Ask Tim Grey

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.

Today’s Question: I have Lightroom Classic setup so that it stores all the Develop information in the “sidecar” (XMP) files. That being the case, in the event the catalog was damaged or lost, would these XMP files provide the necessary information to recreate the edited images? I realize that other Lightroom-specific information such as collections wouldn’t be available, but all the Develop adjustments would be there, correct?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Correct, if you enable the option to save metadata to the source image files in Lightroom Classic, that will include the adjustments from the Develop module. If you later imported the images into a new catalog, the previously applied adjustments would automatically be reflected in that catalog.

More Detail: If you turn on the “Automatically write changes into XMP” checkbox on the Metadata tab of the Catalog Settings dialog in Lightroom Classic, metadata updates that are part of an established metadata standard such as star ratings and keywords will be saved to the original image file, which in the context of a proprietary raw capture means the information is saved in an XMP “sidecar” file. That metadata will include the settings for the adjustments you applied in the Develop module.

If you also want Develop settings to be saved to other supported image formats, you can turn on the checkbox labeled “Include Develop settings in metadata inside JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and PSD files”.

With these options enabled, Develop settings will be included in the metadata saved out to the image files, in addition to being saved within the Lightroom Classic catalog. In the future, if for any reason you need to create a new catalog in Lightroom Classic you could simply import all of your existing images and the Develop settings along with standard metadata fields will be included automatically for the images in that new catalog.

Today’s Question: I have a problem with my catalog [in Lightroom Classic]. When I open Lightroom Classic it comes up with a previous version of the catalog. I can open Lightroom Classic correctly by using a backup [of the catalog]. After closing down and reopening it the same past version opens again. How do I establish the backup as current or the version I want to use?

Tim’s Quick Answer: This indicates you have the wrong catalog set as the default catalog, so you just need to correct that setting in the Preferences dialog.

More Detail: By default, when you launch Lightroom Classic it will open with the most recently used catalog. While this makes sense, it can actually be problematic if you had opened a different catalog for some reason and don’t realize that this other catalog would be opened by default the next time you launched Lightroom Classic. In this type of situation you might start working in the wrong catalog without realizing that it isn’t your primary catalog.

Because of this risk of confusion, I highly recommend setting your primary catalog as the default catalog in the Preferences dialog in Lightroom Classic. First, you’ll want to launch the correct catalog. I don’t recommend opening a backup copy of the catalog unless the primary catalog has been lost or corrupted. If you recently updated to Lightroom Classic 12, for example, you may have an older version 11 catalog in the same folder as the newer version 12 catalog, and you would want to open the latest version of your primary catalog.

You can then open the Preferences dialog by choosing Edit > Preferences from the menu on Windows, or Lightroom Classic > Settings (or Preferences) on Macintosh. Within the Preferences dialog start by going to the General tab. In the Default Catalog section click the popup and choose your primary catalog from the popup. You can then close the Preferences dialog.

From that point forward, when you simply launch Lightroom Classic it will always open with the catalog you’ve established in the Preferences dialog.

Today’s Question: I’m having a problem with synchronized photographs. I have Lightroom Classic on both an iMac and a MacBook Air. When I enabled synchronization on the MacBook Air it seemed to take over and I lost the ability to switch on and off synchronization for collections on the iMac. I now have 3169 photos in All Synced Photographs on the iMac and 892 in All Synced Photographs on the MacBook Air. I turned off the synchronization checkboxes for all collections, so there should be nothing syncing. Why are there photos in the All Synced Photographs collection when nothing is synced?

Tim’s Quick Answer: There are two issues here. First, you can only have synchronization enabled for a single Lightroom Classic catalog at any time. Second, once photos are synchronized to the Creative Cloud, they are not removed unless you specifically remove them.

More Detail: With Lightroom Classic you can only have synchronization enabled for a single catalog. If you enable synchronization for a second catalog, synchronization will be disabled for the first catalog. So, you’ll need to choose which catalog you want to enable synchronization for, such as your primary catalog rather than a traveling catalog, and ensure you have synchronization enabled for the correct catalog.

The second issue is that once you synchronize photos, they are never removed from cloud-based storage unless you specifically remove them. Simply disabling synchronization for a collection, for example, will not cause the photos in that collection to stop being stored in the Creative Cloud.

Therefore, if you no longer want certain photos stored in the Creative Cloud, you’ll need to remove them. In Lightroom Classic that means removing the photos from the All Synced Photographs collection in the Catalog section of the left panel in the Library module. Within that collection you can simply select the photos you don’t want stored in the cloud, then right-click and choose “Remove from All Synced Photographs” from the popup menu.

Keep in mind that photos can also be synchronized to the Creative Cloud via the Lightroom mobile app on a mobile device, for example. So be sure to only remove photos from the All Synced Photographs collection that you know are already represented in your normal workflow.

Note that if you have synchronized photos from Lightroom Classic to the cloud, you can review or update those synchronized photos using the Lightroom ecosystem. That includes being able to use the Lightroom application on another computer, the Lightroom app on a mobile device, or Lightroom in a web browser (https://lightroom.adobe.com).

Today’s Question: I am curious if you have any preferences for opening up into Photoshop from Lightroom Classic as “edit in” versus “edit as smart object”, especially now with all the filters available, including neural filters, blur, etc.

Tim’s Quick Answer: For a “normal” image-optimization workflow that might include additional image layers, I prefer not to open the image as a smart object. For more creative workflow involving filters, you may want to make use of the smart object option.

More Detail: When you send an image from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop, you have the option to open the image as a smart object. To use this option instead of choosing “Edit in Adobe Photoshop from the Photo > Edit In > Edit In menu you would choose “Open as Smart Object in Photoshop” from that menu.

When you open an image as a smart object in Photoshop the original image is embedded into the derivative file that is created. This provides some great workflow flexibility, but it can also lead to some problems.

In the context of a raw capture opened as a smart object in Photoshop, because the raw capture is embedded rather than having been opened as a normal pixel layer, you can double-click on the smart object layer to bring up the Camera Raw interface. This enables you to refine the adjustment settings you had applied in the Develop module in Lightroom Classic.

While this capability can be helpful, it can also be problematic with a layer-based workflow. For example, let’s assume you processed the image in color in Lightroom Classic and opened it as a smart object in Photoshop. You add a new image layer to perform some image cleanup work to remove some blemishes. Then you double-click on the smart object layer and in Camera Raw convert the image to black and white. The image cleanup work will still be in color, which would be a problem.

This is just one illustrative example of the type of problems you can get into when you combine a smart object with image layers in Photoshop.

Of course, there are situations where using a smart object can be tremendously helpful. For example, if you’re using creative filters there’s a good chance you might want to later review or revise the settings you used for the filter. Using a smart object provides that flexibility, because just as you can open Camera Raw to edit the adjustment settings for a smart object, so too can you apply filters to a smart object and then return to the filter settings to revise them.

The key is to make sure image layers won’t interfere with the use of a smart object. Therefore, I recommend only using smart objects when you won’t need to use additional image layers, and when the use of a smart object will provide advantages in your workflow. This can often mean, for example, having one layered copy of the image for the normal optimization workflow, and then creating an additional derivative based on that layered original that employs a smart object for creative effects.