LightRoom 10 strong points (?)

[Gil]

Hi all.

I would like to know what you all think are the 1' strongest points of lightroom?

 

[johnbeardy]

I was almost tempted to say, what do you think are the best ten? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. But in descending order:

Adjusting and managing raw files in a single program
Database able to record files on multiple drives, online or offline
Auto Sync mode for adjusting multiple images simultaneously
Targeted adjustment tool for black and white, and for colour correction
Local adjustment brush and gradient tool
Smart Collections
Collections storing the last Print, Web or Slideshow settings
Print (not Web, not Slideshow)
Use of templates for saving frequently-used settings
Keyboard shortcuts

John

 

[Victoria Bampton]

I'd pretty much go along with John's list. I'd also throw relative adjustments via the QD panel into the mix as another big must-have for me.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Vic, is that due to your work on large numbers of similarly lit shots?

Back on topic, I'll 'me too' John's list. We can quibble over rankings, but the top 1' are about right. The key for me is John's first point, '...a single program'.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

[quote author=Brad Snyder link=topic=8452.msg57237#msg57237 date=1258823257]
Vic, is that due to your work on large numbers of similarly lit shots?
[/quote]

Simply down to flexibility - I can process a job to a standard, and then make the whole lot lighter or darker or warmer etc. without having to go back and do each shot individually. It's the one thing I really miss when I have to use C1 or another raw processor.

 

[Gil]

and what about the people who say that Lightroom is simply a genius marketing by adobe, who took the ACR plugin and simply marketed it as a new program?
Bridge can do most of the database management that lightroom can. Don't get me wrong, I'm all into LR but I ask it since I care what others think.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Bridge can't deal with offline files. Editing multiple files means going back and forth between Bridge and ACR. I lost count of how many times I lost work when ACR crashed that LR would have saved. The float over sliders in LR have made a huge difference with RSI issues. There's absolutely no question in my mind that I'd ever go back to a Bridge/ACR workflow after using LR.

 

[johnbeardy]

"Bridge can do most of the database management that lightroom can. Don't get me wrong, I'm all into LR but I ask it since I care what others think."

Well, they're simply ignorant, aren't they? Crash a drive, and now tell me how much use Bridge will be as you restore from backup? We're in chocolate soldier territory with Bridge, while Lightroom will still list all the files you need to restore and where they should be. Or let's look for all pictures with 5 stars - I'll leave someone else to run that search in Bridge on 75''' pictures on 5 different drives. I'll do it in a few seconds. etc etc

As for the comment about ACR, it's way off target. If one is being harsh, one might characterise Lightroom as Adobe's defence to the threat that Aperture posed to a big chunk of Photoshop's market. The "genius" belonged to those who introduced Aperture because until then, Adobe hadn't believed there was any market for a tarted up ACR plugin.

John

 

[Gil]

John and Victoria, you got it right. This is what I'm trying to convey to others as regarding to the benefits of working with lightroom over bridge and ACR.

I do, however, didn't quite understand the issue with RSI, Victoria.

As working with offline files, I've never done that with all my experience with LR. Can someone please share.

 

[Gil]

[quote author=johnbeardy link=topic=8452.msg5723'#msg5723' date=12588'8'24]
Collections storing the last Print, Web or Slideshow settings
John
[/quote]

You mean that if you close LR, it will still recall the last position (module+collection) you were editing?

 

[PatrickC]

[quote author=Gil link=topic=8452.msg57272#msg57272 date=1258872222]
You mean that if you close LR, it will still recall the last position (module+collection) you were editing?
[/quote]


...and the last print layout you did, and the last web gallery you did, and the last slideshow you did - they just pop back up as soon as you enter the relevant module.

If you usually use the same print layouts/web gallery styles/slideshows for several jobs in a row, this function could save huge amounts of time setting up things again each time.

I think the real strength of LR is that it is designed with lots of input from real-world end users and therefore is very comfortable and efficient in terms of workflow, and doesn't have so many of the irritating idiosyncracies which result when an IT guy designs the GUI without involving end users.

For busy professionals in a world which demands so much productivity and devalues creativity workflow is king. Good workflow frees up time and mental space to enjoy the creative side without being ruled and controlled by the organisational and practical necessities.

Lightroom frees you to be more creative, by providing flexible and adaptable tools to achieve your objectives.

The extensive beta programme was a master stroke. It's interesting how little discussion there has been in the Beta 3 forum; I think this is because so much of it was 'got right' first time around.