Help with Saving images in Lightroom 3

[Kathy O]

I just downloaded a trial version of the Lightroom 3, it's been kinda tricky for me to figure out but the more I work with it the better it gets. My problem is after I have edited my photo -- how do I save it, can't find a save button to save my soul!!

Also, can you create a cut out on your photo and work in layers in the Lightroom 3?? Answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated!!

[AlexCascatau]

As far as I know you can't work in layers in LR3 but the elusive save button you're looking for is the export button. You find it under File->Export on the PC. I hope this helps you somehow.

[Kathy O]

Thank you for your help, I thought maybe it was the export button but wasn't sure . . . I know that sounds dumb. I am trying to decide whether to use Lightroom 3 or go with some other editing software . . .do you have any preferences? Thanks again for your help!

[Bear]

I find I'm rarely using PS CS5 since getting LR. One feature of LR I especially like is the non-destructive editing, whereby your edits are stored with your original image and only permanently performed on exported copies, always preserving the original unless you want to permanently alter it. While LR will not do all the things PS can do, LR does about all you may do in normal daily editing, including organization, more easily and streamlined than PS. Takes a while using LR to fully appreciate it.

[Viana]

No working in layers in LR, Kathy. That said, LR is a photo organizing and adjustment program it is NOT a special processing program such as giving people “face lifts” changing backgrounds, etc.


For most PSP I use Lightroom. For special effects I use Photoshop. I find them both indispensable.


You can “save” your photo a number of ways in Lightroom—1) Use the “export” button in the Library module and control the size of your photo via the options. 2) Go to the “Web” module and export via the Flash or HTML galleries. My preference is Flash, because one gets 3 sizes of jpgs in the Bin export folder as well as a Flash folder that can be uploaded to your website.

[FrankMi]

I am trying to decide whether to use Lightroom 3 or go with some other editing software.

Hi Kathy, I use CS5 far more than I use Lightroom. I can make mostly global changes in Lightroom, but most often I am making specific changes to one part of the image and different changes to another part of the image so I use selections, masks, and layers a lot and as CS5 allows me to make global changes as well, I don't use Lightroom as much for post processing.

I DO use Lightroom for Importing the images, RAW conversion, Image Cataloging and Backup. I think if I were only makeing global changes then I would use Lightroom more. Hope this helps!

[Kris V]

One of the reasons I use LR a lot is that I can create a number of virtual copies, and the original never gets destroyed. There's also the possibility of creating your own presets.
For the heavy lifting, I use CS5.

[n0ct]

Since Lightroom edits images parametrically, the develop settings are stored in the metadata. You can "save" the develop settings using Metadata -> Save Metadata to File. This will save the data for the selected image to the XMP sidecar file, or the DNG file if you're using that format. If more than one image is selected, the changes will be saved for all the selected images. This will allow the metadata tol follow the image if you move it along with it's XMP file. For more detailed information, see the Adobe help file at:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Lightroom/3.0/Using/WS638E3AC9-A04C-4445-A0D3-F7D8BA5CDE37.html

[n0ct]

Since Lightroom edits images parametrically, the develop settings are stored in the metadata. You can "save" the develop settings using Metadata -> Save Metadata to File. This will save the data for the selected image to the XMP sidecar file, or the DNG file if you're using that format. If more than one image is selected, the changes will be saved for all the selected images. This will allow the metadata tol follow the image if you move it along with it's XMP file. For more detailed information, see the Adobe help file at:

[n0ct]

Since Lightroom edits images parametrically, the develop settings are stored in the metadata. You can "save" the develop settings using Metadata -> Save Metadata to File. This will save the data for the selected image to the XMP sidecar file, or the DNG file if you're using that format. If more than one image is selected, the changes will be saved for all the selected images. This will allow the metadata tol follow the image if you move it along with it's XMP file. For more detailed information, see the Adobe help file at:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Lightroo...8BA5CDE37.html

[Yooper]

I just downloaded a trial version of the Lightroom 3, it's been kinda tricky for me to figure out but the more I work with it the better it gets. My problem is after I have edited my photo -- how do I save it, can't find a save button to save my soul!!

Also, can you create a cut out on your photo and work in layers in the Lightroom 3?? Answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated!!

Kathy,

I have Lightroom 3 currently, and had Lightroom 2 before that. I also have Photoshop CS5, but find that most of what I need to do I can do in Lightroom. Lightroom does not modify the original file until you export it, it just saves the editing instructions to a file that is attached to the original file. Technically you don't need to save your edited photo until you want to do something with it, such as print or upload to a web page, as the editing instructions are automatically stored with the original file. When you do want to create a jpeg to print or upload, etc, that is when you would use the export button and set the appropriate quality, size and resolution settings for what size jpeg that you want to create. Nik Software has a series of plug-ins for Lightroom that allow you to more controlled editing than Lightroom is capable of. Also, onOne Software has a plug-in called Perfect Layers that will allow you to create, edit and save layered files with Lightroom. It was created in collaboration with Scott Kelby of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals because they saw the need to be able to use layers with Lightroom.

I would suggest that you keep working with Lightroom, as it is fairly intuitive, and the more you work with it the easier it becomes.

Paul

[Max Pegler]

No working in layers in LR, Kathy. That said, LR is a photo organizing and adjustment program it is NOT a special processing program such as giving people “face lifts” changing backgrounds, etc. .....

Perfect Photo Suite 6 will do all that as a plugin to LR3, I'm a happy user. Well worth a look.

Regards
Max P

[MajaMolly]

No working in layers in LR, Kathy. That said, LR is a photo organizing and adjustment program it is NOT a special processing program such as giving people “face lifts” changing backgrounds, etc.

In LR3 you can use the brushes for skin smoothing, teeth whitening, eye brightening, lightening/darkening selected areas etc. It really is a powerful program. It works very well alone or in combination with Photoshop. Lightroom Killer Tips is a great website with lots of videos, tutorials, presets etc. http://lightroomkillertips.com/

[nomex]

I have both LR and Photoshop. IMO, If you have a HUGE catalogue of photos then LR is WONDERFUL and can do some global editing. It DOES get easier to use, and I have not yet tapped all its potential. If you do not have a huge number of photos, and do alot of cloning and fine editing, then I would suggest CS5 (if you have to choose between the two). There is a place for both, but if I HAD to choose, I would suggest CS5 does a better all around job for editing. The bridge (included in CS5) is quite useful for organization of your files and accessing them easily while you work.

[Viana]

In LR3 you can use the brushes for skin smoothing, teeth whitening, eye brightening, lightening/darkening selected areas etc. It really is a powerful program. It works very well alone or in combination with Photoshop. Lightroom Killer Tips is a great website with lots of videos, tutorials, presets etc. http://lightroomkillertips.com/

Yes, I am aware of that, since I use Lightroom 80% of the time. Still, Photoshop is better at doing retouching and special effects. That said, one can use FREE GIMP or even Elements and with Lightroom and have the best of both worlds for far less money.


Advantages of Lightroom & Photoshop Workflow:


GENERAL
• Ease of Use
• Elegant Interface
• Photo-centric Features


ORGANIZE
• Database Driven
• Compare/Survey View
• Keyword Suggestions and Lists
• Efficient Filters/Collections
• View Offline Files


DEVELOP
• Crop/Straighten
• Virtual Copies/Snapshots
• Interactive Preset Previews
• Before/After Views


ENHANCE
• Edit in or Open Presets go to Photoshop


OUTPUT
• Third Party Plug-ins
• Template driven batch printing
• Video/PDF Slideshow output
• Publish Web Galleries


_____________________


Advantages of Bridge & Photoshop Workflow:


GENERAL
• Multi-user Workflow
• Design-centric Features


ORGANIZE
• File Browser
• String Substitution/Rename


DEVELOP
• Numeric Adjustments


ENHANCE
• Photo retouching, layers, special effects in PS


OUTPUT
• Save as PDF file with Security
___________________________


Check out the whole, in depth lecture:


Julieanne Kost helps you decide which application is right for your workflow by explaining the differences between Lightroom and Bridge for managing images and assets. http://tv.adobe.com/watch/the-comple...oom-or-bridge/
________________


Here is a large collection of some of the best Lightroom and Photoshop tutorial videos: http://jkost.com/index.html

[Kathy O]

Thanks for all the information!!

[Glenn NK]

Sorry I'm late Kathy. I use only LR3.

1) no need to save - everything is written to, and saved to, an xmp file as soon as you make a change. As long as you don't change images, the changes can be undone using CTRL X (Windows) and "un-undone" with CTRL Y.

Once you move on to another image, the information in the previous image can only be changed by over-writing with new changes. OR, by using RESET, all the changes can be erased, and you're back to square one. Incidentally, I do this quite often.

2) No such thing a layers in LR.

Glenn

[Colin Southern]

no need to save - everything is written to, and saved to, an xmp file as soon as you make a change.

Hi Glenn,

As I understand it, where edits are saved depends on how the preferences are set. By default, it's in the LR database (which makes them unavailable to other programs), but there's an option to write them to XMP which means "sidsecar files" if you're working with a native RAW image, or the XMP is incorporated into the file if you're using DNG RAW.

Personally, I think the default option is hellishly dangerous, as the edits are physically disassociated from the image, and you can end up with a pretty large database that needs to be backed up after EVERY session.

[Glenn NK]

Every one of my CR2 files on the HDD has an associated xmp file in the same directory.

The xmp files are created automatically by default. At least it's default on my setup.

I like the edits being disassociated from the image, rather than actually editing the original CR2. I've redone quite a number of images as I learn more about PP. There is no way I want to make changes to the original; as it stands, I don't have extra copies floating around (except of course on an external HDD to which I copy/paste the images once a month).

As for making them available to other programs (I use PSE), if I want to do some occasional special editing, I save them to TIFF. But I seldom use PSE - I can remove spots from flowers without leaving evidence quite easily in LR, and dust spots are quite simple.

I generally do back up the entire database after every session.

I'm running LR3 on two computers; an old one that I started with when LR came out, and a new i7 machine. On the i7 machine a backup takes a couple of minutes; on the old sucker about 8 or 10 minutes.

Glenn

[Colin Southern]

Hi Glenn,

Every one of my CR2 files on the HDD has an associated xmp file in the same directory.

If you're not using DNG then the edits go to an XMP sidecar file if they're not saved in the database.

The xmp files are created automatically by default. At least it's default on my setup.

Interesting. When I had LR installed the other day it set itself to install to the database by default, but with the option of XMP if I wished. Guess it doesn't matter what the default is, so long as you have the edits stored somewhere else.

I like the edits being disassociated from the image, rather than actually editing the original CR2. I've redone quite a number of images as I learn more about PP. There is no way I want to make changes to the original; as it stands, I don't have extra copies floating around (except of course on an external HDD to which I copy/paste the images once a month).

By "disassociated" I was meaning in the database. Adobe programs never touch a native RAW file - they either create sidecar files or store the editing info in the associated DNG file; either way the changes are fully reversable.

I'm running LR3 on two computers; an old one that I started with when LR came out, and a new i7 machine. On the i7 machine a backup takes a couple of minutes; on the old sucker about 8 or 10 minutes.

Databases like that still scare me to be honest. In your case you're fine as the edits aren't in there anyway (so basically just indexing info which isn't as important), but I've seen instances in the past where there's been a corruption in a database, but nobody noticed as the corrupted area referred to areas that weren't currently being worked on. By the time the corruption WAS discovered, the corrupted database had already been backed up over all backup sets, and approx 10 months worth of work was lost.

How big is your database by the way (I worked out the other day that mine would be about 6 to 7GB is I used LR).