How to make lightroom photos accessible to my wife

[Stefan A]

I have been happily using Lightroom for a couple months now. I use it exclusively for all my RAW files. My wife really has no interest in learning the program, but sometimes she wants a copy of a photo I have taken. She wants to be able to easily find a finished photo and attach it to an email. It's easy enough to go to the folder where the RAW files are, but that's not going to help her. How can she easily access my edited photos without learning anything about lightroom?

Stefan

[Pete]

By going into Lightroom and using File->Export.

If you set that up for her, she'll be able to export your RAW files to jpg (of a size and quality rating of your choosing) and where to copy them to (say, the desktop).

Then she'll be able to attach them to emails.

That way, all you have to teach her about is how to use the browser to choose the shots she wants.

[Dermit]

There is even a way to setup and save an export setting where it will export it downsized to a smaller size (you specify max pixels) AND bring up your email program with the file already attached. So all you would have to do is pick the image in LR, hit Export, choose the preset (export to mail or whatever you called it), hit OK, type the email and send it.

If you need further help with this I will give more specifics after I get home today (at day job, no LR, or PS).

[In2Photos]

I have been happily using Lightroom for a couple months now. I use it exclusively for all my RAW files. My wife really has no interest in learning the program, but sometimes she wants a copy of a photo I have taken. She wants to be able to easily find a finished photo and attach it to an email. It's easy enough to go to the folder where the RAW files are, but that's not going to help her. How can she easily access my edited photos without learning anything about lightroom?

Stefan
Have you already exported these edited photos or have they just been edited in LR without export?

If you have already exported them just use one parent folder for all your exports that she can access.

If you have yet to export them make sure you are using a rating system or perhaps a certain color flag. Then she can click on the entire library, use a filter to sort (like maybe all photos tagged "red" for edited photos) and then setup the export preset mentioned above.

I feel your pain. My wife had a hard time with it too, but with a little help she has learned quite a bit about LR in a short period of time. She has no trouble importing, editing, and exporting all her own files now.

[EOS_JD]

I export as an 800pixel image (max) to a web folder. If your wife canb navigate explorer she'll find them quickly

[Stefan A]

I don't think you all understood my question. But I do appreciate that you have tried. I completely understand how to set up LR to export to e-mail. I understand the concept of exporting in general. But I was hoping for a way for my wife to access the photos without her needing to go into LR. I am talking about photos that have not been exported already.

If this can't be done, I will just have to teach her how to use the program (which I don't mind, but I don't think she is interested). But can the export to e-mail function be used with hotmail? That's what she uses.

Stefan

[In2Photos]

I don't think you all understood my question. But I do appreciate that you have tried. I completely understand how to set up LR to export to e-mail. I understand the concept of exporting in general. But I was hoping for a way for my wife to access the photos without her needing to go into LR. I am talking about photos that have not been exported already.

If this can't be done, I will just have to teach her how to use the program (which I don't mind, but I don't think she is interested). But can the export to e-mail function be used with hotmail? That's what she uses.

Stefan
That can not be done and here is why.

LR edits are stored in the LR database (called a catalog) and are not actually applied to the files directly. LR and CS3 are the only programs able to read these edits. So you would need to teach her how to use LR or export the files for her to use later.

As to your email question I am not sure, but I believe the answer to be no from my limited understanding of how it works.

[Stefan A]

So if it doesn't work with hotmail, I am going to have to teach her how to export to disc. Thanks for the help.

Stefan

[danpass]

It would be quicker to:

Export finished, email sized, pics to a 'wife' folder and have her pull them off/attach with the email program directly.





edit: happy wife, happy life :D





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[EOS_JD]

I can't understand this? Email images are generally small jpgs right? Export small jpgs and the windows explorer will show the thumbnails of the images.

If she wants to view, use the filmstrip view.

[S.E.V.]

Before you edit them, export them all into a folder on the desktop in jpeg format to the size you want and tell her to just open up that folder and view through window picture and fax viewer. Then she can insert them into the email and send. Probably want to make them at 1300pixel max or even 800pixel max for email. Then you can keep all your raw file for editing.

But you will have to teach her the progam if this way does not work for you.