Lightroom Guy | Expert Support for Digital Photography

Summer Travel Photography – Part 2

August 8, 2019 by David Mark Erickson Leave a Comment

What’s in Your Camera Bag?

In the previous post of this series, I discussed an important way of thinking about how to approach your summer travel photography. I pointed out that cameras are just tools and it is up to us as photographers, to know when and how to use the right tool for the right job, especially when it comes to smartphones or traditional digital cameras.

In this article I want to look at what’s in your camera bag. I’ll discuss some practical issues regarding preparing your equipment for a trip, especially when using DSLR and mirrorless systems. Continuing the metaphor of the camera as a tool, when traveling you need to give additional thought to what else to put into your tool bag. In this post I’ll cover the questions of: what to bring or not bring in your camera bag.

In a later post I will cover more preparation activities, including:

Strategies for managing memory cards,
Strategies for geolocate your images,
Research your destinations, and
Reviewing photos while traveling.

What to Bring/Not Bring

This is a big category and what’s in your camera bag very much depends on the kind of traveller you are and the type of trip you are planning for. That said, these are the questions that our clients regularly ask us about.

Tripod or monopod?

Let’s face it, tripods and monopods can be a real hassle to travel with. So, consider carefully if you want or need to bring one along. Tripods are great for any type of photography where you need to hold your shutter open longer or are dealing with low light situations. Tripods are especially good for landscape photos.

Monopods are a little easier to travel with but are not stable enough for long exposures. So, if you are doing anything like a timelapse, a panorama or using shutter speeds longer than ¼ second, you really should consider getting a tripod as the monopod won’t be practical in those scenarios.

Bottom line: do your research on your destination and know what kind of photography you want to engage in to help in making your decision.

Pro-tip: Bring three CDs with you (yes, we do mean old compact discs!) to stabilize the feet of your tripod legs when standing on sand or soft ground of any kind.

Batteries and Chargers

A general rule of thumb is to have 2 batteries with you at all times: one in the camera and one in your bag. How many more batteries you want to bring really depends on where you are going. The more remote your location and the less reliable electricity is, the more batteries you will want to bring.

If you can reliably recharge all of your batteries every night then 2-3 batteries would be your minimum. Also consider purchasing a charger that allows you to charge more than one battery at a time. While 3rd party chargers are generally ok to purchase, we strongly recommend that you only use batteries from the camera manufacturer.

Bottom line: 2 batteries + a charger + international travel adapters.

Pro-tip: Bring your own power strip and extension cord. Wall sockets can be limited and/or awkward to get to. Depending on the total number of devices you need to recharge, a power strip can make all the difference in getting all your batteries recharged overnight!

Lens Accessories

Nearly every lens sold comes with a lens hood and a front and rear protective cap. A lens hood does two things: it protects the lens from physical damage and it helps to prevent lens flare.

Greek Columns with Lens Flare. What's in your camera bag — Lens Flare ©2018 D.A.Wagner

When light strikes a lens, the light reflects around the interior of the lens, creating something we call lens flare. Lens flare can add a creative look to a photo, but it is also very very difficult to remove in post production. The hood is specially designed to help prevent light hitting at an angle and creating the effect.

For the same reasons, bringing your lens caps and camera body caps is very important. They’re key to help protect your lens and camera body from the inevitable bangs and bumps and dust and dirt that you’ll encounter on the road.

Bottom line: Those lens accessories you give little thought to become essential tools while on the road. Don’t leave them behind!

Lens Filters

Camera bodies come and go but lenses are forever 😉 Seriously, lenses are the most important part of your investment in your system. It pays to take care of them. So, we recommend using clear or UV filters.

Most importantly, a filter will help protect the special coating on the front of the lens. Every time a lens is cleaned, small abrasions and scratches are created. Eventually all of the coating will be removed and degrade the quality of the lens. A front filter will keep dirt and dust off the actual lens so you’re never forced to touch the front element.

A clear or UV filter can protect your lens from damage. What's in your camera bag.

Additionally, filters can project a lens from physical damage. A filter can absorb an impact or scratch, saving the lens itself. Better to replace a $20 filter than a $2000 lens!

If you’re interested in a deeper discussion on the filter vs. no filter debate, I found this video to be very helpful: https://youtu.be/J8hAKgwWj9A

Bottom-line: Spend what you want on a filter but, don’t travel without something on the front of all your lenses!

Pro-tip: Newer digital lens coatings better handle lens flare and UV light, but still need protection. So either a clear or UV filter will do the job just the same for a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Conclusion

As a general rule of thumb, when traveling, it is always better to only take *only* what you need. Less stuff in your travel bags means you can give your focus to being where you are and not worrying about managing all your things. However, this is easier said than done because we need to plan for unexpected circumstances!

With a little planning and forethought we can find the right balance of what’s in your camera bag. In the next part of this series we will give some more thought to …

Strategies for managing memory cards
Strategies for geolocate your images,
Research your destinations, and
Reviewing photos while traveling

Let us know in the comments below if you have any tips or tricks for how you like to prep! Or, with anything you see anything that we missed!

Summer Travel Photography – Part I

July 10, 2019 by David Mark Erickson Leave a Comment

Series Intro

Summer Travel Snapshots from
Zavala (Hvar), Croatia — ©2019 David Mark Erickson (iPhone8: ISO 25, 3.9mm, 1/4800 at f/1.8)

Summer is here and, for many of us, summer travel photography is a vital and important part of our craft. Not considering the solo traveller or the professional on assignment, travel photography can be challenging in a number of ways and this four part series intended to help you think about strategies for how to approach your summer travel photography as well as providing some practical tools and methods you can immediately start using.

In Part II of this series I’ll how to get ready before a trip. I’ll discuss everything from how many memory cards you will need to what equipment to bring/not bring with my recommendations. Part III will cover strategies and methods for while you are travelling, especially with family. And Part IV will cover how to manage your workflow once you get home, with a special focus on collecting photos from more than one camera!

The Elephant in the Room

Before we can get into the nitty gritty of summer travel photography, we need to talk about the elephant in the room: the camera everyone already has in their pocket – the smart phone!

The first digital camera developed by Eastman Kodak — The first digital camera used a cassette tape to store 30 0.01MP photos

The smart phone is doing more to shape the photo industry today than anything else since the inception of the first digital camera back in 1975. Some industry reports suggest that the mobile phone will kill the market for digital cameras all together. While this might be and overblown statement, some industry reports show sales have plummeted by as much as 84% since 2010!

While the newer class of mirrorless cameras and the more robust DSLRs might be somewhat safe from this overall trend, the market for midsize and compact cameras has been massively affected. I personally don’t carry a mid size digital any more (the Olympus STYLUS 1 was my personal go to) and I can’t think of one client who I currently work who does either!

The Traveler’s Dilemma

summer travel photography Different hammers for different types of jobs. — All hammers do similar things but, which one is the right one for your job?

Why should I bring my big camera when my smart phone is just as good and easier to use? In the past few months we’ve been hearing this refrain from our clients more and more.

In the next section I’ll cover some of the pros and cons of using a mobile phone for travel photography. However, it’s important to point out here that a camera is just a tool. And it is up to you, the photographer, how to use that tool to capture your vision and express your point of view. Which hammer is best for this nail?

Some tools are better at some things than others. Part of the craft of being a photographer is choosing the right tool for your purpose. A studio portrait photographer has different needs than a sports photographer. They both use cameras but each have their own set of criteria.

For some travellers a smart phone is more than enough camera. However, anyone who is mildly serious about their craft should consider using more substantive camera (either mirrorless or a DSLR). Personally, I use both a smart phone AND the newer Nikon Z6. I’ll discuss when and where to use either or both, after reviewing some smart phone pros and cons.

Smart Phone: Pros & Cons

As with any tool we want to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses so we can know when and how to better use it. Smart phone cameras do some things very well and manufacturers are building in more features all the time. One significant advantage of smart phones is a built in processor. This will become a significant feature in coming years as manufacturers add features, such as adding multiple lenses.

First, the strengths. A smart phone is lightweight and convenient, and it is unobtrusive and ubiquitous, so perfect for street photography. Of course, it has an easy-to-use interface that you are already using for other purposes. The current models do an excellent job in a wide variety of lighting conditions, and can handle light and shadow (including HDR). The date, time and location are embedded, making documenting your trip all the easier.

Second, the weaknesses. A smart phone has a small sensor, which means there will be a limit to how much you can enlarge the photo. Most smart phones only take JPGs (or HEICs) and not Raw images, which means less creative control when editing photos later. They also lack sophisticated manual controls, putting limits on advanced techniques like creating bokeh or panning/blurring. Camera lenses on smart phones rely on digital zoom and can also never compare to that of a real lens. Finally, special effects like HDR and Pano are pretty good on mobile phones but with significant limitations.

Summer Travel Photography Strategy: Snapshots vs. Photos

summer travel photography Snapshots from Mala Stiniva (Hvar), Croatia — ©2019 David Mark Erickson (ISO 20, 3.9mm, 1/850th at f/1.8)

So having a very good camera that fits in your pocket really challenges the notion of carrying a full size DSLR or mirrorless camera. In turn, this can lead to some confusion about when and where to use which camera. Remember, your job as the photographer is to choose the right tool for the right job. So, consider the how and then when you are taking photos.

Mobile phones are great cameras for snapshots and for street photography. DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are great for doing “photography,” when want greater creative control.

When you are out with friends and family, or happen to stop by a market that enthralls you, your mobile phone will be perfectly fine. It is great for snapshots and unobtrusive when out on the street, and taking full advantage of its features will bring quality shots.

If there is a moment when you want to get away from the group and spend an hour or two on your own creating beautiful images, then certainly take your leave from your family and friends and spend that time honing your craft. Or, when planning your day, look at what events and activities might be best for using your full-frame digital camera and take it along. We’ll take a deeper look at traveling with family in Part III.

The key here is to think about what you want and then plan and communicate accordingly. When in doubt, keep your big camera with you and don’t feel conflicted if you end up not using it.

Conclusion

In sum, there is nothing wrong with relying on your mobile phone while travelling. A camera is simply a tool, and as a tool, it is YOU who needs to choose how YOU will use it. And don’t create stress on your vacation seconding guessing yourself, after the fact.

In the next three summer travel photography posts in this series we will take a look at planning your trip, looking at more strategies and tricks you can use while traveling and finally to bring it all together in the end.

Upcoming Lightroom Guy Photo Tour + Updates

June 12, 2019 by Lightroom Guy Leave a Comment

After a number of trips to Greece, DA has put the final touches on the 2020 Greece Lightroom Guy Photo Tour. Two years in the making, we’ve partnered with local guide, Dimitris Giouvris and his best Greek location scouts. This immersive trip will take you to off-the-beaten-track experiences, even in the midst of well-known locations. Our 2020 Greece Lightroom Guy Photo Tour starts May 31st and concludes June 14^th. We’ll travel from Athens to Meteora, Zagori, the less touristy, yet absolutely entrancing islands of Sifnos and Milos and all places in-between before returning to Athens to capture breathtaking landscapes of the Acropolis and other commanding, historic landmarks. This is a well-rounded tour with opportunities to capture some of the most commanding landscapes Greece has to offer, plus food stops, cooking classes, visits to local artisans and musicians.

For more details on our 2020 Greece Photo Tour, click here!

LIghtroom Guy Photo Tour. Acropolis at Sunrise — Acropolis, Athens, Greece ©2019 Dimitris Giouvris

David Mark Erickson is currently in Budapest, Hungary looking at future Lightroom Guy Photo Tour workshop opportunities. David’s an old hand when it comes to Budapest. He’s also putting his new Nikon Z6 to work, as in the gorgeous example below. Expect to see more of David’s work in a future blog post on his trip.

Budapest, Hungary ©2019 David Mark Erickson

DA, on the other hand, is leaving for the remote Western Fjords of Iceland on June 19^th. This will be his first time in the Western Fjords, but his third Iceland visit. This may be the final reconnaissance trip before piecing together an exciting Lightroom Guy Photo Tour of Iceland’s most beautiful and least traveled locations. Think Game of Thrones with this upcoming Lightroom Guy Photo Tour!

Lightroom Guy Photo Tour. Southern Iceland 2018. — Moss Covered Lava Field, Iceland, ©2019 D.A.Wagner

New Lightroom Texture Slider & Clarity – What’s the Difference?

May 30, 2019 by Lightroom Guy Leave a Comment

Thanks to guys like Max Wendt at Adobe, we now have the Lightroom Texture Slider.

Max wanted to develop a tool for Lightroom that works like Photoshop for smoothing skin. Once he achieved the result he was looking for, he thought, “what would happen if I made the slider work the other way?” And thus, the Lightroom Texture Slider was born. Great for subtle contrast increases. Great for smoothing skin. If you’re a true technology wank, read more about Max’s Texture Control here.

It is a very useful feature that’s in both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Desktop. And this new feature has been added to the basic develop settings as well as the local adjustment tools.

Now, you may have wondered what the difference is between Texture and Clarity, especially if you’ve had some time to play with the Lightroom Texture Slider. It can be hard to see these subtle differences. But at its most basic, visually, the Texture Slider is less contrasty than Clarity but still adds enough to crisp up an image without going to Sharpening. Which I shy away from (that’s another story). And, in order to make the most of the Lightroom Texture Slider, it helps to know what these three tools look like up close.

The Texture Slider

Pushing the slider right, the Texture results are lighter, less heavy and contrasty than it’s older sister, Clarity.

CLARITY Plus Settings (100% View)
TEXTURE Plus Settings (100% View)

And, the feature of the Texture Slider that Max Wendt was aiming for: Smoothing skin on human faces. Moving the Lightroom Texture Slider to the left softens skin. But don’t go too far, keep the look natural.

CLARITY Minus Settings (100% View)
TEXTURE Minus Settings (100% View)

A simple slide to the left on the Texture Slider for negative numbers is an easy fix for softening skin, expecially on high megapixel captures, which can be very unforgiving for faces.

The Texture Slider is a very welcome addition to Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Desktop. It may very well take the place of the Clarity slider in many situations. You’ll find it in the Presence section of the Basic Panel and in with the sliders for the Radial, Gradient and Adjustment Brush local adjustment tools.

What you NEED to Know About Color Space …

May 23, 2019 by David Mark Erickson Leave a Comment

Thankfully the answer is: very little!

Color Space gamut map — Gamut map of various color spaces

Just the other week, a client bought a new camera and came to us with a question about color space. They had read a few articles on the internet about the difference between ProPhoto, AdobeRGB and sRGB. Thinking more was better, they set their camera for ProPhoto. But, got confused when it came to changing settings on their computer.

This simple answer is, if you’re shooting raw, it doesn’t matter what the color space setting is on your camera. Color space only comes into play when you’re ready to export your images on your computer.

When setting color space on a camera body, what’s not obvious is that this refers only to JPG images. If you’re shooting raw images, the camera body doesn’t do any work to process the image. When a camera body is shooting JPG, the camera will crunch the raw data, apply any artistic styles (sometimes called scenes or picture control or styles) as well as setting the color space. If you do happen to shoot JPG then your best bet will be to set for sRGB.

Exporting a Color Space in Lightroom

On the software side, Lightroom (and most other top end programs), manage color space internally. So, you don’t have to worry about anything. Only when it comes to exporting images out of Lightroom does it matter which color space to choose.

Export dialog box in Lightroom Classic — Choose sRGB as the default export Color Space in Lightroom

For exporting, the default choice should always be sRGB. This is the most widely used and safest choice, especially if the photos are going to be only used digitally (web pages, social media etc.).

Only if you are printing photos with a high end printing service OR working with some other professional organization will you need to worry about your choice. More than likely it will be AdobeRGB for printing. Rarely would you ever use ProPhotoRGB.

For a more detailed discussions about color space, here are a few other sites with good information:

“Digital Image Color Spaces” by Jeffrey Friedl
“Which color space should I use?” by The Lightroom Queen
Color Space article on Wikipedia

Lightroom Updates – Classic and Desktop. What?

May 15, 2019 by Lightroom Guy Leave a Comment

What’s In a Name?

Hello everyone, it’s time again for Lightroom updates. But first, more confusion from the Adobe marketing team …

Adobe has tweaked the name of Lightroom Classic. Formerly, the official name was “Lightroom Classic CC” and they are now dropping the “CC” to make it just Lightroom Classic. Just to be clear, this is the original version of Lightroom that allows you to manage your own files.

The newer version of Lightroom is now being called “Lightroom” or “Lightroom Desktop.” Confused yet?? Again, to be clear, this is the newer version of Lightroom, which was totally redesigned and that is enabled to use the cloud.

Given the difficulty with the name, Adobe is keeping the logos for the two programs separate, for now. Further, in order to make things simpler for ourselves and our clients, we here at Lightroom Guy use the distinction Classic vs. Desktop. We’ve found that this is a reliable way to refer to each. When in doubt, remember that the Classic version has squared corners on the logo and the Cloud version has rounded corners.

For more information, you can always refer back to our post about the fundamental differences between the two. And, if you haven’t updated Lightroom before, here’s the Adobe link for updating from the Creative Cloud. So, until Adobe figures out what the hell to call Lightroom, we’re here to tell you about new features, bug fixes and improvements in all versions, no matter what you call them.

Lightroom Update – Classic Version 8.3

We’ll start with our go-to version, the big Kahuna, the Lightroom update for Classic. Here we have some cool new features being introduced along with a few feature improvements and a laundry list of bug fixes.

Texture Slider

You’ll find this slider located above the clarity slider in the Basic Panel and in the local adjustment Gradient, Radial and Adjustment Brush tools. And, you’ll find this feature also in Lightroom for Mac/PC and iOS/Android/ and Adobe Camera Raw (Photoshop). Adobe says, “By isolating only medium-sized details, Texture can smooth skin without affecting pore details (delivering a natural smoothing effect…“).

So what does that mean? The Texture slider’s negative numbers soften skin and other textures while still maintaining fine detail. It behaves a little like Clarity in the numbers, but unlike Clarity, fine lines and facial details are better preserved.

The texture slider’s positive numbers adds crispness to landscapes and can create the illusion of additional sharpness in soft details without using Lightroom’s Sharpening tools. Texture doesn’t add the heaviness of darker shadow details that I’m used to seeing with the Clarity slider. You’ll also find Texture is used in a new preset found in the pulldown presets menu of the Gradient/Radial/Adjustment Brushes called Soften Skin (Lite).

As always, with Clarity and now, with Texture, a little goes a long way. I know I’ll be finding more uses for this new Texture slider.

Flat Field Correction

This has been available as a Lightroom plugin for many years. Now, this plugin has been built into the Library module. It’s a sophisticated tool that analyzes and corrects a raw capture for color casts. When done, Lightroom creates a new DNG with the corrections. Note, however, that this requires a second, reference image in order to do a correction. You can read in-depth how this process works at RawTherappe, an open source, raw processing application used by many professionals.

Lightroom updates — Flat Field Correction Dialog

Import from SD/CF Card – Source Change

Up until version 8.2, importing from an SD or CF card pointed the Lightroom Import Dialog to your memory card in “Devices” in the Source Panel (left side of Import Dialog). This has changed. Lightroom 8.3 now points the Import Dialog to “Files” and the DCIM folder, so you may be disoriented the first time this happens. You may need to select “Include Subfolders” or navigate to your capture folder.

When we did our tests importing one hundred – 45 megapixel photos from a Nikon D850, we saw about a 50% reduction in import time between using Device vs Files. Had we known this, we would have been advising our clients to import from folders a long time ago! We’re glad the Adobe Lightroom Update team made this time saving change.

Click here for more about the new features of Lightroom Classic. And click here for a list of the bug fixes in this Lightroom Update.

Lightroom Update 2.3 – Desktop

For the Lightroom Desktop version 2.3, iOS version 4.3 and Android version 4.3 you’ll also find the new Texture slider. Plus, there’s Defringe, formerly only available in Classic. And, there are nearly 50 bug fixes, which make this update important! You can read all the bug fixes on the Adobe site here.

Read about the new features for these versions of Lightroom on the Adobe site here.

APA Partnership and New Lightroom Guy Workshops!

May 8, 2019 by David Mark Erickson Leave a Comment

Over the last couple of years, we have been developing a partnership with the American Photographic Artists (APA) | NY Chapter by presenting Lightroom Guy workshops and Tech Talks. The NY Chapter is very active and has a thriving membership. We are happy to not only provide Member Benefits but to offer several, ongoing events and activities planned for the coming year. All events and activities are open to members and non-members alike, with APA Members receiving preferred pricing. You can learn more about APA and join here!

APA is the country’s leading non-profit advocate for photographers of all levels. They organize events, negotiate benefits for members, hold seminars, promote members’ work, organize photo contests, and much more.

APA Branded Workshops

No doubt, the crown jewel of the partnership is our branded Lightroom Guy workshop series. Together, APA and Lightroom Guy will be offering a series of ongoing workshops to teach practical Lightroom skills.

We’ve seen first hand how difficult it is to teach real skills when it comes to Lightroom. The bottom line is that Lightroom is a very complex and fiddly program!

Over the course of several years, we have been developing and perfecting our own methods for how to best teach Lightroom in a workshop setting. We are now proud to offer that expertise in Partnership with the APA NY Chapter.

Develop Like a Pro

Our first offering will be our highly popular Develop Like a Pro workshop. In this specialized workshop you’ll learn professional digital darkroom techniques that will take your editing skills to the next level. Lightroom has improved considerably over the past few years, adding powerful features like Adobe Sensei and Profiles. We’ll show you planning strategies and Develop module approaches that make critical use of these tools along with many of the other new Lightroom features, including Color and Luminance Range Masking techniques.

When: Saturday, June 1st from 9am to 1pm
Location: Photoshelter Conference Room
33 Union Square W, 2nd Floor, New York NY 1003 (View Map)
Snacks and beverages will be provided
Members: $199
Non-Members: $249

Register now as space is limited!

Future Workshops

In the coming months, we will be publishing a schedule of additional workshops, including:

When Lightroom Fails: Advanced developing techniques using Adobe Photoshop
Lightroom Workflow Basics: Get the most out of the Library module
From Digital to Print: Making books in Lightroom Classic
Lightroom 101: Everything you need to confidently use Lightroom Classic

Keep an eye on our LightroomNYC web page as well as the APA | NY Chapter page for announcements and details.

Quarterly Tech Talk Events

Lightroom Guy and APA Tech Talk at Hasselblad, Lightroom Guy workshops — Lightroom Guy and APA Tech Talk at Hasselblad

Being a photographer in the digital age is no simple thing! In order to help photographers stay up to date and to get help dealing with their own complex circumstances, we have initiated a quarterly series of evening seminars, called Tech Talks.

At every event, DA and I will deep dive into particular topics, like spec’ing out new computers, back up strategies and choosing peripherals to help bring to light what might be otherwise shrouded in technical mystery. Following the presentations, we will open the floor for an extended Q&A session where attendees can get help in dealing with their own questions and technical circumstances.

Join us for our next Talk which will focus on how to choose and plan for buying a new computer & accessories.

When: Thursday, June 6th from 6 to 9pm
Snacks and beverages will be provided
Location: Photoshelter Conference Room
33 Union Square W, 2nd Floor, New York
(View Map)
Price: $10 General Public | $5 for APA Members

1-2-3 Lightroom Develop Strategy

April 23, 2019 by Lightroom Guy Leave a Comment

Our 1-2-3 Lightroom develop strategy is an easy and fast approach to great results for raw captures (JPEGs, too). Beginners and even experienced Lightroom users can benefit from utilizing Adobe Sensei’s ever improving machine learning. These features are incorporated into the Develop module of both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC. Using the 1-2-3 Lightroom develop strategy takes less time and is far more productive than poking around with sliders, especially if you’re unsure of what the sliders do.

Taking advantage of Adobe Sensei means clicking on those AUTO buttons and options. It’s not always perfect, but awfully close most of the time. And, since Lightroom is non-destructive, go ahead, click away!

The 1-2-3 Lightroom Develop Strategy

Click the AUTO button in the Basic Panel’s Tone section (that should be cool enough, but there’s more!)
Above the Tone section is the WB (White Balance) section. Select the pulldown menu where it says, AS SHOT and select AUTO. If AUTO doesn’t do it for you, return the setting to AS SHOT.
Next is the Profiles panel. You might have missed this new feature, which has been available since Lightroom Classic 7.3. I usually go to the Modern Profiles – Modern 3 or 4 are my go-to’s. You might want to explore the Profiles to see what you like best.

Done. That’s the 1-2-3 Lightroom Develop Strategy. Watch the one-minute video to see this process in action.

There is a number 4 in the 1-2-3 Lightroom develop strategy. It’s adding radial filter (a digital version of burning and dodging for you former darkroom users), to open shadows on faces or scene details. I’ve written about this before with in-depth how-to video. You may want to watch it for the specifics of using the Radial Filter. One of my clients describes it as an “instant spotlight,” adding a light to fill in unwanted shadows.

Now, I’m not allowed to discuss specific upcoming Lightroom features due to our NDA with Adobe. However, you can expect more updated develop module improvements in future versions of Lightroom Classic very soon, making this 1-2-3 Lightroom develop strategy even more effective.

Post Directly to Instagram from Lightroom Classic

April 18, 2019 by David Mark Erickson Leave a Comment

Use the LR/Instagram plugin to post images directly to Instagram from within Lightroom Classic

We’ve blogged previously on how to export images for posting to Instagram from Lightroom Classic. And, we’ve written about how to post directly to Instagram from your desktop computer.

One thing we have yet to cover is the Lightroom Classic plugin, from Capture Monkey, called: LR/Instagram. This plugin allows you to post directly to Instagram from Lightroom Classic (on both Mac & PC). Thus removing the need to either trick Instagram or shuffle your photos to your mobile device.

LR/Instagram Features & Limitations

Before we get into the weeds of how to install and use LR/Instagram, you will want to consider if this plugin is right for you. Only the mobile version of Instagram has access to all of Instagram’s filters and features. Any other trick or method to post directly to Instagram will have limitations.

With LR/Instagram, you will not be able to:

Use Instagram filters;
Re-crop images;
Load multiple images to the same post;
Include in-photo tags; and,
Identify hashtag usage or frequency.

However, you will be able to:

Log into multiple accounts simultaneously;
Upload multiple images (each as their own post);
Update metadata and captions/hashtags and re-post; and,
Use a dedicated caption and hashtag entry panel.

Another important note is that LR/Instagram won’t access or manage any of your previously posted photos! You will only be able to work with the images that you post directly to Instagram from within Lightroom Classic.

Post to Instagram Directly Using Lightroom Mobile

Plugin support is not available for desktop users of the newer, cloud based version of Lightroom. However, you can upload directly from your mobile device assuming you have installed the iOS or Android version on your phone.

Find the photo you want to post, click the share icon and then pass the photo to Instagram. (Note for iOS users, you will get better results by using the “Copy to …” option. This will open up Instagram so you can access additional posting features.)

Install LR/Instagram

Again, this plugin works for either PC or Mac. Head over to the LR/Instagram web site and download the current version.
Next, unzip the file and save the folder wherever you like to store your Lightroom plugins. We generally recommend creating a “Lightroom Plugins” folder in the Pictures folder on the hard drive of your computer.

Next, unzip the file and save the folder wherever you like to store your Lightroom plugins. We generally recommend creating a “Lightroom Plugins” folder in the Pictures folder (Mac and PC) on the hard drive of your computer.

Plugins Folder Post directly to Instagram from Lightroom Classic

Now, open the File > Plugin Manager menu and find the “LRInstagram.lrplugin” in your plugins folder. This will load the plugin into Lightroom and it will now be available for use from the Publish Services panel on the Left side of the Library module.

Using LR/Instagram

To post a photo directly to Instagram, simply drag a photo from any Folder or Collection onto the “Instagram photos” listing in the LR/Instagram left side panel.

The photos will show up in a grid view depending on their various status. Before posting, I recommend using the special panel to update captions and hashtags. This panel is located under the Metadata panel on the right side of the Library module (see below).

Lr/Instagram Post directly to Instagram from Lightroom Classic

Once you are ready post or sync your changes, look for the “Publish” button in the upper right corner of the main viewing window.

A couple of other tips I would recommend are …

Use color labels to remind yourself which photos you’ve posted (personally I use blue)
Add “instagram” to the keywords for images as another way to find posted photos
Make a separate collection of your instagram posts so that if you ever have trouble with the plugin, you can easily keep track of any previously posted photos

Lightroom Workshops Doha 2019

April 10, 2019 by Lightroom Guy 2 Comments

D.A.Wagner with Khalifa Ahmad Al-Obaidly - Lightroom Workshops — D.A.Wagner with Khalifa Ahmad Al-Obaidly
©2019 Mashael Rashid

Last October, while in Doha, Qatar, I met with Khalifa Ahmad Al-Obaidly, curator and director of artists in residence at the Fire Station arts center. Khalifa is an accomplished photographer who loves experimenting with both digital and film.

He was kind enough to get me permission for an early morning shoot at the Al Shahaniya camel racetrack. And although, at race time, the camels are ridden by small robots, they are warmed up in the mornings with human riders. The photos I captured were wonderful.

Camel races at Al Shahaniya, Lightroom Workshops Doha 2019 — Robot Jockey Racing at Al Shahaniya Racetrack ©2019 D.A.Wagner

Qatar is Unique

When it comes to the middle east, Qatar is one of the safest and most welcoming countries an American can visit. And, although this country is small, about the size of Connecticut, it’s quite large when it comes to heart and art. It is home to incredible sculptures by Richard Serra, Damien Hirst and Tom Otterness along with impressive architecture by I.M.Pei, Rem Koohass and Jean Nouvel to name just a few. A recent New York Times 52 Places Traveler story describes Doha as, “an outdoor architecture museum.” I’d have to agree. But the exhibitions and interiors are as compelling as the exteriors.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qata, Lightroom Workshops — Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar. Architect, I.M. Pei ©2019 D.A.Wagner

National Museum of Qatar (under construction in 2017, now open)
Architect Jean Nouvel ©2017 D.A.Wagner

Upon my return to the states, Khalifa and I continued our conversations, planning on a series of Lightroom workshops scheduled after my scouting trip to Thailand. And so, after Bangkok, I was off to Doha, Qatar to present a series of Lightroom Workshops that David Mark Erickson and I created. This was my fourth time in Qatar. On this trip however, I had little time for sightseeing. I was there to teach.

Lightroom Workshops

Starting out was a 7am walking tour of Souk Waqif, a traditional Qatari style marketplace that was renovated in 2006 to conserve its traditional architectural style. You can find everything here: restaurants, bakeries, hardware, pets, falcons, jewelry, souvenirs, clothing, tailors and more. It comes alive late in the day. But, except for the bird auctions, early morning here on Fridays is very quiet. Perfect for photography.

After a quick lesson on shooting hand-held panoramas – to be stitched later in the develop like a pro class – we broke up into groups.

Many of us headed for the Souk’s Bird Market, a sprawling, squawking array of the exotic and familiar. Lots of photo ops and the action of the bird auction.

Bird Auctions at the Souk Waqif, Lightroom Workshops — Exotic Birds Up for Auction, Souk Waqif. ©2019 D.A.Wagner

We all connected a little later for breakfast and a chance to get acquainted. This group was diverse as any I’ve worked with: college students, realtors, graphic artists, engineers and animators.

Then, the Lightroom workshops series began with Develop Like a Pro. And, over the next three days, we covered everything from developing, asset management, backup strategies and bookmaking. Working at the Fire Station has been one of my most satisfying teaching experiences.

Lightroom Workshops Class ©2019 D.A.Wagner

It’s the combination of people, art, culture, and landscapes that make Qatar so fascinating. It’s a country where one can travel freely, no matter where you go. I think I’ll be putting together another Doha photo tour with Lightroom workshops very, very soon. Stay tuned.