Friday Tips – Easy Way to Switch Folders
Well everyone, it’s the last official “tip” post of the year so I’d better make it a good one. I’ve actually thrown in a couple more tips that I learned this week but they have nothing to do with Lightroom. So, you can just scroll to Tip #3 if you want the Lightroom tip.
Tip #1) Guitar Hero is your enemy. My “kids” got this game for Christmas. Little did they know I would soon commandeer it. I have to say, playing it has taken an inordinate amount of my time during the week. I’d easily have blogged several more times had it not been for this game. Stay away from it.
Tip #2) Running a marathon is your enemy. I know this first hand because I’m training to run the Disney marathon in Orlando, FL on January 13th. The last month of training gets pretty unbearable since you’re running longer distances and it takes a lot out of you. Again, I’d easily have blogged many more times had I not been recuperating from 18+ mile training runs over the last month. So my tip is, don’t run a marathon. It sounded like a good idea 4 months ago, but not anymore. It’ll all be done in a couple weeks though (that’s what I keep reminding myself of).
Tip #3) OK, the real Lightroom tip. If you don’t know about this one you’re totally going to love me for it. You know when you’re in the Develop module and you’re processing your photos. What always happens? You want to go to another folder and work on another folder right? Well, there’s really no easy way to do this. Basically, you’d go back to the Library, then click on the Folder, then find the photo, then go back into the Develop module. Well check this out. Right below the toolbar but above the Filmstrip (at the bottom) is a small filter area. In this area is a path that shows you what folder and photos you’re looking at. Next to it, on the right, is a small down-facing arrow. If you click on it you’ll see a list of recent folders and collections that you’ve viewed. Click here to see a graphic of what I’m talking about. Then just choose the folder or collection you want to jump to and Lightroom will take you there without leaving the Develop module. Come on… you’ve got to admit that’s cool. It can seriously cut down on the time you spend bouncing back between modules. Well, that’s it for my Friday tips. I gotta’ run – I’ve got a gig (that’s Guitar Hero speak for game) to play 😉 Hey, what can I say – my fans need me. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
great tip. thanks! happy new year!
Matt-that’s a great tip that will really help me! Thanks and best for the new year.
Unfortunately I too have succumbed to GHIII. Glad you are feeling my pain. I heard all of the hype and after some gift card discounts, I got it for $40 and figured what the heck. It so owns me. What is Lightroom again? Ha!
And marathons are great. I did one on a dare while stationed in the Marine Corps. It is a great accomplishment and another check mark to add on the things you’ve done list. Now back to GHIII.
To: Matt K.
Sorry but I did not know the best way to reach you and ask this question.
I have created a number of web galleries in Lightroom using Slimbox. “Which is terriffic.” It seems the default settings are for the last gallery created? How do I reopen one up and view it as originally created? I could not figure out how to save each gallery settings in “Lightroom”?
http://www.memorymatephoto.com/My%20Galleries/Christmas%20Tree%20Ceremony%20at%20the%20Wall/christmastreeceremony.html
PS. Did you get one or Two guitars with your “hero”?
The Best Of Wishes & Good Health For The New Years,
Patrick
Very useful Lightroom tip, Matt. That’ll save me a lot of time in the long run. As to marathon – that’s exactly the reason I prefer half-marathons and 10k’s, hehe.. Good luck with that!
Thanks for all you do and I hope you and your family are having great holidays.
Echoing so many others, I too thank you for the many tips you have given this year and for the free presets. Two ‘tricks’ I have found: 1) There is no immediate way to organize the presets in any logical way once they have been imported. But by adding ‘spaces’ before the preset name, the computer can be fooled into organizing them differently (e.g. five, four, three, two, one and none (spaces) places the presets into groups in a descending order); 2) After importing photos from the Library into the Print module, and wanting to print using the Contact sheet (e.g. to print nine photos on a page), there is no way to be able to rearrange the photos into an arrangement you might want. But by placing the photos into the Quick Collection area first, you can then ‘click and drag’ them into whatever arrangement you like, then they can be moved to the Print Module. Thanks again, Matt, for all your efforts!
Thnx a lot for this tip, gives me more time for playing guitar hero… 😉 Keep up the good work in 2008, I’ll make sure to visit this page on a regular basis.
Disney is a great marathon — if you’re going to enjoy the experience. It’s not for someone trying for a really fast time — it sounds like you’re looking for the experience. Enjoy it, savor it — and get a reservation for a day after massage now!
You’ll also want to wear your finisher’s medal to the parks that afternoon — take a 30 minute soak in a cold bath — enlist your kids to empty the ice machine — take a couple of Advil, then find the biggest burger in the kingdom for lunch.
I did Disney six years ago and brought a disposable camera with me — they have characters throughout the course and the handlers will take your picture. I’d love to do it again but this time with a little digital. There are so many interesting shots you can only get when you’re on a 26.2 mile stroll through the kingdom. Enjoy.
It’s too bad that Lightroom doesn’t handle Photoshop Batch, Merge to HDR, etc. as Bridge does, this is pretty much the only remaining functionality that I use Bridge for anymore!
Glyn – Thanks for the cool tip mate!
Don – Not really a Lightroom thing. More Photoshop so I’m not sure I’ll get to it on this site.
Guitar Hero commenters: I’m glad you feel my pain. I just won the game on the “Easy” level. Now it’s time to move to Medium. Ughhhh!
Marathon Good Wishers: Thank you SOOOO much for the great words of inspiration and good wishes. I’ll need them. I actually ran a marathon 7 years ago so I know I can do it. I just want to do it better this time. However, that was 2 kids, 8 books, and about 500 podcasts ago. So, there’s been a lot to take up my time these days besides running. I’m excited though. I feel good, rested, and prepared and the workouts I have over the next 2 weeks will just get me stronger for race day.
Oh yeah…Joel hit the nail on the head. I trained for months for my last one. But I got excited the day of and went out of the gate too fast. I paid for it 3 hours later BIG TIME! That won’t happen again this time. A Steady 9:30 pace is what I’m after.
Bo, Peter, and Rick: I told you it was a cool tip. 🙂
Thanks again everybody.
– Matt K
Very cool! Man, pressing “D” and “G” to flip between the two modules has been bugging the heck out of me for the longest. Now I can’t believe I never noticed that before. That has got to be one of the best tips yet.
Thanks, Rick
The marathon – pay close attention to to the way you feel 100′ from the finish line and then again 1′ after. Crossing the line culminates a very long and hard training program. Get ready for a HUGE feeling of accomplishment. It’s enough to make you go sign up for another marathon…about a week later.
Have fun and Happy New Year
Boy I wish I knew this folder tip earlier today. I also wish companies would include real manuals like in the old days. But then you would have to read them wouldn’t you 🙂
As for tip #1 – My nephew ( who is a guitar player in a Rock Band) had me playing Guitar hero against him to other night. I think the score was like 175000 to 520 (me). It is as addictive.
I wish my kids weren’t grown and out, I’d have an excuse to buy more games.
Have a great New Year
I know what you mean about Guitar Hero!
I’m asking this here since I know of no other way of contacting you. I would like to add a presentation frame to my photos just before printing. Just something simple– a couple of thin black strokes with separation, add canvas for a title and my name, and end with more canvas and a thick stroke. Have you discussed this before and/or where can I get an action or instructions to do this? Thanks very much and have a Happy New Year!
I’m asking this here since I know of no other way of contacting you. I would like to add a presentation frame to my photos just before printing. Just something simple– a couple of then black strokes with separation, add canvas for a title and my name, and end with more canvas and a thick stroke. Have you discussed this before and/or where can I get an action or instructions to do this? Thanks very much and have a Happy New Year!
Thanks Matt, happy New Year!
Hello Matt,
Having run many marathons, I will predict you will have a great sense of accomplishment upon finishing the race and after a short period of recovery you will be planning your next one. One piece of advice is to not go out too fast, pick a reasonable finishing time and stay on a pace to meet that goal.
Good luck, Joel
It’s a useful tip if you want to go back to a previously visited folder.
Good luck in the marathon. I’ve run the Honolulu Marathon. If your having trouble recuperating from the longer runs. Try using a sports recovery drink from PowerBar or Endurox. They are formulated to aid your muscles in replenishing the energy you use and muscle repair. If you’d like to know more “Optimal Muscle Performance and Recovery” by Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D. is good. Of course the most important training tool is a good nights rest!
Wow, I’ve been using Lightroom all week to organize the family shots from this past Holiday week and was getting frustrated because I was having to bounce back and forth from the Library and Develop module. This tip is gonna save me a lot of time and frustration.
Guitar Hero would probably be a bigger enemy of mine if my wife would actually put it down long enough to let me play (or buy a second guitar).
Hey Matt,
Thanks for the tip … that will definitely save me some time cos I’m forever jumping backwards and forwards between the Library and Develop Modules.
Here’s a tip for you (which you may or may not know) … Pressing the back-slash key ” ” is a quick way to get a Before & After view of your image as you work on it … much like pressing CMD/CTRL Z in Photoshop.
Good luck with the Marathon … rather you than me :o)
Cheers,
Glyn
Ha, love the name of your file, quick folder thingee. Good luck with the marathon. That is quite an accomplishment.
*waving at fellow Houstonian Amanda who I just met the other day on a photo shoot*
GL with the marathon- they are addicting 😉 I’m running Houston in January too. I have heard graet things about Disney- gotta love the finisher’s medal.
Darnit, Guitar Hero 3 is on backorder here in Germany, I actually wanted to get it for Christmas 🙁
Neat tip! Thank you for all your tips last year. They helped a lot. I was really able to impress my family a few days ago when I used your background images for slideshows of our Christmas celebrations.
HLA