Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: I currently use Camera Raw for editing (same options as Lightroom), but I would like to use Lightroom, IF I can find a way not to give up my current file organization in my folders.  Is this possible?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes! With Adobe Lightroom Classic CC you can import (and maintain) your existing folder structure, and continue using the same folder strategy moving forward. With the new cloud-based Lightroom CC, however, your photos are organized with a date-based folder structure.

More Detail: One of the most common areas of confusion related to Lightroom Classic CC relates to your existing storage structure and strategy. When you import existing photos into Lightroom, you can simply add those images to the catalog without moving or copying them to a different location. Your existing folder structure for those photos would therefore be reflected in the Folders list on the left panel in Lightroom’s Library module.

When you import new captures from a media card or camera, you can specify the folder structure you want to use. In other words, you can continue using the same approach you’ve already been using for your folder structure.

The only thing to keep in mind in this context is that once you start using Lightroom, it is important to initiate all tasks within Lightroom. So if you wanted to rename or move folders (or photos), that should be done within Lightroom, not from the operating system. The changes you make to your folder structure within Lightroom will be reflected in your operating system as well.

As noted above, the new Lightroom CC (which focuses on cloud-based synchronization of all of your photos) does not maintain your existing folder structure. Instead, it uses a date-based folder system. Therefore, for photographers who want to manage their own folder structure locally, Lightroom Classic CC (rather than the new Lightroom CC) would be the better choice.

Today’s Question: In the develop module of Lightroom Classic when I use the Adjustment Brush tool I just see the pink mask and can only see the effect after I close the window [by clicking the Done button]. How can I preview with the effect without closing?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can turn off the translucent red mask overlay when working with any of the targeted adjustment tools in Lightroom by turning off the “Show Selected Mask Overlay” checkbox on the toolbar below the image.

More Detail: When working with any of the targeted adjustment tools (Graduated Filter, Radial Filter, or Adjustment Brush) in Lightroom’s Develop module, you have the option of displaying a translucent red overlay on your image to indicate the mask area. The red overlay appears on areas affected by your adjustment, with the rest of the image appearing normally. When this option is enabled, you won’t see the effect of your targeted adjustments.

The mask display can certainly be very helpful as you work to improve the accuracy of the mask that is being used to define which portions of the image will be affected by your targeted adjustment. But it can obviously be a bit of an impediment when it comes time to actually apply an adjustment.

You can turn off the mask overlay by turning off the “Show Selected Mask Overlay” checkbox on the toolbar below the image preview area. If you don’t see that toolbar, simply press the letter “T” on the keyboard to toggle its visibility.

My personal preference is to keep this checkbox turned off. In fact, I find it is more helpful to apply an exaggerated Exposure adjustment, and use the effect of that adjustment to show me the shape of my mask. When I’m finished getting my mask cleaned up, I then reset the exaggerated adjustment and fine-tune as needed.

If you just want to view the mask overlay temporarily, note that you can also just hover your mouse pointer over the edit pin that appears on the image for each mask you define for a targeted adjustment. I find it easier to simply hover over that edit pin when I want to see the mask overlay, rather than toggling the “Show Selected Mask Overlay” checkbox.

Today’s Question: From Tuesday’s eNewsletter: “By default, as with other filters in Photoshop, the Camera Raw Filter will directly alter pixel values.” I know this is true but I would be hard pressed to explain it to anyone using Photoshop. Can you discuss this effect?

Tim’s Quick Answer: When pixel values in an image are modified directly, this is often referred to as “destructive” processing. What this means is that the pixel information in the source image is being altered directly. The alternative would be a non-destructive workflow, where the adjustments are saved as information separate from the underlying pixel information.

More Detail: As noted in Tuesday’s Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter, filters in Photoshop directly alter pixel values. This approach can reduce the flexibility of your workflow, which is why I generally recommend a non-destructive approach to optimizing your photos whenever possible.

The key risk of a destructive workflow is that you won’t be able to return to an earlier version of a photo. For example, let’s assume you applied the Camera Raw Filter directly to an image rather than as a Smart Filter. If you use the filter to convert the image to black and white, and then save and close the image, you will have permanently removed the color information from that image. Unless you have another copy of the image you won’t be able to create a color interpretation anymore.

By contrast, if you apply the Camera Raw Filter as a Smart Filter (as outlined in Tuesday’s Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter), you can later return to the filter settings to refine your work or return to an earlier version of the image.

It is worth noting that when you process an original raw capture (such as with Camera Raw, rather than the Camera Raw Filter) you are always working non-destructively. That is because the adjustments you apply with Camera Raw in this context are used to render a new image based on the original raw capture, and do not overwrite the pixel information contained within the raw capture itself.

Today’s Question: What is your recommended workflow for sending photos from Lightroom to Photoshop and back? Specifically, I’m looking for an efficient way to edit in Photoshop without the file being flattened upon return to Lightroom. I currently do this with Save As in Photoshop and then I have to synchronize the catalog back in Lightroom. This sometimes leads to metadata mismatch. Is there a more seamless way to do this?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The key to a seamless round trip workflow from Lightroom to Photoshop is to use the “Save” (not “Save As”) command when you’re finished working in Photoshop. Then, when you send a layered image from Lightroom back to Photoshop, choose the “Edit Original” option.

More Detail: When you want to use Photoshop to work on a photo that is being managed in Lightroom, it is important to use the correct workflow to ensure you are able to retain layers in the image and avoid confusion in Lightroom.

When you first send a photo from Lightroom to Photoshop, you can simply select the image and go to the menu and choose Photo > Edit In > Edit In Adobe Photoshop. If the image is a raw capture, it will be opened in Photoshop directly without any additional steps. If it is a different image type (such as a JPEG) then you will be asked how you want to edit the image. Generally at this point you would want to choose “Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments”, but note that when you later re-send a layered image to Photoshop you won’t want to use this option.

After performing any work you’d like to apply to the image in Photoshop, save the changes by choosing File > Save (not “Save As”) from the menu. You can then close the image and return to Lightroom, where you’ll see a TIFF or PSD version of the photo (depending on the setting you have established in Preferences).

The next time you want to send a layered image to Photoshop, you can once again choose Photo > Edit In > Edit In Adobe Photoshop from the menu. In this scenario, however, you’ll want to choose the “Edit Original” option in the Edit Photo dialog. While the TIFF or PSD is a derivative copy that you probably wouldn’t normally think as the “original” version of your photo, the “Edit Original” option will cause the selected image to be opened, rather than having yet another copy created for editing.

By opening the TIFF or PSD image with the “Edit Original” option, any layers you had previously added to the image in Photoshop will be there when you open the image again. When you’re finished working in Photoshop, once again choose the Save (not “Save As”) command and close the image. The preview for that image will then be updated in Lightroom.

By following this approach, you’ll ensure that you are able to successfully send an image from Lightroom to Photoshop anytime you need to perform work that goes beyond what is available for optimizing photos in Lightroom.

Today’s Question: How do you make a black frame or border in Photoshop? Can it be done in Lightroom?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you want a relatively thin border around the photo, adding a Stroke effect will work well. You can easily add a Stroke to any image in Photoshop, and this feature is also available when sharing photos in Lightroom via the Slideshow, Print, or Web modules.

More Detail: A Stroke effect is a simple border around a photo, and with some limitations this effect provides a great way to add a colored border around an image.

In Photoshop you can add a Stroke as a Layer Style for an image. If you’re working with a Background image layer, you’ll first need to convert that layer to a “normal” layer. To do so, double-click on the thumbnail for the Background image layer on the Layers panel, and then click OK in the New Layer dialog that appears.

Next, click the “Add a Layer Style” button (the “fx” icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel, and choose “Stroke” from the popup menu. In the Layer Style dialog, make sure the Position popup is set to “Inside” so you can actually see the effect. Note that this will cover up the outer portion of the image. You can then adjust the Size and Color settings (among other options) to adjust the appearance of the border effect.

Note that while it is possible to place the Stroke effect outside the image (so none of the image is blocked,) doing so will result in rounded corners for the border. In this case, you are better off expanding the size of the document with the Image > Canvas Size command to create space for a border effect outside the image area.

In Lightroom a similar set of options are available within the Slideshow, Print, and Web modules. You can turn on the Stroke Border checkbox on the right panel in the applicable module, and then set the color (by clicking the color swatch) and size (using the Width slider). This Stroke Border option is, unfortunately, not available when exporting images from Lightroom.

Today’s Question: I am a Lightroom user and of course know that when I process a picture the changes are stored to be available in Lightroom, but a second file is not created. I need to understand using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) from Photoshop CC. It seems that when I go to the ACR Filter and process an image, raw or not raw, it also stores the changes for later access in ACR. Is this true and can you provide some more details?

Tim’s Quick Answer: When you use Adobe Camera Raw to process a raw capture, the adjustment settings are indeed preserved with the image in an XMP “sidecar” file. Lightroom similarly preserves the adjustment settings you apply in the Develop module. When you use the Camera Raw Filter directly on an image in Photoshop, however, the actual adjustment settings are only preserved if you use that filter as a Smart Filter.

More Detail: Provided you’re using comparable versions of the two tools, you will find the exact same adjustments in Adobe Camera Raw and in Lightroom’s Develop module. Thus, you can achieve the exact same results when processing a raw capture by using either Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw.

When you apply adjustments with either Lightroom or Camera Raw, the adjustment settings are preserved so you can revisit your adjustments later. In Lightroom those settings are saved in the catalog, but you can also save them to an XMP sidecar file by either choosing Metadata > Save Metadata to File from the menu, or by enabling the option to have Lightroom automatically save metadata (found in the Catalog Settings dialog).

The Camera Raw filter in Photoshop is a little different. This filter enables you to make use of the adjustments found in Camera Raw, but applied directly to pixel values within Photoshop rather than being used to process a raw capture. By default, as with other filters in Photoshop, the Camera Raw Filter will directly alter pixel values. However, you can also apply this filter as a Smart Filter to preserve greater flexibility in your workflow.

To employ a Smart Filter, first click on the thumbnail for the Background image layer on the Layers panel to select that layer. Then choose Filter > Convert for Smart Filters from the menu to convert the Background image layer to a Smart Object. Then choose Filter > Camera Raw Filter. The Camera Raw dialog will appear, where you can apply any adjustments you’d like. When you’re finished, click the OK button to apply the changes. Later, if you want to refine your adjustments, simply double-click on the “Camera Raw Filter” text below the Smart Filters layer on the Layers panel, in order to bring up the Camera Raw filter with your existing adjustments available for refinement.

Today’s Question: I often struggle to create an elliptical selection using the Elliptical Marquee tool in Photoshop, such as when I want to apply an effect to the edges of an image. Do you have any tips for getting the selection in the right position?

Tim’s Quick Answer: There are two key tricks that can be especially helpful for the Elliptical Marquee tool in Photoshop. First, while still holding the mouse button down to create the initial selection, you can hold the Spacebar on the keyboard to enable you to move the selection around while you’re creating it. Second, you can move or transform the selection, such as with the Select > Transform Selection command.

More Detail: The Elliptical Marquee tool in Photoshop is virtually identical to the Rectangular Marquee tool, with the difference being that the selection will be in the shape of an ellipse rather than a rectangle. Thus, the same basic options are available with both of these tools.

One of the biggest challenges with using the Elliptical Marquee tool is in getting the selection into the right position. It can be helpful to think about drawing a rectangle that contains an ellipse when creating a selection using the Elliptical Marquee tool. That said, it can still be challenging to get the selection in just the right place.

If you realize that the selection isn’t in quite the right place while you’re still drawing the selection (with the mouse button still held down), you can simply hold the Spacebar key on the keyboard (while continuing to hold down the mouse button). Then drag the selection into a different position. When you release the Spacebar key you can continue refining the shape of the selection. This enables you to switch back and forth freely between resizing and moving the selection, until you release the mouse button to actually create the selection.

If you’ve already created the selection, you can still move it around easily. With the selection tool still active, make sure the mode is set to “Create New Selection” rather than add or subtract, for example. Then point the mouse inside the selection, and click and drag to move the selection.

If you need to resize (and possibly move) the selection, you can use the transform command. Once you’ve created the initial selection, choose Select > Transform Selection from the menu, and a transformation bounding box will appear around the image. You can then adjust the overall size and shape of the selection by dragging the edges or corners of the bounding box. You can also move the selection by dragging within the interior of the bounding box.

Note, by the way, that you can also have a selection grow outward from the point you initially click on rather than having that initial point serving as one of the corners of the rectangle that will define the overall elliptical shape. To do so, start drawing your selection with the Elliptical Marquee tool, and then while you are still holding down the mouse button press and hold the Alt key on Windows or the Option key on Macintosh while continuing to drag. This will cause the selection to grow outward from the original point you clicked, provided you keep holding the Alt/Option key until you release the mouse button.

Today’s Question: Regarding keywords, could you advise on plurals and capitalization?

Tim’s Quick Answer: To me the most important aspects of a keywording strategy are consistency and (to the extent possible) simplicity.

More Detail: First, in general you don’t need to be too worried about capitalization for your keywords, at least in the context of searching. Most software doesn’t provide a case-sensitive search feature for keywords, meaning you’ll be able to search regardless of what the original capitalization was.

That said, in some cases other people will be able to see your keywords. That would be the case, for example, if you submit photos to stock photography services. If others will be able to view your keywords I would tend to be a bit more careful about always using proper capitalization, such as for proper nouns.

For singular versus plural, again the right approach depends on your particular needs. As a very general rule, for my own keywording I use the singular form unless the plural is noteworthy. My aim here is simplicity and consistency.

In many cases, of course, singular versus plural won’t impact a search. For example, let’s assume you have some photos featuring whales. For the images that feature a single whale you could use the keyword “whale”. For images that feature two or more whales in the frame, you could use the plural keyword “whales”. In either case it is possible to search “whale” and have images with the keyword “whales” included in the search results. This depends, of course, on the settings used for the search, but the point is that it would be possible to see search results for both singular and plural keywords in this case.

If you had also photographed cactus plants, the use of singular versus plural keywords could be a problem. A photo with one plant could have the keyword “cactus”, while a photo featuring multiple plants might have the keyword “cacti”. A search for the singular versus plural form of “cactus” would not yield all of the images you might be looking for.

You also need to consider whether you may ever need to search specifically for a photo containing multiple subjects, where you would want to be able to search specifically for the plural form of a keyword.

The best solution will vary for each photographer. What I think is most important is that you think about your own specific needs as a photographer, and the potential utility of including only a singular form of a keyword unless there is a specific reason to use the plural. And, of course, you could always use both singular and plural to help broaden your potential search results, if that is most helpful for you.

Today’s Question: If I switch from Windows to Macintosh will the Lightroom catalog still work or do I have to create new one?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The Lightroom catalog file is cross-platform, so you can simply move the catalog files to a new computer (with a different operating system) and continue working normally. The only minor issue would be the photos referenced by your catalog having a different location reference.

More Detail: Adobe developed the Lightroom catalog to be represented by the same file format on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. As a result, migrating from one platform to the other is relatively seamless. The only real issue relates to the differences in how storage is managed on the two platforms.

The key difference in terms of storage structure on Windows versus Macintosh relates to the way hard drives are represented by the operating system. On Windows a drive letter is assigned to the hard drive, while on Macintosh a volume label name is used to reference the hard drive.

So, because the catalog file is compatible with both platforms, you can simply copy the catalog files from one computer to another and open the catalog file in Lightroom on either platform. However, there will be some “confusion” about where your actual image files are located based on the differences between how hard drives are referenced on each operating system.

Fortunately, when you make a switch like this it is relatively easy to resolve the “missing” folders that will result. Because the folders will not be in the same location they are expected based on the differences between both operating systems, initially all of your folders (and therefore photos) will appear as missing when you migrate.

In most cases, when all of the folders appear missing after initiating this type of migration, you can reconnect all “missing” folders (and photos) by reconnecting a single folder. If you right-click on a folder and choose the “Find Missing Folder” option, you can identify the updated location of an individual folder. In most cases Lightroom will be able to use that update to resolve all of the other missing folders on the same hard drive. That, in turn, means that resolving the missing folders that result from this type of migration will not be a significant issue in most cases.

Today’s Question: [In the folder structure you shared during a recent webinar presentation] you have some Country folders versus some State folders, versus some City folders. What criteria should be used to decide which is the parent folder?

Tim’s Quick Answer: My general recommendation is to create a folder structure based on the way you think about your photos. For me that is largely a location-based folder structure, but I don’t use a strict hierarchical structure based on country, state, and city, since my travels vary considerably in terms of how I think about the trip.

More Detail: My personal view is that I want a folder structure that makes it easy to make use of that folder structure for locating specific images. When I think about specific images, I tend to think about the location where I captured those images, since the vast majority of my photography involves traveling to different locations.

The location that comes to mind for me varies based on the trip. For example, while most of my time in Iceland has been spent in Reykjavik, I still think of the destination as Iceland. By contrast, my trip to France mostly involved time in Paris, and so I think of that as a “Paris” trip. The key is how I think about the trip or photo shoot, not a specific hierarchy.

For photographers who travel more extensively than I do, a more structured hierarchy might make sense. For example, you might always want to use a folder structure based on continent, country, and city.

I try not to suggest to photographers that they use a specific structure for the folders that contain their photos, but rather that they use a consistent approach based on how they think about their images. The most important thing, in my view, is that photographers will be able to locate their images as easily as possible. A meaningful folder structure can be part of that workflow strategy.

To be sure, there is no single strategy for folder structure that will work for every photographer. I recommend that all photographers consider what folder structure strategy might make the most sense for their particular needs, and then implement that strategy consistently.