on my website here. A fellow blogger, Ken Milburn, purchased the eBook and had many kind words to say about it. You can check out his blog post if you are on the fence.
Sorry Michael, but Lightroom is hardly the "ultimate" tool.
It has been two month since the release of LR 2 and we still haven't seen Adobe fix the problems of Ghost folder.
Even worst, Adobe continues to sell a product that they know is defective without a public acknowledgement or even warning the public. That is dishonest.
I Think you should take a second long, very long look at Aperture 2.1. I sure have, after using Lightroom since the beginning. And what I have found is astonishing.
Aperture 2.1 is now faster than LR 2 and has a set of feature that are awesome. Just the book layout tool is just incredible. And their plugin feature is proving to be a huge asset. The addition of the Nik software plugins has expanded Aperture power to new heights. Now I only use PHotoshop for what PS was designed for.
At the beginning I was disappointed because Aperture plugins created a second file (I still would love to see its fully non-destructive implementation). But my opinion was based mostly that the only "plugin" available at the time was the dodge and burn that came with Aperture. Now that Nik has released almost all its plugins, now I can understand the logic behind it and it rocks!
While LR presets and the new local adjustment tools are a great asset, you still have to go to PS more than I have to go with Aperture. One great thing LR has is its tight integration with PS. But that also shows its dependence from PS while Aperture is becoming more independent from PS.
So, while LR 2 will become a very good tool, and for PC users the "only" tool, it can be hardly call the "ultimate" tool.
But first Adobe has to make LR 2 works as advertise,
Ghost Folder? What are you talking about - I haven't heard anything about this and have had no issues with the folder structure at all. Defective? I'd say it is hardly defective.
As for Aperture 2.1 - sure it is great but the fact that it isn't non-destructive with the localized adjustments is a huge downside.
Faster - well, that depends on many factors and is hard to compare without stating computer specifics and image file types. I am on Mac and Lightroom seems plenty fast on my MacPro Tower with 8 GB of RAM.
And is going to PS a problem - it is still a great tool. I'm not trying to be aggressive here with my response - just responding to your post.
I too had to look up Ghost Folder... and I see it's the same problem I'm having. When selecting "Edit in Photoshop CS3", editing then saving the image, Lightroom is putting the PSD file in a duplicate folder of the original RAW by itself (in my case at least, a duplicate folder in a duplicate external drive). Trying to move the file to the folder where it resides and it says it already exists. The only way so far I've fixed it is to re-sync the original folder (which seems to take FOREVER, just for one file) then remove the duplicate drive/folder.
I've also had the now famous speed problems with the adjustment brush, sometimes taking up to a minute for LR to respond to the pen tablet rendering the new feature totally unusable. While I am on a 2 year old laptop which is far from an 8GB MacPro, something as basic to the new features as drawing a mask should not have a noticeable pause when drawing, let alone a delay long enough to go get another cup of coffee.
I'm EAGERLY awaiting a patch update so I can use the features that I've already converted my database for!
Michael,
I never expected you to get defensive about Lightroom as to ignore reality but I guess that is what happens when you have vested interest in a product. But just go the Adobe forum where for the last month people has been complaining about ghost folders (or read jasonP comment) . In summary:
(1) in a MAC you cannot use the default roundtrip to PS because the PSD or TIFF file it creates when it returns to LR it does not shows up in LR. You have to reimport that file.
(2) Using Windows platform you have what they have named Ghost folders. Head over the ADobe forum to learn about it.
(3) slowness issue has been reported wide spread in every forum. Comments has gone as far as comparing LR 2 speed to Aperture 1. I do not know if I would go that far, but certainly works slower that LR 1.4.1 and Aperture 2.1 in my machine.
Adobe engineers knows about both problems, they have been posting on those threads and I am sure Adobe is working on it. Although it does not seems to happens on every machine, it happens often enough to merit a public acknowledgment from Adobe and its evangelist. At least to assure the public that they are proactively pursuing the issue.
But it has been two month and I am on a MAc and suffer the first issue. I have to use the second roundtrip alternative in order to make it work.
But in a MAC PRO 2.66mhz, with 4gig with close to 40,000 images, LR 2 is quite slow while Aperture works faster. The main reason I stop using Aperture 1.5 is the same reason I am stopping LR 2 usage now... lack of performance.
Yes, I agree with you on the basic localize adjustment like dodge and burn, etc. And I would love to see Apple adds global presets to Aperture. But the plugin implementation enhances Aperture to do things that under LR you have to go to PS. But am sure that will add basic localize adjustments (like the one LR 2 have). And because that is the only reason people can use against Aperture now, then what? Would you still affirm that LR is the "ultimate" tool while ignoring the rest of Aperture strengths?
LR print module has been enhanced as well as the web module and the Library. All that is great. But you have to admit that it fall short of what Aperture has been able to do since the beginning and can do under version 2. Just play with the Book making capabilities of Aperture. Its enhancement under 2.1 has made me stop using InDesign altogether
Of course, I am not saying that Aperture replaces InDesign or photoshop. For basic bookmaking task like guest books and even wedding book, InDesign is an overkill and Aperture makes it so easy. And Aperture Plugin makes Aperture a more stronger Photo solution and leaves PS to what does best.
Hey, I teach LR and recommend it to many folks as a great tool. But lets be fair. I would never dare to say that any tool is the ultimate tool, specially when there are so many good tools out there, unless, of course I have vested interest on selling the product.
Cheers,
David -
I have no vested interest in Lightroom and I am not paid by Adobe for these comments here or anywhere else. My post here and in my newsletter were my experiences. As a busy pro, I don't have time to test out every product. I am glad to hear that Aperture has come a long way. That is good for everyone.
Obviously, I did not know about the "Ghost Folder" issue as I never use the "Edit in Photoshop CS3" feature in Lightroom. I prefer to export images and then work on then on PS after I am finished with Lightroom adjustments.
And I never would need a book making feature in Lightroom so that is great Aperture works for you in that regard. I suppose for wedding photographers that is a really nice feature. In terms of printing I use Photoshop as it has way more control than either program.
I also suppose that with my current computer I have not noticed any speed issues or any issues with the adjustment tools. In fact 2.0 seems just as speedy as Lightroom 1.4.1 on my computer even with 40,000 + images in one catalog which would have made Lightroom 1.4.1 choke big time.
I am sure Adobe is working hard to correct the bugs mentioned here and we'll have a fix for those soon. For me and my workflow, which is the only person I can speak for, Lightroom is the best thing I have seen come along in a long time. And for a speedy and consistent workflow, I can't be constantly changing back and forth between software applications.
Thank you for bringing these issues to my attention. I don't have time to read the forums that often so I may not be aware of all the issues out there. But please be aware anything I write is my experience and if I find issues with any tool that I use I will point them out as readers of my newsletter can attest to.
Personally, I've eliminated the majority of the local adjustment brush (and processing, for that matter) slow-downs by creating a catalog for each event, doing the majority of the work there, and then importing the final catalog into my main catalog (which is merely there to index).
I've had no ghost folders up to this point.
I also suppose that with my current computer I have not noticed any speed issues or any issues with the adjustment tools. In fact 2.0 seems just as speedy as Lightroom 1.4.1 on my computer even with 40,000 + images in one catalog which would have made Lightroom 1.4.1 choke big time.