The Adobe Lightroom 3 interface is arranged in modules to simplify the user interface in what is a powerful digital photography program. The intention is to only have the tools and buttons needed for that stage of the digital workflow.
Lightroom 3 Presets
Presets help with improving productivity with Lightroom 3. Unlike complex scripts and actions, in Lightroom Presets simply record the settings and choices made in a dialog box or module. These are saved with unique names allowing more than one preset for an operation. Editing Lightroom presets is easy, make the changes to the settings in Lightroom 3 and update the preset.
Library Module
This is the main module for digital image management. The Library module is for storing, organising and selecting digital photos. Selected digital photos are opened in other modules for processing, or they are exported as processed copies from the Library module.
The Lightroom 3 workflow starts with loading the camera’s memory card into the computer. Lightroom 3 copies the image files into the computer’s file structure, giving photographers the opportunity to add keywords, descriptions and perform some basic processing using presets at the same time. Photographers can sort, select and rate their digital photos with stars, flags or labels.
Photographers use the filters tool to search for and select digital photos using the EXIF and metadata information, as well as the various ratings and labels.
There are a number of things photographers can do with their digital photos from Lightroom, including printing, or creating slideshows and web galleries. There is the option of creating copies based on the processing settings from the Develop module. In the Lightroom 3 Library module the export tool allows photographers to choose the such things as the file type, size and quality for the copy. Photographers can save their preferred settings as presets to suit different purposes.
Develop Module
Advanced photographers save their digital photos as RAW format to the camera’s memory card. Lightroom 3 takes advantage of the extra information in the RAW file for a wider range and greater precision of adjustment than normally offered by the camera software.
One of the keys is that Lightroom 3 does not alter the original RAW image. It saves the adjustment settings and applies them when Lightroom produces a copy of the digital photo.
In Lightroom 3’s Develop module photographers adjust exposure, colour, apply noise reduction and sharpening to selected digital photos. There is also a set of basic editing tools to cropping and fixing minor blemishes, as well as simple tools for marking areas for selective adjustment.
Print Module
This does more than choosing paper size and the number of photos to be printed. In a manner more like a Desk Top Publisher, photographers configure image boxes on the page to hold the image. There can be multiple boxes on the page as well as some text for titles and captions.
Slideshow and Web Modules
These are useful for quickly creating simple displays of a set of digital photos on a local computer or for a wider viewing on the web.
Join the Conversation