[These tips first appeared in the October issue of Photoshop User Magazine – Rob]

Find Exactly Where Your Catalog is Stored (LrC)

Right after knowing where your photos are stored you need to know where the Lightroom Classic catalog file is stored. By default it is in a folder named Lightroom within the Pictures folder on your primary drive. However, the default preference setting is to Load most recent catalog, which means that if you have ever opened a different catalog file (like an old backup copy or maybe a small catalog you exported) and then closed out of LrC, the next time you launched LrC it would have opened that other catalog without you even realizing it. I’ve seen people work for months out of an old backup catalog and not realize it until they delete all their old backup catalogs, and their work disappears. With LrC open, go to Lightroom Classic > Catalog Settings > General (PC: Edit > Catalog Settings > General), and you’ll find the location and file name of the open catalog. Then, if you need to, you can move it to a better location.

Apply Color Labels to Folders and Collections (LrC)

In addition to meaningfully naming your folders and collections you may also find it helpful to assign color labels to them as a way to help you more quickly visualize their contents. Just like with our photos, we can assign a red, yellow, green, blue, or purple color label to any folder, collection, smart collection, or collection set. To apply a color label, right-click the folder/collection and choose Add color label to folder/collection, then choose the desired color.

Mark a Folder as a Favorite (LrC)

Beyond color labels and names you can also mark folders as favorites. For example, you might use color labels to establish a workflow (red = work in progress, green = ready to deliver) or maybe to indicate something about the contents (blue = HDR, purple = portraits), but above those things you might also have certain folders containing important work, favorite locations, important family members, or have some special meaning you want to denote. To mark a folder as a favorite, just right-click the desired folder and choose Mark Favorite from the contextual menu. A little white star icon appears on all folders marked as a favorite.

Mark a Collection as a Favorite (LrC)

Everything I said about folders containing photos with special meaning can also apply to collections, however there is not a contextual menu for Mark Favorite in the Collections panel. Instead, select the collection you want to mark as a favorite, then click the collection’s name that appears above the thumbnails in the Filmstrip and choose Add to Favorites. Collections marked as favorites don’t get a special star icon like folders do, but all folders and collections marked as favorites will appear in the special Favorite Sources group accessible from this menu in the Filmstrip.

Filter the Folders and Collections Panels (LrC)

At the top of both the Folders and Collections panel is a small field, and if you type into that field, it will filter the contents of that panel to only show folders or collections that match what you’ve typed. For example, I start all my folder names with a date, so I can type in a year and only see all folders from that year. If you click the small magnifying glass icon in the field, you’ll find you can also filter each respective panel by color label, so maybe you label all collections for a given client in one color, then filter the panel by that color label so only their work is displayed. The Folders panel also provides the option to filter by Favorite (not possible in Collections panel), and the Collections panel also provides the option to filter Synced Collections (meaning collections synced with Lightroom cloud).

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Here’s one from the vault, but it’s a handy one – these are three of my favorite, quick little Lightroom shortcuts. Nothing really earth-shaking, but just really useful bread-and-butter stuff worth knowing. Here’s what they are, and why I think they’re so handy:

Hope you found that helpful.

-Scott

P.S. I’ve got some tips today on how to make the most of tomorrow’s Photo Walk over on my daily blog at scottkelby.com – Here’s the link if you’ve got a sec (well worth checking out). Plus, I’ve got two videos on how to use the Playpod Ultra and Max there, too. 

The post Three of My Favorite Lightroom Classic Shortcuts appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

One of the biggest places to maximize your gains is in the import process. If you are someone who often returns from a session with multiple memory cards of photos and a card reader with slots for multiple memory cards you may not be aware that you can import from multiple cards at once from the Lightroom Import dialog box. I don’t blame you if you missed this fact because it is not particularly intuitive to discover. Memory cards are first listed under Devices in the Source panel and you can only select one device at a time. However, if you look further down in the Source panel, along with all your hard drives, you will see those same memory cards listed as unique drives, and this is where the trick lies.

To import photos from multiple cards at once you need to expand the contents of each memory card and select the folder containing the photos on the card, then hold the CMD key (PC: Ctrl) and select the folder containing the photos on the second card (and so on if you have more than two slots on your card reader) so that now all photos on both cards are selected for import. Make sure Include Subfolders is checked to ensure all photos on the card are included. You can confirm the number of photos selected for import in the lower left corner of the Import dialog box. Now it is as if you are importing from multiple drives (which you are) instead of from separate devices and it saves you from having to import each card one at a time.

Use Embedded and Sidecar

The next big efficiency gain is the setting that you choose in the File Handling panel. This was an addition that slipped into Lightroom Classic awhile ago, but I’ve been using it ever since and I love how much faster it makes the import process. Expand the File Handling panel and choose Embedded & Sidecar from the Build Previews drop-down menu. This tells Lightroom to import the embedded JPG from the raw photo to display as the preview you see in Library. This makes going through and making your initial selects (see PUXZ tip later in this post) much faster because you don’t have to wait for Lightroom to render all new previews. Lightroom will quietly update the previews during idle time or when you switch to Develop.

Create an Import Preset

Once you’ve configured the Import dialog with your new settings, click the Import Preset drop-down menu (bottom-center of the Import dialog) and choose Save current settings as new preset. Give the preset a meaningful name and use that every import from now on.

PUXZ!

One of the best-kept secrets for improving speed in the process of separating the wheat from the chaff is the Auto Advance option under the Photo menu in the Library module. Give this a try, go to the Photo menu and check Auto Advance, press the G key to jump to Grid view (if you are not there already), select a photo and apply a rating, a flag, or a color label to that photo. As soon as any one of those is applied (whether by keyboard shortcut or button click) Lightroom automatically advances focus to the next photo. This is a huge time saver! The most efficient way to utilize this is with keyboard shortcuts, and my favorites are P for pick, X for reject, and U for unflag. With Auto Advance enabled and those three keys I can very quickly move through a large volume of photos and end up identifying the ones I want to keep and the ones that will be deleted. If I come to a photo that I am on the fence about I use the U key, which doesn’t apply a flag but it will trigger Auto Advance to move me on to the next photo (think of it as a skip key). If you need to zoom in to check focus, just press and hold Z to zoom into 1:1 and then release the Z key to return to grid view and continue flagging away.

Include Your Favorite Profile in Your Custom Default Settings

There are a number of excellent tools and functions to improve your efficiency in the process of developing your photos, but I think the most important thing you can do is customize your default Develop settings to match the settings you reach for with every single photo. Lightroom comes with default settings for your camera, but if you find you are always changing things like the camera profile, detail settings, lens correction, and so on, then you are a good candidate for customizing your default settings and saving yourself from ever having to apply those settings individually ever again. Here’s how:

STEP ONE: Select a new unprocessed raw photo and press D to switch to Develop.

STEP TWO: Apply your preferred camera profile and any other settings that you want Lightroom to automatically apply to every raw photo from that camera from now on.

STEP THREE: Go to Develop > Set Default Settings to open the dialog box.

STEP FOUR: Click Update to Current Settings.

From this point on, newly imported raw photos from that camera model will have those settings applied automatically. This will not change the settings on any previously imported photos, but if you click the Reset button it will now reset back to your new custom default settings. You can always update these defaults in the future by following the same steps, or go back to the original default settings by clicking the Restore Adobe Default Settings button.

Do you have any speed tips you want to share?

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One: A New Way to Lose Folders

With every new feature comes a new way to miss a trick. With the Lightroom 7.4 update we were given the ability to apply color labels to folders, and then filter the folders by whether they have a label or not. This can be a useful feature for some, but just remember, when you filter your Folders panel by Labeled Folders it hides the non-labeled folders. To reveal them all again, click that (very teeny tiny) disclosure triangle next to the magnifying glass at the top of the Folders pane, and choose All.

Two: Can’t Add New Photos to Book

Let’s say you put a bunch of photos into a collection, then headed off to the Book module to create a book. You’re making good progress creating your pages and your layouts, and then you realize you want to add more photos to this book than just the ones you started with. How do you get those additional photos into the book?

1. Click Create Saved Book (in the Book module) to create a special collection that saves those photos and your book settings together.
2. Press G to switch to Grid view of Library.
3. Drag/drop any additional photos into the new saved book collection (in the Collections panel) that you want to add to book.
4. Double-click the icon on the saved book collection to jump back to that book in the Book module.
5. Create new pages, and drag/drop the photos into the new pages.

Keep on book making!

Three: Tablet Mode?

Ok, this one is really only for people with tablet computers running Windows 10 (such as the Surface or Wacom’s Mobile Studio Pro). Quite awhile back Adobe released a “Touch Workspace” for these types of tablet computers, and it made certain tasks easier for people with those devices. Sadly, a bug has rendered that mode unusable since Lightroom 7.3. So, if you have one of those types of computers, I know Adobe is aware of the issue, but I don’t have any idea of when a fix will be released. Hopefully soon.

Four: Camera not supported for tethering

This is an old one, but it comes up all the time. You want to shoot tethered to Lightroom, but your camera is not supported by Lightroom (here’s the complete list of supported cameras), a feature you need is not included with Lightroom’s tethering, or Lightroom’s tethering just doesn’t work as well as you would like. How else can you efficiently get those photos into Lightroom? Well, you can find another application for controlling the camera (such as from your camera manufacturer) and then use Lightroom’s Auto Import function, which I’ve outlined how to use on a previous blog post. This combo can (potentially) give you wider camera support, more features, and more stability. Give it a shot.

Five: Can’t see parent folders

A common trip point for new Lightroom users is the moment after importing new photos and only seeing the name of the folder containing the photos in the Folders panel, instead of the entire folder structure above that folder. We have to remember that Lightroom is not a file browser, and it only displays what has been through the import process. However it is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy to reveal parent folders. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the folder you do see in the Folders panel to access the contextual menu.
2. Choose Show Parent Folder.
3. Repeat as needed to reveal the desired level of folders.

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Not sure if you caught this, but we did a special episode of The Grid (RC hosted the show since I was on the road), but our good friend Terry White, (worldwide evangelist for Adobe), was our in-studio guest and whole show about using Lightroom Mobile, and it’s packed with cool little tips and tricks (Terry is awesome!).

If you get a chance, I’ve embedded the episode above – you’ll dig it.

Also, if you’re into sharing your images on social media, make sure you catch The Grid this Wednesday at 4pm as our guest is concert photographer/social media sensation Adam Elmakias. It’s going to rock! You can watch live at http://kelbytv.com/thegrid – Wed. at 4pm New York Time.

That’s it for today folks. Hope your Monday is way better than average.

Best,

-Scott

The post Lots of Cool Lightroom Mobile Tips (Direct From the Source) appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

We’re back with Episode #3, and we packed even more Lightroom goodness in this episode without going over our 15 minute time-limit (but we got really close), and just so you know we’ve been listening:

(1) We had lots of requests to take one of our viewer’s images and show how we would edit that image from start to finish (so we did)

(2) We added a segment from here on out on tips for using Lightroom Mobile

(3) Per numerous request we had the camera crew zoom in tighter from time to time for a more intimate feel (more like they do on The Grid)

(4) We included a follow-up one something from one of our previous shows based on your comments

Heck, it’s pretty much all based on your comments (and emails), so I hope you’ll check it out.

Also, just a reminder you can subscribe to the show FREEin iTunes, and watch it full-screen right within iTunes as well. Here’s a direct link to the show on the iTunes Store (once you’re there, click on the number just to the left of the episode’s name to reveal a blue play button — as seen below).

Also, you can watch us on the free Podcast App that comes pre-installedl in all iPhone and iPads running IOS 8.

Lastly, you can watch ALL our free webcasts (Photoshop User TV, The Grid, and Photo Tips & Tricks) over at KelbyTV.com.

Thanks for all your support everybody, and hope you find this new episode helpful.

Best,

-Scott & RC

The post It’s “The Lightroom Show” Episode #3 with Scott & RC appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

It’s more tips and techniques based on the stuff you guys asked for. One thing we saw a lot were request for more on printing, so RC jumps in with some great info. I’ve got a coupla tricks that I hope might come in handy for you, and the whole thing goes by pretty quickly, but it’s packed full of tips. Plus, our featured photographer this episode is  http://www.juliancalverley.com/ – we are big fans of his work (hope you will be, too).

Next week we’ll be working on some of the suggestion you guys had for how the show is produced, including using closer camera angles for a more intimate feel and stuff like that. It’s a work in progress, but we’ll get there. Plus, we’ll get to more of the stuff you’ve asked us about (including some follow-up stuff from your comments — we reach each and every one!).

Also, thanks so much for all your support from our first show — I’m excited (actually thrilled)  to let you know that it has reached the #1 spot of ALL video podcasts on iTunes, and we couldn’t have done it without you (whoo hoo!!!).

If you want to subscribe free to the Lightroom Show through iTunes (and you can watch our show there as well), here’s what to do:

1. Launch iTunes and in the search field (top right corner) type in “The Lightroom Show”

2. When its page appears, move your cursor over the number 1 (as seen above) to the left of the episode’s name (seen here in a red box) and a play button now appears. Click on that and it plays full screen. P.S. I have to hand it to Apple on this one. I thought only Adobe hid things in places you’d never think to look.

3. To subscribe (so you get every episode free), just click the Subscribe button under our logo

That’s it! Thanks again for all your support, well wishes, kind words, and for supporting this new show.

Have a great weekend everybody, and on Monday I’ll be wrapping up (and recapping) my 10-part series.

Best,

-Scott

The post It’s “The Lightroom Show” Episode #2 with Scott & RC appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

It’s here: it’s finally here! Yup, it’s the first episode of “The Lightroom Show” (our new weekly show hosted by RC Concepcion and me), and we covered a lot of ground in just a short time, with lots of Lightroom tips and tutorials (Programming note: the show will air on Fridays).

We pull our ideas for the show from comments and questions our viewers post here, so thanks for all your input and suggestions so far, and keep ’em comin’. We’ll be working next week to set up a link where you can submit your images to have RC and I take them from start to finish through our Lightroom editing workflow, and I’ll let you know as soon as that’s up and running.

At the end of each episode, we plan on wrapping up with some inspiration by turning you on to a cool photographer and for this, our first episode, we’re proud to feature the travel photography work of Elia Locardi (here’s the link to his site, blamethemonkey.com)

Hope you enjoy the first episode and that it helps you along on your Lightroom journey.

Have a great weekend everybody and we hope to see you back here on Monday for #9 in Scott’s on-going series for new Lightroom users.

Best,

-Scott and RC

The post “The Lightroom Show” is On The Air! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Happy Monday everybody (I know, that’s an oxymoron).

I thought I’d kick off this week with some of my favorite Lightroom keyboard shortcuts — some of these I use daily and some I just think are so handy and I hope you find them helpful (note: yes, I’ve mentioned some of these here before). Here goes:

1. When you’re using the Gradient filter, you can flip the direction of the gradient by pressing the ‘ key (apostrophe)

2. If you’re wondering if a certain image would look good in black & white, just press the letter “v” and it shows you the black & white version. When you’re done, press “v’ to return to full color version (or, if you fell in love with the black & white version, don’t).

3. When you’re cropping, press “x” to toggle between a horizontal and vertical crop

4. If you don’t like the area where the Spot Removal tool chose as the source for your spot removal, press the ‘ / ‘ key (slash) and it will pick a different area.

5. Press the letter “o” when you’re painting with the Adjustment Brush to not only see the area you’re painting on appear in a red tint, but it’s stays “on” so you can continue painting. This is really handy when you’re painting over a large area (maybe a sky) and you want to make sure you didn’t miss any areas.

6. Hold the Shift key, then Double-click the Whites and Blacks slider to have Lightroom automatically set your white and black points for you

7. If you’re using the Spot Removal tool to remove wrinkles, but you don’t want to “remove” them, you just want to “reduce” them, try this: right after you use the tool to remove the wrinkle, go to the Spot Removal tool’s Opacity slider and lower the opacity to bring some of the wrinkles back. That way, their wrinkles are reduced rather than removed. This is also handy if you’re retouching a facial feature like a mole, where if you remove it everyone that knows the person will realize the photo has been retouched, so in that case, don’t remove it — just reduce it’s impact.

That’s a quick seven to get us up and running this Monday. Hope you see you here again tomorrow.

Best,

-Scott

The post 7 Really Useful Lightroom Shortcuts appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Above: When we sharpen women’s skin, our general goal is to keep the skin looking soft (with men it’s just the opposite — we want to see every bit of texture, every crease, every crevase, and so on). So, when we sharpen images of women, we have to take an extra step to ensure we only sharpen the details areas  (like her eyes, eyelashes, lips, edges of her nostrils, her hair, clothing, etc.) and we want to avoid sharpening her skin because sharpening there would accentuate texture and detail that we don’t want to keep soft. Luckily, Lightroom makes this super simple (as long as you know the hidden keyboard shortcut).

STEP ONE: Start by going to the Detail panel (shown here) which is where Lightroom keeps its main sharpening controls).

STEP TWO: Hold the Option key (PC: Alt key) down on your keyboard and click and hold on the Masking slider (as shown above) in the Detail panel. When you do this, the screen will turn solid white. This is telling you that sharpening is being applied to the entire image. We actually usually want that, of course, but not in portraits of women.

STEP THREE: Now, with the Option key (PC: Alt key) still held down, start dragging that Masking slider to the right. As you do, parts of your image will turn black. Those areas are no longer being sharpened (only the white areas will be sharpened now). Take a took at the preview above and you’ll see that there are still some white spots, patches and lines on her skin, and that her hair still has lots of black in it. Our goal is to drag this masking slider far enough to the right to where only the detail edge areas are left in white (like her eyes, nostrils, eyebrows, hair, clothing, etc.) are in white, and the rest is in black. We’re not quite there yet, so keep dragging.

STEP FOUR: Once we drag far enough, look at the results. Her skin areas are pretty much solid black, and that means that none of those areas are being sharpened — they’ll stay nice and soft, but her blouse, her jewelry, her eyes, lips, nostrils, hair, etc. — the parts that now appear in white), all will be sharpened. That’s it — that’s all you have to do. Once you see her skin areas have turned black, you can release the Option Key and the Masking slider, and use the Amount slider to apply as much sharpening as you’d like.

Hope you find that helpful, and we’ll see ya back her tomorrow for more tips : 

Best,

-Scott

P.S. Today we’re totally celebrating with “Cyber Monday” deals over at KelbyOne, and if you’ve ever wanted to join, today is the last day we’re offering our best deals ever (you’ll super dig out full-length, in-depth Lightroom classes). Here’s the link just in case. 

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