Contents
Solutions / Fixes
- Fixed issues in Lightroom Classic by Adobe.com
- How do I troubleshoot Sync issues with Classic 13.3 and later? by The Lightroom Queen
- Lightroom Classic – Slow Catalog Backup Fix by Chin
- Lightroom Classic – Stuck Sync Fix by Chin
- Unable to Rename a Folder in Lightroom Classic by Chin
- The Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner tool is intended for advanced computer users and can fix many common problems (such as removing old Adobe software, cleaning corrupt installation files, and fixing your host files to establish a connection with Adobe servers).
- Extract preview for lost images – Sometimes lost or deleted photos in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic still display a preview. The ExtractPreviews.lua script allows you to extract and save those previews.
Lightroom Classic (LrC)
- Keyboard Shortcuts for Lightroom Classic (Help.Adobe.com)
- Display shortcut keys for the current module: Ctrl / or Command /
- 3 MISTAKES Lightroom Users Make by Anthony Morganti
- Lightroom Classic User Guide (Adobe.com)
- Lightroom Guy by David Mark Erickson
- How to Use Adobe Lightroom – Introduction to RAW Photography Editing by Computer Clan
- Lightroom Tutorials: Learn How to Use Adobe Lightroom (Adobe.com)
- Why EVERY photographer should be using LIGHTROOM! by Peter McKinnon
- Lightroom Killer Tips by Scott Kelby, published by KelbyOne
- 7 Essential Lightroom Tricks I USE DAILY by Mark Denney
- 10 Hidden Lightroom Features by Jamie Windsor
- Julieanne Kost’s Blog | Lightroom Classic Video Tutorials
- Mastering Lightroom Classic CC by Anthony Morganti
- Cameras supported by Camera Raw
Lightroom Preferences & Settings
XMP Sidecar Files stores a record of edits and the metadata of each RAW image, separate from the Lightroom Classic Catalog.
- Why MOST OF YOU Should Have This Lightroom Setting ON by Anthony Morganti
- With DNG files, which are also RAW, just not in your camera manufacturer’s propriety RAW format, the metadata that LrC writes to “XMP” actually gets written into the DNG file.
RAW defaults in Lightroom Classic allows you to customize how a RAW file looks when it’s imported.
Change the RAW Profile from Adobe Default to Camera Settings, which keeps the settings of the camera the raw image was made. (Color Profile)
- Go to: Edit (Win) or Lightroom Classic (macOS) then the Preferences menu
- Select the Presets tab
- From the Raw Defaults: Master drop-down, select “Camera Settings”
- What Lightroom RAW photo import defaults are and how to adjust them
- Set up default settings for RAW images
Import Module: Apply During Import
- How to Use Import and Export Presets in Lightroom Classic CC by Adam Welch
- Import presets in Lightroom Classic by Nicole S. Young
Camera Matching Profiles
If your RAW photos SOoC, before any post-processing, look dull or different from what you see on the camera, try changing from “Adobe Color” to a Camera Matching profile.
- Select the Develop module of Lightroom Classic (LrC)
- Click the Profile selector in the Basic section
- Click Browse… to open the Profile Browser, which shows the grid of “Camera Matching” profiles
- Click the “star” in the upper right of the profile you want to use.
Camera Matching Abbreviations
- BW: For shooting images in black and white monotone.
- FL: Creates an image with moody finish by applying sharp contrast to the calm coloring as well as the impressive sky and colors of the greens.
- IN: Creates an image with matte textures by suppressing the contrast and saturation.
- NT: The saturation and sharpness are lowered for shooting images in subdued tones. This is also suitable for capturing image material to be modified with a computer.
- PT: (Portrait) For capturing skin in a soft tone, ideally suited for shooting portraits.
- SH: Creates an image with bright, transparent, soft, and vivid mood.
- ST: Standard finish for a wide range of subjects and scenes.
- VV: The saturation and contrast are heightened for shooting striking images of colorful scenes and subjects such as flowers, spring greenery, blue sky, or ocean views.
- VV2: Creates an image with bright and vivid colors with rich clarity.
Denoise in Lightroom Classic (LrC)
- Denoise Demystified by Eric Chan for Adobe.com – Explains what Denoise is, how it works, and how to get the most from it
- “Order matters. I recommend applying Denoise early in the workflow, before healing and masking. AI-driven, image-based features such as Content-Aware Remove and Select Subject can be affected by noise, so it’s best to use those features on a clean starting point. If you do run Denoise on an image that already has Content-Aware Remove settings or AI masks, Denoise will automatically update those spots and masks. This is handy, but be aware that the content of those spots and masks may change unexpectedly, so it’s best to review the results carefully.”
Tethered Capture with Lightroom Classic
Lightroom Classic v13.3 (May 2024 release) added direct tethered capture support for select Sony cameras. If you do not have one of the supported cameras, you’ll need to use Sony’s Imaging Edge Desktop software.
- Tethered camera support – Sony | Lightroom Classic
- DOING THIS made me a BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER: Tethering into Lightroom (including Sony) Why? How? by Glyn Dewis
- Smart Shooter 4 by Tether Tools – Is a separate program, but also has a Lightroom plugin.
- Sony Imaging Edge Desktop – Allows you to log into your account, browse or develop RAW images, and perform remote shooting.
Lightroom Cloud
- Lightroom Downloader downloads all of your Lightroom cloud (CC) content to your desktop computer.
- Use this as a means to switch to using Lightroom Classic and/or a local backup.
Lightroom Classic Catalog
A Lightroom Classic catalog is a database which stores the location of your photos and information about those photos. The photos themselves are not stored in the Catalog.
The information tracked in the Catalog are:
- The location on your system where each photo in the Library is located. e.g. The drive and folder/directory where the photo is located.
- A list of the edits/changes made to each photo.
- Metadata, such as flags, ratings, and keywords.
The directory/folder where the Lightroom Classic Catalog is located, also contains: Previews, and by default, Catalog Backups.
The Lightroom Classic catalog must be located on a local drive, internal or external directly connected via USB/Firewire. Lightroom Classic does not allow a catalog to be created or stored on a network drive (NAS).
The photos can be stored on external and/or network drives.
Enable “Automatically write changes into XMP” as a backup in case there’s a problem with the Catalog, so your edits won’t be lost. The XMP Sidecar Files (containing Edits, Metadata) will be saved in the same location as the corresponding image.
Go to: Edit (Win) or Lightroom Classic (macOS) then Catalog Settings > Metadata tab
Organizing the Lightroom Classic Catalog
- Photography Masterclass – It’s a Mess! How to Keep your Ever Growing Photo Library Organized by Terry Lee White
- Understanding the Lightroom Catalog System
- How Lightroom Classic catalogs work (Adobe.com)
- Lightroom Classic CC catalog FAQ (Adobe.com)
- 7 Powerful Tips to Organize Your Lightroom Folders (Chrissy Donadi)
- Organizing in Lightroom with Scott Kelby | #BHDoF
- Scott Kelby (@KelbyOne) shares his 7-step process called SLIM (Simplified Lightroom Image Management) to help utilize the organizational tools built into both Adobe Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC.
- A readable version of SLIM: https://bit.ly/DOF2023 on DropBox
- Scott Kelby’s Simplified Lightroom Image Management (SLIM) System. (full course) (free)
- Register for your free account at https://kelbyone.com/free to take the course.
- Should You Use Multiple Lightroom Catalogs? by Pete LaGregor
- How Many Images Can You Have in One Lightroom Catalog and Have It Still Perform Well?
- “Adobe knows of users that have single Lightroom catalogs with literally millions of images, including one that has over six million images and it still runs like a champ, so I guess at this point nobody knows exactly what the limit is (or if there even is one), but we know this — the roof isn’t six million.”
- Lightroom Classic Catalogs – Top 10 Misunderstandings by Victoria Bampton
- Setting Up Lightroom Libraries From Scratch: Exploring Photography with Mark Wallace by Adorama
- Lightroom: Reorganize Your Folders and Photos The Easy Way by Laura Shoe
- Cleaning Up Your Mess in Lightroom 6 by Tim Grey for B&H Photo
- The Adobe Lightroom Ecosystem Explained by The Art of Photography
- How do I use my Lightroom catalog on multiple computers? by Victoria Bampton
- The Secrets of Hidden Lightroom Keywords by Mike Dixon
- How To Make Your Concert Image Selects by Adam Elmakias
Backup Your LrC Catalog
Enable Catalog Backups, and configure the catalog backups be saved on a different physical drive than the drive the catalog is on. If the drive the Catalog is on fails, you’ll be glad your backups are on a different drive.
- How to Avoid a Lightroom Classic CC Catalog Disaster by Terry White
- Change This Lightroom Setting RIGHT NOW!
- The BIGGEST Lightroom MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE!
- 3 MISTAKES Lightroom Users Make by Anthony Morganti
Keywords and Filtering in LrC
- 5 Easy Ways to Organize in Lightroom with Keywords by Chrissy Donadi
- Keywording in Lightroom (Everything You Need to Know) by Gayle Vehar
- How do I copy keywords to a new catalog? by Victoria Bampton
Syncing Keywords with Lightroom (a.k.a. Lightroom CC or Lightroom Cloud)
- By design, keywords do not sync from Lightroom Cloud to Lightroom Classic (LrC).
- A one time, and one way, sync of keywords from Lightroom Classic to Lightroom Cloud is done, when keywords are written into XMP in Lightroom Classic, and when the image is added to a synced collection.
Lightroom Collections
The following applies to a collection. Not a smart collection.
- Adjustments to the look of an image via the Quick Develop panel or the Develop Module, will appear on the images in the collection.
- Changes to metadata (ratings, flags, keywords, title, captions, etc.) will appear in the images in the collection.
- If you move an image, using the LrC Folders panel, to a new folder, the images will stay in the collection.
- If you remove or delete the images from the folder, it will be removed from the collection.
- If you delete an image from a Collection, the image is not deleted from the Folder in Lightroom Classic or drive.
- If you add new images to the folder they will not automatically appear in the collection.
- Using Collections in Adobe Lightroom Classic: Exploring Photography with Mark Wallace
- 7 Reasons Why You Should Use Collections in Lightroom Classic
Post Processing with Lightroom Classic
- Lessons to be Learned from Post-Processing by Chris Gampat
- Lightroom Classic: 2-Hour Post Processing Masterclass by Mark Galer’s Alpha Creative Skills
- Denoise Demystified by Eric Chan for Adobe.com
Post Processing: Adjustment Sliders
- Editing PHOTOS in LIGHTROOM like a BOSS! SLIDERS + ORDER EXPLAINED in plain English by photoshopCAFE
- Lightroom tone curve tutorial (2018) by VIC VideopIC
- How to use Lightroom’s Range Mask slider to apply natural and effective dodging and burning adjustments.
Post Processing: Masks
- BIGGEST Lightroom Portrait Update Ever! (v12) by Matt Kloskowski
- GOODBYE PHOTOSHOP? This HIDDEN BUTTON in Lightroom CHANGES EVERYTHING! by Glyn Dewis (About using Mask > Intersect )
- Auto Mask Lightroom Tutorial – How To Mask Anything FAST! (2018) by Signature Edits
- A unique way to use Lightrooms Automask feature by Wayne Fox
Editing Photos using a Graphics Tablet / Pen Tablet
For photography, a small graphics/pen tablet (10.6 x 6.7 in) works well with photography, as we’re usually working with a smaller area of the screen. Wacom isn’t the only maker of good graphics tablets. Do your research.
- Wacom Practice – Adapting to the use of a Tablet by Heather Lahtinen
- 5 Tips for New Wacom Tablet Users by Dave Cross
- Let’s talk Lightroom Part 9 – Using a Wacom Tablet by BillNicholsTV
- Wacom Intuos Pro: Multi-Touch Stops Working Fix by Chin
- Wacom Intuos / Wacom Intuos Pro
Film Scanning
- A full-featured tool for converting color and B&W negative scans directly in Lightroom Classic.
- Use Negative Lab Pro in the DEVELOP module – The edits will update considerably faster when you are using Negative Lab Pro in the Develop module. (Updates will happen slower in the Library module)
- Suggested backlight sources for scanning film with DSLR
- Let’s see your DSLR film scanning setup!
Setups & Tips
- DSLR Film “Scanning” – My set up and why I switched by Dave Rollans
- Camera Scanning and Retouching Film Negatives by Jack Reznicki
- Negative Supply – Film Carriers, Stands, Light source.
Lightroom Plugins
Validator: A Lightroom Plugin for Verifying Image Files by Stephen Bay
- This plugin for Lightroom allows you to validate images and check for file corruption or “bit rot”. It works by computing a hash for each file and then comparing it to a previously stored value to see if your file has changed unexpectedly.
- Note: Read the section about writing XMP to Metadata before using this plugin.
- The commands for Validator can be found under Library > Plug-in Extras
- View the hash fields by setting the Metadata panel to display “Validator”
- stephen-bay / Validator