Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: I use two computers to work on Lightroom Classic: a desktop and a laptop. When I edit on the desktop computer and then “synchronize” the catalog on both computers, I don’t see the file as changed on the laptop, including the settings changed in the Develop module. Can I use Lightroom Classic on two computers and see all updates on both computers?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can work with a single Lightroom Classic catalog on two computers, and when doing so I recommend storing the catalog files (and photos) on an external hard drive that you move between computers.

More Detail: While it is possible to synchronize the Lightroom Classic catalog files across more than one computer, this isn’t an approach I really recommend because of the risk of getting out of sync between the two computers.

In order to synchronize the catalog files, you would need to make sure that you quite Lightroom Classic and update the synchronization every time you use Lightroom Classic on either computer. Using an online cloud-based synchronization service for this type of workflow isn’t something I recommend, as there is a risk that you’ll update different files on different computers before the online synchronization has completed, resulting in out-of-sync data.

Therefore, I strongly recommend not using synchronization to transfer updated catalog files between computers. I am even more strong in my recommendation to not manually copy the catalog files between computers, because in this case I feel there is even greater risk of getting out of sync.

Instead, I recommend that if you want to be able to work with Lightroom Classic on more than one computer that you store the catalog files on an external hard drive. You can then connect that external hard drive to the computer you want to work on and open the catalog from the external hard drive, without having to worry about anything getting out of sync.

Note that I also recommend keeping the photos stored on the same external hard drive for convenience, and of course you’ll still want to maintain a good backup workflow to back up this hard drive and any other important data.

Today’s Question: How do you add a JPEG image you created with Export to a Collection in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: There isn’t an option to add an exported copy of a photo to a collection as part of the export process, so you would need to add the image to the collection after the export.

More Detail: Today’s question is a follow-up to the Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter of January 6th, where I explained how you can add the exported copy of a photo back to the Lightroom Classic catalog as part of the export process.

With the “Add to This Catalog” checkbox turned on in the Export dialog, the derivative image you’re creating as part of that export will be added back to the Lightroom Classic catalog. This can be a convenient option if you want to manage a derivative copy together with the source image with the catalog.

When exporting photos from Lightroom Classic, even though there is an option to add the exported copy to the catalog there isn’t an option to add the image to a collection. You’ll therefore need to add the image to a collection after the export is completed.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to identify the images that had just been added to the catalog based on an export. In this situation an “Added by Previous Export” collection will be created (or updated) in the Catalog section of the left panel in the Library module. You can navigate to this collection to find the photo(s) that you just exported, and then add them to a collection.

Today’s Question: I use Lightroom Classic to merge images into a panorama. With a recent panorama, even though the ocean was relatively calm, there was a noticeable alignment issue with the water which made it obvious that it was a stitched panorama. I suppose I could have used a faster shutter speed or higher ISO, but I wanted the water to have a smooth appearance. Is it just not possible to create a merged panorama of a scene with moving water?

Tim’s Quick Answer: It is indeed possible to assemble high-quality composite panoramas featuring water. You just might need to use more powerful software such as Photoshop to assemble the panorama with greater flexibility.

More Detail: While Lightroom Classic (and by extension Camera Raw in Photoshop) generally does a very good job of assembling composite panoramas, there are certainly situations where the results won’t be optimal. In this type of situation, I recommend using Photoshop to assemble the composite panorama so you can exercise direct control over the blending of the individual frames in the panorama.

You can initiate the process from Lightroom Classic by selecting the images that represents the frames of the composite panorama and then going to the menu and choosing Photo > Edit In > Merge to Panorama in Photoshop.

This will open the images in Photoshop via the Photomerge feature. In the Photomerge dialog you can leave the Layout option on the left side set to Auto for most panoramas. Make sure the “Blend Images Together” checkbox at the bottom of the dialog is turned on. If the lens used tends to produce vignetting, you can also turn on the “Vignette Removal” checkbox. I generally leave the other two checkboxes turned off. Click OK to initiate the process of assembling the composite panorama.

When the panoramic image is assembled, you’ll see on the Layers panel that there are individual layers representing the frames of the composite panorama. Each image layer will include a black and white thumbnail to the right, which is a layer mask indicating which areas of that frame are visible (white) versus hidden (black).

You can click on the thumbnail of the layer mask for any image layer and then use the Brush tool to paint with a soft-edged brush, using black to block areas of that layer or white to reveal. In this way you can customize how the image layers are blended together, so that you use the mask to reveal in a way that best blends in the texture and details of the overall image.

When you’re finished working with the composite panorama in Photoshop, simply choose File > Save to save the updated version of the image, and then File > Close to close the image. The resulting panorama will then appear alongside the source images used to create it within your Lightroom Classic catalog.

Today’s Question: I have question after reading your recent Pixology article on monitors. I have a Dell monitor and I calibrate it with a DataColor Spyder 5 Pro. When prompted, I can adjust contrast to Spyder specifications. The Spyder sets the white point, color temp, and brightness. But nothing I described sets the resolution; I set that myself. So how do I know if the sharpness in my image is transportable versus unique to my monitor setting?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The display calibration does not impact the resolution setting of the display. For optimal sharpness I recommend setting your display to the native resolution through the operating system.

More Detail: Display calibration helps ensure optimal accuracy of your monitor display in terms of color and tonality. I therefore strongly recommend calibrating the display periodically with a package that includes a colorimeter device that measures the actual behavior of the display. For example, I recommend the Calibrite ColorChecker Display (https://bhpho.to/3XCDf6x), though the Datacolor products are also very good.

However, this calibration will not do anything related to the resolution, and therefore relative sharpness, of the display. The resolution needs to be set through your operating system.

While most recent high-resolution displays perform very well at just about any supported resolution, you’ll generally get the maximum perceived sharpness with the display when you set the resolution to the native value. This will be the highest resolution supported, and the resolution promoted as being the actual resolution for the display.

When you set the display resolution to something less than the maximum resolution, the image you see is scaled, which causes a slight degradation in the perceived sharpness of the image on the display.

It is worth noting, by the way, that it is also best to evaluate the sharpness of an image at a zoom setting in the software (such as Photoshop or Lightroom Classic) of 100%, or an “Actual Pixels” zoom setting. This ensures that one pixel in the image is represented by one pixel on the display, rather than the image being scaled on the display.

Today’s Question: On December 22nd you discussed issues with saving a 32-bit image. In that reply, you mentioned tone mapping. I hadn’t heard of that. Could you discuss that a bit more?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Tone mapping is a process of translating the pixel data from a high dynamic range (HDR) image to a “normal” range of tonal values. In many cases tone mapping is an automatic part of the process of assembling an HDR image, but it can also be performed as a separate step.

More Detail: Creating a high dynamic range (HDR) image involves capturing a set of bracketed exposures that cover a wider range of tonal values than could be captured in a single photo. Those bracketed exposures can then be assembled into an HDR image. Tone mapping is the process of translating the HDR image to the tonal range of a normal image at a lower bit depth again.

You can think of a “normal” photograph as having a potential tonal range that extends from black to white. When you captured a bracketed set of exposures for an HDR image, the cumulative captures represent a greater tonal range than the black to white that is possible with a normal image.

Let’s imagine a hypothetical scenario where you have captured images for an HDR that represent triple the tonal range of a normal photo. For simplicity let’s pretend that this range is represented by three photos, even though it would take more photos (with overlap in tonal range for each) to cover such a range.

In this hypothetical example we can think of the middle exposure as representing a somewhat normal range from black to white. The darker exposure covers a range that we can think of as being something like going from “double black” to black, since it is darker than the normal exposure. The bright exposure can be thought of as going from white to “double white”.

This is obviously a theoretical example just to illustrate the concept. The point is that with the photos in this hypothetical example we have captured the equivalent of a tonal range that goes from twice as dark as what can be represented in a normal photo to twice as bright. That’s where tone mapping comes in.

After processing the bracketed exposures at a very high bit depth that enables a wider range of tonal values, we generally need to convert that image to a normal range of tonal values so we can use our familiar tools to further refine the appearance of the image.

Tone mapping involves the process of taking a very wide range of tonal values and mapping them to the range of a normal photo, in the process attempting to retain maximum detail and image quality.

Again, in many cases the tone mapping is simply part of the process of assembling an HDR image, while with some software there may be two steps involved. But the overall concept is the same when it comes to mapping the tonal range of a 32-bit per channel image, for example, to the range available with a 16-bit (or 8-bit) per channel image.

Today’s Question: Further to topic of hard drive failure, how do you recommend disposing of failed drives?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend using a hard drive recycling service that will both ensure destruction of any data left behind on the drive, and recycle the components that can be salvaged from the drive. Best of all, you can recycle a drive at no cost to you.

More Detail: When a hard drive fails and you have replaced it with a new hard drive (hopefully recovering from a good backup in the process) simply throwing the drive away doesn’t guarantee that someone couldn’t access the data on the drive. So if the privacy of that data is important to you, you’ll want to make sure the drive is damaged to the point that no data can be recovered.

You could conceivably destroy the drive yourself, but this is not without risk of injury since it can take quite a bit of force to significantly damage a hard drive. Therefore, I recommend using a hard drive recycling service instead. This offers the additional advantage of having some of the materials from the drive recycled so they can be used again.

You’ll obviously want to choose a reputable service for this hard drive recycling. One service I have used in the past and feel confident in the certified provider they use for the hard drive recycling is Western Digital.

The recycling program from Western Digital is free, and you can recycle any brand of hard drive with their service. Even better, they are currently offering a special where you’ll get a coupon for 15% off any purchase over $50 from the Western Digital Store.

You can learn more about the hard drive recycling program from Western Digital here:

https://www.westerndigital.com/company/programs/easy-recycle

Today’s Question: I noticed that the sort options that used to be in the toolbar just above the filmstrip [in Lightroom Classic] have vanished. I can still sort the photos by going to menu option View > Sort. Is there a way to get those options back where they used to be, on the toolbar above the filmstrip?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can bring back the Sort popup by choosing Sorting from the popup at the far right of the toolbar below the image preview area.

More Detail: By default, the Sort popup is shown on the toolbar below the image preview area in Lightroom Classic when you are in the grid view display. The Sort popup is not included with the loupe view display by default.

However, you can also customize the toolbar to add or remove various controls. That includes the ability to remove the Sort popup from the toolbar for the grid view (even if only accidentally) or to add the popup to the toolbar for the loupe view.

To change the configuration for the toolbar click the popup at the far right of the toolbar, which has a downward pointing triangle on it. On the popup that appears you’ll see a checkmark to the left of items that are currently enabled, and no checkmark for items that are hidden. Select an item from the popup to toggle its status between enabled and hidden.

Keep in mind that there are separate configurations for the loupe view and the grid view, so you can customize each individually. That includes, for example, adding the Sort popup to the loupe view if you’d like.

Today’s Question: I have imported an image into Lightroom Classic, then worked on it and created several virtual copies. One day Lightroom Classic shows an exclamation mark in the upper right corner of each. If I want to click on the exclamation point and find the original image that these came from, do I have to figure out which of the images in the library is the first one, or can I use any of the virtual copies to reconnect?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can reconnect the original or a virtual copy with the source file, and all the related images will be reconnected properly. Note, however, that you can also determine which images is the virtual copy based on the turned page icon at the bottom-left corner of the thumbnail, or by a text such as “Copy 1” being shown in the Copy Name field in metadata.

More Detail: When you create virtual copies based on an original image in Lightroom Classic, those virtual copies point to the source image file just like the original within your catalog. In effect, the original and the virtual copies are interchangeable, and simply represent different versions of adjustments and metadata based on the same source image.

If you have an original and virtual copies that are missing, reconnecting any of those image references to the source image file will reconnect all. So, for example, if you reconnected one of the virtual copies the original and all virtual copies would all get reconnected as part of that process.

In other words, you don’t need to worry about whether you choose to reconnect an original or a virtual copy, as they are all related to each other.

Having said that, it is also relatively easy to identify which images are the virtual copies versus the original. As long as you haven’t disabled badges for the thumbnails in Lightroom Classic you’ll see a turned page icon at the bottom-left corner of the thumbnails for virtual copies. You’ll also see text in the Copy Name field in metadata for virtual copies, which by default would be the word “Copy” followed by a number indicating the number of virtual copies you’ve created for that source image.

You can also filter images based on being original images versus virtual copies using the Kind option on the Attribute tab of the Library Filter bar. But again, even if you can’t identify which image is the original versus a virtual copy, you don’t need to make that determination in order to reconnect the images to the original file.

Today’s Question: I would like to create a document combining imagery originating in Lightroom Classic with text. Say, a descriptive paragraph accompanying an image. Any suggestions?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I think one of the most convenient options for this type of project would be to use the Book module in Lightroom Classic. You could then produce a printed book, or simply output to a PDF for the equivalent (mostly) of an eBook.

More Detail: The Book module in Lightroom Classic provides a relatively easy way to combine photos and text with a template-based approach. There are a wide variety of templates to choose from, including page layouts that include only text or only photos, or a combination of the two.

I recommend starting off creating the text in a word processing application, in part so you can take advantage of spell check and other helpful features as you finalize your text. This text can obviously be created based on having already selected the images you’ll include in the project.

You can then create a book layout in the Book module, placing photos and copying and pasting text for each page you create. Note, by the way, that for brief captions for photos you could also make use of the Title or Caption fields, which can be automatically added to photos in some of the templates.

When you’re finished creating the layout you could certainly create a printed book from the Blurb printing service (https://www.blurb.com), which is the primary purpose of the Book module in Lightroom Classic. However, there is also an option to produce a PDF document based on your book layout.

The only caveat to keep in mind when creating a PDF is that the front and back covers of the book will be rendered as a separate PDF from the interior of the book. In other words, if your intent is to generate your own PDF to use as a form of eBook, you will probably want to skip the front and back covers altogether when creating the book layout.

Today’s Question: If I set my default catalog to the version 12 catalog in Preferences, what happens when there’s a future update and my catalog is upgraded to version 13? Do I need to remember to go change the default catalog again?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If the catalog is updated due to an upgrade for Lightroom Classic the default catalog in Preferences will update based on that upgrade.

More Detail: As noted in a previous Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter, I recommend setting your primary catalog in Lightroom Classic as the default, to help ensure you don’t accidentally work in the wrong catalog. This option is found on the General tab of the Preferences dialog in Lightroom Classic.

If you later upgrade to a new version of Lightroom Classic that requires a catalog upgrade, the setting will update automatically to reflect the updated catalog.

For example, let’s assume you had set the default catalog in Preferences to your primary catalog for Lightroom Classic version 11. If you upgrade to Lightroom Classic version 12 the catalog would be updated to the version 12 catalog format. The Default Catalog setting in Preferences would update automatically as part of this process so that the version 12 catalog is selected rather than the version 11 catalog.