Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: Is the new MacOS Tahoe supported by Adobe applications (especially Lightroom Classic and Photoshop), or should I wait to install this update?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend waiting to upgrade to MacOS Tahoe until after Adobe indicates their applications support this latest operating system update from Apple.

More Detail: While my own testing hasn’t revealed any problems upgrading to MacOS Tahoe, I have seen a handful of reports of issues with Adobe applications. I therefore recommend delaying the upgrade until after the next software updates from Adobe, which will likely be during the Adobe MAX event next month.

Adobe has not yet indicated that the applications in the Creative Cloud suite are compatible with MacOS Tahoe. Furthermore, in general I recommend holding off on updating the operating system when there is a major update to allow more time to determine if there are any issues caused by the update.

I’ve conducted initial compatibility testing of Adobe applications with MacOS Tahoe, and I haven’t had any issues at all. However, I’ve seen a handful of reports from others indicating there are some potential problems. Out of an abundance of caution, I therefore recommend waiting for software updates from Adobe.

Traditionally there have been significant software updates from Adobe that coincide with the Adobe MAX event, which will be held at the end of October. I recommend waiting until those updates are available before upgrading the operating system.

If you’re especially eager to test out the new operating system, all indications are that the update will go smoothly, and you won’t lose any functionality. But I do think it is worth delaying the update if possible.

Today’s Question: I’ve had good results with red eye correction in Lightroom Classic when it is needed. However, when I tried the pet eye variation, the results were not very good at all. Is there a trick to using this tool with photos of dogs?

Tim’s Quick Answer: In my view the Pet Eye option for Red Eye Correction in Lightroom Classic is simply not very good. I recommend using Photoshop for a manual correction when you have photos of animals that require the equivalent of red eye correction.

More Detail: Pet eye is a variation on red eye that occurs when a flash is used that is too close to the lens. In humans the light reflects off blood vessels at the back of the eye, resulting in a red glow in the pupil. For various animals the biology is different, resulting in a glow that is generally yellow, green, or white.

Unfortunately, this difference seems to represent a serious challenge for Lightroom Classic. While the Red Eye Correction works very well most of the time, in my experience the Pet Eye option rarely provides a good solution. Instead, it creates a fuzzy black circle with part of the pet eye effect still visible around the perimeter.

Therefore, when it comes to pet eye, I recommend using Photoshop to apply a correction. This involves using the Brush tool to paint on a new empty image layer in the area of the eyes. I paint with black using the Color blend mode to neutralize the color to a shade of gray, then paint with black using the Multiply blend mode to darken the area. For the latter a reduced setting for Opacity will help ensure the pupil is not made to be too dark.

Today’s Question: I know I can browse the map in Lightroom Classic, but once I’ve navigated to an area of the map is there a quick way to only see the photos from that specific location?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can set a filter based on the current map area in the Map module of Lightroom Classic by choosing the “Visible On Map” option on the Location Filter bar.

More Detail: If an image contains GPS coordinates in metadata, regardless of how you added that information, a pushpin will appear in the position on the map in the Map module of Lightroom Classic to indicate the location. If multiple photos were captured in the same location, the pushpin will show the number of photos as well.

If you have located an area of the map that contains photos you’re interested in, you can quickly filter the images so that only those within the visible map area will be displayed.

To get started, go to the Map module and navigate to the area of the map you want to filter images by. Be sure to zoom in so that ideally only the photos you want to review will be visible on the map. This isn’t always entirely possible due to the rectangular shape of the map. Once you’ve zoomed and panned so the map only shows pins for the images you want to view, choose the “Visible on Map” option on the Location Filter bar above the map display.

Once you’ve set the filter in the Map module, you can switch to another module and you’ll still have a filter set so only the photos for the current map area are shown. You can reset the filter by choosing “None” from either the Library Filter bar in the Library module or the Location Filter bar in the Map module.

Note that you can also create a saved location in the Map module, which is based on a circular shape. You can then select a saved location by name by setting one of the columns on the Metadata tab of the Library Filter bar in the Library module to “Map Location” and clicking on the name of the saved location.

Today’s Question: Sometimes I want to add more canvas to an image I have previously cropped [in Photoshop] and my first go-to is the “Reveal All” command. In some cases, this results in a layer mask that does not apply to the newly revealed image area. Is there some way to ensure the effects of the extra canvas from “Reveal All” always shows the full effect of all adjustment layers?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The issue of an incomplete mask that you describe occurs in a specific situation when you have created a layer mask after the image has been cropped in Photoshop, and where that layer mask causes an adjustment to apply all the way to the edge of the cropped image. If you then reveal all (or some) of the cropped image, you’ll need to manually fill in the mask in the area outside the cropped version of the image.

More Detail: When you crop an image in Photoshop you have the option to turn off the “Delete Cropped Pixels” checkbox on the Options bar for the Crop tool. When you crop with this checkbox turned on, you’re not removing the cropped pixels from the image, but rather are reducing the canvas size to hide portions of the image.

If you apply a targeted adjustment using an adjustment layer with a layer mask to change the appearance of a portion of the image, in most cases if you then use the “Reveal All” command to reveal the cropped portion of the image, there won’t be any problematic effect. That’s because in many cases a targeted adjustment will apply to only a portion of the image without extending all the way to the outer edge of the image. In this case the outer perimeter of the layer mask is filled with black, and when you expand the canvas that additional area of the mask will also be filled with black.

If, however, a targeted adjustment applied to a cropped image does extend all the way to the edge of the image, there will be white in those areas of the layer mask. If you then expand the canvas, the area outside the cropped image will be filled with black on the layer mask, so that the adjustment is not applied. However, this will create an obvious boundary between the original targeted adjustment and the rest of the image. You could create a selection of the applicable area of the layer mask and fill it with black to resolve the issue. If possible, however, I recommend applying all targeted adjustments before cropping, so that if you later decide to expand the canvas to undo some or all of that crop, there won’t be any need to modify any layer masks for the image based on that canvas expansion.

Today’s Question: I have trouble connecting XMP files to photos taken with an iPhone and integrating them into Lightroom Classic. Using the Apple Photos app, I go to File> Export> Export Unmodified Original for 1 photo. The “Export IPTC as XMP” checkbox is checked. This creates a DNG if I had captured in raw, or a JPEG, along with an XMP file and an AAE file. I import the DNG to my external hard drive but the XMP file doesn’t get copied along with the DNG. Any suggestions on how to clean this up? I assume having the XMP file is helpful somehow.

Tim’s Quick Answer: Lightroom Classic will ignore the XMP file for images exported from Apple Photos. Only the metadata contained within the source capture (JPEG or DNG in this case) will be preserved.

More Detail: In the context of Adobe applications, the XMP sidecar files are compatible across applications. For example, with a raw capture if you add keywords in Adobe Bridge and apply adjustments in Camera Raw, the related metadata will be saved in an XMP sidecar file. If you then import the image to Lightroom Classic, the metadata updates will be preserved. That includes the Camera Raw adjustments, which will then be reflected in the Develop module in Lightroom Classic.

This type of compatibility does not extend to non-Adobe applications. Therefore, the metadata updates applied in Apple Photos will not be included when you import to Lightroom Classic if you had exported from Apple Photos using the option to export an original. If you export a copy (with the Export 1 Photo” command rather than the “Export Unmodified Original” command) the standard metadata can be included, such as keywords. However, this would involve creating a new image file rather than the original format, which means you would not be retaining the original capture files in the context of Lightroom Classic.

Keep in mind that beyond standard metadata, the other features in Apple Photos don’t translate to Lightroom Classic in any event. For example, the Favorite (heart) feature in Apple Photos does not translate to any standard metadata value. Similarly, the adjustments in Apple Photos do not translate to adjustments in Lightroom Classic, so you would need to export a copy with adjustments if you wanted to retain the adjustments applied in Apple Photos.

In this type of situation, I generally recommend exporting the originals, importing those to Lightroom Classic, and then processing the images in your regular workflow. And XMP sidecar files for raw captures can be created automatically in Lightroom Classic to include standard metadata values as well as Develop module adjustments. That can be enabled by turning on the “Automatically Write Changes into XMP” checkbox on the Metadata tab of the Catalog Settings dialog in Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: As a follow-up to your question about working with layer masks in Photoshop, isn’t it easier to create those masks in Camera Raw [or Lightroom Classic]?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, I would say that it is absolutely easier to create masks in Camera Raw (or Lightroom) compared to Photoshop. However, Photoshop offers greater control and flexibility (along with greater complexity).

More Detail: Targeted adjustments are those that only affect a specific area of an image rather than the entire image. This often involves a mask that serves as a stencil, identifying which portion of the image should be affected by an adjustment.

The more recent tools for masking in Camera Raw, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom provide relatively easy methods of creating masks for various areas of a photo. These features can still be a bit complicated, but overall they are far easier to use than the related selection and layer masking features in Photoshop.

The benefit of using the more complex features in Photoshop is that they are more powerful, enabling you to create more precise layer masks that you can refine in a variety of ways to improve them. In Camera Raw, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom, you don’t have as much control. For example, you can’t apply variable feathering to a mask with as much flexibility and control as you can in Photoshop.

None of this is to say that you can’t create excellent masks for targeted adjustments in Camera Raw and Lightroom. It is just that in some cases you may find that you’re not able to refine the mask quite as well as you’d like. In those cases, Photoshop provides more powerful options. And for those who are very comfortable using Photoshop, they may prefer to work exclusively in Photoshop for targeted adjustments, so they always have access to the more powerful tools available there.

Today’s Question: I have a lot of old poor quality photos I’d like to delete. When I reject them in Lightroom Classic and use the Delete Rejected Photos command, it says they cannot be moved to the trash. Why? Should I just delete them from Lightroom Classic instead of deleting them from the disk?

Tim’s Quick Answer: This is generally an issue with the hard drive format, but in this case I recommend deleting the photos rather than just removing them from the catalog and leaving them on the hard drive. Just be absolutely sure you want to permanently delete the photos first.

More Detail: In most cases if you’re not able to move photos (or other files) to the trash on a computer running MacOS, it is because the hard drive is not formatted with a file system that supports the trash. It is not necessary to make use of the trash, however, as long as you’re absolutely sure you want to permanently delete the photos. You can allow the photos to be deleted without going to the trash.

I do not recommend choosing the “Remove from Lightroom” option, as this will leave the source files on your hard drive but remove them from your Lightroom Classic workflow. That means they’re taking up space and adding clutter, but that you won’t ever see them in Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: In Photoshop how can I create a mask that is the opposite of an existing mask? For example, I’ve created a mask for a bird in flight, but now I want to apply different adjustments only to the sky. Can I duplicate an inverted copy of the bird mask?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can use an existing layer mask in Photoshop as the basis of a new mask that is the opposite, such as for a mask for a subject versus the background. One option is to load a selection based on the mask, invert that selection, and then create the new mask based on that inverted selection.

More Detail: There are (of course) multiple ways you can approach just about any task in Photoshop, and creating an inverted copy of a mask is no different.

The approach I tend to use is to load a selection based on the existing mask, invert it, and then create the new mask. To do so, you can hold the Ctrl key on Windows or the Command key on Macintosh while clicking on the applicable layer mask on the Layers panel. This will load a selection based on that mask.

You can then invert the selection by choosing Select > Inverse from the menu. This selection represents the opposite of the mask you originally loaded as a selection. You can then create the new layer mask based on the current selection, either by creating a new adjustment layer that will have a mask matching the current selection automatically, or by selecting an image layer or layer group and clicking the “Add Layer Mask” button (the circle in a rectangle icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Today’s Question: Why am I starting to see this small almost unusable new window when I try to import images into Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The smaller Import dialog in Lightroom Classic can be expanded to the larger format by clicking the downward-pointing triangle button at the bottom-left of the small Import dialog or by pressing the backslash (\) key on the keyboard.

More Detail: One of the lesser-known features of the Import dialog in Lightroom Classic is that you can reduce the size of the dialog so it only displays a small number of key controls. If you accidentally switch to this dialog without even knowing it is an option, it can understandably be confusing.

You can switch between he small and large versions of the Import dialog by clicking the button with the triangle icon at the bottom-left corner of the Import dialog. That icon will point upward when you are viewing the larger version of the Import dialog and will point downward with the smaller version. You can also press the backslash (\) key to switch between the two. In most cases I suspect those who inadvertently switched between these Import dialog options pressed the backslash key without realizing it.

I don’t personally find the smaller version of the Import dialog to be all that helpful, because it doesn’t include all the options I like to confirm before initiating an import. I also don’t find it particularly helpful to have a smaller Import dialog to begin with. But if you prefer (or would like to get familiar with) the smaller version of the Import dialog, just press the backslash key while the Import dialog is up to switch between the two options.

Today’s Question: Regarding the use of Camera Raw to process a JPEG image, how do you actually get the image to open in Camera Raw? When I open a JPEG in Photoshop it doesn’t bring up Camera Raw.

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you enable support for JPEG/HEIC or TIFF files in the Camera Raw preferences, opening an image in Photoshop will cause it to open in Camera Raw. You can also use the Camera Raw filter to process non-raw images in Photoshop.

More Detail: While Camera Raw is primarily aimed at processing raw captures to open in Photoshop, you can also process JPEG, HEIC, and TIFF images with Camera Raw.

Many photographers may find the option to use Camera Raw as a filter as a more streamlined option. You can select an image layer on the Layers panel in Photoshop (and duplicate that layer or convert to a Smart Object if you prefer) and then choose Filter > Camera Raw Filter to process that layer using the Camera Raw filter. This isn’t entirely the same as Camera Raw, but it does provide most of the features with a more streamlined workflow.

You can also configure Photoshop to automatically open JPEG/HEIC or TIFF images with Camera Raw through the File Handling tab of the Camera Raw Preferences dialog. You can access this dialog in Photoshop by going to the Edit menu on Windows or the Photoshop menu on Macintosh and then choosing Preferences (Windows) or Settings (Macintosh) followed by Camera Raw. In Camera Raw you can click the gear icon toward the top-right of the interface to bring up Camera Raw Preferences.

On the File Handling tab of the Camera Raw Preferences dialog in the File Format Handling section you’ll find popups for JPEG/HEIC and TIFF. If you want all images to open with Camera Raw you can choose the “Automatically open all…” option. If you only want to open non-raw images that have previously been processed with Camera Raw you can choose “Automatically Open… with Settings”. If you don’t want to open the images in Camera Raw you can choose “Disable… Support”. Note that these popup options will also reflect the JPEG/HEIC or TIFF file format for the respective popups.

Based on the setting you have selected, JPEG, HEIC, and TIFF images can then be processed with Camera Raw when you open them with Photoshop (or via Adobe Bridge to Photoshop).