Help to understand Lightroom 3.4.......

[just me]

Now that I have started to shoot my photo's in RAW and had only a very basic editing program for this, I have now got Lightroom 3.4 ( the only one which worked for my XP computer ) but I have no clue how to use Lightroom, perhaps somebody please can help with pointing out a book with " steps from one to the next step " for me to learn about the working of Lighthouse ?

Griddi........

[jeeperman]

Griddi, I can not point you to a book, however if you do a google search for youtube video tutorials for LR you will find many. I use LR4 and have never used any of the previous versions, no clue what they even look like. I learned the basics of the program on youtube.

[pnodrog]

I use online tutorials for just about everything now, from using Photoshop CS6 to how the controls worked on a digger I hired. Just google Lightroom 3.4 (or just 3) tutorial and you will see plenty of information including instructional video clips. Personally I do like having a reference book as well but it is not really necessary any more. Initially Lightroom irritated me and seemed clumsy but now I adjust about 90% of my photographs using only Lightroom 4.0 and it is invaluable in helping me find an image or images.

[just me]

Thank you, you two Paul's.......

Why did I not think about to google, but will do it tomorrow, for now, and it is evening here in South Australia anyway, I need a little rest from PP, as I worked out for quite a time today, how to download the RAW files from the memory card into the folders, and to open them there, had to work this out from the Olympus E-M5, and also the Fuji X100, both downloading works different, this is o.k. now, so tomorrow I try to tackle Lightroom via Google.......

Griddi......

[davidedric]

If you do decide that you prefer a book after all, I personally find Scott Kelby's books very helpful. (I have his books on PSE 9 and LR4). They cover the whole of the product in a logical order, and often have the images that they work on available fr download so you can follow the same steps yourself. Sleep well

[just me]

If you do decide that you prefer a book after all, I personally find Scott Kelby's books very helpful. (I have his books on PSE 9 and LR4). They cover the whole of the product in a logical order, and often have the images that they work on available fr download so you can follow the same steps yourself. Sleep well

David thank you very much, I googled " Scott Kelby " books, there is one for Lightroom 3, which I would like to have, just wrote email to my Grandson, asking if he can order it for me.......

Now I will go and find my bed, so good night from here, but wish you a good day over there........

Griddi......

[oldgreygary]

I would also recommend books by Mark Galer. Ones I have looked at come with an instructional DVD which can be very helpful. I don't know if he has Lightroom books out but I suspect he has.

Cheers for now

Gary

[Reds]

Kelby's stuff is ok. But he's no Lightroom Queen. Victoria's work is most comprehensive and well witten I've seen.

http://www.lightroomqueen.com/

[Clactonian]

Julieanne Kost - Adobe evangelist

http://www.jkost.com/lightroom.html

[davidedric]

Kelby's stuff is ok. But he's no Lightroom Queen. Victoria's work is most comprehensive and well witten I've seen.

Thanks, Nick. I hadn't come across Victoria's stuff, but I followed the link and I like it. In fact I like it so much I just bought the LR4 one!

I've learnt a lot about my own learning styles in the past few months (having spent years in the corporate mill I thought I had it well sussed). For me there are three distinctive threads:

- I like tutorial books (such as Kelby's). The whole thing consistently in one place, and I can keep referring back a page or two whenever I can't quite remember what happened.

- I like video tutorials (such as Kost's) because they make the whole thing come alive, and crucially they make workflow make sense

- (I hope) I like a FAQ book such as Victoria's. With both books and (even more) with tutorials you know it's there somewhere but it can be a devil to find.

So it seems to me that there is a place for all three. Which order you place them in depends on you, and which product you choose depends on what style you like (and budget!)

Cheers,

Dave

[wobert]

Hi to Just-Me,
Apologies for this LONG following post, but I collected these hints from various web sources and put them together for friends in our local club starting with Lightroom. It may help other Lightroom "Beginners" in the forums. Copy, print, and keep if you find helpful.
Cheers.



LIGHTROOM – 10 COMMANDMENTS FOR NEWBIES:

1. Do NOT import files into Lightroom until you have read these Commandments.

2. Using Windows or Apple File management, create specific folders devoted solely to your LIGHTROOM photographic images. Eg. C:\Docs\Pictures\LIGHTROOM IMAGES

3. Decide on your favoured method of naming folders.
Suggestions-
Set up parent folders for each YEAR
C:\Docs\Pictures\ LIGHTROOM IMAGES \2010
C:\Docs\Pictures\ LIGHTROOM IMAGES \2011
C:\Docs\Pictures\ LIGHTROOM IMAGES \2012

4. Using Windows/Apple File Manager- Move all your existing image files into the folders as in the previous step, and place in sub-folders named using the Dates of existing Images (these can be later modified in Lightroom to add a brief description)
C:\Docs\Pictures\ LIGHTROOM IMAGES \2011\20110601\Image001.. etc.
(eg. Image FOLDER taken 1st June 2011. Could be renamed later as “…\20110601 Holiday”)
C:\Docs\Pictures\ LIGHTROOM IMAGES \2011\20110602\images (Images 2nd June 2011)
*This folder date format sorts chronologically both in Lightroom and Windows explorer!

5. Did you complete steps 1 to 4 ? If so- then start LIGHTROOM and IMPORT all your existing images into the Lightroom Catalog using the "ADD" selection for the method. (Look for them in the folders set up as above, C:\Docs\Pictures\LIGHTROOM IMAGES, where you moved them!)

6. NEVER NEVER EVER use Windows/Apple programs of any kind (other than LIGHTROOM) to Rename, Move, Delete, or otherwise alter your image data stored in the Lightroom images folder. If you do, they will be lost from the catalog and difficult to relink! ('Import' or 'Synchronise Folder' methods will be needed.)

7. ALWAYS import Camera images using Lightroom IMPORT.
Suggestions-
Let IMPORT create a copy of images to another location (eg. External hard drive)
Save with the option to create folders named with "Date of image". (as in Commandment 4) and selecting 'year' parent folder (as in Commandment 3) as the location.
Retain original camera image filenames. (Helps maintain chronological order)
(*Is your camera set to name all image files sequentially?)
Use LIGHTROOM Keywords and Collections to create easy to use indexes for all descriptions.

8. Use only Lightroom to view and edit all your images, including opening files to edit in your external Image editor (Photoshop etc)

9. When you use Adobe Photoshop to edit an image open it through Lightroom as a 'Virtual copy' or 'edit a copy', and after editing always use the SAVE command, (never SAVE-AS). Using SAVE ensures your image file, with edits, returns and remains in the Lightroom catalog. Using SAVE-AS means giving the image a new name that will not appear in Lightroom unless you remember to IMPORT the newly named file. (Use same procedure with other editors)

10. Read the Help Files and Manual to save you much time later. Especially learn the convenient key presses to control Lightroom features. G=Grid thumbnail view. E=loupe magnified view. L=Dim the Lights. D=Develop Image. F=Screen Modes. Etc,etc.
*Hint- "Help" takes you to the internet, so to avoid being always 'on-line', Download the Manual PDF file on the first use of help and save it to a convenient spot on your hard-drive- Create a shortcut icon for quick access.

[Andrew1]

Griddi, I too have an XP machine and only loaded up Lr 3 a few weeks ago. I've done all the searching on the internet and Julieanne Kost has some very good lessons as do quite a few others. There seems to be no end to what's available. I will pass on two of the best references I've come across so far.

There are a few books out there and for learning you need to find one that fits your learning style. I do have a couple of unrelated books from Kelby but I have to say for Lightroom 3 I prefer the book " The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3" by Martin Evening. Because Lr 4 is out this book may not be readily available but I did find one locally for myself. For you it's on Amazon Australia here

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photosho...obe+lightroom3

The other reference is by far the best on-line site I found (and I spend a lot of time on the internet) for Lr3. In fact I am about 3/4 of the way through the approximate 100 lessons. SLRLounge and Pye present the best overall course available. Everything is covered and in sequence. There is no jumping around on YouTube or various sites trying to comprehend a bunch of individual disjointed lessons. This one is excellent. The chapters are on the right hand side of the page and each expands to individual lessons. Give it a try and I'm sure you will be pleased.

http://www.slrlounge.com/welcome-to-...raining-series

[just me]

Hi Robert,

Thank you so very much for your post, which I have copied, and printed out, my Grandson ordered the " Scott Kelby " Lightroom 3 " for me, which I should get next week, till then I will wait to use Lightroom.......

So with your with your tips, and the book, I will have a good start to use Lightroom, I should think......

Griddi......

[just me]

Hi Andrew,

My thanks to you too, as I wrote already my Grandson ordered the book from Scott Kelby already for me.....

But I just had a look at the link you send so kindly of the book from Martin Evening, which I believe must be good , so for the time being I wil see how I will be going along with the book from Scott Kelby, or even if this book agree with me, perhaps I will ask my Grandson to order this book too......

( I always ask my Grandson to order over the Internet for me, he does it all the time, and he is much better with it than me )

Next time I am in town, I will see if I can find perhaps even the book from Martin Evening in a bookstore, although I have not much hope, as there is sort of only one bookshop left in town who would perhaps a book like this have in stock, since " Borders " bookshop closed up.....

Griddi.......

[Glenn NK]

Victoria Bampton is truly the Lightroom Queen. She really knows the program and is very gracious about it.

But not everybody knows everything and for those other occasions I suggest:

http://www.lightroomforums.net/forum.php

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/fo...75cbc12a7483a&

The Lightroom forum is probably the best and it's where Victoria shows up regularly. When she doesn't have an answer, one of the Gurus will have it.

My favourite author is another Brit - Martin Evening. I have three of his books for three versions of LR.

Previous posters have made some very good suggestions for resources - Julieanne Kost has very good tutorials.

Also Laura Shoe: http://laurashoe.com/category/tutorials-and-tips/

If you can get an XP machine to work with LR4, I would strongly recommend it - it has some much improved controls that were not in LR3. There is a Shadows slider now (for one) - it's so good, I'm going over all my files for the past six years and doing them over.

It comes down to the MP size of your sensor/files - I was fine with a 30D (8 MP), but when I acquired a 5DII (twenty-odd), the XP machine died. Having said that, often a disk clean and complete reinstall will give an old machine a new life. The XP machine I replaced (it's now a business machine) had a new MOBO installed earlier this year and the HDD was formatted and XP reinstalled, and I'm tempted to install LR4 on it to see how it performs.

Glenn

[just me]

Victoria Bampton is truly the Lightroom Queen. She really knows the program and is very gracious about it.

But not everybody knows everything and for those other occasions I suggest:

http://www.lightroomforums.net/forum.php

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/fo...75cbc12a7483a&

The Lightroom forum is probably the best and it's where Victoria shows up regularly. When she doesn't have an answer, one of the Gurus will have it.

My favourite author is another Brit - Martin Evening. I have three of his books for three versions of LR.

Previous posters have made some very good suggestions for resources - Julieanne Kost has very good tutorials.

Also Laura Shoe: http://laurashoe.com/category/tutorials-and-tips/

If you can get an XP machine to work with LR4, I would strongly recommend it - it has some much improved controls that were not in LR3. There is a Shadows slider now (for one) - it's so good, I'm going over all my files for the past six years and doing them over.

It comes down to the MP size of your sensor/files - I was fine with a 30D (8 MP), but when I acquired a 5DII (twenty-odd), the XP machine died. Having said that, often a disk clean and complete reinstall will give an old machine a new life. The XP machine I replaced (it's now a business machine) had a new MOBO installed earlier this year and the HDD was formatted and XP reinstalled, and I'm tempted to install LR4 on it to see how it performs.

Glenn

Glenn, thank you, I looked up the Lightroom forum, I find it quite helpful, as I already wrote, I will wait to start using Lightroom when I will have the book, and I am sure, I will also then every so often checking up at the Lightroom forum, have this bookmarked......

I can not get my XP machine to work with Lightroom 4, it was already lot's of trouble to download #3.4, and this only worked with the help from my Grandson who is truly a computer wizzard.......
I do a weekly disk clean anyway, but would to ask my Grandson about a complete reinstall, but for the time being, I am happy my computer did agree at least to LR 3.4.......

Griddi......

[wobert]

I can not get my XP machine to work with Lightroom 4, it was already lot's of trouble to download #3.4, and this only worked with the help from my Grandson who is truly a computer wizzard.......
Griddi......

True- Windows-XP will not run LR4. LR4 requires Vista, Windows 7 or 8. and minimum 2Gb RAM (better to have 4Gb minimum!)

As you are new to Lightroom do not be concerned you have version 3.4 it will still be a great tool for your images.

[just me]

True- Windows-XP will not run LR4. LR4 requires Vista, Windows 7 or 8. and minimum 2Gb RAM (better to have 4Gb minimum!)

As you are new to Lightroom do not be concerned you have version 3.4 it will still be a great tool for your images.

Hi Robert, I say Lightroom 3.4 is still better as no Lightroom at all, also I am taking photo's for just my enjoyment, doing my best, and be happy which what I have.......

My greetings to you,
Griddi.......

[nimitzbenedicto]

............., also I am taking photo's for just my enjoyment, doing my best, and be happy which what I have.......

My greetings to you,
Griddi.......

yes. same here Griddi.....

." I am taking photo's for just my enjoyment, doing my best, and be happy which what I have....... "

[rtbaum]

Ditto