Category: Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: When I import images from my iPhone 12 Pro Max into Lightroom Classic, each image is accompanied by a 2-second video of itself. I wonder why that is happening and how to stop it. When I look at images on the phone, the videos are not there (or at least not obvious).

Tim’s Quick Answer: The photos with short accompanying videos are from the “Live Photo” feature on the iPhone. You can disable that within the Camera app on your iPhone for future captures.

More Detail: The iPhone Camera app includes a feature called Live Photo that is something of a cross between a photo and a video. It is like a 3-second video, but not exactly the same in terms of the number of frames and the quality of the frames beyond the primary capture.

Live Photo captures can’t be shared with the animation intact with all forms of sharing. However, if you swipe back and forth between Live Photo captures in the Photos app on your iPhone you’ll notice the movement of the subject of the photo briefly.

The animation effect of Live Photo captures can be used for various creative effects, including a looping playback and a long exposure effect. However, they aren’t easy to share with this type of effect intact outside the Apple Photos ecosystem.

Personally, I prefer to capture normal photos or video clips, not Live Photos. One of the reasons Live Photos tend to create confusion is that it is easy to accidentally enable the feature. You can turn it off (or on) by tapping the icon that has several concentric circles, almost looking like a target. The location will vary depending on your phone and operating system version, but you will likely see it at the top-right of the screen in the Camera app.

When you turn off the Live Photo feature there will be a slash through the icon for the Live Photo button. That will ensure you’re only capturing normal photos (or videos) rather than Live Photos. That, in turn, will mean that you no longer have an extra video file accompanying your still photo captures.

Note that you can filter your photos in Lightroom Classic to show only videos by clicking the “Videos” button associated with the Kind control on the Attributes tab of the Library Filter bar at the top of the grid view display in the Library module. That can make it easier to locate the videos that came along with your Live Photo captures. Just be sure that you’re only deleting videos from Live Photos, not videos you intentionally captured as videos.

Today’s Question: I do HDR [high dynamic range imaging] by the old method of collecting three exposures in Raw, then using Photoshop or Aurora HDR to combine them. However, I have a Canon D6 [https://bhpho.to/3JTaax7] that can do it in-camera, but then I have to use JPEG. From the standpoint of image quality, is it better to keep doing the HDR by the old method, or accept the loses of the in-camera method? I sometimes make enlargements up to 17×22”, but mostly the maximum is 13×19”.

Tim’s Quick Answer: I strongly recommend not using in-camera HDR unless you are using a camera that retains the original raw captures when you create an HDR image. With your camera I recommend continuing to capture bracketed exposures to assemble into an HDR result later.

More Detail: When you are photographing a scene with a great range of tonal values than your camera can record in a single photograph, you can capture bracketed exposures and assemble those into a final HDR image that retains maximum detail.

Some cameras provide an in-camera HDR option. This can be convenient, but it can also be problematic for a variety of reasons.

If your camera enables you to capture an in-camera HDR but also retain the bracketed raw captures used to assemble the HDR image, using this option can be helpful in terms of previewing the effect on the camera while still being able to maximize quality by assembling the bracketed raw captures into the final HDR image.

However, many cameras with in-camera HDR will not retain the original raw captures. If the camera doesn’t do a good job creating the HDR image, you don’t have a way to create your own HDR image later. In my experience, by the way, HDR software (such as Aurora HDR, https://timgrey.me/aurora) does a significantly better job assembling an HDR image that any camera I’ve ever tested.

For cameras that don’t retain the raw captures and that create a JPEG image for the HDR, the situation is even worse. A JPEG image will only feature a bit depth of 8-bits per channel, rather than the potential of 16-bits per channel for a TIFF image, for example. There is a very high likelihood that you will need to apply adjustments to the HDR capture, and often those adjustments will need to be quite strong. This can lead to a significant degradation in image quality for the JPEG HDR capture.

Therefore, I highly recommend using software after the capture to create your HDR images, capturing bracketed raw captures as the source of that HDR image. While this creates some additional work compared to being able to capture an HDR image in-camera, this approach will ensure much better HDR images. As a result, I most certainly would not call this an “old method”, as it is still the best method in my view.

Today’s Question: I have a question regarding the filters in Lightroom Classic. Although the filters appear to allow searching for text, it does not seem to search for text in the keyword field. To search in keywords, I have to do that under Keyword List. Is this correct or am I not searching correctly using filters?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can indeed search specifically for keywords using the Text tab of the Library Filter bar in the grid view. Simply set the first popup on the Text tab to “Keywords” to get started with your search.

More Detail: Lightroom Classic provides a variety of options for searching for photos that contain specific keywords. You can, for example, click the right-pointing arrow that appears to the right of a keyword on the Keyword List on the right panel in the Library module when you hover your mouse over the keyword.

You can also use the Library Filter bar to search by keyword with a little more flexibility. In the Library module switch to the grid view display by pressing the letter “G” on the keyboard. If the Library Filter bar is not displayed above the grid view, press the backslash key (\) to reveal it. Then choose the Text tab.

On the Text tab click the first popup and choose “Keywords”. From the second popup you can choose how you want to search, such as “Contain All” if you want to search for photos that contain all the keywords that you type separated by commas. You could also use “Start With” or “End With” if you want to search based on a partial word, for example.

After selecting the preferred options from the two popups you can enter the keyword (or words) you want to search for. If you want to search based on multiple keywords simply separate each keyword with a comma.

Note, by the way, that for any photographers using the cloud-based version of Lightroom, the keyword search is not as discoverable as it is in Lightroom Classic. However, you can search specifically for keywords in the search field by preceding your keyword with “keyword:”, such as by entering “keyword: New York City”.

Today’s Question: I have many pictures in my Lightroom Classic catalog. It is nice to have access to them [in a single catalog], but every time I make a change I have a 2GB+ file to back up online, and I feel as if my catalog never gets backed up as I use Lightroom Classic almost daily. Thoughts on tradeoffs?

Tim’s Quick Answer: With most online backup providers there are measures in place to ensure that big files, such as your Lightroom Classic catalog, are managed in a way that ensures the files will indeed get backed up.

More Detail: I use and recommend Backblaze (https://timgrey.me/cloudbackup) for an online backup to supplement creating local backups of your photos and other important files. When it comes to large files, there are a few things that help ensure the files will indeed get backed up even if they are changed.

First, Backblaze uses versioning of large files that are being backed up, so they will only be updated once every 48 hours. Therefore, even if you update your Lightroom Classic catalog many times throughout the day, all of those changes don’t need to be backed up every time.

In addition, for files over 100MB in size Backblaze uses a workflow where the file is divided into smaller pieces, with each piece of the file uploaded individually. Depending on the specifics of how the file was updated, this can create a situation where only a small number of those pieces need to be uploaded to correctly assemble the full file. In other words, just because a large file is updated doesn’t mean Backblaze necessarily needs to re-upload the entire file.

It is worth considering, by the way, that while a 2GB file certainly counts as a very large file, it won’t necessarily require a tremendous amount of time to upload.

Many internet providers offer upload speeds of around 20 Mbps (megabits per second), with some offering much faster upload speeds. If you were able to make use of a full 20 Mbps upload speed, a 2GB file would only require about fifteen minutes to upload.

More realistically, in part because the online backup service will only receive data at a certain rate based on bandwidth limitations, you can probably expect upload speeds of around 5 Mbps. But even at that slower speed, the full 2GB catalog file would only take about one hour to upload.

You could certainly exclude files such as your Lightroom Classic catalog from the online backup, and then use a manual approach to periodically copy your catalog to a cloud-based storage provider. However, based on all the factors I’ve outlined above, I think it makes sense to include important large files in your online backup, including the Lightroom Classic catalog.

You can learn more about Backblaze online backup services here:

https://timgrey.me/cloudbackup

Today’s Question: I have a photo that is brighter on top than bottom. How would one fix that in Photoshop?

Tim’s Quick Answer: This type of correction calls for a targeted adjustment using an adjustment layer for the tonal adjustment (such as Levels or Curves) combined with a layer mask with a white-to-black gradient so that the adjustment itself will transition across the image.

More Detail: The concept involved with this type of correction is relatively simple, but the implementation can sometimes be tricky.

Basically, you want to apply an adjustment using an adjustment layer with a layer mask that is a gradient. You could start by adding an adjustment layer, such as using Levels in this case to apply a tonal adjustment. So, click on the Add Adjustment Layer button (the half-black and half-white circle icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel, and choose Levels from the popup that appears.

I then recommend applying an exaggerated adjustment so you can easily see the effect in the image. With the Levels adjustment, for example, you can drag the middle slider directly below the histogram on the Properties panel left or right, depending on whether you need to lighten or darken a portion of the image, respectively.

Next, select the Gradient tool from the toolbar (or by pressing “G” on the keyboard). On the Options bar click the gradient popup that shows the gradient preview, and in the Basic section choose the first gradient, which is a foreground color to background color gradient. Press “D” on the keyboard to set the default colors of white and black.

To the right of the gradient popup on the options bar select the first of the set of five buttons, which define the overall shape of the gradient. This will establish a simple linear gradient. Make sure the Mode is set to Normal and the Opacity is at 100%.

Because the adjustment layer is active you can now click-and-drag across the image to define a gradient. You want black to be on the side of the image that doesn’t need to be adjusted, and white on the side that does need to be adjusted. So, with white as the foreground color and black as the background color you can drag from the side of the image that needs to be adjusted toward the side that doesn’t. The distance you drag determines the size of the transition for the gradient.

Once you have the gradient in place you can refine the adjustment setting on the Properties panel. The tricky part is getting a gradient with just the right shape (distance and direction) combined with just the right adjustment to get a nice smooth correction for the photo. How easy (or difficult) this is will depend on the nature of the photo itself.

Note that while I’ve used the Levels adjustment as an example here, you could also use a Curves adjustment layer. Curves would be helpful if you needed to apply a more sophisticated tonal adjustment beyond simply lightening or darkening one side of the photo.

Today’s Question: I noticed the announcement of a 25-megapixel micro four thirds sensor camera, the Panasonic Lumix GH6 (https://bhpho.to/3tpT6sT). Is that about the same image quality, plus or minus 4%, as my 24-megapixel Nikon full frame camera [such as the Nikon Z6 II, https://bhpho.to/36FJQYQ]? Smaller pixels I guess, but I’m not sure how or if that matters.

Tim’s Quick Answer: All other things being equal (which they of course aren’t) the smaller sensor would be expected to produce more noise and not offer as much dynamic range.

More Detail: There are myriad factors that ultimately determine image quality for a given sensor, so it is difficult to make an accurate comparison based exclusively on specifications. The best approach is to directly test different cameras under equal conditions to get a better sense of the relative quality of each sensor.

That said, there are some general properties that impact overall image quality. The size of the individual pixel elements is one of the more significant of these factors. Smaller pixel sites will generally translate into lower dynamic range and more noise. This is because the smaller pixel sites will generally not be able to gather as much light as a larger pixel site.

However, there are many other factors that impact image quality. Signal processing is a significant factor that will vary among different sensors, but the results are difficult to predict without hands-on testing. In addition, sensor manufacturers have made various efforts to improve the performance of their sensors even when they have smaller pixel sites, such as by using lenses to focus the light being captured at each pixel site.

Typically, a larger sensor of a given megapixel resolution would be expected to provide better image quality. Keep in mind, however, that most higher-end camera models offer generally good image quality, and so it is important to weigh other features such as autofocus performance, image stabilization, and other options that may be helpful to you when making a decision about a specific camera mode.

Today’s Question: I am getting ready to take an overseas trip in which I will not have internet access. I am wanting to copy my Lightroom Classic catalog from its current location in Dropbox over to a laptop computer which I will use to import the images from my trip. Could you provide instructions on how to do this? Also, would I just reverse the process once I return home to get the catalog back into Dropbox?

Tim’s Quick Answer: To transfer the Lightroom Classic catalog you can copy the entire folder that contains the catalog file and related helper files, and then rename the original folder to clearly identify it as a backup copy.

More Detail: To transfer the Lightroom Classic catalog you’ll first need to know where that catalog is. Fortunately, this is easily done through the Catalog Settings dialog. Start by choosing Edit > Catalog Settings from the menu on Windows, or Lightroom Classic > Catalog Settings on Macintosh. Go to the General tab and click the Show button at the top-right of the Information section. That will open a window in your operating system with the folder that contains the Lightroom Classic catalog highlighted.

Next, be sure to quit Lightroom Classic, because there is a risk of the catalog being corrupted if it is copied (or moved) while it is in use.

You can then drag-and-drop the folder that contains the catalog and related files to the desired location. With both Windows and Macintosh if the folder (or file) you are dragging is being dropped to a different hard drive location the default will be for the folder to be copied rather than moved. If you want to copy to a different location on the same hard drive, you can hold the Ctrl key on Windows or the Option key on Macintosh to copy rather than move.

Next, rename the folder in the original location to make it clear that it is now a backup copy. For example, I generally add “BACKUP” in all caps to the beginning of the folder (or file) name to I have the copy as a backup but don’t inadvertently use it.

You can then open the catalog from the new location by double-clicking the catalog file (the file with the .lrcat filename extension). When you return from your trip you can use the same process outlined here, just changing the source and destination locations for the transfer.

I should hasten to remind readers that I don’t recommend storing your Lightroom Classic catalog in a synchronized folder (such as Dropbox) for the purpose of accessing the catalog on more than one computer, as there is a degree of risk that the catalog could become corrupted. If you are going to use this approach, I suggest that whenever switching computers you make sure that the synchronization has updated on both computers before using Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: When you update Lightroom Classic [to a new version that requires an update to the catalog], will your default catalog automatically switch [to the newly updated catalog]?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, if you have set a specific catalog as the default catalog in Lightroom Classic and then need to update that catalog for a new version of Lightroom Classic, the default catalog will also update to the newly updated catalog.

More Detail: This is actually a question that was asked during one of the live online sessions of my recent online workshop focused on organizing photos in Lightroom Classic. I was stumped at the time, as I don’t recall how this had been handled with earlier updates.

However, I tested Lightroom Classic and found that the default catalog setting will indeed get updated. So, for example, let’s assume you had set your catalog as the default catalog in Lightroom Classic 10. When you upgrade to Lightroom Classic 11, that catalog would need to be updated, including getting a new filename. After that update, the newly updated catalog would be set as your new default catalog as well.

By the way, I strongly recommend setting your primary (and hopefully only) Lightroom Classic catalog as the default catalog that will be loaded every time you launch Lightroom Classic. You can find this option in the Default section of the General tab of the Preferences dialog in Lightroom Classic. Selecting your primary catalog as the default catalog will ensure you’re always using the correct catalog when you launch Lightroom Classic, even if you had previously opened a different catalog for some reason.

Today’s Question: Do you have any documentation that explains what the badge icons are that appear on thumbnails of photos in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes! I’ve published a post on the GreyLearning blog that defines the “badge” icons on photo thumbnails in Lightroom Classic here:

https://greylearningblog.com/meaning-of-thumbnail-badge-icons-in-lightroom-classic/

More Detail: By default, Lightroom Classic displays icons at the bottom-right corner of applicable photos in both the grid view display in the Library module as well as on the filmstrip on the bottom panel. The five badges are used to indicate whether an image has had keywords added to it, has GPS coordinates in metadata, is included in one or more collections, has been cropped, or has been edited in the Develop module.

I find these badges very helpful, especially since you can click on the badges to access specific features as outlined in the article linked above. However, if you don’t like having the badges displayed it is possible to turn them off.

For the grid view display you can update the settings in the View Options dialog, which you can access by selecting View > View Options from the menu. Turn off the “Thumbnail Badges” checkbox in the Cell Icons section of the Grid View tab if you don’t want to see thumbnail badges in the grid view.

For the filmstrip you can turn off the badges in Preferences. Start by selecting Edit > Preferences from the menu on Windows or Lightroom Classic > Preferences on Macintosh. Go to the Interface tab, and turn off the “Show badges” checkbox in the Filmstrip section if you don’t want to have badges displayed on thumbnails on the filmstrip.

Today’s Question: When or for whom would Capture One be an alternative to Lightroom Classic or Photoshop?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I think that for most photographers Lightroom Classic and Photoshop represent a better overall workflow solution. However, for some photographers such as commercial studio photographers (especially if they collaborate with clients) Capture One represents an alternative worth considering.

More Detail: In many respects Capture One can be thought of as providing many of the features available in Lightroom Classic or Photoshop. In the early days of Capture One I felt that it offered what was perhaps the best processing capabilities for raw captures. However, over the years all the various tools for processing raw captures have improved to the point that excellent quality can be obtained with just about any of them.

In other words, the decision now is mostly about workflow needs and personal preference.

I consider Lightroom Classic to be superior to Capture One when it comes to organizing your photos. It would be fair to say that Capture One has some additional features for optimizing photos that go beyond Lightroom Classic, but of course you can send photos from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop and go far beyond what is possible with Capture One.

Where I think Capture One has an advantage over Lightroom Classic is when it comes to collaborating with a client in the studio, even while actually capturing the photos. Capture One provides a good workflow for tethered capture, so a client can be reviewing photos as they are captured. There is even a Capture One Live service that enables remote collaboration via the internet.

Because of the overlap in features and the workflow issues involved, I don’t think it makes sense to use both Capture One and Lightroom Classic together. Rather, I think photographers should choose one or the other. I prefer the combination of Lightroom Classic and Photoshop over Capture One, but I also think Capture One is very good software for the photographer.

For a photographer who hasn’t already started using either of these tools, it is worth evaluating both. I think most photographers would be better served by Lightroom Classic and possibly Photoshop, but for some photographers (especially studio photographers) the unique features of Capture One may be a better fit.

Note, by the way, that Capture One is more expensive that the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan. The Creative Cloud Photography plan includes Lightroom Classic and Photoshop and costs US$9.99 per month, while Capture One Pro is US$24 per month. Both subscriptions offer savings if you pay annually. Capture One Pro is also available with a perpetual license for one major version at a cost of US$299.