Basic lightroom questions

I've used Bridge for years and years, but i'm giving Lightroom a quick go to see if I like it. I'll have a few questions, i'm sure, so if anyone's reading this perhaps check if it's been answered and see if there are new questions below before you answer it. My questions will probably be basic, so please bear with me.

First up, just FYI, the quick version of my workflow is:
- Import raw images
- Rate images one through five. To do this sometimes I often use thumbnails, but sometimes I want to open 10 images in ACR, compare them, mark most as two but a couple as three or four, then close the set. I want to skip between images as quickly as possible.
- Delete 1* images, move 2* images to another directory
- Process each of the images, just using exposure, brightness, contrast, etc. I often want to process in batches.
- Export to jpeg.

So, general tips are welcome for a first time LR user. I think I set it to write XMP files to the directory, so I can switch back to bridge if I want to.

My first question is how do I select say ten images and increase the exposure of them all by the same amount? I tried in the develop module selecting the images down the bottom then dragging the exposure slider, but it only affected the first image I select.

My second question is should I render 1:1 previews, or standard previews? My monitor 12 1280 x 1024, if that makes a difference. I want to skip between the thumbnails or the larger images as quickly as possible.

My third question is if i've rendered 1:1 previews, but I decide I only want standard previews, how do I dump them and tell it to do standard ones for me?

Thanks for any help

Hey Tim!

1) To "synchronize" adjustments, in the Develop module, select the files you want to do, then press Ctl/Cmd and click the button that says to Auto synchronize.

2) How you want to handle previews depends on how your system behaves. To set options, go to your Catalog Preferences and you'll find the options. Try to render 1:1 previews off the bat, but it could slow imports down. Another option is to just render standard previews and then, if you want, you can select all or some in a shoot and then just execute the command to render 1:1 previews for those you have selected.

3) Well, you can delete the preview file or let's see, I don't remember all the specific commands and I'm on my little laptop. I just have my Catalog Preferences set to delete my 1:1 previews after 30 days, but there are other options to mess with.

Have fun!

1) Library module is another option. Also: Adjustments in LR module are relative. (So you can add +.33 exposure to the already set amount. If you sync or auto sync in the develop module, adjustments are absolute: If you enter +.33 exposure, all selected images will get set to +.33 (even if one of them was prior set to -1 for instance))

2) Only if you want to be able to quickly view images at 100% Otherwise just render "monitor size"
If you do (certain?) adjustments after rendering previews, LR has to render the previews again.

3) No idea, why bother?

2. One important fact to keep in mind is that previews used in the Library module are not the same as the displays in the Develop module. It is logical that during development (editing) you will want to see a 1:1 display at various times (and you have to enlarge to 1:1 while setting sharpening and noise reduction), but having rendered 1:1 previews in the Library will not make things go faster in Develop. And as René said, after every editing session when you go back to Library it has to redo the previews.
3. 1:1 profile purge can be set to as little as one day.

tim wrote in post #11050535
....

My first question is how do I select say ten images and increase the exposure of them all by the same amount? I tried in the develop module selecting the images down the bottom then dragging the exposure slider, but it only affected the first image I select.

There are several ways to select and adjust multiple images. Auto-sync, Sync, creating a Custom Preset of your basic adjustments, Copy and Paste, and selecting in the Library Module Grid view will all work.

This probably just comes down to personal preference. I have Lightroom set to create standard previews on import and I rarely ever have the need to view an image in full size. When I do, I simply left-click once to zoom to 1:1 zoom and Lightroom generates a full-sized preview. This setting then becomes "sticky" for the session; every time you press the "Z" key it will zoom to either 1:1 and/or whatever was previously selected (Fit or Fill).

My third question is if i've rendered 1:1 previews, but I decide I only want standard previews, how do I dump them and tell it to do standard ones for me?

Thanks for any help

Select the images in question then go to Library > Previews > Discard 1:1 Previews to remove the full size previews, then select Library > Previews > Render standard-sized previews.

Wow, so you can't select a few images and change them directly, you have to sync after you change one? That's not very handy, possibly a deal breaker for me. Even basic old ACR can do this.

Thanks for the help guys

tim wrote in post #11053249
Wow, so you can't select a few images and change them directly, you have to sync after you change one? That's not very handy, possibly a deal breaker for me. Even basic old ACR can do this.

Thanks for the help guys

No, you misread that. If the button says Auto Sync it will sync all files that are selected by the adjustments made. If it just says Sync then you get a pop up box asking what properties you want to sync.

tim wrote in post #11053249
Wow, so you can't select a few images and change them directly, you have to sync after you change one? That's not very handy, possibly a deal breaker for me. Even basic old ACR can do this.

Thanks for the help guys

If you turn on the Auto-Sync switch, any adjustment made is immediately to the selected images. The downside of Auto-Sync is that you always have to remember to turn it off or you can end up applying settings where you didn't intend.

The Sync button has the safeguard against accidentally applying changes since it gives you a menu of settings to choose before applying them to the selected images.

Another option is to select the thumbnails you want to adjust in the Grid view; right-click and select a preset from the context menu. You can also apply settings in the Grid View using the Quick Develop panel (click the arrows to expand and see all the available settings in the panel). The difference between Quick Develop adjustments and presets, for example, are that the Quick Develop adjustments are relative while those done through presets or the full Develop module are absolute.

With autosync do I just have to hit a button after I adjust one image, or is it an option I turn on which makes my adjustments apply to all selected images?

Scott Kelby "Lightroom for Photographers" do yourself a favor and order it. You will be an expert in a couple days or you can learn like this and you will suffer through it for weeks.

No, you select the images you want to modify; turn on Auto-Sync, make your adjustment, and it shows up in all the selected images.

tim wrote in post #11053406
With autosync do I just have to hit a button after I adjust one image, or is it an option I turn on which makes my adjustments apply to all selected images?

This:

PixelMagic wrote in post #11053433
No, you select the images you want to modify; turn on Auto-Sync, make your adjustment, and it shows up in all the selected images.

Is auto sync sticky, or do I have to turn it on all the time? I'm at work here so I can't check.

A book would make sense, but I've given myself 24 hours to decide whether to process this weekends weddings in LR or stick with bridge. Bridge works great for me, it seems that LR imposes it's own workflow and limitations and wil slow me down, so maybe I should skip it and upgrade to cs5.

As an aside I've started using fast picture viewer to cull, sometimes. It's very very quick even on my 3 year old pc, an integrates with Bridge using xmp files.

In Lightroom I can process 100 photos an hour appx. That is opening up every one of them and fine tuning including adding any special effect I feel like adding cropping etc...after doing a mass adjustment to all of them up front at once, in a second.

The book taught me how to do that in 1 day. Over time I have gotten faster of course but still use the same basic process I learned in one day from the book.
If you are that fast with Bridge....then yeah no point in switching over.

Auto sync is mans greatest invention, right after electricity, it is just a click away whenever you need it.

Autosync works like a light switch; it remains in the position it was placed until it is changed so yes, it is sticky.

tim wrote in post #11054251
Is auto sync sticky, or do I have to turn it on all the time? I'm at work here so I can't check.

A book would make sense, but I've given myself 24 hours to decide whether to process this weekends weddings in LR or stick with bridge. Bridge works great for me, it seems that LR imposes it's own workflow and limitations and wil slow me down, so maybe I should skip it and upgrade to cs5.

As an aside I've started using fast picture viewer to cull, sometimes. It's very very quick even on my 3 year old pc, an integrates with Bridge using xmp files.