What do *you* use Lightroom for?

[bob carnie]

You seem to have got the Lightroom organizing thing down pretty well... I started with Lightroom 2 (still use it) going to the cloud soon for lightroom and PS.

I find the export function and resizing of files very helpful, also flagging and coding hero images.. I have always found the Library and how it functions with original files stored to be a real PIA and want to learn
more about this function of Lightroom ..
I believe its a very powerful program if you can learn it inside out.. I am still working on PS and all its complexitys , but both programs are powerful weapons that is for sure.. they both have strengths.

I currently use lightroom for everything. But been considering signing up for PS CC as well. I spent an entire summer about 4 years ago organizing and sorting all my photos. Only been photography for 6 years now, but had about 2000 photos mostly 35mm and 120 (of which I use to scan EVERY single negative). It was time consuming and my process/organization evolved over time, but it helps a lot now. I can type in Germany and all my photos from Germany show up, or 35mm and likewise.

I use a color coding system for negatives I need to rescan, negatives I need to edit still, negs that are ready to be uploaded etc. One folder for holding all my negs I need to work on and then folders for each year and location...which hold those negs already uploaded, those that didn't make the cut, etc.

Organizing everything has been really great and helpful. Now that the "system" is already in place it is not hard to continue using it. Although I find my lightroom work eb and flow. Sometimes I can go months without working on the 400 negs that are waiting, and others I can spend weeks actually getting work done.

[appletree]

It took awhile, that's for sure. I have an entire cheat sheet of notes posted up near the computer. What colors mean what, and what stars mean what. That way I can click on 5 stars and see 40 photos all of which are labeled to print in the darkroom.

I usually highlight batches of film and mark notes such as film type and speed, location, names of friends, color, b/w, camera used, lens, etc. It saves the keywords you type so it goes by relatively quick as generally an entire roll of film is very similar. For sheet film it seems like it won't be too bad either.

Makes it nice to find a photo by location instead of camera or time. At first I sorted everything by camera used. Then it dawned on me it sucked. Cause I could not remember back 3 years ago to say hmmmm where is that photo I took on my Leica. But I could remember my trip to NY in 2012. And keywords helps me to find things fast. If I keep shooting for many years, I guess it only helps to have it all sorted now.

I also hired my ex-gf's sister to help me sort it all. After a few weekends and $200 I got a system in place that I am happy with. One of the few areas of my life that is organized. Sine buying a house 1 1/2 years ago I realized I really need a filing cabinet...yet to pick one up...sigh!

[paulr]

The last time I looked, Lightroom didn't support Layers. Does it now ?

It doesn't, although the editing tools work in a way that's analogous to adjustment layers (I guess you could say this about any parametric editing program).

This both simplifies the program and limits it. In general, for any kind of edit that requires the complexity of layers, or that requires pixel-level manipulation, you still end up exporting to photoshop. The programs are at least designed to work together for this purpose.

[john borrelli]

I am an amateur landscape photographer but have never really used layers. In photoshop, I used selection tools and then if needed I used the cloning tool to smooth over anything jagged-y. Amazing how the cloning tool at various levels of diffusion can work wonders with that kind of thing.

Now I use Lightroom for digital and for my epson scanned LF images. Lightroom is better at lightening and darkening areas without needing layers, selection tools, dodging or burning. For me Lightroom is photo software and Photoshop is desktop publishing software. The only thing I use photoshop for now is the cloning tool. In my opinion, the cloning tool in Lightroom is primitive compared to Photoshop, even the low priced version of Photoshop or older versions of Photoshop have a better cloning tool then Lightroom.

[h2oman]

I never really understood the whole catalog thing for years, due at least in part to being too lazy to think about it. When I upgraded to the newest version I decided it was time to get off my butt and figure it out. And the best source I found was the videos by Julianne Kost. She's very clear and succinct - if you search her name and go to her web page she links to all of her videos from there.

[Ari]

I never really understood the whole catalog thing for years, due at least in part to being too lazy to think about it. When I upgraded to the newest version I decided it was time to get off my butt and figure it out. And the best source I found was the videos by Julianne Kost. She's very clear and succinct - if you search her name and go to her web page she links to all of her videos from there.

Thanks; the LR catalogue function has always baffled me.

[analoguey]

One thing I never liked about LR is that the ' Digital negative ' format files have less Info than the original RAWs - probably An Adobe raw converter thing? No idea .

Catalogues are nice but having more than one is the stuff of nightmares reg retrieving or organising.

[appletree]

I have no idea what (a) catalog is in Lightroom. Never really even noticed it, I don't think.

[SergeiR]

I have tried all versions of LR but i kept coming back to Capture One, when it comes to processing of digital files from digital cameras.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I thought that all the tools in LR are also in ACR. Is that incorrect? I use ACR a lot in PS - and can re-edit it if I need to. I think it is cumbersome to have to import images into LR, and creating different galleries etc. is a lot of work. Then if I want to move images around it requires a lot more work.

So, are there any tools, or toosl that behave differently, in LR Vs ACR??

Mike