JFCoupe Loc: Kent, Washington

One feature I really like when sorting through images is the capability to highlight two or more images and then press "N" to compare the selected images. It is great for checking on small differences in a series of images that were shot in rapid sequence.

Also, I sometimes use the Dehaze slider at the end of my workflow. You don't need to move the slider very much but for some images it really adds some punch to the finished edit.

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

Keywords. I love keywording, and that’s how I find “the one” out of 144,000.
... Cam

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Very interesting. I very often use the Highlights and Shadows sliders, but have seldom touched the Whites and Blacks--I will do some experimenting with those now.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I've found that most of my LR effort now occurs in these four areas with the <ALT> key used in fine-tuning, fine-tuning these four sliders as well as when moving the exposure slider. The black slider can easily go overboard, something you'll see if you click the <auto> tone in LR. As a "get familiar" approach, I'd suggest taking an already finished image and make a virtual copy. On the VC, start with the black slider and hold the <ALT> and move left until highlights appear. Do the same with the whites. Then, compare the original to the VC. You may end up with a cascade of adjustments to the VC, but see if you can get to something you like. If your test image has a lot of white details, go straight to the -80 on the highlights and then 'add' white back in via the Whites slider. Again, compare the original to the VC result. If the prior-edits had a lot of the contrast slider, zero that out first before moving the B&W sliders. Add / subtract the slightest contrast at the end, if still needed.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Profiles, highlight and white sliders, dehaze, contrast and clarity. I just recently discovered profiles after using LR for years!

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

. . . and that's precisely where I would start. Lightroom's strength is its ability to support organizational concepts. It has a strong database (SQLite) that makes all that happen. Knowing how it does that makes the tool much more robust.

Unfortunately, as I'm sure you have found, many (most ?) folks don't know enough about how their computer works, which makes the database difficult to grasp.

Good luck!!

barryb Loc: Kansas

Some quick thoughts: Exposure corrections- highlight and shadow slider-major difference in pictures. My new favorite is dehaze. total change. It's a start good Luck. BTW, to the ones who asked why you posted/didn't delay/etc, they already use LR, but know there are things they don't know, and wanted to know what would be most useful. So many are quick for the smarta** answers, which really doesn't help much at all. Are we on here to show off, or help one another? There: done with my rant.

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

Thumbs up.
...Cam

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I 'discovered" Dehaze when I was attempting to get something useful out of photos of a youth concert at my church where they had employed smoke machines--the originals were just awful and I despaired about making anything acceptable out of them. Dehaze to the rescue! I was astounded at the improvement possible by using that feature. I have since found that it is also useful in piercing the fog or smoke in some of my landscapes. (Yes, sometimes those are a desirable part of the picture, but not always.) A visit to Yosemite NP last summer was greatly affected by smoke from the wild fires and I didn't get many photos there. I was able to use Dehaze to improve a few pictures enough to be useful.

sam3 Loc: Mitchell, indiana

Definitely do your presentation on a computer. Show what happens with each function. Otherwise it’s just words!
1. Make sure your photo horizon is level with the cropping tool and it’s “auto “ button.
2. If you shot “raw” use “as shot” or the other white balance variables for basic colors making sure you are starting with the overall feel of the photo
3. Use the 4 tips as previously mentioned (definitely a key for a finished look)
4. Check your specific colors for saturation, luminance and clarity

rleonetti Loc: Portland, Oregon

EXCELLENT!!

Photocraig

Via,
I was going to let this topic go by without responding, and many of you all would likely encourage that action. BUTtttt, I agree with your experience. I find the ability to use the sliders in the Develop module intuitive and relevant to my Darkroom experience, as well as the Transform (which I WISHED i could do in the DR, especially correcting keystoning). Lens corrections and noise reduction. I also think the blend/merge functions are really well thought out for HDR and Panoramas.

The entire Import/Export/naming/cataloging is clearly extensive and powerful. But I can't find my way because Adobe, in its Apple-likeness, uses a cute different vocabulary than the rest of the Computer Community and the Photography Community. Like What the hell is a Catalog and a Collection, smart or otherwise? I know Files, Folders and Images, but new undefined terms--maybe they're from (indecipherable to me) Photoshop, that Poster Maker's dream tool set. It negates how easy the image processing is in LR and makes the overall facility hard to use. And yet the practitioners praise the organization tools as LR's greatest strength.

And SURE, I understand that an image I can't find isn't LOST. It is just lost to me and my ability to find and use it. It makes as no sense to ME, (maybe) the only guy who finds the Macintosh non intuitive.
My next stop is to go to your site with the genuine hope that you can clear the blind spot I have to make a great tool a bit easier for me to use.
C

Kimbee Loc: Dunedin, Florida, USA

i love the ability to collapse the adjustment panels in the Develop Module to show only one at a time. It saves space and time. It's very basic, but suitable for beginners, if that is who you are working with. Turning on the "Show Clipping" in the View menu is useful also.

davidcaley Loc: Utah

In my experience people with interest in LR are Photoshop users and reluctant to adopt LR. Teach them how to go to Photoshop from LR and return to LR from PS.

rbyrd777

What a jerk response by Gene51... just decline to present lol.

One thing I didn't know about in Lightroom for awhile was the auto mask feature when using an adjustment brush. Might be something to touch on in your presentation.