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Lightroom Classic 7.4 Update is Released

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Lightroom Classic 7.4 Update is Released

Fast and furious, Adobe’s been debugging and updating Lr Classic’s features, and so, the Lightroom Classic 7.4 Update is already here. It was only April when the last Lightroom update was released. This Lightroom Classic 7.4 release has bug fixes, catalog management improvements, new file format support and added features. It’s hard to keep up!

Here’s the basic rundown on new features:

Hide and Reveal Presets and Profile Groups

Lightroom Classic 7.4

Choose to Show or Hide Profiles

Lightroom 7.3 introduced Profiles and additional Presets. In this release of Lightroom Classic 7.4 (available only for Creative Cloud members) you can have control over which Presets and Profile Groups are visible. This will allow you to hide what you rarely use and keep the Presets or Profile Groups you use most visible. This will reduce the time spent sifting through the myriad of Presets you’ve accumulated. Of course, the hidden items can be revealed again at a later date if you need them.

Folder: Labels in Color and Faster Searches

Lightroom 7.3 added a Favorites option that added a “star” to a folder icon. Now, using the same shortcut keystrokes, you can add a color label to your Folder (Not available for Collections. Maybe version 7.5?) by selecting a folder in the Folders Panel, Control Clicking (Mac) or right clicking (PC) and choosing a color from the submenu – “Add Color Label.” Once you’ve chosen a color, a color bar will appear on the far right side of your folder title.

Searches will be faster, too. Click the magnifying glass in the Folder search window to see options for filtering by Color, Favorite or All. There’s more on searching Folders here on the Adobe site.

Auto Stacking HDR and Panorama

Check Create Stack to Stack source images with final merged photo

I usually stack the source images I’ve used to create HDRs and Panos, keeping only the final merged image visible on top of the stack. This keeps things more organized (for me, anyway).

Now when merging to HDR and Panorama, Lightroom can automatically stack the source images used by simply checking the new Create Stack checkbox in the HDR/Panorama Merge Preview dialog.

Final Pano/HDR is merged into a stack

 

When the merging is complete, the final merged HDR or Pano image will be displayed at the top of the stack containing the source images used to create the HDR or Pano.

HEIC Image Files Support on MacOS High Sierra

Lightroom Classic 7.4 CC now supports Apple’s HEIC image file format on macOS High Sierra v10.13 or later. For more info on this see the Adobe Tech Note.

There have been bug fixes as well in Lightroom Classic 7.4:

  • Keyboard shortcuts not working for rotate left and right in French, Swedish, Spanish, and Italian – FIXED
  • Crop overlay is hard to see – FIXED
  • Tone curve enabled not copied by sync, auto sync, presets, or snapshots – FIXED
  • Settings are reset when develop preset is applied via script – FIXED
  • When backing up catalogs on macOS, Lightroom Classic doesn’t zip catalogs that have a file size less than 4 GB – FIXED
  • Lightroom unresponsive after Eject SD Card/USB Drive – FIXED
  • Presets no longer record and apply the turn on/off settings in the Develop Module – FIXED
  • Hitting “Previous” and/or Copy/Paste is triggering an bad error message – FIXED
  • Not saving new saving new presets if they contain special characters – FIXED
  • iPhone videos play in wrong orientation (Windows-only) – FIXED

You can read more about the Lightroom Classic 7.4 update and how to use these new features on the Adobe website here.

How to Choose a New DSLR Lens Using Lightroom

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How To Choose a DSLR Lens

We’ve discovered a great way to help you make a decision when you’re thinking about buying a new DSLR lens, using Lightroom Classic CC. If you’ve ever wondered whether or not a particular lens is worth investing in, here’s what we do. We start by looking at lenses and focal lengths using the Lightroom Classic Metadata search. Use the Lightroom Metadata panel to choose a DSLR LensThis came about as more and more of our clients have asked us – What would be a good focal length DSLR lens to purchase? Watch the video and see how we do it.

Another batch of updates for Lightroom CC and Classic

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Adobe CC Lightroom UpdatesAs of Tuesday morning, Adobe has released Lightroom CC version 1.3 and Lightroom Classic CC version 7.3, just two short months from the last batch of updates! Additionally, the Lightroom versions for both iOS and Android have been updated with significant enhancements.

The big focus of these updates are with Profiles — more about those below. Beyond Profiles, most of the updates and changes are incremental and/or community specific requests. Below is a quick run down of the changes for each platform …

Lightroom CC Feature Updates

  • Three new full sets of Profiles have been added, including Adobe Raw, Creative and camera profiles
  • Support for Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices has been added, allowing CC users to keep local copies of their files on a NAS device

Lightroom Classic Feature Updates

  • New Adobe Raw and Creative Profiles have been added and are now accessible from the Basic panel in the Develop module
  • Everyone’s favorite Dehaze slider moved to the Basic panel (a popular community request)
  • The Tone Curve tool in the Develop module has been enlarged to make it easier to use (another popular community request)

Here is Adobe’s official blog post on these updates:
April Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw Releases: New Profiles and More

Profiles

This is the biggest feature change/update for both CC and Classic. However, you may be asking yourself: what are profiles?? Are those like presets? And the answer is: sort of!

Lightroom Classic has long had this feature but, it was buried deep in the Develop module where few knew about it, let alone used it. The way we at LRG like to think about Profiles is like film stock. Back in the film camera days, different film manufactures and types of film were prized for the different way the individual film stocks would convey color. Some film had more pop while others had smoother or richer gradients of tones. Different film stocks were prized for different shooting and conditions and subject matter. And not just film stock but, most cameras bodies would also produce a wide variety of color results.

Ironically enough, these same fundamental differences continue to play a key role in digital photography. Different camera bodies and different sensors each have a unique look. To manage for this, Lightroom developed “camera profiles” to account for variations in color representations, even allowing for users to manually update these profiles to shift the way colors could be displayed.

The practical upshot of this is: users will now have more creative options to develop a look or style based on different profiles that Adobe has included in Lightroom. Adobe has seeded bother versions of Lightroom with +50 different profiles and 3rd party companyes will be able to write their own Profiles and sell them to consumers, just as we have with the Presets marketplace.

However, it’s easy to confuse the difference between Profiles and Presets. Presets do something very similar visually and they have been in much more regular use by Lightroom users. Without getting into too much into the technical details, here is an easy way to think about Profiles: they’re like film stock.

When you apply a Profile to an image, it will change the visual look of the image. It’s that simple. And, while you will be able to undo the change, you won’t be able to tweak the Profile look very much using any of the sliders. Profiles are design to achieve specific results with a click of a button and from there, you can still use Presets and manual slider adjustments to make changes you want to your photos.

While Classic has always had profiles, they are now more accessible as they have been moved to the top of the Basic panel in the Develop module. Lightroom CC didn’t have Profiles and in this release they are getting a full implementation, thereby keeping CC on par with Classic in terms of developing tools.

You can read more about Profiles and the other key updates on Adobe’s official Lightroom blog post: April Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw Releases: New Profiles and More

Lightroom Classic CC Profile Browser

 

Frequently Used Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic

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You should be using the Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic

Tapping the “D” key brings you right to the Develop module

The more you use Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic, the less time you’ll spend hunting for menus and buttons. And that means less stress, more productivity and definitely more Lightroom happiness.

For example, when you want to develop an image, tap D for Develop. To return to the Library from the Develop module, just press G for the Library grid view. Don’t tap L for the Library, which is a common mistake, as that will put you in “lightbox” view which darkens and hides the Lightroom interface. A little disorienting if you didn’t expect that to happen. If it does, keep tapping L to return to your standard view.

So, D for Develop and G for grid. L for Lightbox. I bet you didn’t even know Lightroom had a Lightbox mode. Easy, right? Here are a few more:

Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic

Tapping the J key in the Library cycles through the metadata options

Wanna make a print? Command (Control on the PC) P takes you right to the Print module. You probably know that the Tab key hides the side panels, but did you know that pressing Shift and Tab hides the side panels and the filmstrip at the bottom. More screen space if you’re working on a laptop! Just tapping on the + and – keys (Mac and PC) will increase or decrease the size of your Library Grid thumbnails. And here’s something that will change the way you look at thumbnails – tap the J key while you’re in the Library and show the metadata associated with each photo. You can choose what data you is displayed by going to the top menu and choosing View>View Options to change the settings.

These Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic speed your workflow, but more importantly, you’ll find working in Lightroom more of a pleasure, not having to move your cursor here and there, pulling down menus and reaching for buttons. And although the shortcuts are incredibly useful, some of the keystrokes used in the Library, will produce different results if used in the Develop module.

Sign up for Lightroom Guy’s Newsletter on the right of this article to download our cheat sheet of our PDF of frequently used Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic. To get the full list of Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic, you can see them on the Adobe site here, but you’ll like our cheat sheet better; it has most of the shortcuts you’ll want to use anyway.

Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic: Should You Switch?

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Since last October, when we published our first post introducing Lightroom CC, some of the questions asked most by our clients are: What should I do? Should I keep Classic or switch to the new Lightroom CC? The only answer we can offer is: it depends!

Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic: Should You Switch?

Photo Illustration © 2018 D.A.Wagner, Lightroom® Logos are registered trademarks of Adobe, Inc.

Besides asking us if they should switch, another oft asked question is: what’s up with the name?? Yes, it is confusing but, so far it hasn’t caused too much trouble in our estimation. The trick is to just be clear when you are talking about CC vs Classic. Classic is the same Lightroom we have grown to love oh these many years (think Coke Classic), and CC is Classic’s new little cousin who’s doing everything differently and, achieving a lot of success in the process.

Lightroom CC is the New Lightroom

Lightroom CC is a brand new program which Adobe has designed from the ground up to address several challenges that digital photographers face today. Adobe Lightroom Classic is the full featured and robust application that is the Lightroom we have been using since it was first released, way back in 2007. However, because Classic is full of features and specialized tools, it can often be too much for users who have simple and straightforward needs.

Lightroom CC’s new design and feature set were created to make viewing and developing your photos a much more streamlined process. To do this, Adobe choose not to include many of the features and options that makes Lightroom Classic such a powerhouse application. As well, Lightroom CC addresses the issue of being able to access your photos from any device, anywhere, anytime. Their new cloud based “ecosystem” let’s you make a change to a photo on your desktop and then see it almost instantly on your phone or tablet. To be sure, this is no small feat and it seems like Adobe has done a very good job tackling some of the complexities of keeping photos synchronized across multiple devices.

So, to answer the Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic conundrum, you should ask yourself these 3 simple questions:

1. Do I use any of the other Lightroom Classic modules, other than Library and Develop? Or, do I use any of the extended metadata features, like Maps or keyword sets?

If the answer is Yes, then you should not switch at this time! Keep using Classic the way you are doing now and trust that Adobe will keep rolling out feature updates and performance improvements. Adobe has been clear on their commitment to Classic users that Classic is here to stay. In fact, the next update of Lightroom Classic is coming in April with even more improvements and features!

2. Is Classic too much program for my purposes? Am I struggling to stay organized with imported files and folders or not using any of the Lightroom modules beyond Library and Develop?

If the answer is Yes, then you should consider switching. Lightroom Classic can be a headache and the new program is a dream to use since the program has been designed from the ground up to be fast and easy to use.

3. Do I need the power of Classic but really, really want to take advantage of the easy sharing features as well as mobile access?

If the answer is Yes, then you may be that rare bird who should use BOTH of the applications, simultaneously. Technically, the two programs aren’t yet playing well with each other. However, we have found some simple workarounds that let you harness the power of Classic while taking advantage of the new CC features.

To recap:

  • If you use any advanced features in Classic, stay with classic.
  • If Classic is too much for your needs, then switch.
  • And, if you need the power of Classic but need the features of CC then use both!

And, if you’re looking to see, in-depth, the differences between Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic, Adobe has online manuals for both Lightroom applications here.

Shameless plug: We here at Lightroom Guy specialize in teaching users how to get the most out of any version of Lightroom. And, we’re also experts at migrating third party catalogs into Lightroom, including discontinued programs like Aperture and Picasa. Hundreds of photographers have successfully moved their photos into both versions of Lightroom with our help.

Drop us a note if you have a question or want to learn more about our services! And, feel free to comment or ask questions below. We’d love to hear how you are using either application, especially if you are using both!!

December Updates for Lightroom CC & Classic

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Lightroom CC (1.1), Lightroom Classic CC (7.1), Lightroom iOS Android mobile Apps and ACR

 

Adobe Lightroom UpdatesAdobe Lightroom Updates

Hot on the heels of the official release of Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic CC, Adobe is releasing a full version updates for both of their flagship photography programs. This is an important update as both programs have been plagued with bugs, reports of unsupported camera files as well as a number of key usability issues.

You can read the full, official post here on Adobe’s blog from Sharad Mangalick, who is the Product Manager for Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC.

Auto Sensei Feature

Beyond the bug and stability fixes, the biggest change comes with the new Auto Settings feature which will use Adobe’s Artificial Intelligence engine, called Adobe Sensei. Don’t ask us how this exactly works but we must say that it does work surprisingly well! The Sensei update works across all of the platforms, including iOS and Android mobile apps as well the CC and Classic versions of Lightroom.

Adobe Lightroom 6 Perpetual

One of the biggest gripes from the Lightroom Community following the last updates was that it seemed that Adobe was cutting off support for the standalone version of Lightroom, also known as Perpetual. Version 6 was the last version before Adobe shoehorned users onto the Creative Cloud platform.

Adobe has heard the complaints and have announced that new camera support updates will be released on December 19th!

As well, Adobe has turned off the automatic feature which would uninstall previous versions of Lightroom when doing any install/updates using the Created Cloud application.

Lightroom CC Feature Updates

Specifically for Lightroom CC, Adobe is updating the program with some additional key editing features, including Tone Curves and Split Toning. And, new features for being able to Change Capture Time and view images in Full Screen View (using the ‘F’ key).

Classic & ACR Updates

For Classic and Adobe Camera Raw, updates have been made to the Color Range Masking tool, allowing users to more easily remove individual sample points (using the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key while using your mouse to select the sample point).

Also, Nikon D850 users should be able to use the tethering features in Classic.

Mobile Updates

Both the Anroid and iOS applications have a number of updates. From the Adobe blog:

Android Updates

  • App Shortcuts — For Android Nougat and later devices, tap and hold on the app icon to quickly launch the app into popular modes.
  • More control for managing storage.
  • Resolved an issue that prevented some Huawei customers from importing images.
  • Resolved a problem that prevented some Samsung customers from installing the previous version.
  • Bug fixes and speed improvements.

iOS

  • Watermarking on export — Create and customize a text based watermark for use when exporting your image from Lightroom CC on iOS.
  • Improved quality to HDR capturing.
  • Layout optimized for iPhone X.
  • Bug fixes and speed improvements.

All in all, these are welcomed updates! For more infomrmation about the new Lightroom CC program and/or the key updates in Lightroom Classic, check out our training video on Pluralsight.

 

Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic

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By now you may have  heard that Adobe has introduced two versions of Lightroom. One is called Lightroom Classic and the other Lightroom CC. I equate this new naming to this: after your second child is born, giving that child the name of your first child and giving your first born child a new name. Got that?

This naming was confusing to the Adobe professional community as well – to the point of humor. But nonetheless, Adobe went ahead with the name changes. So let me explain the differences.

Lightroom Classic CC

This is essentially Lightroom CC version 7. It has two great new features – Color and Luminance Range Masking. These masking features make use of new technology, they’re very easy to use and highly accurate. Many of the other improvements are “under the hood,” like faster image previewing using embedded camera raw previews, faster startup, more responsive brushes in the local adjustments and much more. Suffice it to say, Adobe’s primary goal was improved speed and it seems they have accomplished this goal!

And you should note that the Creative Cloud version of Lightroom will be the only version available from this point on. There will be no perpetual version, that is the standalone version that is not part of the Creative Cloud. Lightroom 6 owners will get an update or two in the near future but then, that will be it. No more updates, no more bug fixes. I know this won’t make some users happy. But I can say from experience, Lightroom CC was updated with bug fixes and new features far more often than Lightroom 6. It’s worth the move, even if you hate having to pay a subscription. You can read more about the Lightroom Classic CC updates here.

Lightroom CC

Taking its big sister’s name and changing the Lightroom logo color to turquoise, this is Adobe’s simple to use, cloud-based application that works across desktop, smartphones and tablets. It’s a totally new and different program and It’s a game changer. And honestly, we love it! This is definitely aimed at Apple Photo (or iPhoto) users and Lightroom users who may have found Lightroom too complicated. And, if that’s the case, then there’s a nice feature in Lightroom CC that let’s you easily import your existing Lightroom Catalog of images over to the new, cloud-based app.

Although it’s not free, Lightroom CC offers a wide range of features not available in Apple Photos. The develop features are similar to its big sister, but with an easier to use interface and simpler importing and organization of photos. You can read more about Lightroom CC here.

Lightroom CC is now Lightroom Classic

You’ll notice in the comparison above that there isn’t any Map, Book, Slideshow, Print or Web module in the new Lightroom CC. In fact, there are no modules at all. Just exactly what casual users need, a library (hidden when the develop sliders are available) and developing tools. Lightroom Classic looks exactly the same as previous versions in this new update.

And, below is a side-by-side detail comparison the develop panels. 

Lightroom CC is now Lightroom Classic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, if you’ve already updated to Lightroom Classic, you’ll want to have Adobes’s Lightroom Classic CC User Guide and Lightroom Classic Tutorials.

Lightroom 6

And, if you’ve updated Lightroom 6, you may have been misdirected  to download a Lightroom Classic trial. This deletes Lightroom 6 from your computer, you’ll need to reinstall Lightroom 6 (a major Adobe error!). If this has happened to you, you can download the most recent version of Lightroom 6 again here: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/lightroom-downloads.html Keep in mind that you will need your Lr6 serial number to reinstall the application. If you don’t know your serial number, you can find by signing in your Adobe account here: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/membership/index.cfm?loc=en_us&nl=1

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In the next few blog posts David Erickson and I will go more in-depth, discussing the most important new features of Lightroom Classic (formerly known as Lightroom CC) and review the new, cloud-based Lightroom CC.