leftj Loc: Texas

Try Luminar

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Amen to this. Once you've figured out image management, tagging, and cataloguing, things get a lot simpler, but also a lot harder in terms of the many options available. I'm a fan of filing and file management in all aspects of my life, and the downloading and organization was almost fun for me, although I've got another six or seven thousand images yet to keyword from earlier years.

I'm now at the full blown experimentation stage with the Develop module - exploring presets, sharpening, enhancement, contrast and tone curves, and all the rest. This really is fun if you've ever spent time doing darkroom work, but the number of choices can be overwhelming. I'd join others in saying to work your way down the right hand adjustments in the Develop module - playing and experimenting to see what looks best to you. My only problem is my indecisiveness - once I think I've got a great image, I start to think about "what if?" alternatives. The kind of stuff I might have thought about, but never tried in a physical darkroom, or in ordering custom prints. But now, since they're a lot easier to experiment with digitally, I sometimes get bogged down in trying out new things.


Andy

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Not everyone wants post processing software they have to work at. Some want lightly featured easy to use software like Picasa. I suspect the OP wanted to jump right in and was disappointed that the software wasn't straightforward and easy to figure out and use to meet his expectations on day 1. Many here are trying to sell Lightroom as relatively easy to use. For many people here who don't possess strong computer skills it can be a nightmare. For instance, I can't keep track of how many people have posted over time that they thought their images were somehow physically stored in Lightroom itself after import so they deleted all their images from their hard drive, with no backups, to save space. Not everyone is computer or software savvy or wants to spend many hours learning and practicing how to use PP software. It would be better, I think, to try to understand the OP's abilities and expectations and tailor suggestions to them instead of assuming Lightroom is the right solution..

broncomaniac Loc: Lynchburg, VA

I like Aftershot Pro 3 quite a bit. Corel makes very easy to use software.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

How about reading the online Adobe LR manual. At the top of the program, under the very obvious term "help." The LR manual will give you all of the basics of the program. How can you "hate" something you don't even know how to use? Read up specifically on the Library Module. All programs take time to learn.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

People hate things they don't understand all the time. And I think expecting the OP to start reading LR manuals is an effort in futility. Most people who give up on Lightroom do it because they tried it after seeing so much praise and then find they have to spend too much effort to understand how to use it. They just want to be able to start it up and go. But feature rich software always has a learning curve, and often a steep one. Its not for everybody.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

But here is what the person said, "I can find no instructions to start out with" and this is what I commented on specifically, there are instructions. Every application we use as photographers takes some degree of time and effort to learn, depending on how quickly we pick up the tools in the application and our prior knowledge of such programs.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

True... I know many photographers from film days who were good, but never ventured inside a darkroom. It's the same story today. If you want to have full control over your images, you need to invest some work in learning post processing, whatever software you use. I've heard all kinds of opinions on what's "intuitive" and what has a "steep learning curve", so your mileage may vary.

I'm still a fan of LightRoom, because its storage system aligns with my thinking and its development module follows a similar pattern to darkroom development and printing. Just my opinion, YMMV....

Andy

IDguy Loc: Idaho

It is much more complicated. If the OP can’t handle Lightroom, one of the easiest and most intuitive program going, s/he might want to forget about image processing.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Huh? Much more complex and difficult than Lightroom. To start with, it is actually THREE programs.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

My guess he was looking for a short "Getting Started" manual. A few pages of uncomplicated instructions. I doubt he was planning on reading any books or manuals, or viewing hours and hours of videos. The fact that he tried it and gave up, came to us to complain rather than for help, and wants to abandon it for something else is very telling about his expectations. There is a reason programs like Picasa exist in the first place. Why does everyone seem to assume that things that work for them will work for everybody?

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Thanks, you just gave me a great idea about LR. I have a website, viathelens.net, but a "get started" quick users guide would be useful.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I’d like to see what you come up with!

Andy

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Here is my start on the project:

Lightroom Classic “Cheat Sheet” for getting started.

Click or double click on the Lightroom application to open a “catalog.” Each catalog is specific to the photos “imported,” and across the top right has several MODULES you can click on, including LIBRARY, DEVELOP, and PRINT.

Each module has a different purpose. Library Module is where you organize and view images, among other things. Develop Module is where you edit images. Print Module is where you set up images to be printed in multiple ways.

You will see a window in the middle and two panels on the sides.

The LEFT side panel will eventually, once “linked,” mirror your hard drive so you can choose images to import. When thinking of images, this is your FROM panel.

The RIGHT side panel provides you with several options for image storage during import and image processing. When thinking of images, this is your TO panel.

On the LEFT side in LIBRARY MODULE you will see these subpanels: Catalog, Folders, Collections, Publish Services

On the RIGHT side in LIRBRARY MODULE you will see these subpanels: Quick Develop, Keywording, Keyword List, Metadata, Comments.


What do you think I should include?

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Filters and presets, sources for plug ins, maybe some explanation of why and for what effects you might want to adjust the tonal and sharpening controls, and in what order?

You might become the new Victoria Bampton. You can be the LightRoom King!

Andy