Lightroom progress today: (a) import off card was successful, (b) imported from Aperture successfully, (c) made backup of catalogue. Learned to: (d) delete photo, (e) move a file within LR, (f) rename a file. For this photo, imported from card including adding keywords, then edited in Lightroom Develop, exported to Color Efex and back. Need to figure out why PT Lens is not showing up in plug-ins. But, major progress! Also started reading the Kelby book -- makes more sense once I had already tried importing as I could see where I'd made some mistakes or forgotten to do something.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments and favs for the Chihuly shot. I so appreciate your continued viewing as I spend my time learning Lightroom.
Fabulous night capture. Reading about how you are getting to grips with Lightroom is making me think I must do the same. I have read so many good things about the catalogue but I haven't used it yet! I think I must get Scott Kelby's book.
Kelby is the only thing I can make sense of. I'm still too lazy to use much in the way of editing programs though. I love the lights in this one. They're very distinct
Super shots - and I'm encouraged by your progress with Lightroom. May have to try Kelby's book - I liked his on Elements so maybe it would help me with making better use of Lightroom.
@voiceprintz Thanks JT...it helps knowing others are on this same journey. Here's the list of people I know (including the two of us) who are interested in getting smarter about LR, some just starting, others ahead of the two of us. Daryl and I had emailed about starting mid-January with a systematic look through Kelby's book. And others might be interested in that, or just in learning and following any discussion. @darylo @golftragic @rosiekerr @jankoos @voiceprintz @jyokota @pamknowler @taffy
So, lovely image (don't mean that to sound like a shrug-off, because it is not). If you all are going to do a walk-through on Kelby's book on LR, just let me know - I would be delighted to follow along. I have obtained Kelby's book on Photoshop, through the library, just to see if it is useful and helpful. A very interesting journey. :)
@taffy Oh definitely!! I've started using LR, and keep finding things I don't have a clue about. Group study would be great, two or more heads are always better than one in things like this.
@taffy OMG, that would really be a case of the halt leading the blind. I haven't yet opened the book. Once I do I'm happy to buy right into whatever's going on, and to pull my (not inconsiderable) weight once I'm into the book. I'm really struggling with the transition from Aperture, especially while I still need to post some daily shots to finish my year. I used LR today, but now have images in unknown places!! I need some breathing room to apply myself better - and get reading!
@golftragic One thing I have already learned is critically important -- don't use LR until you understand how to upload photos as it's really important to have them all in one place. Using key words is how you'll access them in the future. I know how to enter the key words, but unfortunately have not figured out how to actually use them to find a photo!! But literally every single presenter and every book or article starts by saying how important this is. I think it's fine to import stuff for practicing with LR processing, but I suspect you'll have to export it to save it and then end up starting over with LR catalogue. Good luck!!
Hi Taffy, fab cityscape, love that moon!
I think Im a little bit ahead of you guys with Lightroom, not much :) but this tip was a good one, about selecting the option that saves changes in LR to sidecar files, so these changes are available to other editing apps http://photographyconcentrate.com/lightroom-tip-turn-automatically-write-changes-xmp/ it's not a default a setting. Switching it on initially takes a while, so something to do and then walk away from your pc :)
Fabulous cityscape and good luck with Lightroom. I have got it on CC, but I think I will stick with Photoshop.
At least you have got a group together now and can compare notes.
I've driven the Kennedy twice this week and keep risking my life staring at buildings, trying to figure out which one is yours!
I wonder you want to get together every weekend or two for lightroom help? (And I wonder if there are others in Chicago using Aperture who would like to start switching now.)
Lovely! Will you be looking out for comet Lovejoy? Apparently it's visible to the naked eye about now in the Northern hemisphere and won't be back for 8000 years!
sounds frankly terrifying......!! But well done. I feel very limited by my post processing a) Because I have no clue really as to what I am doing and b) I am using the first version of ps which is frankly rubbish. Sounds a great group to learn together. I may be picking brains later this year!! as @graemestevens is away at present he may be missing this but I do know he is a recent convert to LR and maybe interested too.
Taffy I think I am just about to swap from PC to Mac - I need to have a chat with the people at Apple as you suggested. I know if I switch it will be the time for me to upgrade all my software and I am dreading doing this. I just about know what I am doing now and the thought of switching does terrify me. I am comfortable with the work flow I have at the moment and am a bit scared thinking about the new setup. Why is it computers scare me? If I can do a course with Apple to get me set up that would be great. The trouble is it needs a photographer to know what I need. So I also need to get up to Derbyshire to see my friend Simon. Can't do much of this in the next few weeks as my sister has to go into hospital for an operation and biopsy so I need to be here for her. Life gets in the way of these things doesn't it!! I will keep up with the group if that's ok as i am sure it will help me focus!!
@anwan I love that idea! As I get more into it I think it would be helpful and fun. Shall we plan via email? I'll check with Junko when she gets back in town.
The blue background, using the saturation and luminance sliders I could see there was blue in that part but could not bring it out as much as I wanted. But I just learned that in the tone curve area if I click on the curve icon in the lower right corner I can work on RGB or each of those colors separately. And when I played with blue as I had just learned how to do (more complicated than I can explain here) I was able to pull out that lovely blue background. So don't know if that counts as a "trick" put it was something new to me. That was one of the coolest things I have learned recently about LR. I like to learn something and play with that for awhile and then learn something more. If I get too many new things in my head it's like trying to carry an armful or apples and trying not to drop any. I always drop one.
Hmmm . . . should I order that Kelby book? Looks like you are making progress. I like how this image shows the upward city, whereas most of your earlier city images look down into the streets from your place.
@jyokota Yes, I think it's worth it. Pricey though...but very few used ones which I suspect means that people who buy it, keep it. He takes the importing step by step so makes it very understandable. Or I can show you and then you can read. I usually don't love reading first to figure this out, but I think with LR, that may be the best way -- that, or youtube and Adobe video tutorials. It's sort of intuitive but mostly only AFTER you've been taught something -- at least from my perspective.
Great shot. Love the night lights. I am so far behind as far as lightroom. Much admiration for all that you continue to learn. Sure shows in your photos. FAV
@taffy Fortunately, I had backed up most everything from the year onto the 20TB Lacie. And I had original files of all that was lost. But I lost all the editing I did in December.
@darylo
@golftragic
@rosiekerr
@jankoos
@voiceprintz
@jyokota
@pamknowler
@taffy
@golftragic
@darylo
@golftragic
@rosiekerr
@jankoos
@voiceprintz
@jyokota
@pamknowler
@taffy
@rosiekerr
Does anyone want to organize us to get started? Daryl and I are using Kelby's Lightroom5 book as a starting point.
I think Im a little bit ahead of you guys with Lightroom, not much :) but this tip was a good one, about selecting the option that saves changes in LR to sidecar files, so these changes are available to other editing apps http://photographyconcentrate.com/lightroom-tip-turn-automatically-write-changes-xmp/ it's not a default a setting. Switching it on initially takes a while, so something to do and then walk away from your pc :)
At least you have got a group together now and can compare notes.
I wonder you want to get together every weekend or two for lightroom help? (And I wonder if there are others in Chicago using Aperture who would like to start switching now.)
Ultra wide looking lovely here!