2.1. How Lightroom Is Organized

Lightroom takes a very different approach, compared to most image-processing programs, in how a photographer accesses its features. The program is organized linearly around a set of five work modules, while the interface itself is arranged spatially into four distinct regions or panels, as shown in figure 2-1. This approach really works. It keeps controls grouped according to their function and places them at the ready when you need them for doing specific work on digital images. It also means that you don't have to constantly go to menus at the top of the screen. Lightroom has top menus, but most of the time you don't need to use them.

Figure 2.1. 2-1

2.1.1. Modules

Lightroom's modular organization is very efficient in that it allows you to access specific parts of the program as you need them. Consider these modules workrooms that let you make changes to an image, and the controls in each workroom all relate to a specific function. According to Adobe, modules can be added or subtracted from the program, so the company may add more in the future (or you may be able to add special modules created by independent software developers).

The modules are

• Library

• Develop

• Slideshow

• Print

• Web

In addition, these modules are actually based on three functions, as shown in figure 2-2: Library, Develop, and Output (Slideshow, Print, and Web). The most important functions for photographers are Library and Develop. You will spend most of your time there.

The modules themselves appear at the top right of the Lightroom interface in figure 2-3. I am going to keep the same photo in the interface for each module so you can better see how the modules change the interface. The image is a sunrise from a shoot along the shore of Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota.

To select any one module, just click on it. You can use them in order, starting at Library and finishing with Print, or you can select any one of them at any time. The Filmstrip at the bottom of the screen provides constant access to photos. You learn more about using each module in later chapters.

2.1.1.1. Library

Library is where you "keep" your photos for Lightroom to work on, though you are actually using virtual files. The files stay on your hard drive in the folders where you are storing them. Library has outstanding organizing capabilities that keep a reference as to where images are on the hard drive or other media. This is the place to systematize and sort photos. This module (also shown in figure 2-3) gives you image import and export options, folder editing and organizing capabilities, labeling and other information options, and even a chance to quickly process images.

Figure 2.2. 2-2

Figure 2.3. 2-3

2.1.1.2. Develop

Develop is where photos are processed, as shown in figure 2-4. This is where you adjust and optimize images, using some controls that are just like those in Camera Raw and others that are more advanced. Develop has controls from basic exposure to color tuning, cropping, and even lens aberration correction. You can see the control groupings in figure 2-4.

This module also introduces an interesting and often useful way to work quickly with images: the Presets panel, shown in figure 2-5. You can use presets that come with the program as well as create your own. All the other modules include something similar, offering pre-made adjustments for images.

Figure 2.4. 2-4

2.1.1.3. Slideshow

Slideshow (shown in figure 2-6) gives you some basic capabilities for showing off groups of images, just like the old slide shows from the days when most people shot film. If you have a digital projector, you can even project these images like in the old days. Slideshow gives you control over how the images are displayed, including the ability to add some very cool image enhancements such as borders and drop shadows. It does not allow exporting of music with the slide show, however.

Figure 2.5. 2-5

Figure 2.6. 2-6

2.1.1.4. Print

The next module is Print (as shown in figure 2-7). Adobe engineers knew that photographers like to make prints, so they created a module to gather together printing options. This is the first time in any Adobe product that all printing-related functions are put into one place. You actually have a lot of control here for the print; and because Lightroom groups the adjustments and settings in a manner that is logical for printing, you can truly focus on what matters in printing and not be distracted by a lot of unrelated stuff.

2.1.1.5. Web

The last module is Web (as shown in figure 2-8). This offers you an easy way of making Web galleries for a Web site. This is a fairly simple module with two basic forms of galleries — one HTML, the other Flash. You control the text you need and how the galleries display the work.

Figure 2.7. 2-7

Figure 2.8. 2-8

2.1.2. Skip Between Modules

A really great thing about Lightroom is that you can skip back and forth among these modules as needed. If you test a slide show (shown in figure 2-9), for example, and find one image is off in exposure compared to others, you can immediately go to Develop (shown in figure 2-10), fix that exposure, and then go back to the slide show. That is a really cool feature. I can tell you that working with images for slide shows or printing has been annoying at times when I had to go back and readjust an image, and then start over with it for the slide show or print. This totally changes how you work with images in that way.

One way of looking at these modules, too, is to group the last three modules as output modules, as shown earlier in figure 2-2. Slideshow, Print, and Web all give you options to output your images. These modules don't really have quite the depth of Library and Develop when seen alone, but put them together, and you gain some very useful tools for output.

Figure 2.9. 2-9

Figure 2.10. 2-10

2.1.3. Panels

Each module has the same basic setup for panels within the interface. There are four regions defined by panels that identify and contain ways of dealing with an image, as shown in figure 2-11 and figure 2-12. Each panel changes depending on the module (compare figure 2-11 with figure 2-12); however, appropriate work panels appear at the right and left that offer you adjustments and controls over your images. The center work area is photo based and highlights the image (or images) you are working on. It can include one or multiple images. The final panel is the Filmstrip at the bottom that lets you go quickly through a selected group of photos.

Figure 2.11. 2-11

Figure 2.12. 2-12

You can turn panels on and off to better see the photo (or group of photos) at the center in two ways. First, you can just press Tab and the two side panels disappear, as shown in figure 2-13. They return when you press Tab again.

Second, you can hide them one at a time by clicking the small arrows at the far sides of the panels (in reality, the arrows are just reminders — you can click anywhere near them on the bars where they reside). The arrows are dark gray until you mouse over them. Figure 2-14 shows Lightroom with the left panel hidden (and the top menu is hidden, too). The panels come back temporarily if you move your mouse to the far edge of the interface where the panel is, and are hidden again if you move the mouse over the middle of the photo. They remain visible if you click again on the arrow.

Figure 2.13. 2-13

Figure 2.14. 2-14

You can hide the Filmstrip panel, too. Click the little arrow at the bottom of the interface, below the Filmstrip, and the strip of photos hides, as shown in figure 2-15. It comes back temporarily if you mouse over the bottom of the screen or stays on if you click the arrow again.

When the Filmstrip is hidden, you can press Tab and the side panels become hidden, then if you press T, the toolbar also hides, leaving you with just the image on which you are working, as shown in figure 2-16. Pressing Tab does not bring back the Filmstrip, just the side panels. Press Shift+Tab and you can make the side panels, the top module picker, plus the Filmstrip appear and disappear. Press T again to get the toolbar back.

The larger the monitor you can work with, the easier it is to work with all of the panels at once. Using smaller monitors, especially those on laptops, often means you have to hide certain parts of the interface so the part you are working with is large enough.

Figure 2.15. 2-15

Figure 2.16. 2-16

If you don't like the way the panels are sized on your computer, you can adjust how big each one is by moving your cursor over the dividing bar between the panels. This changes your cursor to a bar with arrows and allows you to make a panel larger or smaller by clicking and dragging.

There are a number of ways of working with the panels to make them turn on and off. You might want to remember these function keys: F6 hides the Filmstrip, F7 hides the left panel, and F8 hides the right panel. Also, F5 hides the top bar where the module names are.