Author: Tim Grey

Today’s Question: I just imported some images from a birding outing and was surprised when Lightroom Classic told me that all were converted to DNG. I have no idea how that happened, so my question is, did I inadvertently turn on some switch somewhere? Also, is this a bad thing, or should I just move past this and edit as I would normally, or do I need to reimport them as raw?

Tim’s Quick Answer: This indicates that you had the “Copy as DNG” option selected in the Import dialog, causing the raw captures to be converted to the Adobe DNG format upon import. You can re-import the raw captures from your media cards using the “Copy” option if you’d prefer to retain the proprietary raw image files rather than DNG copies.

More Detail: When importing photos from a media card into Lightroom Classic you can choose whether you simply want to copy the images to the desired folder location or copy them as Adobe DNG (Digital Negative) images. In this case the “Copy as DNG” option was obviously selected, causing the captures to be converted to DNG and copied to the destination folder. This approach means that as soon as you format the media cards so they can be used again, the original proprietary raw captures will be lost forever.

In general, there isn’t any great harm caused by converting to DNG and discarding the proprietary raw captures, and some would argue there are benefits to converting to DNG. I recommend choosing which option makes the most sense to you and then using that approach consistently.

In this case, then, my preference would be to re-import the images using the “Copy” option at the top-center of the Import dialog, to copy the original proprietary raw capture files to the destination folder while adding them to the Lightroom Classic catalog. Once that import is completed successfully, I would select only the DNG files that were created during the first import and delete them.

Keep in mind, however, that it would also be perfectly fine to simply retain the DNG copies of the imported photos, and even to continue using the “Copy to DNG” option for future imports. I personally prefer to retain the original captures as they were created by the camera, but converting to DNG on import is a perfectly reasonable workflow approach as well.

Today’s Question: In response to your answer about color labels not matching between Bridge and Lightroom Classic, I have exactly that situation. How do I update the white color labels for images I updated in Bridge so the labels appear correctly in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can update color labels when you have a mismatch by filtering based on a mismatched definition, then assigning the intended color label based on the Lightroom Classic definitions.

More Detail: In my Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter from December 19th, I explained how different applications (such as Bridge versus Lightroom Classic, even though they’re both from Adobe) employ different definitions for color labels. This can result in a mismatch, where for example a color label assigned in Adobe Bridge will appear white in Lightroom Classic. That white color label represents a mismatch in color label definitions.

For example, if you assigned a red color label in Bridge, that would result in a white label in Lightroom Classic, because the two applications use different definitions for the color labels. To correct this issue, you can filter the images that have a mismatched color label, and then assign a new color label based on the original intent.

A red color label assigned in Bridge will have a value of “Select” for the Label field in metadata. To address this in Lightroom Classic, browse the folder or collection containing the images you want to update, which could mean selecting the “All Photographs” collection in the Catalog section of the left panel if you want to update all photos.

Next, go to the Library Filter bar above the grid view in the Library module and set one of the columns on the Metadata tab to Label. From the list within the Label column select the name for the color label you want to correct, such as “Select” for red color labels assigned in Bridge. Then select all images by choosing Edit > Select All from the menu, and assign the updated color label, such as by pressing the number “6” on the keyboard to assign a red color label in this example.

Once you’ve updated the color label assignment based on the definitions in Lightroom Classic, the white label will update to the appropriate color. You can repeat this process for all original label assignments that are currently resulting in a white color label display.

Today’s Question: During one of your presentations on Photoshop you were showing several different panels and moving them around, but then quickly reset to your initial panel configuration. How do you do that?! I have a habit of making a mess with many panels, and would love an easy way to get back to my typical configuration.

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you save a panel configuration in Photoshop you can quickly reset the panel layout based on the saved configuration using the “Reset Workspace” command.

More Detail: It can be quite helpful to create your own custom panel layout in Photoshop based on the specific tools and features you use most regularly. For example, I use a custom layout that primarily includes the Layers, Channels, and Properties panels.

After configuring the panels to your liking, you can save the arrangement by going to the menu and choosing Window > Workspace > New Workspace. In the dialog that appears enter a meaningful name for the workspace and turn on the checkboxes if desired to preserve any changes you’ve made to keyboard shortcuts, menus, or the toolbar. Click the Save button to save the new workspace.

While using Photoshop with a saved workspace, you might find that you tend to bring up additional panels, move panels around, or otherwise make changes to the overall panel layout. When you want to revert to the saved version of the currently selected workspace, simply go to the menu and choose Window > Workspace > Reset Workspace. Note that the command will also reference the current workspace name, such as “Reset Tim Grey Workspace”.

In this way you can save different workspaces for different tasks, switching between them at any time, but then also resetting the panel layout if you’ve made changes while working with a saved workspace.

Today’s Question: Something I’ve been thinking about for a long while is shooting raw vs JPEG as it pertains to the art of photography. I don’t understand the push for raw shooting other than being able to have more post processing manipulation options. To my mind shooting raw means it doesn’t matter how you set exposure if you get close because you can “fix it” in post. What are your thoughts?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Raw capture is not a license to ignore exposure, though accurate exposure and color are more critical for JPEG captures. But the bigger issue with JPEG capture is that image quality will always be degraded for every image you capture.

More Detail: Raw capture does provide more latitude when it comes to exposure, but it is still best to get the exposure optimized in-camera. If you completely blow out highlights or block up shadows with a raw capture, for example, that lost information can’t be recovered just because it was a raw capture.

JPEG captures are less forgiving when it comes to exposure, in large part because they are captured at 8-bits per channel compared to 12-, 14-, or 16-bits for raw captures. JPEGs are also less forgiving when it comes to the white balance setting, because JPEG images are rendered in-camera while raw captures are rendered during the raw processing phase of your workflow.

Perhaps even more significant is that JPEG captures will always suffer from a degradation in image quality due to the lossy compression that is applied to each image. Among other things affecting image fidelity, JPEG captures will have a visible grid pattern based on the compression artifacts. This can sometimes be relatively easy to see in an image that was captured as a JPEG, depending on the level of detail in the image and the extent to which the image was enlarged.

In my view using raw capture represents a choice to prioritize image quality and adjustment flexibility. JPEG, by contrast, to me represents choosing convenience over image quality. There’s no question that you can get excellent images when capturing in JPEG, but you can achieve greater image quality by always choosing to use raw capture.

Today’s Question: I’ve started using your approach of adding a red color label on import to mark images for review. I hadn’t previously made much use of color labels, but now that I’ve started, I have found some images with a white label. How does that happen when it isn’t possible to add a white color label to a photo?

Tim’s Quick Answer: A white color label indicates a label that doesn’t match the current definitions. For example, if you assigned a color label in Adobe Bridge and then imported the image into Lightroom Classic, the definitions of color labels won’t match and so the label will appear as white.

More Detail: Despite their name, when it comes to the metadata that gets added to an image, a color label isn’t really a color at all. Rather, the Label field simply contains text, which software such as Bridge or Lightroom Classic interpret and display as a particular color.

Different software will implement color labels differently, and in fact Adobe hasn’t even been consistent with the definitions for color labels in different applications, such as Bridge and Lightroom Classic. When there’s a mismatch in the metadata value and the current definitions, a white color label is displayed.

In Bridge, for example, the default value for a red color label is “Select” and the default value for a yellow color label is “Second”. In Lightroom Classic the names of the colors are used in metadata, such as “Red” and “Yellow”.

So, if you assign a red color label in Bridge, the word “Select” will be added to the Label field. But when you import that image into Lightroom Classic the color label definitions don’t include “Select”, and so the mismatch is reflected by displaying the color label as white.

While you can change the definitions of color labels to compensate for mismatches if they have been consistent in your previous workflow, my recommendation is to instead update the color label for any images that show a white color label to reflect the actual color label that was originally intended.

Today’s Question: For photos I’m going to print, I spend a lot of time in Photoshop trying to get every detail absolutely perfect. This can require considerable time, so I don’t always finish everything in one sitting. Is there a method you recommend for keeping notes about what tasks I want to perform for an image so I can easily reference those notes when I return to finish working on a photo?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can use the Note tool for this purpose in Photoshop, which is exactly the type of task it is designed to help with.

More Detail: The Note tool in Photoshop provides a feature that is analogous to putting a sticky note on a printed photo or document, such as to add notes about what needs to be done with the image.

The Note tool is found under the button for the Eyedropper tool on the toolbar, so you can right-click or click and hold on the Eyedropper tool button to bring up a flyout menu, where you can select the Note tool.

On the Options bar you can enter a name in the Author field if you’d like, and select a color from the Color popup by clicking the color swatch. Then click on the image, which will add a note and bring up the Notes panel. The Notes panel will show the Author at the top if a name was entered and features a large text field where you can enter any details you’d like.

You can click elsewhere in the image to add another note or click on an existing note to review or modify the details on the Notes panel. To remove a note simply right-click on it and choose “Delete Note” from the popup menu.

As long as you save the image as either a Photoshop PSD or TIFF image, the notes will be saved along with the other image elements, so the notes can be reviewed and updated when you open the file again.

Today’s Question: I feel like Photoshop now has countless tools for image cleanup, from the old-fashioned Clone Stamp tool to the newer tools where some can leverage AI. Is there a single tool you recommend as the best starting point for removing basic blemishes on a photo in Photoshop?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, I consider the Remove tool to be the best go-to tool for typical blemish removal. I generally use it with AI turned off and only enable AI if the initial cleanup doesn’t work great. For more complex scenarios the Generative Fill command is a great place to start.

More Detail: As someone who actually remembers when the only image-cleanup tool in Photoshop was the Clone Stamp tool, I can certainly appreciate the impression that there are more cleanup tools now than you might know what to do with. Some are really only useful in special scenarios, some I don’t consider all that useful in a typical workflow, and others work remarkably well.

At this point, I consider the Remove tool to be the best starting point for removing basic blemishes from a photo. This tool is found under the button for the Spot Healing Brush tool on the toolbar, so you can either right-click or click and hold on that button to bring up a flyout menu, where you can select the Remove tool.

On the Options bar for the Remove tool there’s a popup at about the center of the option controls that enables you to choose whether to use AI (which in turn means using your Generative AI credits). The default setting is “Auto”, but I suggest setting this to “Generative AI off” for your initial attempt. This setting will generally provide very good results, and helps preserve your Generative AI credits.

If the initial cleanup isn’t great, you can enable AI and try again. In this case I suggest that you undo the initial cleanup, and then try again with AI enabled. In many cases this will provide a superior result, but there is also a greater risk that odd image artifacts will be added based on the AI processing.

There are certainly other tools that can be helpful for cleaning up blemishes of various types. For example, for more advanced scenarios the Generative Fill command works great for removing a blemish in a selected area, including the option to enter a prompt for AI to designate what you want done with the selected area of the image.

Today’s Question: As best I can remember I’ve never used “Remove from Lightroom” when deleting, but rather always use “Delete from Disk”. But that’s not to say I may not have photos in any number of folders that were either removed from Lightroom Classic or never imported. Do you think it would be reasonable to select my top-level folder (called Photos) and synchronize all subfolders to “clean up” all my photo folders?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can most certainly use the Synchronize Folder command to check for any photos that are in your overall folder structure but that are not currently in your Lightroom Classic catalog.

More Detail: Among other things, the Synchronize Folder command in Lightroom Classic can be used to see if there are any photos in a folder on your hard drive that are not represented in the catalog. Any such photos can then be added to the catalog as part of this process. This command can be used on a top-level (or parent) folder, because it will scan subfolders as part of the synchronization.

To get started you can right-click on a folder in the Folders list on the left panel in the Library module and choose “Synchronize Folder” from the popup menu. The folder can be an individual folder you want to check, or a top-level folder for your overall photo storage, for example.

The Synchronize Folder dialog will appear, and your photo storage will be analyzed. If there are photos somewhere within the folder structure you selected for synchronization, the “Import new photos” checkbox will be turned on, with a number in parenthesis indicating how many photos were found. Keep this checkbox turned on and also turn on the “Show import dialog before importing” checkbox.

If either the “Remove missing photos from catalog” or “Scan for metadata updates” checkboxes are enabled, turn them off. If these issues exist, they should be dealt with separately from adding unaccounted for photos to the catalog.

Click the Synchronize button, and the Import dialog will appear (assuming you turned on the checkbox for that). You can configure the settings for import as you’d like, but in particular I recommend leaving the option at the top-center set to “Add” and that you turn off the “Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates” checkbox turned off. Normally you would want to exclude duplicate images from being imported, but in this context I recommend adding even duplicate photos to the catalog so that all images are accounted for within the catalog. You can then identify and evaluate duplicate images to see if there are any that should be deleted.

With the settings for import configured, you can click the Import button at the bottom-right of the Import dialog to add the discovered photos to the catalog.

Today’s Question: Many of my iPhone photos are HEIC files. Once I use Bridge to download these to my PC as JPEG files, is there any reason to keep the HEIC files? I also notice there are some AAE files, which I think are created if I edit a photo on iPhone. I don’t seem to be able to convert these to JPEGs. Is there any reason to keep these AAE files on my PC after I’ve downloaded the HEIC files to my PC as JPEGs?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Unless you’re dealing with a compatibility issue with HEIC files, I recommend keeping the photos in the HEIC format rather than converting to JPEG images. HEIC files are smaller than JPEG files while providing better image quality. The AAE files are sidecar files that accompany image files that had been edited, and those are only useful within the Apple Photos ecosystem. Therefore, you can most likely simply discard those AAE files unless you want to access the edits that had been applied.

More Detail: The HEIC capture format provides greater image quality with a smaller file size compared to JPEG, and therefore I recommend using the HEIC format rather than converting to JPEG (or capturing in JPEG in the first place). The only reason to use JPEG is if you are having issues with software not supporting HEIC files. The Adobe suite of imaging applications supports HEIC files, as do many other applications, so I recommend retaining the HEIC files without converting.

The AAE files are the equivalent of the XMP sidecar files many photographers are familiar with in the context of editing proprietary raw captures with software such as Camera Raw or Lightroom Classic. They contain the metadata updates related to edits you applied, such as if you adjusted photos on your iPhone.

Those AAE files are not images, but rather just metadata containers, which is why they can’t be converted to JPEG images (or other image formats). To access the edit information contained in the AAE files you would need to bring the source files (both the original capture and the AAE file) into the Apple Photos ecosystem. If you’re not using the Apple Photos ecosystem after downloading photos, you can simply discard the AAE files.

Today’s Question: I photograph my Calibrite ColorChecker on-site quite often so I can measure and adjust the white balance of my RAW files for that specific lighting. I usually apply the WB based on the ColorChecker and then make additional tweaks to better match the coloration I perceived at the time. When lighting varies across an image, what is your preferred method for adjusting color across those different regions? Is it correct to force the reference card to appear neutral even when the scene itself was bathed in warm or cool light?

Tim’s Quick Answer: My general preference is to only use a ColorChecker (or gray card or other approach) when I am photographing something that I want to have appear as though it were illuminated by purely white light, such as with product photography. Otherwise, I would tend not to use such a device, or to only use it to get a baseline adjustment that I then shift toward the intended appearance.

More Detail: The primary reason to use a ColorChecker or other color reference such as a gray card is to ensure that the color in a photo is completely accurate, as though the scene were illuminated by white light with no color influence. This is common for product photography where you want the colors of the object to appear accurately, but is generally not at all desirable for other types of photography.

For example, a photograph captured during golden hour should have a shift toward more yellow color values compared to a photo of the same scene captured at midday, and we generally want the photo to reflect that color tint.

So, if you want to use a ColorChecker to get a neutral starting point, that is certainly reasonable. But then I would absolutely shift the color toward a more pleasing value, such as to shift toward warmer color values. The specific shift obviously depends on the nature of the scene you photographed, the quality of the light, and your preference as a photographer.

As for an image where the light varies across the scene, this can be compensated for with a targeted adjustment. In many cases, for example, using a linear gradient to define a mask in conjunction with adjustments for Temperature and Tint will help balance out these colors. In more challenging scenarios you could paint a mask manually based on which areas of an image need specific color adjustments.