bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"the simpler the better"

Have you spent any time playing with or using the "Cloudy" Lightroom? Sometimes I get the impression that Adobe started that with the understanding that "Classic" had grown complicated, feature rich and would continue doing that for the "old schoolers". "Cloudy" gives you the simplicity, sliders, a link to Photoshop for the deep divers and includes the "new" camera phones in the workflow.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

The HSL tool and all of its adjustments would be a handy thing to have. The way it is just now it only does global adjustments. Sometimes it's only specific objects or areas that we want to adjust. The Adjustments brush offers only very limited adjustments to colour.

The Adjustments brush offers only basic sharpening and denoise. Different areas can have different requirements. And the mask that you get in the Details section (made visible by holding Alt down while you operate the slider) can't be edited. So either an editable mask or the Adjustments brush would give the sort of control that you need to be able to optimise the Details adjustments to suit each area. The same applies to denoise - the version in the Details section allows better optimisation, but its adjustments are global.

I didn't know you could use the histogram to make adjustments. That sounds interesting. But it would still be nice to have a slider that targets exactly the mid tones. The exposure slider targets more than that. I've seen and used a mid tone slider in On1 and it does target just the mid tones.

When I referred to edge protection I was referring to a specific aspect of the denoise tool. As it is it doesn't exclude edges from the denoise process. With proper edge protection the edges would be properly excluded, and therefore not softened. Keeping the denoise Details slider well to the right comes sort of close to doing that but it could be a lot more specific about avoiding edges while allowing aggressive denoise.

The HSL tool only does global adjustments.

Whatever you say about file management, the bottom line is LOTS of people have trouble with Lr. That suggests that it could be simpler or more windows-oriented (and therefore more familiar). The fact that you have to "read up on it" before you can use it tells its own story. One way or another there's room for improvement.

Thanks for your extensive comments.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I know this might seem a bit over-optimistic but I was hoping for simplicity without a loss of functionality. That's not an unrealistic pipe dream.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

It is unless you want capture from everyone look the same.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

I think that adding layers etc to Lightroom would complicate it more for many. It is simple to flip to photoshop and do what has to be done in layers for instance, then back to Lightroom. You can flip back and forth as many times as necessary. You only have to under the layer part of Photoshop, not the whole program (which no one does except for the creator, and not even sure about them)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I think we're safe enough. Apparently we all have our own ideas about what good editing is and what overcooking is. As a very general rule, it doesn't hurt to have good, user-friendly tools to do a job. That way we can come closer to optimising our editing to suit our preferences and/or priorities. And it would take less effort (which you can read as "less discouraging, easier to become good at, more conducive to good results").

R.G. Loc: Scotland

It seems to me that most of what you can do with layers can be done with an adjustments brush. The stuff that can't be done that way usually falls into the category of editing that's so extreme it could be described as creating a new image. When it comes to image creation you need a graphics package whereas for photography you need a photo editor. I would say that summarises the difference between Ps and Lr.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Here's an improvement not requiring extensive programming - change the names of the products in the Lightroom family so you know what product people are referring to. When somebody asks for help with Lightroom, you never know if it's Classic, Cloudy, on their iPad, etc. Adobe engineers are brilliant. Adobe marketing is full of idiots.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Sensible naming? Now we're getting really fanciful .

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Yes, I agree, for most a catalog system is easily set up based on one's personal typical photography. I have a secondary drive E: which has folders such as Animals, Portraits, Food, Flowers, etc. Special events folders also such as Remasaunce Fair or Car show. One can go into Car Show and sort by date or there can be a folder within called Carshow Mod containing those photos which I have edited. Like most things, KIS, keep it simple. Yes, some UHH person would say but I have 800000 photos... OK but that is not the norm.

OH Yes, do not forget the delete button which reduces the load. Also from the SD card, the keepers can be dragged-dropped into the folders and then the card can be reformatted; good by junk photos, easily forgotten.

LR is not the only edit program, there are newer modern edit programs that are excellent. If one must associate their work with Adobe, then use a name such as Adobe Replacement Affinity when referring to your edit program.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

If everyone gets their wish of added function to LR, it will replace PS. :)

Barny

When I open a folder to import the files there is a button to "check all" the files in the folder. When I come to export these files there is NOT a button to "check all" to export all. They each have to be selected individually in the Library by "control" "left click". This can take some while because for me some folders can contain 100-200 files. It could also lead to RSI.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I think Adobe would have been doing themselves a favour if their file handling in Lr had more familiarity built in to it. As it is you have to learn and then memorise.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

That would be Adobe's great fear - or is it their great excuse for deliberately limiting Lr? Perhaps they're not thinking clearly because of the distracting sound of all those cash registers ringing .