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Making the leap from shooting JPG files to shoot in camera RAW is a revelation -- all of sudden you can effectively go back to the scene and re-adjusting the exposure, change the white balance, alter the contrast and much more. As they say, once you go RAW, you don't go back.
However, Camera RAW images make for a much more complicated workflow. There's no more plugging your camera into a printer and presto -- you images are on paper.
Given the increased complexity of Camera RAW images, it's not surprising that whole new crop of images editors have come around to help you deal with the workflow requirements.
Adobe Lightroom 2 is the company's latest answer to the Camera RAW workflow problem and offers just about everything you need, from organization, tagging, metadata capture and more to editing, printing and exporting to the web.
But Lightroom is also unlike any image editor you've likely used before and it can take a little while to adjust to this new, RAW, way of working. To ease the transition we'll walk you through the basics of the Lightroom interface and explain how the software works.
So pop the cork on a fresh jug of moonshine and let's get started.
== Overview ==
So what does Lightroom offer that Adobe's other photo-oriented apps, Photoshop and Bridge, don't? The basic premise is that Lightroom is a complete package -- rather than storing your images one place (Bridge) and editing them in another (Photoshop), both those tasks are handled within Lightroom.
While we admit that this goes against the tried-and-true philosophy of software -- do one thing and do it well -- in this case it works and it makes sense.
The problem with the Bridge/Photoshop combo is that every time you want to open a RAW image you need to use the Camera Raw dialogue in Photoshop. Since the Camera Raw dialogue is essentially a standalone app stuck inside Photoshop, you really aren't opening your images in Photoshop.
So Lightroom was born. Think of it as Bridge with Camera Raw baked in. Is it a replacement for Photoshop? Not at all. You'll still want Photoshop around to handle fine-grain adjustments and tweaks to your final output image.
However, while you made need to make some fine-grained tweaks in Photoshop, for the most part Lightroom is where your average Camera RAW fan lives (well, unless they've opted for Apple's Aperture software, which is Lightroom's main competitor).
Now when we say that Lightroom is "Bridge with Camera Raw baked in," we mean that literally -- Lightroom uses the same camera RAW engine that you'll find in Photoshop, which means when you do need to jump over to Photoshop, all your Lightroom adjustments will come with you.
== The Lightroom Database ==
Lightroom is not just an RAW Image editor, it also handles the task of organizing, sorting and searching your images.
To do so Lightroom uses a database that holds all of your image metadata, and by metadata we mean everything -- from images edits to camera profiles, tags and keywords to web export settings -- everything is self-contained within your Lightroom catalog.
Naturally you can have multiple catalogs if you like and you can store your images wherever you want (including external drives), the Lightroom database just uses a pointer to the image file.
In fact, in Lightroom 2 the catalog is essentially just a disk browser inside Lightroom, making it simple to manage your images both from within Lightroom and from outside programs.
And the best part about Lightroom's database is that it means all your editing is non-destructive. Rather than writing your changes to the actual image file, Lightroom simply stores the information about the adjustments you've made in it's database.
If you want to go revert an image, it's trivially easy to step backward in time, whether that means undoing the last adjustment, or heading all the way back to your original RAW file, all the history states are always preserved.
Now you may be thinking -- what happens if something better comes along and I decide I want to switch to another Camera RAW software? Well, we'll be honest, the process is a bit bumpy, but Lightroom can export all your RAW files along with XMP files (which holds the metadata and adjustments) and ''most'' other RAW software can then import the data.
== The Lightroom Interface ==
When you first open Lightroom you'll be greeted by dark, subdued interface that looks -- regardless of what platform you're running it on -- like it came from the moon. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the black chrome isn't random, it's designed to help you focus on and get a better look at the color in your images.
=== Lightroom Modules ===
Lightroom 2 is divided into what Adobe calls modules. The five module mirror the basics of your workflow: Library, Develop, Slideshow, Print and Web.
The first two are the meat of Lightroom and the last three help you get your photos to where ever you want them, be it a slideshow, prints or a web sharing site like Flickr.
You can switch between the modules using the menu links at the top left of the screen. (screenshot: lightroom-modules.jpg)
=== The filmstrip ===
Along the bottom you'll see the filmstrip which holds all the images you're currently interested in -- that could be just one folder's worth, or it could be several, it could also be a quick collection you've put together on the fly.
screenshot: lightroom-filmstrip.jpg
The main point of the film strip is to provide quick access between images without needing to jump back to the Library view. In other words, the filmstrip is how you move images through the various modules in the Lightroom workflow.
The film strip acts as the source for all the actions in each module -- click an image on the filmstrip in the Develop module and you'll be about the edit it. Do the same in the Web module and you'll be able to export it, and so on.
=== The Panels ===
Above the filmstrip, occupying the bulk of the interface, you'll find Lightroom's main center pane as well as the two side panels. What you see in each of these panes depends on which module you're using.
The side panels contain all the actions that apply to that module.
screenshot: lightroom-panels.jpg
For instance, say you're in the library module, the center pane will show your current images, the left pane your folders, keywords, search box and other filtering tools. The right pane holds some quick editing tools, as well as panels to apply new organizational info -- like keywords.
In general the left pane shows you what you've done and right pane is where you do new stuff. The action happens in the middle.
Each of the sections that make up a panel can be expanded and collapsed by clicking the section header so it's easy to show only the elements you actually need.
== Keyboard options ==
The other nice feature of the Lightroom 2 interface are the many very handy keyboard shortcuts. Lightroom is chock full of keyboard shortcuts, but here's the primary ones that are worth memorizing:
#Tab - Shows and hides the side panels. Great way to focus on an image without distractions.
#Shift-Tab - Hides and show all panels, including the filmstrip
#Shift-f - toggles full-screen mode
#Shift-l - Adobe calls this "dimming the lights." There are actually two modes, hit the shortcut once and everything but the currently selected image will be blacked out. hit it again and everything will be slightly dimmed out, and hit it a third time and you're back to normal.
#Command / - show a complete list of module-specific shortcuts
The last one in that list is worth special mention -- it'll pull up a list of all the available shortcuts for whatever module you happen to be in. It makes a great way to quickly view your shortcut options and is an invaluable reference for memorizing some more shortcuts.
Also note that many of these settings -- like how much the "lights out" feature dims -- can be set in the Preferences, just head to the Interface tab of the Preferences window.
== Conclusion ==
Now that you know the basics of the Lightroom 2 interface, it's time to get started actually using it. Head on over to our next tutorial, where we'll walk your through the basics of the Library module and show you different ways to store, sort and catalog your images.
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