Category: Ask Tim Grey

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.

Today’s Question: Can you be more specific as to the synced Lightroom Classic raw file changes in terms of resolution and conversion to DNG? If I shoot raw Nikon NEF formatted images, and sync a collection to the cloud, what or how much is lost in the cloud copy of the file? What about metadata that is in the raw file, does some of it get lost as well?

Tim’s Quick Answer: When you synchronize a raw capture to the cloud via a synchronized collection in Lightroom Classic, the cloud-based image is a smart preview. That means it is simply converted to the Adobe DNG file format and reduced in resolution to a maximum of 2,550 pixels on the long edge.

More Detail: Lightroom Classic supports the creation of smart previews, which can be used in lieu of the original image when the source file is not currently available. Among other things, smart previews enable you to optimize photos in the Develop module even if the source file isn’t currently available.

When you synchronize photos to the cloud from Lightroom Classic, they are converted to a smart preview, which as noted above means they are simply converted to an Adobe DNG file with a maximum resolution of 2,550 pixels on the long edge.

No metadata is lost in this process. For example, when you are viewing a synchronized image outside of Lightroom Classic such as with the Lightroom mobile app or Lightroom in a web browser, you would still be able to see the key metadata for the photo.

Furthermore, I think it is important to keep in mind that the smart preview stored in the cloud is simply a placeholder for the source image. Any updates you apply to the cloud-based image will be synchronized to the source image, such as if you add keywords or apply adjustments to an image. You can think of the cloud-based image in this context as a high-quality preview of the image that enables you to work with that image from virtually anywhere, without the burden of needing to synchronize the much larger raw capture to be able to get online access to your photos throughout the full Lightroom ecosystem.

Today’s Question: I’ve started making greater use of online printing and wonder if you can provide advice on how best to prepare files for this. For example, when I use my own printer I set the resolution to 300 ppi, but is that useful if I’m sending the file to an online printer? If I do use that resolution, it enlarges the file size often beyond what’s acceptable by the online printer. To decrease the file size I then reduce the pixel width, but does that reduce the quality of the final print? Are there other settings I should be using to best optimize an image for online printing?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Reduced resolution (as well as JPEG compression) can most certainly have a negative impact on print quality. I therefore recommend using a print service that allows you to upload large image files.

More Detail: There are two basic approaches I recommend when preparing images for online printing. My personal preference and recommendation is to resize the image and otherwise prepare it for the final output size, just as though I were printing the photo myself. The other option is to prepare the image at its native resolution and allow it to be resized by the printer.

I also recommend saving the file as a TIFF image, not JPEG. Even at a high quality setting it is possible for there to be visible artifacts when a JPEG image is printed, which are caused by the nature of the JPEG compression. I prefer to resize the image to the final output size at 300 pixels per inch, but you could also leave the file at the native size and allow it to be enlarged at the time of printing.

Some online photo printing services limit the file size you can upload, but this will not enable you to ensure optimal print quality for your photos. I therefore only recommend using an online print provider that will allow you to submit large files. For example, I have used Bay Photo (https://bayphoto.com) with very good results, and I’ve been able to upload large TIFF files for printing.

Today’s Question: Since syncing [to the cloud] is possible with Lightroom Classic, can’t you work on your images on any device, thereby invalidating a potential benefit of Lightroom Cloud?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can edit images synchronized from Lightroom Classic from virtually anywhere, such as by using the Lightroom mobile app or Lightroom in a web browser.

More Detail: One of the core features of the cloud-focused version of Lightroom is that it enables you to store photos in the cloud, so they are accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection. However, that same basic capability is included with Lightroom Classic as well.

The only real difference is that with the cloud-focused version of Lightroom the original files are stored in the cloud. With Lightroom Classic when you synchronize photos to the cloud the synchronized copies are saved as Adobe DNG files with a reduced resolution. But this doesn’t really impact your workflow in any meaningful way.

You can simply enable synchronization for the collections in Lightroom Classic that you want to have available from elsewhere. Then using the Lightroom mobile app or Lightroom in a web browser (https://lightroom.adobe.com) you can edit the synchronized photos. The changes you make will synchronize back to Lightroom Classic.

Note that while it is also possible to use the cloud-focused Lightroom desktop application to access photos that had been synchronized from Lightroom Classic, I don’t really recommend mixing the use of Lightroom Classic and Lightroom due to the risk of confusion in terms of where photos are actually stored.

Today’s Question: I’m wondering if the same sort of procedure from Lightroom Classic on the desktop can be synchronized with the Adobe Portfolio of your images [for sharing photos online similar to the “Make Public” option for synchronized collections].

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can share directly from Lightroom Classic to Adobe Portfolio by enabling synchronization for one or more collections and then using the Adobe Lightroom integration to bring albums into Portfolio.

More Detail: Adobe Portfolio is a service that enables you to create a customized website featuring your photos, and it is included with the various Creative Cloud plans, including the Creative Cloud Photography plan that includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop.

At first glance it might not seem that Adobe Portfolio integrates with Lightroom Classic, because the only integrations shown are for Behance, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Stock. However, synchronized collections from Lightroom Classic count as albums in Adobe Lightroom when it comes to integrating with Adobe Portfolio.

The first step, of course, is to make sure you’ve enabled synchronization for the collections in Lightroom Classic that you want to make available on your Adobe Portfolio site. Once those albums are synchronized you can go to Portfolio (https://portfolio.adobe.com) to configure the albums.

On the left panel you’ll see when signed in to Adobe Portfolio go to the Integrations option in the Essentials section of the left panel. There you’ll see an option for Adobe Lightroom, and you can click Add Albums to add albums based on the synchronized collections from Lightroom Classic. This enables you to integrate collections of photos from Lightroom Classic into your Adobe Portfolio website.

Today’s Question: If you send a photo from Lightroom [cloud-focused version] to Photoshop and create layers, then do a Lightroom adjustment on the Photoshop file, all the layers are gone! This is terrible! Is there any way around this? This issue alone would prevent me from ever using Lightroom.

Tim’s Quick Answer: In this scenario the original layers aren’t actually lost, but rather a new flattened copy of the image is created. You could go back to the prior version of the image to get back to the layers, but that version won’t reflect the Lightroom adjustments. I would agree that this is an issue that can cause confusion and frustration.

More Detail: Both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic support the option to send an image to Photoshop for editing. However, they operate differently, and it is important to understand what to expect when including Photoshop in a workflow that revolves around Lightroom or Lightroom Classic.

In both cases, if you send a raw capture to Photoshop the result will be a new image, saved as either a Photoshop PSD or TIFF file. You can use layers and all other features within Photoshop before saving and closing the file. The resulting derivative image will be saved alongside the original and reflected in Lightroom or Lightroom Classic.

If you send the derivative image back to Photoshop without making any changes in Lightroom, then you’ll be right back to your layered image, just as you left it. However, if you had adjusted the derivative image in Lightroom, when you send that image back to Photoshop it will be a flattened copy of the original derivative image. That can be a bit alarming and can certainly be frustrating.

However, that flattened version is actually an additional copy of the original image. In fact, with Lightroom every time you send an image to Photoshop a new copy is created. If there were no Lightroom adjustments applied, the copy will retain the layers. If there were adjustments applied the copy will be flattened so it can reflect the adjustments from Lightroom.

In Lightroom Classic you have the option to choose “Edit Original” when you send a derivative image back to Photoshop. If you use this option the layers will remain intact, but any adjustments you applied in the Develop module on the derivative image will not be visible while you’re working in Photoshop.

With Lightroom the only way to continue working with the layered image is to be sure not to apply any adjustments in Lightroom. That obviously isn’t really an ideal workaround, but it does help avoid the potential confusion that exists in Lightroom Classic where you need to choose between three options when sending a derivative image to Photoshop.

So, in Lightroom the layers aren’t really lost, they’re just preserved in an earlier copy of the image. That may or may not be a problem depending on your workflow needs and personal preferences. But I do agree it would be much better if Lightroom behaved the same way as Lightroom Classic in this regard, so you could choose how to deal with derivative images in this context.

Today’s Question: I’m all for the larger output resulting from a composite panorama, but if there is any motion in the subject matter (such as waves or wind-caused movement), a composite image can be very frustrating and not worth the bother. Any recommendations on how to minimize the effect of the motion in the composite image?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The primary things I recommend doing to help ensure greater flexibility when it comes to blending frames of a composite image for a scene with considerable movement would be to overlap the frames by a larger amount and to assemble the composite panorama with a manual approach in Photoshop.

More Detail: When there is movement within a scene you’re photographing for a composite panorama, movement within the scene can be problematic even if you’re using a fast shutter speed. For example, from one frame to the next the wind might cause objects to move within the frame, causing challenges when blending those areas of the panorama together.

To begin with, I suggest overlapping the individual frames for the panorama by more than you normally would. When using a reasonably long focal length beyond about 100mm (based on a full-frame 35mm format) you can overlap by around 20%. For wide-angle scenes I recommend overlapping by 50%. But if you know the frames will be tricky to blend together, I recommend overlapping by a bit more than these factors.

In this type of situation if the panorama doesn’t come together well using an automated approach such as can be done with Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Lightroom Classic, I recommend manually assembling the composite panorama in Photoshop. To get started with that process I recommend selecting the individual frames for the panorama in Adobe Bridge, and then from the menu choose Tools > Photoshop > Photomerge.

Using this command will bring up the Photomerge dialog in Photoshop. There you can set the Layout option to Auto, and make sure the “Blend Images Together” checkbox is turned on. The other checkboxes can be turned off, and you can click the OK button to begin assembling the composite panorama.

The resulting panorama will be a composite image with a layer for each of the images representing the individual frames. Each of those layers will have a layer mask that was automatically generated to blend the images together. You can then use the Brush tool to paint with white to reveal areas of the individual layers, and paint with black to block areas. This enables you to customize the blending, so that you can for example paint around areas where movement between frames prove to be problematic.

While this approach can involve a bit more work, it can also help ensure the best results in terms of seamless blending of the composite panorama. This is especially important for situations where movement in the scene makes it difficult to blend the frames of the composite panorama effectively, and so automated tools for assembling the panorama don’t yield the best results.

Today’s Question: What, exactly, is installed on my computer when I install Lightroom? Is the operation of Lightroom in the cloud or on my computer? I ask for two reasons. 1) Lightroom Classic really bogs down my computer, and I have to reboot after an hour or two of work. Will this happen with Lightroom? 2) The Adobe website says I cannot work in Lightroom on two separate devices simultaneously (unlike Lightroom Classic). Does this mean that the operation of Lightroom is happening in the cloud and not on my computer?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic are installed and run from your computer. The “cloud” aspect of Lightroom relates to cloud-based storage and a degree of processing in the cloud, such as to enable advanced search features. Both versions of Lightroom therefore have similar system requirements and have similar performance.

More Detail: The reference to the cloud in the context of Lightroom (rather than Lightroom Classic) tends to cause some confusion. In fact, that same confusion was quite common when the Adobe Creative Cloud plans were first introduced. There is a common misunderstanding that the software runs in the cloud rather than on your computer, but that is not the case.

The desktop applications available through an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription get installed and are run from your computer. That means they will consume system resources such as the processor, memory, and hard drive space. If Lightroom Classic doesn’t perform well on your computer, there’s a good chance that Lightroom will also not perform very well, though there are some variables here.

First, I recommend reviewing the system requirements for the software you’ll be using, to make sure your computer will support the software. For example, you can find the system requirements for Lightroom and Lightroom Classic here:

Adobe Lightroom:
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-cc/system-requirements.html

Adobe Lightroom Classic:
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/system-requirements.html

Assuming your computer meets or exceeds the system requirements, I recommend making sure you have a good amount of hard drive space available. In general, I recommend having at least 10GB of free hard drive space, but more can be helpful.

With Lightroom Classic it can also be helpful to ensure the catalog has been optimized. If you use the built-in catalog backup feature in Lightroom Classic you’ll have the option during the backup to have the catalog scanned for errors and to optimize the catalog. I recommend enabling both of these options.

If you continue to have issues with performance in Lightroom Classic you may want to reset the preferences. To do so you can go to the General tab of the Preferences dialog, hold the Alt/Option key, and click the “Reset all preferences and relaunch” button that will appear. You may also want to uninstall and reinstall Lightroom Classic to see if that helps.

As for running more than one instance of Lightroom, this is indeed possible because there is not a central catalog to manage. With Lightroom Classic you can only have one instance open at a time because the catalog can only be opened on one computer at a time.