Introduction
Like myself, many amateur photographers start out in photography by shooting in JPEG file format as apposed to RAW. The issue with shooting in JPEG is that it limits what a photographer can do in Post Processing, also, the quality of the final photograph will never match that of one taken in RAW.
The issue with shooting in JPEG is quite simple, when you take a shot the photograph is saved. During this saving process the JPEG basically decides what data is needed in the photograph, and what data isn’t essential and removes it. Hence why JPEG file sizes can vary dramatically… have you ever noticed?
RAW is different as it keeps every piece of data the camera captures, resulting in larger file sizes. This data, which the JPEG would have otherwise discarded, can be used to enhance a photograph in the post processing stage.
I’ll give you an example:
If you go into a dark tunnel with minimal light and take a picture in JPEG format you probably won’t be able to see anything when you view it on a computer. The file size will be quite small because all the data will be lost. Now shot it again in RAW and the file size will be a lot bigger, but here’s the trick, you can now post process the image to enhance any details hiden alway in the shadows. The data is still there only it is, quite literally, hiding in the shadows.
I did recently while out on a shoot and revealed some amazing graffiti in an old railway tunnel, and a door I never knew was there. Underexposed images can also be rescued if shot in RAW, but here’s the catch… you have to process them yourself. JPEG’s, as explained, do this for you but give you less control. Time to test some software to help me achieve this.
Enter contender numero 1
I use Adobe Photoshop everyday, it’s great for designing and image manipulation but isn’t completely geared up for photography management and RAW processing. I could use Adobe bridge (part of the CS pack of software) but I didn’t like it particularly. Aperture, by Apple, another tool aimed at photographers but again, it just didn’t impress. Aperture is bulky, unstable and a nightmare to use.
Now Adobe Lightroom 2 has been recommended to me by a lot of photographers, so I decided to download a free trial and try it out.
Initial thoughts
User interface – I love it! It’s clean and tidy. It cleverly hides away all of the advanced options that may clutter the design and scare me, a mere amateur, away.
There’s 5 area in which to explore, starting with Library, other include Develop, Slideshow, Print and Web.
Features at a glance
So far I have only used the first two so I’ll talk about these in summary.
Library – The default viewer window when the application opens. Import your RAW files and the library will display them in a standard thumbnail way. Double-click to start your basic post-processing. The right column allows ‘Quick developing’, something that I found great while I got used to what RAW files can other. Histograms, quick processing options and EXIF data is offers here, typically the options most used by myself to process an image.
Develop – This section gives you far more scope to allow full control over the processing you want to apply. Basic image teatment ( like exposure, white balance), Tone Curve, HSL/Color/Grayscale, Split toning and detail options give you everything you need.
The clever thing about Lightroom is that every tweak you make, Lightroom records it in a history, just like Photoshop. You can also copy and paste processing tweaks on single images through an entire collection, something that really impressed me. Actions in Photoshop does of course do this but it’s clumsy, where as Lightroom handles this effortlessly, and intuitively.
Lightroom keeps the ‘master’ copy of an image in the background so you never need to worry about backing it up. Aperture handles master copies differently, but it was too advanced and confused the hell out of me.
All in all a lot of the features Photoshop has (photograph related) can be found in Lightroom. Things like Presets, Snapshots, History, Histograms, Navigator and so on. I have found the transition from Photoshop effortless. If, like myself, your an advanced Photoshop user wishing to delve into RAW post processing, Lightroom is a wise choice of software to use.
List of features to impress
- Streamlined Photoshop CS4 integration
- Multiple monitor support
- Extensible architecture
- Local adjustment brush
- 64-bit processing support
- Flexible print packages
- Improved organizational tools
- Batch processing
- Output sharpening
- Nondestructive photo editing
- Volume management
Verdict
This software is certainly my first choice. Price wise, at £199 + VAT RRP ($299) it’s competitively priced. Features included would appeal to both the beginner and the professional.
If you use Photoshop and want an easy transition to a RAW editing suite (and much more besides) then I highly recommend Adobe Lightroom 2.
Don’t this is more than just a photo editing suite, it’s aimed at those wanting to create slideshows of their photos, optimising for the web as well as sophisticated printing options.
This is my first photo processed with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 on the Mac
Your next step
Simple, download the free trial and see for yourself, then let me know your verdict.
