Video – Monitor vs. Printer Calibration

Hi all. A while back I created a video on the non-Lightroom (but still very important) topic of calibration using a hardware calibration device. From what I can gather out there, a lot of photographers have heard the message loud and clear – use a hardware calibration device. I don’t really care which one, just use one. However, from being out on the road I have seen a bit of confusion surrounding what type of calibration you need. There’s monitor calibration to create a color profile for your screen, and there’s printer calibration to create a profile for your printer. Which do you need? Watch the quick video I created to see.

Click here to download the video to your computer. [Right-click and choose the "Save As" option]

Tip – Naming Your Presets

If you haven’t noticed yet, your Presets panel in the Develop module can get outta control pretty easily. I know that I’ve got over 100 presets and the list still grows. Some I use all the time and some I just keep around to use once in a while. Now, whether you create your own presets or you download them from the web, the one thing we have in common with each other is they all have different names. So here’s a couple of suggestions to help keep things tidy:

1) Since your presets are sorted alphabetically, the A’s come first right? Well, if you put numbers in front of your presets then they’ll appear first (at the top) in the list. So if you have presets you really like and want to see them at the top then put numbers in front of them.

2) If you’re like me you have presets that do the same thing but with different settings. For example, I have white balance presets for each white balance setting in the Develop module. If you name them by their original names (Cloudy, Daylight, Shade), then they’ll show up all over the place in your preset list. Instead, try putting the words “White Balance” in front so your preset name would look like “White Balance – Cloudy” or “White Balance – Daylight”. That way they’ll all stay together in the list under “W”. In this example image I have presets that remove the color saturation in all colors except for one. You can see how naming them appropriately helps out.

By the way, I never really told you how to rename an existing preset. All you have to do is right-click on the name and choose Rename. That’s it

Video – Upgrading to the Process Version in Lightroom 3

This week I wanted to tackle a tiny setting in the Lightroom 3 beta that you’ll want to be aware of. It’s called the Process Version. Even if you’re not using the LR3 beta, this will eventually come into play in your life in the full version of LR 3 when it comes out, as well as Camera Raw.

Click here to download the video to your computer. [Right-click and choose the "Save As" option]

Lightroom 2 Exam Aid is Out

For those of you that like to keep your Lightroom certifications up to date, you’ll be happy to know that the Lightroom 2 Exam Aid is out from examaids.com. The LR2 exam was released back in November 2009 and the folks over at exam aids have since put together another one of their preparation packages for the exam.

I’ve mentioned this before, but if you’re serious about taking the exam, the Exam Aids (coupled with the exam prep guide from Adobe) are the best resources to prepare with. I know its an extra cost but trust me, these prep exams can potentially a) save you time when preparing because you’ll have a better grasp of what you know and don’t know and, b) save you some money on retests because you’ll be better prepared to take and pass the test the first time.

Now, I realize that the Lightroom 3 Beta is out and you may be wondering why worry about the Lightroom 2 Exam. Well, if history is any indicator, its taking about 15 months or more for the current ACE exam to come out. So if you want to stay current, taking the Lightroom 2 exam is about the closest you’ll come.

Here’s the link to check it out.

Video – DNG and Auto-Saving Changes

Well everyone, after this week I think we will have successfully beat this DNG thing into the ground. It’s all good though. I think the topic is worth a little extra time. Anyway, I realized there was one question that came up a lot. It deals with if/how/when Lightroom will save all of your edits to the DNG files and where those edits get saved to. After trying to write out a long explanation I figured we could cover a lot more ground in a video.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Click here to download the video to your computer. [Right-click and choose the "Save As" option]

The DNG Follow Up Post

First off, thanks for all of the conversation in the comments on the DNG article the other day. I wanted to post a follow up to give some more thoughts and answer a few questions?

For starters, I have to say there were more DNGers than I thought. I didn’t go through and count each one but it felt like a 40/60 split (DNG/Not DNG). Based on my experience at workshops and seminars, that’s more pro-DNG than what I’ve been used to. And that’s a good thing. Don’t get me wrong. Even though my post talked about some reasons people don’t use DNG and I admitted that I don’t convert to DNG, doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of it. More on this at the end of this article though. Let’s start the Q&A:

Q. Was that Tom Hogarty I saw commenting? Isn’t he the Lightroom product manager for Adobe?

A. Yep, but he’s also the DNG product manager. When it comes to DNG Tom is the man. He wrote a pretty detailed response to each of my reasons that’s worth reading. Just look through the comments from the original post and do a search for Tom’s last name and you’ll find it. Tom also wrote about this on his blog a while back. You can read more here.

Q. Matt, you wrote “And Lightroom doesn’t automatically update the DNG file if you make changes. You still manually need to go to the Photo menu to save the settings.” Isn’t there a setting in Lightroom to automatically save your changes?

A. This question came up quite a bit. The easy answer is yes, there is a setting that will let you write your changes automatically to the file. Its in the Catalog Settings (Lightroom menu on Mac, and Edit menu on PC). But this option is off by default. So if you’re editing DNG files in Lightroom don’t be fooled into thinking that your changes are being saved automatically. Just like raw files, you either need to turn this option on or manually save changes in the Photo menu (Cmd/Ctrl – S).

Q. I understand the “Convert to DNG because you never know what happens 50 year from now” argument, but somehow don’t buy it.  My understanding is that Adobe is the company that maintains DNG: What if they are no longer around?

A. Good point. All the more reason why DNG should become an industry standard. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure that Adobe would submit the DNG format to become an industry standard. If this happened they’d probably lose significant control over what happens with the format. Lots of other industries use standards (Pharmaceuticals for example). Without a common document exchanging standard of some sort, they’d face chaos. Imagine if one company changed their documents. Every single company that they dealt with would have to adapt and change their software to account for the change. So by having a standard, everyone’s life is better. Same goes for raw formats. If there’s one standard that the raw files have to follow (say, DNG) then everyone’s life becomes easier.

So if DNG became an industry standard, it would live on even if the company that created did not.

Q. Does DNG work with Capture NX2?

A. Nope, Capture NX2 doesn’t work with DNG. I’m not sure this is a good reason not to use DNG though. Here’s the thing. How many programs do you really need to edit your photos? You’re reading this blog which probably means you’re a Lightroom user. Then use it. You paid for it. Things like D-lighting and picture controls and things like that are all in Lightroom and Photoshop in some way, shape or form.

One more thing. Please don’t turn this into a Capture NX2 debate in the comments. If you use it and you’re happy, then go for it

Q. OK Matt, DNG seems like a no-brainer. Any reasons not to use it don’t really seem to apply to you. So what gives? Why won’t you start using DNG?

A. Good question. One of the folks who wrote a comment made a prediction that I’d be converting to DNG before long and I think that’s a good bet. I’ll keep you posted if/when it happens.

Thanks again for all of your feedback.

To DNG or Not to DNG?

I received a question in the comment section the other day from some one asking about DNG and what the rest of the folks thought about it. The question was answered by a person that said something to the effect that they thought most people using Lightroom were converting to DNG upon import. It got me thinking about whether or not that was true. Most people I run into DON’T convert to DNG. I get lots of questions on it because they think that maybe they should, but they’re not yet doing it. Personally, I think it’s because there’s still some confusion about what it is and what is does to your photos.

Most of the people I talk to are “afraid” of what DNG will do to their original. When they ask what happens to their raw file I tell them that it gets converted to this non-proprietary open file format that will stand the test of time even if a camera manufacturer isn’t around one day to support their legacy formats. Then they ask what the benefits are. Well, one of them is of course the fact that you’d be able to use your raw files 50 years from now even if your camera manufacturer wasn’t around or decided not to support their file format anymore.

The other added benefit of DNG is that the file size is about 20% smaller than its corresponding Raw file. Is that cool? Yep. But does it install this discomfort in people wondering how they squeeze 20% out of the raw file without doing some quality damage to it? Youbetcha! I can’t blame them either. It sounds hokey to think that you can have a smaller file without some sort of quality loss. Now mind you, there is no loss of quality in the DNG file but again, I’m just telling you what I hear from folks out there and reasons they give for not using or not understanding DNG.

One more thing. DNG file store all of your metadata and raw settings with the file itself – it doesn’t need a sidecar XMP file like raw files do. That’s great and all but I use Lightroom so I don’t have to worry as much about sidecars as I would if I just used Camera Raw. And Lightroom doesn’t automatically update the DNG file if you make changes. You still manually need to go to the Photo menu to save the settings.

Personally, I think the whole DNG thing is a good one. Everyone’s lives would be easier if all raw formats were DNG-like and consistent with each other. We wouldn’t have to worry about where and what programs opened them, and Adobe wouldn’t have the nightmare they have with Camera Raw and Lightroom and all those different file formats they have to support. However, I’m afraid its not catching on (at least from the folks that I talk) to for a few reasons. Here’s why:

1. People don’t like to think 50 years ahead, today. I have trouble just thinking about this weekend And I always figure that if Nikon decides to not support my raw files one day, there’s some 15 year old in his room that’ll code up a raw conversion program in his sleep.

2. I think mentally, we have this barrier that prohibits us from throwing away our raw files. In reality, if you convert to DNG that’s what you’re supposed to do. Throw away the raw files and your DNGs become your new permanent images that you backup for ever and ever. But the raw files came from our camera and for some reason we have this block that just makes us feel like we can never throw them away because, well, they’re the ones straight from our camera. But that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. You’re not supposed to keep raw and DNG because then it gets even more confusing.

3. Speaking about raw and DNG files, don’t even give me the option to embed the original raw file into the DNG. Now I’m taking up almost twice the space of the original file. Again, its confusing. It instills doubt to a newcomer and is one more reason why I may likely just not do it if I have questions about it.

4. Most don’t understand how the DNG file can be 20% smaller than the raw file without losing some kind of quality. Again, it just sounds hokey even though it’s not.

5. There’s just too many scary choices when converting to DNG. If its the latest greatest format that I’m supposed to be using then just do it. Don’t let me see or deal with terms like “Linear Demosaiced”.

So, while I totally get the whole DNG thing and I know its a good thing I still don’t convert to it. I always hope to and I have the best intentions but I just don’t do it. Maybe one day when my camera shoots in the DNG format I’ll make the jump. Or, maybe some one will convince me to do it before then. Who knows?

How about you? What do you do with your raw files? And more importantly, why? Leave a comment and let us know.

Lightroom and the New Year

Happy New Year folks! I hope you all had a safe, happy, and fun holiday. Now its time to get back to work. Here’s a few things for you to consider doing (if you’re not already) when it comes to Lightroom for the new year.

1. Collections – Collections are like little photo albums. They’re a quick easy way for you to always be one click away from your favorite photos. I have a video that talks a little about smart collections here and Scott has a really great post where he talks more about his collection workflow.

2. Delete more photos – One way to help wrangle your Lightroom experience is to simply have less photos in your catalog. I’ve got over 10,000 images in my catalog from 2009. You know how many made it to my portfolio or were sent off to the people I was photographing? Less than 1000. That’s 9000 photos that really don’t serve much of a purpose. A smaller photo library makes it easier on everything – you, your storage devices, and your computer. For you, its less photos to deal with and backup. For your computer, it means a smaller faster catalog. Really try to become a good photo editor and edit down to only your best photos. I’m on my way. I took a couple hundred photos of the family over Christmas and New Years. Last night I sat down and delete a lot of them so now I’m down to about 35. I felt liberated
(kidding of course, but you know what I mean).

3. Print more – Make it a point to print more. And use the Print templates to make it easier. If you’re printing one photo on a page to hang on a wall then Lightroom has some good templates to start with. But if you’ve been on vacation and want to print more photos to a page, start getting creative with print templates to do it. Here’s a video I did a while back that may help but the point is to print more. Even if you just export a bunch of 4×6’s and send them to Costco.

4. Presets – If you’ve just started following this site then you’re missing a couple years worth of Lightroom presets. There’s a nifty little button on the right side called Presets that you can click and see all of them. Give ‘em a try. They’ll really speed things up for you as well as give you some neat ideas for processing your photos.

5. Backup – Lightroom’s preferences have backup options in it. I’ve written about it many times here. I also have an online training course dedicated to backing up Lightroom and your photos. Whatever you do, make sure you start a backup strategy if you haven’t already. Trust me, you’ll sleep better knowing you have.