Category: Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: Many, many years ago I was taught (by you! LOL!) that after working on a 16-bit image in Photoshop, I should first flatten the layers, then use Convert Profile to change the color space from RGB to sRGB before saving the image as a JPEG. I have been doing this for about 25 years! Are the “flatten layers” and “Convert Profile” steps still necessary? Or does choosing Save As do those steps “behind the scenes”?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The “Save As” (or “Save a Copy”) command in Photoshop doesn’t provide an option to convert the image to a different color space. However, if you use the Export command you can accomplish all the steps for creating a derivative copy in what is basically a single step.

More Detail: The Export command in Photoshop can be thought of as an automated way to adjust image settings as part of saving a derivative image. In addition to being able to choose which file format you want to save the new derivative image in, you can adjust settings such as the pixel dimensions and the color space to use. Note that none of the file formats available for the Export feature support layers, so the derivative image you create will always be flattened (without flattening the source image you’re working on, of course).

With the master image open you can get started by choosing File > Export > Export As from the menu. On the right panel of the Export As dialog you can choose the file format (JPEG in this case) that you want to use for the derivative image you’re saving. You can adjust the pixel dimensions in the Image Size section. In the Metadata section choose whether you want to include copyright and contact info in metadata or exclude all metadata. Under Color Space I recommend turning on the “Convert to sRGB” checkbox for images that will be shared digitally, and I always recommend turning on the “Embed Color Profile” checkbox.

After configuring the desired settings, click the Export button, which will bring up the Save As dialog. You can specify a filename and folder location and click the Save button to export the copy of the photo. The new file will be saved in the location you specified and with the settings you configured.

Today’s Question: I’d like to move a file with Lightroom Classic adjustments to ImagePrint for printing, without having a duplicate TIFF file added to Lightroom Classic every time it is exported.

Tim’s Quick Answer: In this case you want to export the image with the normal export feature rather than sending it directly to other software, and you want to make sure the option to add to the catalog is disabled in the Export dialog.

More Detail: When you send a raw capture to software outside of Lightroom Classic, such as when editing in Photoshop or sending the image to a plug-in using an export preset, a derivative image will be created. In this scenario, the derivative image will always be added to the Lightroom Classic catalog. This can obviously lead to a bit of clutter with numerous derivative images if you’re sending images to other applications somewhat frequently.

To avoid having the derivative image added to the Lightroom Classic catalog, use the regular export feature rather than sending the file directly to another application. For example, don’t use the Photo > Edit In option from the menu, and don’t use the File > Export with Preset command.

Instead, simply click the Export button at the bottom of the left panel in the Library module to initiate the export. In the Export dialog you can configure the settings for the new file that will be created, such as to specify the file format and other details of the image to be created.

To ensure the new derivative image is not added to the Lightroom Classic catalog, make sure that “Add to This Catalog” checkbox in the Export Location section at the top of the Export dialog is turned off. Then export the image, and a file will be created that you can open in the applicable software (such as ImagePrint for printing in this case) without that image having been added to your Lightroom Classic catalog.

Today’s Question: Is there a particular app you recommend for optimizing photos on a smartphone? Sometimes I want to be able to edit a photo on the go without waiting until I’m at my computer.

Tim’s Quick Answer: I consider Snapseed to be one of the best options available for optimizing photos in a wide variety of ways using a smartphone. In addition, for photographers who are making use of the Adobe Lightroom ecosystem, the Lightroom mobile app provides a good solution for basic editing.

More Detail: Snapseed is a remarkably powerful mobile app for optimizing photos. Originally developed by Nik Software (original makers of the Nik Collection), it is currently owned by Google. The app includes a range of simple presets under the Looks heading, as well as powerful adjustment options under the Tools heading.

The available adjustments range from basic tone and color, special effects, image cleanup and correction, and much more. While it can take a little getting used to Snapseed considering the large number of adjustments options it includes, I do consider it an excellent app for optimizing photos on a mobile device.

Another very good option is the Lightroom mobile app. The adjustment options within the Lightroom mobile app match those found in Camera Raw, the Lightroom desktop application, and the Develop module in Lightroom Classic. You can optimize photos that have been synchronized to the cloud via the Lightroom ecosystem, including photos synchronized via collections from Lightroom Classic. You can also use the Lightroom mobile app to import photos from your device or to capture photos with the built-in camera feature.

There are, of course, a large number of apps that provide various editing features for mobile devices. In my experience, however, Snapseed is among the best when it comes to providing a range of powerful features, and Lightroom provides a good solution for photographers already using other tools within the Adobe Lightroom ecosystem.

Today’s Question: Is there some setting in Lightroom Classic that needs to be on in order to download folders of focus-stacked images? When I downloaded photos from a memory card that included a mixture of single images and focus-stacked bursts into Lightroom Classic, the folders that my camera had put each focus-stacked burst into were overlooked. Is there some simpler route I am overlooking?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can preserve the folders created by your camera when importing photos into Lightroom Classic by using the “By original folders” option in the Destination section of the right panel in the Import dialog.

More Detail: Many cameras will create various folders containing the photos you have captured. For example, some cameras will group photos into folders in groups of 100 or 1,000 captures. As noted in today’s question, some cameras will also use folders to separate bursts of photos, such as those used for focus stacking.

When importing photos into Lightroom Classic, by default all photos from all folders on a media card will be downloaded into a single folder. In many cases this might be exactly what you want. But in some cases, such as with the focus-stacking example, you may very much want to preserve the folders created by the camera.

To do so, specify the destination for the photos you’re downloading in the normal way within the Import dialog. However, be sure to select the “By original folders” option if you want to retain the folder structure from the camera when downloading your photos as part of this process.

For example, if you captured these photos during a photo trip to a specific destination, you might be downloading the captures into a folder named based on the trip. But by using the “By original folders” option, subfolders will be created based on the folders present on the media card as they were created by the camera.

Today’s Question: How dependable do you feel Time Machine is for backing up the internal hard drive on a Macintosh computer? Put another way, if you needed to wipe the hard drive on a Mac, would you trust Time Machine to restore the computer without losing any personal data?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I consider the Time Machine backup to be very dependable and have used Time Machine to configure each new Macintosh computer I have purchased based on a backup of the computer I was replacing.

More Detail: Time Machine is the built-in backup feature of the Macintosh operating system, and in my view it provides two key benefits that I think make it very worthwhile use Time Machine to back up the internal hard drive for any Macintosh computer.

The first benefit of Time Machine is that it provides a complete backup of all user files on your computer. This means you can use a Time Machine backup to completely restore a computer. For example, if you buy a new Macintosh computer you can restore from a Time Machine backup of your previous computer to configure the computer with all user data intact. I have used this feature on numerous occasions when configuring a new computer, as well as when I need to erase a hard drive for maintenance purposes and want to restore from a Time Machine backup.

The second benefit is that Time Machine maintains a historical backup of user files on your computer. This includes versions of documents, though the availability of older versions depends upon the storage capacity. For example, let’s assume you that for the past few months you have had an important document on the desktop, and you’ve been updating that document on a regular basis. Then you realize that a few days ago you deleted the document.

In this type of situation, you could simply launch the Time Machine application, navigate to the storage location where the file you want to recover exists, and scroll back in time to the most recent point when the document still existed. You would then be able to recover the file by copying it back to the desktop. This feature would even enable you to recover an older version of a document even if the updated version hadn’t been backed up.

Many readers know that I use GoodSync (http://timgrey.me/greybackup) to back up my external hard drives, and that I use Backblaze (https://timgrey.me/cloudbackup) for an online (and therefore offsite) backup of my internal and external drives. But I also maintain a Time Machine backup for the internal hard drive on my computer (though Time Machine can also backup your external hard drives if you’d like).

Today’s Question: When I’m changing the resolution of a photo in the Image Size dialog in Photoshop, I’m not able to select the Pixels option for the Width or Height. How can I resize based on specific pixel dimensions rather than using another option such as inches?

Tim’s Quick Answer: To enable the Pixels option from the popup for Width or Height in the Image Size dialog in Photoshop you need to turn on the Resample checkbox. Note that this checkbox always needs to be turned on to be able to change the pixel dimensions for an image.

More Detail: As odd as it may sound, in the Image Size dialog it is possible to change the output size of an image without actually changing the pixel dimensions for the image. This is why you need to have the Resample checkbox turned on to be able to adjust the image size based on pixels rather than a different unit of measure such as inches or centimeters.

If the Resample checkbox is turned off the pixel dimensions for the image can’t be changed. Instead, if you for example change the dimensions of the image in inches, the pixel per inch resolution will be adjusted accordingly, so that the same number of pixels remain in the image. In most cases, however, you would want to resize the actual pixel dimensions if you’re preparing an image to be shared at a particular size.

With the Resample checkbox turned off, you aren’t changing the number of pixels in the image, so instead making a change to either the dimensions or the resolution will cause the other value to update accordingly, so the same number of pixels remain. In this case the Pixels option is disabled on the popup for Width and Height because you’re not able to change the pixel dimensions.

If you turn on the Resample checkbox, you’re able to alter the pixel dimensions, so the Pixels option will be enabled on the popups. This can be helpful when resizing an image for digital output, such as sizing based on the resolution of a digital projector. For output such as a print, it is generally easier to specify the dimensions in inches or centimeters, along with designating the pixel per inch (or centimeter) resolution based on the capabilities of the printer being used.

Today’s Question: Are there circumstances when you would recommend using a monopod instead of a tripod? It seems to me that carrying a monopod instead of a tripod isn’t really going to make a big difference in terms of how much gear I’m traveling with.

Tim’s Quick Answer: I consider a monopod to be preferable to a tripod for situations where you want to be able to move the camera while having some degree of stability. I don’t feel that a monopod is the right compromise when you want complete stability for the camera and are just trying to travel lighter.

More Detail: A monopod obviously doesn’t provide as much stability as a tripod, although there are some monopods that have extensions that enable them to stand on their own with stability that is similar to that of a tripod. Therefore, when you need complete stability such as for long-exposure photography I always recommend using a tripod rather than a monopod.

While in general a monopod will be smaller and lighter than a tripod when comparing models with the same overall height and construction, in most cases I don’t find the difference to be as helpful as you might expect when it comes to traveling with the gear. That’s not to say there isn’t a difference, but to me that difference isn’t worth the downside when it comes to the greater stability of a tripod.

There are, however, situations where a monopod is generally better than a tripod, and that involves scenarios where you want some stability and support but you want to be able to move the camera with relative ease and freedom.

For example, with sports photography you often want to be able to reposition and pivot the camera with great freedom, but you want to have a bit of help keeping the camera stable. The monopod is also tremendously helpful in terms of helping to support a heavy lens even when you don’t necessarily need the assistance with stability.

My recommendation is to choose between a monopod and a tripod based on the degree to which you need support and stability, not based on the relative size and weight of the two options. In my view the most important consideration is the benefits each type of support provides. Sometimes a monopod is much better than a tripod, and sometimes a tripod is invaluable compared to a monopod.

Today’s Question: I frequently apply a similar set of adjustments to the background of a photo such as reducing the sharpness and color saturation. Is there a way in Lightroom Classic to create a preset that I can apply only to the currently masked area in a photo?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can use presets for targeted adjustments by either applying a preset to an existing mask or by creating an adaptive preset that employs an automatic mask.

More Detail: The first way you can use a preset for a targeted adjustment is to apply a preset to an existing mask within the Masking adjustments. To create a preset for this purpose you need to add a mask to an image, and then configure the adjustment settings for that targeted adjustment the way you want to preserve them for a preset.

Then click the Preset popup found near the top of the adjustments in the Masking section and choose “Save Current Settings as New Preset” from the popup. In the dialog that appears type a meaningful name for the preset and click the Create button. You can then choose that preset from the Preset popup anytime you have an active mask that you want to apply the preset to.

The other way you can use presets for targeted adjustments is to create a Develop module preset that includes one or more automatic masks, which are referred to as adaptive presets because they adapt automatically to the image they are applied to. The automatic mask options include Subject, Sky, and Background.

For example, let’s assume you wanted to create a preset that would apply specific adjustments to the sky in a photo. Start by adding a Sky mask to an image and applying the various adjustments for the sky. Then click the plus icon (+) to the right of the Presets heading on the left panel in the Develop module and choose Create Preset.

In the New Develop Preset dialog you can enter a meaningful name for the preset in the Preset Name field, and then choose which group you want to put the preset in from the Group popup. You can then turn on the checkboxes for only the adjustments you want to include in the preset. For example, in this case you might click the “Check None” button to turn off the checkboxes for all adjustments, and then turn on the Masking checkbox so the mask and related adjustments will be included in the preset. Click the Create button to save the new preset.

When you apply that preset to other images, because a Sky mask was included (at least in this example) the sky will automatically be detected in the image to which you applied the preset, and the adjustment settings you saved as part of the preset will be applied to the sky in the image.

Today’s Question: How can I email someone an image from Lightroom Mobile that is full resolution?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can share a full-resolution image from the Lightroom mobile app by using the “Largest available dimensions” setting for Dimension when using either the “Share” or “Export as” options.

More Detail: When you share an image from the Lightroom mobile app the default image size is 2,048 pixels on the long side. However, you can also specify custom dimensions or use the full resolution of the image being shared with the Dimensions setting.

To get started select the image you want to share and tap the Share button at the top-right of the Lightroom mobile app interface. The icon for the Share button shows a rectangle with an arrow pointing up from the top. If you’re going to select the “Share” option, you need to click the settings button to the far right of the Share button to bring up the settings. If you simply click the Share button, you’ll be sharing with the default settings. Note that tapping the “Export as” option will take you to the same settings that you have when tapping the settings button associated with the Share button.

After tapping the settings button you can adjust the settings for sharing, including the file type, pixel dimensions, and other options. In this case you would select the “Largest available dimensions” option. Keep in mind, however, that if you are sharing an image that was synchronized from Lightroom Classic the maximum pixel dimensions will be 2,550 pixels on the long edge, because that image will have been synchronized as a smart preview rather than the original file format. Tap the checkmark icon at the top-right of the screen and you’ll be prompted with the options for sharing the image, including via email.

Today’s Question: How can I get a set of photos (in several different named folders) from my desktop Windows computer onto my iPhone? Sync via iTunes is supposed to work and sort of does but about 10% of the photos never copy. Can I somehow use Lightroom Classic on desktop to get those photos onto the iPhone?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I think the simplest way to get photos from Lightroom Classic to a smartphone is to enable synchronization of collections of photos, which will then appear as albums in the Lightroom mobile app. This works great for both iPhone and Android smartphones.

More Detail: While you can use iTunes on Windows (or the built-in feature in MacOS) to synchronize photos to an iPhone, the process isn’t particularly streamlined, and I have heard from more than a few photographers who have struggled with getting synchronization to work consistently using iTunes for Windows.

If you’re already using Lightroom Classic to manage your photos, I think the easiest approach to getting selected photos onto your smartphone is to synchronize photos via collections in Lightroom Classic.

The first step is to create collections for the photos you want to synchronize to your smartphone and add photos to those collections. Then enable synchronization for the collections that contain photos you want to have on your smartphone. When you hover the mouse pointer over the name of a collection in the Collections section of the left panel in the Library module, you’ll see an icon to the left of the collection name. An empty box indicates that synchronization is not enabled, and you can click that box to turn on synchronization. A double-headed arrow that resembles a lightning bolt indicates that synchronization is enabled.

Once synchronization is enabled for one or more collections, the photos within those collections will be saved to the cloud. With Lightroom Classic those copies are smart previews, meaning they are saved as Adobe DNG files at a reduced resolution of about 2500 pixels on the long side.

You can then launch the Lightroom app on your mobile device, making sure you are signed in with the same Adobe ID used in Lightroom Classic. All collections you synchronized from Lightroom Classic will appear as albums within the Lightroom mobile app, making it easy to share those photos with others. Also, any changes you make to the images within the Lightroom mobile app, such as applying adjustments, will synchronize back to Lightroom Classic so you’ll see the updates there.