Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2

7 Reasons Why Lightroom ROCKS!

by Sherri on April 16, 2010

California-Poppies

California Poppies growing along the road in my rural Auburn, California neighborhood. This image (and all of our images these days) was processed with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2. I set the Vibrance to 82 and the Clarity to -68. I also changed the White Balance to Daylight.

California-Poppies-2

This is the way the image looked straight out of the camera. No adjustments were made in Lightroom.

One of the questions I get asked often is "I already have Photoshop, so why do I need Lightroom?" The simple answer to that question is you don't need it, but you should want it! It is impossible to include all the ROCKIN features in Lightroom in this post. For now, I'm going to dangle a carrot in front of your eyes, by including a few of MY favorites, in hopes that you will take a bite. In case you are wondering, I'm not an employee of Adobe, nor do I own any Adobe stocks. I'm just hooked on Lightroom and I hope to get you hooked too! Photo Management Software Lightroom is Photo Management Software. It appeals to photographers who need to process large quantities of images. It also offers some editing capabilities. You can literally store and manage thousands of images with it and edit large batches of images at once. Photoshop is designed for photo editing. Graphics professionals who need advanced editing and design tools need Photoshop. It also has its limitations. For instance, you can only edit one photo at a time. They are, however, designed to work together. I use them both, but I do as much as I can in Lightroom! Non-Destructive Workflow You heard it right! One of the most important features of Lightroom is the Non-Destructive Workflow. All editing in Lightroom is non-destructive. Original images will never be permanently modified regardless of file type. You can return any time and undo or modify your previous adjustments. Presets As most of you probably already know, no matter how good your images are straight out of the camera, they can always be improved upon. Lightroom comes with a few tonal correction presets that you can apply to any of your images. It gets even better. You can also create your own “User Presets,” by combining your favorite combination of settings. I have created a couple of them, which I use for most of my developing. NOTE: Even when you use presets, you will often still need to do a little tweaking here & there. Create Virtual Copies Have you ever wished you could see what your original color photo looks like developed a different way? Check this out. In Lightroom, you can create Virtual Copies of your original; as many as you want. Then, you can develop each of them differently for comparison purposes. Virtual Copies are copies made from your original, which don’t take up any additional storage space. You can edit them as if it was an original, but they are not a real file. They are just a set of instructions. When I am working with an image, I always make a Virtual Copy first. Then, I start applying different presets to it until I find one that excites me. Currently, my preset of choice is one that I created myself and it works well on most of my images. Sometimes I will save more than one Virtual Copy. For instance, I might save one developed with my own preset and one developed using the built in Sepia preset. The opportunities are limitless! Develop Sliders – Vibrance, Clarity, Fill Light Vibrance Want to make your colors more vibrant and give them the “Velvia” look? You can achieve that by using the Vibrance Slider in Lightroom. There is also a Saturation Slider, but I almost never use it. The difference between the two is the Saturation Slider increases all the colors in the image equally, while the Vibrance Slider increases the dull colors the most. See examples above. Clarity If you want to add maximum punch to your photos, click and drag the Clarity Slider all the way to the right (+100). This will add midtone contrast to your photos and the midtones will look as if they have been sharpened. To soften or diffuse your photos such as when shooting a portrait, drag the Clarity Slider all the way to the left (-100). This will decrease midtone contrast in your photos. Of course, there are many settings in between 0 & 100 on either side. For examples of this, please check out my posts More Lightroom Fun and Finding a Balance. Fill Light You can add fill light to your Backlit photos (if your goal is not a silhouette) with the Fill Light Slider. There are times when you don’t have a flash, or your subject is too far away for a flash to reach. The Fill Light Slider will come to your rescue. Be careful not to add too much, however, or you risk adding unwanted digital noise. I also like to use it to create the look of a painting. Here is an example of when I used the Fill Slider to improve a backlit photo. Have I convinced you yet? Originally, I was going to add a few more ROCKIN features of Lightroom to this post. But, I have decided to stop here and save the rest for a future post. Also, don't forget to read my Top 10 Tweets of the Week posts for more delicious Lightroom tips! Thank you for visiting and as always comments & questions are welcomed and appreciated! 😉 Have a great weekend everyone! ~Sherri

I Lied!

by Sherri on April 13, 2010

Duck-3

This photo was captured this morning at a pond in our rural Auburn, California neighborhood. It was processed using both Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 & CS3.

A few minutes ago I wrote this on my Facebook Fan Page.

Photo adventure this morning = BIG FLOP. Took camera with me on a walk. Planned on shooting Poppies. On the way to the Poppy patch, I came upon an unexpected Egret at the pond. Cool I thought, until I realized I had no memory card. Went home & got memory card. Returned to pond = no Egret. Went to Poppy patch = Poppies not open! 🙁

Well, that wasn't 100% true. As it turns out, I did manage to get a couple photos of this duck that I liked. I decided to put one of them up here to hold me over, until I can get my article on Lightroom finished. It's taking me longer than I thought and it's been way too long since my last post! Stay tuned. My Lightroom post will be done soon and I think it will be worth the wait! 😉 Thank you for your patience! ~Sherri
Deschutes-River-6

Foggy morning along the Deschutes River, La Pine State Park, La Pine, Oregon. This image was developed using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

It's time for another print giveaway. I'm going to give away a FREE 8x12 print (value=$45.00) to the person that comes up with the best name for this image. Calling this image the "Deschutes River" is simply too boring. Please use your imagination and come up with a very descriptive name. Put your feelings into words! Here is how it works:
  1. You must be a Fan of Sherri Meyer Photography on Facebook in order to qualify. To become a Fan, simply click on Sherri Meyer Photography.
  2. You must be a resident of the United States or Canada.
  3. Add your choice of names in the comments section below. Comments will be moderated if you have never left a comment on this Blog before.
  4. This contest starts today and ends 1 week from today.
  5. The person with the winning entry will be notified by email. You will need to let me know which image you would like and where you want the print shipped to. I will also announce the lucky winner on Facebook and Twitter.
  6. The winner can choose any images from our Stock Photo Archive, or from this Photo Blog.
  7. I think that about covers it. If you have any questions, please add them in the comments section below.
Who will the lucky winner of the FREE 8x12 print be? We will find out 1 week from today! Have a super weekend everyone! ~Sherri

Top 10 Lightroom Tweets of the Week

by Sherri on March 12, 2010

Daffodils

Spring is here. Daffodils such as these are "springing" up all over our neighborhood in Auburn, California. This was developed using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

Are you ready for 10 new Lightroom tips for your weekend? Well, here they are in random order. Enjoy!
  1. @OutdoorPhotoMag’s Lightroom quick tips, including keywords, spray painting and more - http://bit.ly/cZYiCq.
  2. @Lightroom Lightroom's Virtual Copies are helpful for a multitude of reasons. Find out why here - http://bit.ly/bi3JJx.
  3. @Lightroomers Two fast ways to apply develop setting to multiple photos in Lightroom http://bit.ly/bCNJbR.
  4. @aj_wood ---> my latest Lightroom article is up on TipSquirrel http://bit.ly/9461vc "Lightroom vs Adobe Bridge."
  5. @heninger It's Lightroom Tuesday (Evening). Tips, Tricks & Tutorials for the Lightroom-enhanced among us http://heninger.org.
  6. @xequals New on X-Equals - Yield the Wheel – A Lightroom mouse trick - http://bit.ly/bYOe1r.
  7. @ShebaJo Arrange Files Your Way in Lightroom - http://bit.ly/aeeG6l.
  8. @LRSecrets New Article: What I'd Like to See in Lightroom 4 http://lightroomsecrets.com/1256 beCP.
  9. @photographyblog 21 Reasons to use Lightroom http://bit.ly/bWJdxa.
  10. @Lightroom A quick tutorial on how to create a passport photo with Lightroom http://bit.ly/aEYKkd.
In case you missed my previous "Top 10 Tweets of the Week" posts, you can view them all by clicking on the Top 10 Tweets of the Week category on the sidebar of this Photo Blog. You can retweet (RT) this post, by clicking on the lime green retweet button at the bottom of this post. It will take you directly to Twitter. If you don't know about the importance of retweeting, please refer to this post by Jim Goldstein. Thank you for visiting. If you would like to leave a comment, simply click on the "comments" link (add your message in the box) at the bottom of this post. Have a great weekend everyone! ~Sherri
Downtown-Auburn

Downtown Auburn, California photo taken in December of 2009 & developed using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

Please note: I am getting a lot of traffic to this blog post. Although this sale expired a long time ago, you can still purchase this print and others of Auburn, California from our Auburn Gallery.

Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know that we have just updated our Print Specials Gallery for the month of March. We are offering a 20% off savings on this selection of Auburn, California images to our Facebook Fans. Included in this Print Specials Gallery are images of the American River, Downtown Auburn, Old Town Auburn, the Foresthill Bridge, No Hands Bridge and more. Thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below. We love to hear what you have to say! ~Sherri

Winner’s Choice

by Sherri on February 22, 2010

Sherri-&-Sierra-Canoeing

Sherri & Sierra canoeing on Gold Lake in Sierra County, California. This image was developed using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

A few days ago, I ran a little contest. The first person to leave 5 comments on this Photo Blog would win a "FREE" 8x12 print of their choice. I had never done anything like this before, so I didn't know quite what to expect. Within a few minutes, 3 of my facebook Fans had participated in my little challenge. The winner, Erin Gonzalez, selected this photo of my dog Sierra & I canoeing on Gold Lake in Sierra County, California. I am planning to do this again soon. If you would like a chance at winning a "FREE'' photo, you will need to become a Fan of Sherri Meyer Photography. As a Fan, you will be able to participate in challenges such as this, take advantage of our specials and more. Thank you for visiting! ~Sherri

New Travel, Landscape & Nature Images

by Sherri on February 19, 2010

American-River-8

The Middle Fork of the American River in Auburn, CA, just after a rare, low snowfall in December 2009. This image was developed using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

We have just added a new collection of Travel, Landscape and Nature images to our PhotoShelter Archive. The easiest way to view them is by clicking on the New Images Gallery. This is where you will always find our newest images, which have been added to our Website. These images have all been developed using the amazing Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Photo Management Software. See this link for over 200 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Tips. Thank you for visiting and enjoy your weekend everyone! 🙂 ~Sherri

Amgen Tour of California is Coming to Auburn!

by Sherri on February 17, 2010

Foresthill-Bridge-7

Close up shot of the Auburn-Foresthill Bridge taken this past December. You are looking towards North Auburn. This image was processed using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 & CS3.

WOW - this is BIG news! The largest cycling event in America, the Amgen Tour of California is coming to Auburn this May. A route through Old Town Auburn, Downtown Auburn and along the Foresthill Bridge (California's tallest bridge) has been decided on, as part of the first leg of the race. This leg starts in the Gold Rush town of Nevada City and ends in Sacramento, our state Capitol. If you will be up in this area for the race, there is a lot to see and do here. For starters, be sure to set aside some time for exploring Nevada City, one of the most charming of all California Gold Rush towns. Then, there is my town of Auburn. There is a lot to see and do here too. For a few ideas on how to spend your time while visiting Auburn, you can refer to my Auburn Category on the sidebar of this Photo Blog, or the Auburn Photos on our Website. Locals, you may even get some ideas of things to do in "your own backyard!" Thank you for visiting. Note: If you have any questions about the Auburn area, please feel free to add them in the comments section below. ~Sherri
Jeff-&-Cocoa-2

Jeff & Cocoa hiking on the Stagecoach Trail on a foggy January morning, Auburn, California. This image was developed using the amazing Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

Hi everyone! You have probably figured out by now that I love to photograph people enjoying the outdoors. I have been capturing Outdoor Lifestyle photos for many years and they continue to be my favorite subjects to photograph. I have also noticed an increased amount of people on this Photo Blog lately, who were searching for "How to Shoot Outdoor Lifestyle Photos." That is what inspired me to write this post. I'm sharing some of my success tips for capturing great Outdoor Lifestyle photos. If you own a camera and you would like to learn how to take better photographs of people, you can benefit from the following tips. [click to continue…]

Top 10 Lightroom Tweets of the Week

by Sherri on January 29, 2010

Foggy-Auburn-5

Foggy January morning over the American River Canyon, Auburn, California. This image was processed with the wonderful Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

Hi everyone! You probably thought I had disappeared and was never coming back. No, that isn't the case at all. I'm just spread a little too thin right now and I had to space these very time intensive posts out a little bit. I hope you understand! That said, I have put together another collection of mighty fine Lightroom tips for you.  Here they are in random order. Enjoy and have an awesome weekend! [click to continue…]