What do you wish you knew when you first started using LR?

[stayathomedad]

I'm trying to avoid some of the common pitfalls with lightroom. I'm still using bridge to view my photos, but I'll be 1''% LR2 by the end of April.

What are some of things you wish you knew when you first started using lightroom? unnecessary steps? time wasters? incorrect workflow?


Thanks!

 

[PatrickC]

http://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/showthread.php?t=5757

- The basics of understanding Lightroom.

Hope it helps!

Patrick Cunningham

 

[Denis Pagé]

Just one thing in my case: The fact that if you do not know how to handle color management (EXIF vs Embedded Profile), the drugstore print shop may ruin you photos. This is what made me come here in the first place.

As a database programmer, Lightroom appeared to me as an evidence. The answer to your thread's title will vary with users' understanding. I think that the best approach is the "I never used a computer" perspective.

A good place to start would be the Tips & Tricks forum starting with the oldest threads like:
How to use Lightroom, or "Where's the Save Button"
How to use LR, or "Where are my Pictures?"
Matching LR and PS Colour Settings
Why did Lightroom 'ruin' my photo? <- Best of you must know!
On the many-headed evils of controlling your pictures with more than one catalogue
Lost Photos Most likely due to Filters
LR 2 - Fixing dark prints & colour shifts when printing
Alternate folder structures on Import
Books and tutorials on LR
... and Patrick's previous entry.

 

[Brad Snyder]

And Backups.... Lr isn't a lot of help doing it's own backups.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Most frequent problems we hear:
'I renamed my pictures and now LR can't find them'
'I moved my pictures and now LR can't find them'
'I deleted my pictures and now LR can't find them'
'I removed my pictures from LR and now all my settings are gone'.

If you figure those bits out you'll save a whole heap of headaches!

 

[Denis Pagé]

On the same lines: When you Import photos in Lightroom, do not think that as they are now in Lightroom that you can dispose of them! Lightroom do not import! It just get aware of where the photos are and their names.