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Lightroom Projects

Since lockdowns started in many places, many people are using their time to catch up on Lightroom projects. We already looked at how to get old photos into Lightroom by scanning or photographing in the April Newsletter. (If you missed it, just log in to your Lightroom Queen account and select Newsletters).

Since the April Newsletter, our blogs have focussed on using keywords to organize your photos.  If you missed any, see the end of this Newsletter for the links.

This week we thought we'd look at an aspect of workflow - rating - which is another great way to refine your best photos.

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Lightroom Workflow Tip - How to rate your photos

There are lots of different ways to categorize your best photos. If you have extra time on your hands at the moment, it's a great opportunity to sort through your photos and select the best ones. This is how Victoria organizes her workflow so she can easily sort and filter her best photos. We're using Lightroom Desktop (the cloud version) for the examples here. However, this applies to both Lightroom (cloud-based) and also Lightroom Classic, with very few differences.

Marking the best photos with flags or star ratings makes them easy to find again later. Lightroom offers two different ways of ranking your photos:

Flags have three different states—flagged (picked), unflagged and rejected. Most people use flags to mean:

• Flagged—photos worth keeping
• Unflagged—not sorted yet
• Rejected—to be deleted

Star Ratings are used by photographers worldwide. Most use 5 stars for their very best portfolio images and 0 stars for unsorted photos.

How do I apply them?

There are various ways to apply ratings to your photos.  Here's three options on the desktop...

• Click the icons in the toolbar beneath the photo in Grid or Detail view.

• Click the icons on the thumbnail border in Square Grid view. The icons appear as you float the mouse cursor over the border.

• Use the keyboard shortcuts:
  • Lightroom Desktop (cloud-based): Z to flag, U to unflag, X to reject. 0-5 for 0-5 stars.
  • Lightroom Classic: P to flag, U to unflag, X to reject. 0-5 for 0-5 stars.

On mobile, tap on a photo to open into a Detail view. Then select the Rate & Review view from the pop-up at the top of the screen on mobile phones, or the star icon in the sidebar on tablets. You can then:

• Tap the icons in the toolbar beneath the photo in Grid or Detail view.
• Swipe up/down on the left of the screen for stars or on the right for flags.

Lightroom Classic also has color flags, which can be a useful addition to show the stage of processing (for example, one color for ones to go to Photoshop,  one for pano photos). The shortcuts are 6-9, representing red, yellow, green and blue.

If you struggle to be decisive, or if you can't settle on a good workflow, why not give Victoria's a try:



As long as you decide what you're going to use and stick to it, there are no rules. Just remember the objective is deciding the best way to organize so you can easily find your very best photos!

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Recent Blog Posts

Since the last Newsletter, we've been looking at a project many have undertaken - keywording! How have you been getting on? Here's a complete list of the blogs:

What kind of keywords should I assign to my photos?

Should I use flat or hierarchical keywords?

How do I assign keywords to my photos?

How do I clean up my keyword list?

As discussed in our last Newsletter, how to work with negatives in Lightroom and the follow-up post on how to change the dates on the scanned photos:

How do I invert a negative scan in Lightroom?

How do I change the photo dates on scanned / photographed images?

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Recent Forum Posts

As a Lightroom Queen member, you also have access to our community forum. The books you purchase help us to fund the forum and assist others. Here's some examples of recent questions asked:

Lightroom Cloud: 
Migrating from Apple Photos; need help!
Files Syncing FROM LR CC to LR Classic

Lightroom Classic: 
Missing images - reconstruct from smart previews?
What I have learned about Lightroom Sync
Best way to back up Lightroom Classic Catalogue only
Mac Mini vs iMac 5K for LR use?

You're welcome to come and join in the conversations!

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If you have extra time on your hands at the moment, there are always more tips and tricks to learn about Lightroom.  You'll find everything you need to know in Adobe Lightroom Classic - the Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro. All you need to do is go to the Shop page or the individual book pages on our website and select the right book for your Lightroom version. 

Bonus Premium Membership!

Each book includes a year's Premium Classic or Premium Cloud Membership (depending on the book you purchase), the benefits of which include:

Regular Book Updates, so you always have the access to the very latest information on new features and other software changes. The eBooks for Lightroom (Cloud-based) and Lightroom Classic are fully updated for the February 2020 updates (there were no functional changes with the April updates).

Personal Email Support, in case you can't find the answer to your Lightroom Classic question in the Missing FAQ book or Lightroom (Cloud-based) question in the Edit Like a Pro book.

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Lightroom Updates

All of the Lightroom apps have been updated today. The first thing you'll notice is that throughout the Creative Cloud system, all the icons have been updated. For Lightroom, they are now:

Lightroom Classic is:

Lightroom (cloud-based) is:

Of course, the Lightroom applications have updates too. Here's some of the new features you have to look forward to...

Lightroom Classic

There are some useful changes to Lightroom Classic this time, including:

• Local HSL Hue adjustment - which has been requested for a long time. Use with the Brush or with a gradient, combined with the Color Range Mask to change colors of an object.
• Defaults - new additional presets are available to take the photo back to Adobe Default or to Camera Settings.
• ISO adaptive presets - you can now create presets for different ISO values without using a text editor.
• Video support - HEVC for Windows, AVI for Mac.
• Tone Curve update with new UI.
• Batch Exports - now include additional dialog for folders and naming when contained in the presets.
• Performance improvements.
• Sync status has been expanded - it's now in the top right of Lightroom under a cloud symbol, similar to the Lightroom (cloud-based) system.

For more detail, visit the Lightroom Classic 9.3 blog post.

Lightroom cloud-based ecosystem

Changes include:

• Local Hue adjustment enables changing colors of an object.
• New Activity view and Notifications to show you comments and likes on your photos.
• Discovery Tutorials - you can now share your own photos and edits. Also you can follow photographers you like. Here are some of Victoria's tutorials.
• Text Watermarking - added to desktop and additional options on mobile, now syncs to all devices.
• Versions - you can now save your photo at different stages so you can compare results.
• Edit in Photoshop - direct integration between Lightroom and Photoshop on iPad.
• Defaults - set new default edit settings for all new imports.

For more detail, visit the Lightroom ecosystem June 2020 blog post.

ACR 12.3

ACR has a new UI - here's an example of the screen you'll see from version 12.3:




There are a number of camera / lenses added to the releases, again check the blog posts for the additions.

We've already updated Adobe Lightroom Classic - The Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro with all of the information about these new features. If you have a current Premium Membership, you can download the latest version of your book from the Members Area right now (and if not, here's the shop - go and buy your copy!) 

Our shortcuts downloads have been updated for Lightroom (cloud-based) to include new ones, check the Downloads page for them.

How do I update?

To update, go to Help menu > Updates or click the Update button in the CC app. The update servers take a while to push the updates around the world, to avoid overloading the servers. You can also open the Creative Cloud app, click Update on the left, then click the ... icon (top right) and Check for Updates to give it a nudge. To update on mobile, visit the App Store (iOS) / Play Store (Android).

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Windows 7 Video Support Reminder

As noted in our last Newsletter, Microsoft has ended support for Windows 7. Lightroom Classic still has limited support for Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, but it can’t take advantage of GPU acceleration, or HEIC file format support.

However, after 9.2, Lightroom Classic can no longer play back video on Windows 7. This affects the import, playback and export of new and existing videos in your catalog, as well as the ability to use the Slideshow module. 

This may mean you decide to hold off updating to Classic 9.3 if you're still on Windows 7, or think about upgrading to Windows 10...

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Lightroom Tip - Using the TAT tool (Targeted Adjustment Tool)

Appearing in the Tone Curve, Hue, Saturation, Luminance and B&W panels, the Targeted Adjustment tool, or TAT for short, allows you to directly control the sliders by dragging on the photo itself. It means you can concentrate on the actual photo rather than the sliders, and saves you having to work out which sliders you need to adjust for a specific color or tone. This rather unobtrusive little tool is a real gem! 

Let's look at using it to adjust the Luminance to deepen the color of a blue sky. Here's a photo where some blue sky is hidden among the clouds.



In Lightroom Classic, the TAT tool is in the top left corner of the HSL Panel. Select the mode you want (Hue, Saturation or Luminance), open the TAT tool and drag up <> down on the photo to adjust the selected color range.


With Lightroom (cloud-based) desktop, it's just under the top of the Color Mixer panel. Select the mode you want (Color, Hue, Saturation or Luminance) in the dropdown then click and drag left <> right on the photo to adjust the selected color range.  Two circles appear showing the range of colors that will be affected. 

So in our example, to make this sky appear deeper, we switched to Luminance mode, clicked and dragged on the blue of the sky. We also switched to Saturation and dragged to increase the depth of the color. The sliders move as you make the adjustment on the photo.



To use the TAT tool on mobile, tap the icon above the colored dots in Color Mix.

Hold your finger on the tone you wish to adjust (e.g. the blue sky) and drag up/down to move in large increments or left/right to move in smaller increments.


The same principles apply using the TAT tool for Tone Curve adjustment and also B&W. It's great as you see the affect on the photo visually rather than trying to work out the color mix (or where to adjust the tone curve).

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Recent Forum Posts

As a Lightroom Queen member, you also have access to our community forum. The books you purchase help us to fund the forum and assist others. Here's some examples of recent questions asked:

Lightroom Cloud: 
How to view latitude and longitude
Questions about Smart Previews, Proxies, local space and editing

Lightroom Classic: 
Is there a way to only use one guide line to straighten the horizon?
Max recommended print size base on JPG size
Reducing size of Smart Previews

Please come and join in the conversations!

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However long you've used Lightroom, there are always more tips and tricks to learn about Lightroom.  You'll find everything you need to know in Adobe Lightroom Classic - the Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro. All you need to do is go to the Shop page or the individual book pages on our website and select the right book for your Lightroom version. 

Bonus Premium Membership!

Each book includes a year's Premium Classic or Premium Cloud Membership (depending on the book you purchase), the benefits of which include:

Regular Book Updates, so you always have the access to the very latest information on new features and other software changes. The eBooks for Lightroom (Cloud-based) and Lightroom Classic are fully updated for this June 2020 update. We are going back to press with the paperbacks for the October releases at Max. If you purchase the eBook(s) now, then there will be a discounted rate offered for the paperback once it's released.

Personal Email Support, in case you can't find the answer to your Lightroom Classic question in the Missing FAQ book or Lightroom (Cloud-based) question in the Edit Like a Pro book.

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Spring eBooks Sale!

As many of you know, our books only go on sale a couple of times a year, usually in the Spring and around Black Friday. Spring has finally sprung here in the UK so our eBooks are on sale until midnight on Monday.

With most of us now restricted to our homes, probably for some weeks, many have said they're spending more time in Lightroom, so we hope this is good timing for you. To avoid adding extra burden to the over-stretched delivery drivers, we're only discounting eBooks this time.

Remember, the Sale will end at midnight PST on Monday (April 13) so act quickly to take advantage! The offer is:

20% off our eBooks (paperbacks excluded)

No discount code is required, as the sale prices are already showing on the website. Once purchased the eBook(s) are available for immediate download.

The two books:

Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro uses the Lightroom cloud-based ecosystem, from the desktop through the mobile apps and web interface. It explains not only how to use and get the best from them, but also how professional photographers approach their editing.

Adobe Lightroom Classic – The Missing FAQ is primarily designed as a conversational FAQ-style reference book for Lightroom Classic, giving you the detailed information you need to make informed choices, whether you’ve been using Lightroom for a few months or a few years. No more pressing buttons without understanding the repercussions!

Adobe Lightroom 6 - The Missing FAQ is for the previous perpetual version of Lightroom and is also written in Victoria's conversational FAQ-style.


All you need to do is go to the Shop page or the individual book pages on our website and select the right book for your Lightroom version. There's no need to enter a discount code as the discounts are applied automatically.

Bonus Premium Membership!

Each book includes a year's Premium Classic or Premium Cloud Membership (depending on the book you purchase), the benefits of which include:

Regular Book Updates, so you always have the access to the very latest information on new features and other software changes. The eBooks for Lightroom (Cloud-based) and Lightroom Classic are fully updated for the February 2020 updates.

Personal Email Support, in case you can't find the answer to your Lightroom Classic question in the Missing FAQ book or Lightroom (Cloud-based) question in the Edit Like a Pro book.
 

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Lightroom Tip - How do I know what's synced to the Cloud?

There are several ways we can get photos to the Adobe cloud. Lightroom (cloud-based) desktop is a main portal to your cloud photos. Lightroom mobile apps sync with it. Lightroom Classic is able to sync photos to the cloud if they are in a synced Collection (including the All Synced Photos collection).

How can you know definitively what's in the cloud though?

Often overlooked, you can access your photos using Lightroom Web, by navigating to https://lightroom.adobe.com in any modern web browser and logging in with your Adobe ID. In Lightroom (cloud) desktop, if you click on the Cloud Sync icon on the desktop, there’s a link to take you straight there.

The web interface is designed to look like the desktop apps, so will look familiar if you use Lightroom Desktop. The advantage of going onto the web interface is that shows exactly which photos are stored in the Adobe cloud.

If you’re having problems syncing, a Sync Errors album appears below All Photos, offering additional clues about which photos are stuck and why (and sometimes the suggested solution, as this example shows).

Using the web interface, you can also do many of the same tasks as the desktop and mobile apps, including organizing the photos into albums and folders, adding metadata, sharing galleries with friends, family or clients, and even do some editing.

How do I see what my Lightroom Apps think is in the Adobe Cloud?

Each App has its own way of checking the status of images in the cloud. Let's look at them:

Lightroom (cloud-based) Desktop:

All Photos tells you the total that are in the cloud (or are currently syncing to the cloud).

Check the overall sync status by clicking the cloud icon in the top right corner. Synced and Backed Up means the local database cache is in sync with the cloud. Syncing X Photos means originals and/or edits are currently being synced to/from the cloud.

Lightroom Mobile

Like Desktop, All Photos tells you the total synced (or syncing) to the Cloud.

Check overall sync status by tapping the sync icon in the top right corner. Initially it tells you how many photos are still syncing, and when it’s done, it changes to Synced and Backed Up.

Lightroom Classic

Although Lightroom Classic is not specifically part of the Lightroom Cloud family, one catalog can be synced with the Adobe Cloud. Only photos in Synced Collections will be synced to the cloud, not all of the photos in your Classic catalog. All Synced Photos will tell you the total number of photos synced (excluding videos).

To check the status, click on the cloud icon in the top right of the screen - this will tell you when all syncing has completed (green circle with a tick), syncing is in progress (two circular arrows) or whether syncing is paused / the catalog is offline (gray circle with X).


 

 

Recent Blog Posts

We continue to get lots of questions about the Adobe subscriptions. Some continue using Lightroom 6 and wonder if subscribing will bring them benefits. Also, unlike a perpetual license that remains yours, there are often concerns as to what happens if you decide you no longer want to subscribe.

Our last two blog posts specifically addressed these questions. Of course, deciding whether to go subscription is something only you can evaluate! But knowing what's been added since Lightroom 6, and what your options are if you stop subscribing is of interest to both Lightroom 6 users and ones that are subscribed, whether to Lightroom (cloud-based) or Lightroom Classic.

Check our two blog posts for the answers!!!

What’s new in Lightroom Classic since Lightroom 6?
What happens to my photos if I cancel my Adobe subscription?

Also, we had the new release blogs in June:

What’s New in Lightroom Classic 9.3 (June 2020)?
What’s New in Lightroom (Cloud service) June 2020 release?

And we updated and republished this one too:

Lightroom Top 10 Gotcha’s

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However long you've used Lightroom, there are always more tips and tricks to learn about Lightroom.  You'll find everything you need to know in Adobe Lightroom Classic - the Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro. All you need to do is go to the Shop page or the individual book pages on our website and select the right book for your Lightroom version. 

Bonus Premium Membership!

Each book includes a year's Premium Classic or Premium Cloud Membership (depending on the book you purchase), the benefits of which include:

Regular Book Updates, so you always have the access to the very latest information on new features and other software changes. The eBooks for Lightroom (Cloud-based) and Lightroom Classic are fully updated for this June 2020 update. We are going back to press with the paperbacks for the October releases at Max. If you purchase the eBook(s) now, then there will be a discounted rate offered for the paperback once it's released.

Personal Email Support, in case you can't find the answer to your Lightroom Classic question in the Missing FAQ book or Lightroom (Cloud-based) question in the Edit Like a Pro book.

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Final hours of our Spring Sale eBooks Discounts!

We rarely send emails in quick succession, but we're making an exception on this occasion. On Tuesday morning, our inbox will be full of people asking if we can extend the discount and we're going to have to say no. 

We don't want you to miss out, as our books are rarely on sale, so this is just a gentle reminder that our Spring Sale discount expires at 11:59pm PST on Monday night. That's 8AM UTC/GMT on Tuesday morning.

20% off our eBooks (paperbacks excluded)

No discount code is required, as the sale prices are already showing on the website. Once purchased the eBook(s) are available for immediate download.

The two books:

Adobe Lightroom Classic – The Missing FAQ    (you don't own this book yet)
Is primarily designed as a conversational FAQ-style reference book for Lightroom Classic, giving you the detailed information you need to make informed choices, whether you’ve been using Lightroom for a few months or a few years. No more pressing buttons without understanding the repercussions!

Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro    (you don't own this book yet)
Focuses on the Lightroom cloud-based ecosystem, which includes the desktop and  mobile apps and the web interface. Even if Lightroom Classic is your primary editor, you can use the mobile apps on your phone and tablet and share your collections as web galleries. Many have found it a perfect companion to the Lightroom Classic book.

Adobe Lightroom 6 - The Missing FAQ is for the previous perpetual version of Lightroom and is also written in Victoria's conversational FAQ-style.

Just go to the Shop page or the individual book pages on our website and select the right book for your Lightroom version. There's no need to enter a discount code as the discounts are applied automatically.

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Thanks for the lovely reviews!

We've been really touched by some of the wonderful reviews that you, our lovely readers, have left for us. If you've already read our books and left a great review, thank you so much. It makes it all worthwhile. These are a few of our favorites:

Adobe Lightroom Classic CC - The Missing FAQ

"Victoria brings common sense and clarity where others just confuse. Can't recommend this highly enough (and have done!)" - Mrs S.

"I have the previous version of this book.I questioned whether I should buy the updated version. I new there would be updated information, but I didn't know if there was enough to justify paying full price again. Boy, am I glad I bought it! I consider myself an "old hand" at Lightroom, having used it since 2013. Nevertheless, Victoria still taught me some things I didn't know. - T. E.

"I am normally very wary of buying these kind of books as I find them to be 'over written', meaning there is so much detail in them you need a PhD to extract out the information you are looking for. This one is different, and I mean really different. It is well written, well thought out, and provides the information you want, whether you are an absolute beginner, familiar with LR as a dabbler (like me!), or I would guess, an expert looking for something more." - C.F.S

"I have always struggled a bit with Lightroom, and have several books by different authors. This book has removed the mystery for me and at last I can use the program with confidence. I believe that this is the best book on the subject, easy to read without the need for a degree in comprehension." - Derek

Adobe Lightroom CC - Edit Like a Pro 

"Edit Like a Pro is written in a way that should appeal to both beginners and more experienced photographers. It’s very well laid out and beautifully illustrated. I really like the way Victoria has combined her approach to photography and post processing with the process of teaching how to use LR CC. In many ways it could serve as a general guide to editing images. As a bonus, regular updates will be issued in step with the rapidly evolving LR CC. Definitely recommended!" - C.W.

"Just every so often you meet a product which gives you that relaxed happy feeling. Since the launch of Lightroom CC. I had been looking for the definitive manual. LRCC needed a helping hand for a newcomer. This is it. Written in a style suitable for any photog between novice and expert, I have found it invaluable. Well done Victoria!!!" - Michael

"Victoria has very nicely laid things out in a very easy to follow manner. I highly recommend this book for anyone who really wants to know this version of the software, and not just be told why they should switch to the classic version." - NKK

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Which version of Lightroom you use?

Not sure which version of Lightroom you use? Check here for instructions on how to find out. 

If you're using Lightroom Classic on your desktop synced with Lightroom (cloud ecosystem) on your phone/tablet, you might want both Adobe Lightroom Classic - The Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro.

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Final hours of our Black Friday Discounts!

We rarely send emails in quick succession, but we're making an exception on this occasion because we know your inbox will have been overflowing this weekend. On Tuesday morning, our inbox will be full of people asking if we can extend the discount and we're going to have to say no. 

We don't want you to miss out, as our books are rarely on sale, so this is just a gentle reminder that our Black Friday discount expires at 11:59pm PST on Monday night. That's 8AM UTC/GMT on Tuesday morning.

20% off our eBooks or 10% off our eBook & Paperback bundles

Simply go to the Shop page or the individual book pages on our website and select the right book for your Lightroom version. There's no need to enter a discount code as the discounts are applied automatically.

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Thanks for the lovely reviews!

We've been really touched by some of the wonderful reviews that you, our lovely readers, have left for us. If you've already read our books and left a great review, thank you so much. It makes it all worthwhile. These are a few of our favorites:

Adobe Lightroom Classic - The Missing FAQ  (you don't own this book yet)

"Victoria brings common sense and clarity where others just confuse. Can't recommend this highly enough (and have done!)" - Mrs S.

"I have the previous version of this book.I questioned whether I should buy the updated version. I new there would be updated information, but I didn't know if there was enough to justify paying full price again. Boy, am I glad I bought it! I consider myself an "old hand" at Lightroom, having used it since 2013. Nevertheless, Victoria still taught me some things I didn't know. - T. E.

"I am normally very wary of buying these kind of books as I find them to be 'over written', meaning there is so much detail in them you need a PhD to extract out the information you are looking for. This one is different, and I mean really different. It is well written, well thought out, and provides the information you want, whether you are an absolute beginner, familiar with LR as a dabbler (like me!), or I would guess, an expert looking for something more." - C.F.S

"I have always struggled a bit with Lightroom, and have several books by different authors. This book has removed the mystery for me and at last I can use the program with confidence. I believe that this is the best book on the subject, easy to read without the need for a degree in comprehension." - Derek

Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro  (you don't own this book yet)

"Edit Like a Pro is written in a way that should appeal to both beginners and more experienced photographers. It’s very well laid out and beautifully illustrated. I really like the way Victoria has combined her approach to photography and post processing with the process of teaching how to use LR CC. In many ways it could serve as a general guide to editing images. As a bonus, regular updates will be issued in step with the rapidly evolving LR CC. Definitely recommended!" - C.W.

"Just every so often you meet a product which gives you that relaxed happy feeling. Since the launch of Lightroom CC. I had been looking for the definitive manual. LRCC needed a helping hand for a newcomer. This is it. Written in a style suitable for any photog between novice and expert, I have found it invaluable. Well done Victoria!!!" - Michael

"Victoria has very nicely laid things out in a very easy to follow manner. I highly recommend this book for anyone who really wants to know this version of the software, and not just be told why they should switch to the classic version." - NKK

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Which version of Lightroom do you use?

Not sure which version of Lightroom you use? Check here for instructions on how to find out. 

If you're using Lightroom Classic on your desktop synced with Lightroom (cloud ecosystem) on your phone/tablet, you might want both Adobe Lightroom Classic - The Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro.
 

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Lightroom Classic 10.1, Lightroom 4.1 and Mobile 6.1 released

These are primarily bug fixes and new cameras / lenses being added. Check our blogs for full details:

Lightroom Classic 10.1 Release

Please note if you are using a Mac with a Custom Monitor Profile you may want to consider staying on 9.4 for now as the performance issues introduced in 10.0 still exist in 10.1.

Lightroom (cloud-based) & mobile December 2020 release

On a related note, if you've been looking at Big Sur and the new Apple M1 processor, you'll find our blog on this interesting.

Lightroom and macOS Big Sur 11 & Apple M1 Compatibility

Moving Computers eBook

It's a time of year when quite a number end up with new computers. Of course, that's exciting, but moving Lightroom to a new computer (or reinstalling the operating system) can be a scary prospect, especially if your computer skills are limited. But there’s nothing to worry about if you follow the simple steps in this free eBook. We have just updated it with the latest Lightroom information and it's all ready for you to download.

Whether you’re using the older Lightroom 1-6, or the current Lightroom Classic, and whether you only have basic computer management skills or you’re a computer whizkid, we’ll cover all of the instructions you need to move Lightroom successfully, without losing any of your photos or edits.

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eBooks Gift Certificate

Suddenly remembered you want to give a gift to a fellow Photographer? Our eBook Gift Certificates have proved really popular! How do they work?

Simply add to the cart, and put the recipient’s name in the Notes field when you check out.

We’ll design a Gift Certificate and email it to you within 48 hours, so you can print it or email it to the recipient.

When the recipient receives the gift certificate, they can then redeem it using the Contact form, and choose which one of the eBooks they’d like to receive, so you don’t have to worry if you don’t know which Lightroom version they use.

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2021 is Calendar time!

How about a nice little Lightroom project for the weekend?  2021 is coming up quickly – do you have your calendar yet?  Like to give a calendar as a gift? What if you could easily make a 2021 calendar in Lightroom, featuring your own favorite photos?  You can!

So what will you need?

First, you need to download the 2021 Calendar files.

Download the manual, templates and example calendars from Ed Weaver’s website (scroll down to the bottom of the page to the zip file). He has variations with large and small numbers, with the weeks starting on Sunday. They’re designed for US paper sizes, and they’re all in English.

If you’re looking for something slightly different – perhaps another language, or you’d like to use a different font, or you just want to start the weeks on Monday, there are additional variations available from Thomas Ljungberg’s website. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you’ll also find A4 templates, for those “on my side of the pond”.  You can even download the layered PSD files, so you can edit the calendars yourself.

Ed’s included step-by-step instructions in his zip file, which are easy to follow.

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Stuck at home? We'll help you learn Lightroom!

We’re living in times unprecedented for most of us, with the situation changing daily. With so much anxiety over the COVID-19 virus, many are now restricted to being at home, perhaps with limited opportunities to enjoy shooting new photos. Here at the Lightroom Queen we want to support and help you in the very best way we can. For many, it's an opportunity to hone up Lightroom skills, sort out catalogs and keywords, perhaps get to grips with more advanced Develop skills.

So, we wanted to remind you of some of the free tools we have that may help!

We have free eBooks to get you started:


Lightroom Classic - Quick Start eBook: Introduction to Lightroom Classic, the most recent desktop folder-based version of Lightroom.


Lightroom (cloud-based) - Quick Start eBook: Introduction to Lightroom, the new cloud-based ecosystem for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, AppleTV and Web.


Lightroom 6 or earlier - Quick Start eBook: Introduction to Lightroom 6, the last perpetually licensed version of Lightroom. Most information also applies to Lightroom 5 and earlier.


Lightroom - Moving to a New Computer eBook: Step-by-step instructions for safely moving Lightroom to a new computer.


We also have the Forum, a great, friendly community with many experts willing and able to assist if you hit snags or just want a bit of guidance. There's just a few recent posts from the Forums mentioned later in this Newsletter. Come and take a look, join us!


Also, there's our Blog - there are dozens of useful articles on there. Use the Search field on the menu or the category list on the right to find the topics that interest you.

As a recipient of this Newsletter, you automatically have an account with us. Just log on to Lightroom Queen using the email address you received this on, enter your password and you will have access to all of the above. Not got a password or forgotten? No worries, click the Lost Password link and you can reset it.
 

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Lightroom Tip -  More Brush tips

Last Newsletter, we looked at using Auto Mask when using the Brush tool (for reminders, log onto lightroomqueen.com, go to your account and you can see the Newsletter Archive). If you've never used the Adjustment Brush, download our Quick Start eBook to learn the basics.

A few questions were asked about the Brush so we thought we'd share some additional tips! These apply to Lightroom Classic and the desktop version of Lightroom (cloud-based), not Mobile or Web.

How do I zoom in to add edge detail when I'm in the middle of adding the brush strokes?
Just hold the Space bar and click on the screen. This puts you into zoom mode. This is really handy for getting the small edges just right. To then move around, hold the Space bar again, the grab hand appears, and you can move around to other parts of the photo. To revert to the previous view, just hold the Space bar down again and click on the photo.

How do I quickly select the eraser while I'm brushing?
Just hold the Alt (Windows) / Opt (Mac) while using the brush. This also works in reverse, adding brush strokes when you're in erase mode.

When should I take the photo into Photoshop to do this type of retouching?
Either for more complex retouching or if there is a lot of brush work which may cause Lightroom to slow down due to the non-destructive processing.

What’s the difference between Flow & Density?
At the bottom of the Adjustment brush panel are Brush settings including Flow and Density. In Lightroom (cloud) you need to click the disclosure triangle by the Brush size to see these. So what's the difference between them?

The Flow slider controls the rate at which the adjustment is applied.

With Flow at 100, the brush behaves like a paintbrush, laying down the maximum effect with each stroke. The effect is applied equally with each stroke. With Flow at a lower value such as 25, the brush behaves more like an airbrush, building up the effect gradually. Each stroke adds to the effect of the previous strokes. Areas that have multiple brushstrokes are stronger than those with a single stroke.

Flow set to 100, the brush effect is solid lines.

Flow set to 25, the effect is built up each time you brush over.

Density limits the maximum strength of the stroke. Regardless of how many times you paint using those brush settings, the mask can never be stronger than the maximum density setting. Unless you need the Density control for a specific purpose, I would suggest leaving it set at 100.

Density set to 0 at the top, 25 in the center and 100 at the bottom.

Remember, Density stops brush strokes becoming any stronger than the setting you've used, however many times you paint over it, unlike Flow which builds each time.

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Lightroom Paperback Update

Many have been asking when the two paperback versions of our Lightroom books will be republished. While the eBooks are updated on release day for each release, as you can imagine, it’s impossible to republish the paperbacks every time there’s new features, as new features are added to the Lightroom cloud ecosystem and Lightroom Classic every couple of months. The paperbacks are sent to the printers every couple of years, when there’s enough changes to warrant purchasing a new paperback.

Adobe Lightroom Classic – The Missing FAQ last went to press in January 2018. We add the changes using an Appendix in the back of the eBook, so those who prefer to read on paper can simply print out the extra pages and add them to the back of the paperback.

Adobe Lightroom – Edit Like a Pro last went to press in August 2018. Almost all of the information in the paperback is still accurate, but additional features have been added over the last year and the user interface has changed slightly on mobile. There’s a list of the new features at the back of the eBook format, so you can check what’s changed since the paperback was sent to press.

However, we're excited to announce that we anticipate both books will go back to press mid-2020, and any current Premium Members will be able to order the latest paperback at a discounted price, so if you prefer to wait for the updated paperbacks, you can still go ahead and order the eBooks now.

If you have a current Premium Membership, you can download the latest version of your book from the Members Area right now (and if not, here's the shop - go and buy your copy!) 

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Recent Blog Posts

Here's the ones since the last Newsletter in case you missed out on them:

What’s New in Lightroom Classic 9.2 (February 2020)?

What’s New in Lightroom (Cloud service) February 2020 release?

Lightroom Gadgets – Sandmarc phone accessories

What is a Lightroom catalog?

Should you have one catalog or multiple catalogs?

Merging Catalogs – The Overview

Merging Catalogs – Stage 1 – Identifying Catalogs

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Recent Forum Posts

As a Lightroom Queen member, you also have access to our community forum. The books you purchase help us to fund the forum and assist others. Here's some examples of recent questions asked:

Lightroom Cloud: 
Transfer from camera to iPad
Edit in Photoshop duplicates file

Lightroom Classic: 
Benchmark available for testing Lightroom Classic performance on Windows computers
How to set defaults specific to ISO values
Best MacBook Pro notebook build for LR Classic

You're welcome to come and join in the conversations!

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