Click image for larger view
OK, so that was then and the development team at Adobe
aren't so naive as to think that Lightroom would be taken seriously if
some means of syncing two computers remained as a to-do item rather
than a standard feature. The good news is that Lightroom 1.1 includes
pretty much everything needed to make the transfer of files along with
all associated adjustments and metadata to other computers. There have
also been a number of improvements to the way that Lightroom manages
and keeps track of files. In particular, Lightroom 1.1 provides much
better support for working with multiple image libraries, and to help
convey the workflow changes they bring it was also decided to change to
the term Catalog instead of Library.
Whilst the name change may seem somewhat academic it
was thought that the term Library was confusing, especially since it
usually refers to all or the majority of the user's images. While there
is still an expectation that users will keep their entire library of
images referenced within a single Lightroom catalog, it was felt that a
method which supports the subdividing of images between multiple
catalogs might be preferable, particularly when very large numbers of
images are involved.
As part of the changeover Catalogs were given a new
filename extension, ".lrcat", although Lightroom 1.1 can still open
1.0's ".lrdb" files. However, you should note that in the process of
doing so it will convert them to a format that is no longer compatible
with version 1.0. Fortunately, Lightroom makes a backup copy of your
existing library file before conversion. The actual process of
conversion can take a few minutes as Lightroom will scan the old
library to check its integrity, etc.
With the addition of catalogs comes the need for a new
commands, of which there are many. There is now an Open Catalog
command in the File menu which allows the selection of another catalog
file. This Catalog will be the one that will be opened next time
Lightroom is launched. Open Recent stores details on the 10 most
recently opened catalogs.
Click image for larger view
Apparently, it was beyond the scope of the changes in
1.1 to allow for multiple catalogs to be open simultaneously, so 1.1
still only allows a single catalog at a time. Nevertheless, there are
some new features that help facilitate an easier multi-catalog
workflow. For example, export catalog provides options to exclude
previews and images (i.e. negative files) from a catalog thus making it
very compact, albeit useful only for applying metadata such as ratings,
labels etc. The screenshot included above shows the new menu options
and Export as Catalog dialog.
Click image for larger view
Just as export provides a means by which previews etc
is included in the catalog it's possible for the user to decide whether
they wish to copy from the imported catalog.
Catalog Information can be viewed from within
General panel of the Catalog Settings, which is available from
the File menu. This panel will show some basic information about the
current catalog file, including its path, its size, etc. There is also
a button for optimising your catalog and options for backing it up.
Catalog Settings panel displaying information on: location,
size, backup and optimisation date
Synchronising Folders, Metadata
Tracking and Searching
For many Lightroom users the Synchronise Folders
command will be a welcome addition. Using this command it's possible
compare the contents of the Lightroom catalog against the actual folder
contents. This comparison includes checks for: new, changed or missing
images, plus any metadata changes. The idea of this command is for
Lightroom to establish which files have been changed by external
applications such as Bridge, iView MediaPro, etc.
The following screenshot is an example of of a folder in which no
new images or missing images where found.
Synchronise Folder dialog
I much prefer this manual method of tracking and
synching of changes to an automated method that would be continually
carrying out background checks on multiple folders.
Lightroom 1.1 also includes many improvements for
managing and tracking of metadata changes within the application itslef.
The most visible change is that if you modify an image in some way that
will cause it to differ from the version of the metadata stored with
the file on disk, Lightroom will show an icon in the top-right corner
of the Library grid. This icon will disappear if you use the Save
Metadata to File command (Cmd+S [Mac] or Ctrl+S [Windows])
to save the metadata back to the image. If the Automatically write
changes into XMP preference is turned on, the change is
automatically written back to the file almost instantly.
To be honest, and even though I acknowledge the
necessity for such a feature, I have no liking for the manner in which
it has been implemented. In particular, I find the constantly changing
icon really annoying. Thankfully, it's possible disable the icon by
unchecking the Unsaved Metadata checkbox in the View Options
dialog. It's a pity, however, that it's not so easy to disable the
changed metadata fields in the metadata panel. The following
screenshots shows the new icon along with the note displayed in the
Metadata panel.
Click image for larger view
The metadata panel also has action arrow buttons next
to URL and E-mail fields that will send them to the
default web browser or mail client.
The Find panel has a new layout and some new
search logic associated with Title, Caption and
Keywords (e.g. "Is Empty" and "Isn't Empty"). The
following is a brief explanation of the other search rules used by
Lightroom:
"Contains": images containing any words typed
(x OR y).
"Contains All": images containing all words typed (x AND y).
"Doesn't Contain": images that don't contain any words typed (NOT
x OR NOT y).
"Starts With": images that contain all of the word beginnings
typed (x... AND y... ).
"Ends With": images that contain all of the word endings typed
(...x AND ...y ).
Add the prefix "!" to any word to
exclude it from the results.
"+" at beginning of any word triggers the "Starts with"
rule for just that word.
"+" at end of any word triggers the "Ends with" rule
for just that word.
You can Cmd/Ctrl+click or Shift+click to
select multiple items in any individual panel list or across multiple
panel lists. If you have multiple items in a single panel list selected
then they are combined in the search as an OR, and if you have
multiple items selected across different panel lists they are combined
using an AND search.
The Metadata Browser has its own special rules:
each of the top-level categories it contains act as if they were
separate lists when it comes to how the search is built. So, with a few
Cmd/Ctrl+clicks you can build complex searches like: ( folderA, folderB,
or folderC ) and ( keywordA, keybwordB, or keywordC ) and (
January/2005 ) and ( CityA or CityB ) and CameraA
Author note: I have included above information in
the downloadable keyboard shortcut pdf's found at the top of this page.
Other metadata related
improvements include:
-
The Keyword Stamper tool from version 1.0 has been
replaced with a Painter tool and provides more general-purpose
metadata application than the Stamper tool. For example, rather than
just keywords, the Painter tool can apply rating, flags, Develop
presets, metadata presets, and rotations. It's also possible to apply
the specified content to multiple files by click-and-drag.
-
XMP sidecar and embedded metadata support has been
improved significantly with the ability to store Develop snapshots,
although they not yet viewable or editable in Bridge/Camera Raw.
-
Update previews along with metadata in DNG files
using a new option in the Metadata menu.
-
Add copyright status (i.e. Copyrighted, Public Domain
and Unknown) to a file via a pop-up option within the metadata panel.
-
You can now view, edit, rename, delete or update
metadata presets via the Edit Presets dialog.
The Metadata Browser now includes ISO,
Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Label. To make multiple
selections within this panel (and/or others) Cmd/Ctrl+click the
fields you want to select. Ctrl+click (Mac) or right-clicking
(Windows) the Metadata Browser panel displays a context menu from
which you can access the Catalog preferences dialog. This dialog
provides checkboxes for each of the metadata panel options so that they
can be individually disabled/enabled.
Click image for larger view
I mentioned earlier that the Quick Develop panel in
Lightroom 1.1 had undergone a facelift. The screenshot shown below
should give a good idea how much with the chevrons of 1.0 being
replaced with proper profiled buttons. Clarity and Sharpness have been
added to the panel, but you'll need to press the Opt/Alt key to make
the later visible. Actually, this keyboard modifier makes quite few
alternative commands visible. Note that the sharpening button only
changes the amount and is based upon the default radius, detail and
mask values found in the Develop module.
Click image for larger view
The last area I want to touch on in the Library module
relates to the Filmstrip and toolbar You'll
probably notice that the filmstrip's filter rating stars now have a
different appearance when they are not active, which should help show
that they define the star-rating part of the filter. Badge icons can be
disabled in the filmstrip separately from the Library grid via
Interface preferences. New filters have been added for Master
Photos and Virtual Copies. Using these new filters makes
finding Virtual Copies or Master Photos a breeze.
As a more observant Lightroom user <g> you may already
have found the new Selection tools that have been added to the
Filmstrip toolbar, then again maybe you haven't. Anyway, there are 4
new selection buttons that can be used to select images that meet
certain criteria, but they only become visible when a modifier key is
pressed and you mouse over a filter. For example: Cmd/Ctrl+clicking
the green colour chip will select all images that have a green label,
to Add images that have 2 stars you would Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+click
the 2 stars rating, to Subtract picked images you would Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+click
the Pick flag, etc... (Intersection uses Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+Shift+click
keys in combination). Also, check out the Edit>Select by
Flag/Label/Rating menu options. I'm sure that you'll find many uses
for this feature whichever method you choose to use.
Develop module
Along with many other Photoshop users I’ve been a
proponent of three-step sharpening Capture, Creative and Output as
provided by
Pixel Genius PhotoKit Sharpener. So, it should come as no
surprise that I consider the new sharpening code to be the most
significant addition to the Develop module is.
Click image for larger view
With Lightroom 1.0 sharpening images is carried out in
two stages, the first stage is when view and edit on images, and the
second when you print them, this two stage approach hasn’t changed with
1.1. However, unlike Lightroom 1.0 which only provided a single capture
sharpening slider 1.1 provides 4 sliders (Amount, Radius,
Detail and Mask). These sliders provide the user a great
deal more control over the amount and extent of sharpening that is
applied to their images. The effects of sharpening are only visible
when you zoom in the preview image to at least 100%. A nice touch is an
icon in the top left of the Sharpening panel which when clicked
will zoom the image to 100%.
Overview of Sharpening Controls
In the Detail panel of the Develop module, do any of
the following:
Italic text extracted from Lightroom 1.1 Help
document
Above takes care of capture sharpening, but what about
creative and output. Alas, Lightroom still has no method by which
creative or selective sharpening can be applied but hopefully this will
be a feature in a future version. Output sharpening is also fairly
limited in so far as it is only available as pop-up options within the
Print module. That said, when Lightroom exports an image or
sends a image for editing in Photoshop, the sharpen settings for the
image will be applied to the rendered file. So creative or output
sharpening can be applied there using tools such as PhotoKit Sharpener.
The user is then free to apply whatever additional sharpening they
think is necessary. Noise reduction has also received some attention,
as has the demosiacing algorithms used to render the raw files.
New adjustments for Clarity, Sharpening and Defringing
The new Clarity adjustment is another very useful tool,
which adds mid-tone contrast. According to Jeff Schewe it's a hybrid of
a technique first documented by Michael Reichmann and a contrast
enhancement method taught by Mac Holbert of Nash Editions. While I
think the actual adjustment is very effective it is hampered to some
extent by the screen refresh method used by Lightroom, which means that
the effects of slider adjustment may not be as immediately obvious as
they are with Camera Raw .
Chromatic Aberration correction now includes a
Defringe pop-up menu with options to deal with two different
fringe types. The All Edges option is probably the most useful
since it removes colour fringing from specular highlights. Again, the
effects are only visible when the file is viewed at 100% or higher.
The new controls summarised above are a replication of
those in Camera Raw 4.1, for which Jeff Schewe has published a more
comprehensive explanation. His article can be found at
PhotoshopNews, so please visit the site for more information.
Other changes within the Develop
module include:
It’s now possible to load a Snapshot or
History state into the Before view by right-clicking it in
the panel. Using this feature it should be possible to compare the
final version with any history state or snapshot that has been recorded
since the last occasion either was reset.
Crop view now supports a more comprehensive set
of composition grid styles (e.g. Triangle, Golden Ratio
and Golden Spiral). These are chosen via the View menu,
or can be cycled through using the "Shift-O" shortcut. Another
nice touch is that hitting the Escape key will now undo the
changes made during a crop session. No doubt some will be disappointed
that we still can’t zoom into an image when cropping, hopefully next
time. The following screenshot shows the Golden Spiral within
the main content area, although the overlay is not be as clear as I
would have like.
Click image for larger view
Whilst not obvious at first glance the Colour panel
now supports multiple-selection of colors or HSL components.
Cmd+shift (Mac) or Ctrl+click (Windows) on the colour chips
or the HSL component names to view more than one at a time in the
panel. The relevant adjustment sliders will appear according to which
colour chip or chips you selected.
Colour Panel with reduced colour components selected
Note that above example
shows only red and green slider sets, which reflects the fact that it
was only red and green chips that I had selected.
The default Camera Raw settings from
Bridge/Photoshop are now shared with Lightroom. So, depending on
how preferences are set, these can vary by camera model or
additionally the unique camera serial number and/or ISO speed.
Synchronising Lightroom and Camera Raw Settings
A new Edit Externally File Naming option is
available from within the Preferences dialog. This feature will
be welcome to those who don’t like the “– edit” extension that occurred
when files were opened into Photoshop etc.
Click image for larger view
I probably should have mentioned earlier when covering
the Library module, but since the Toolbar and Filmstrip
features in all modules, then this is as good a place as any. Some of
the toolbar icons have been given a bit of a facelift. The text at the
top of the filmstrip now changes the highlighted item based on context,
which comes in very handy. For example, if a command in Develop will
affect all selected images, the text "X selected" is highlighted
instead of the filename. In output modules (Slideshow, Print and Web),
the highlighted section indicates which images will be included in the
output.
Slideshow module
The Slideshow module now makes better use of OS
and hardware based graphics technology (DirectX on Windows and
Quartz Composer on the Mac). Obviously, the performance and
quality will be dependent upon factors such as the computer/video and
card/monitor configuration being used, but the results should be an
improvement on version 1.0.
Click image for larger view
With Lightroom 1.1 the default behaviour has been
changed so that slideshows will now only include selected images when
more than one is selected. However, this behaviour can be overridden
via a new menu item (Play>Which Photos>). In my view this is a
very welcome change in Slideshow modules behaviour.
Print module
Like Slideshow, the Print module has received
little in the way of feature additions. That said the new hierarchical
template folder should make managing lots of user designed templates
much easier. Some other less obvious improvements in this module
include:
-
Pressing the Option
(Mac) or Alt (Windows) button will expose an Add Folder
button and allow you to bypass the Print dialog.
-
There's a new checkbox that
activates an Image Print Size overlay
-
There is a new checkbox
next to Print Resolution. Turning off this checkbox will cause
the native resolution of the photo to be used. From what I can gather
this feature only applies as long as the native resolution isn't
lower than 72ppi or higher than 480 ppi.
Click image for larger view
I suppose this is one of those modules were it's what
didn't get added that will make for the most "noise". By this I mean
the lack of Soft Proofing and Print-to-File. Both have
been widely requested but time and resources placed limits on what was
possible within the relatively short timeframe that was available to
the development team, hopefully next time.
Web module
In common with the Slideshow and Print modules Web has
seen only minor changes, for example:
-
Hierarchical template folders are available in this
module, which should make organising user templates into type
specific child-folders relatively simple. Again, pressing the
Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) button will expose an Add
Folder button.
-
An option has been added to the Output Settings
that will facilitate the inclusion of all embedded metadata with
images generated from Web, alternatively the user can opt to
reduce the metadata to just the content of the Copyright field.
Click image for larger view
There is also now a way to have Flash web
galleries that modify the XML generated by Lightroom, which
supports creating wrappers from some popular third-party web gallery
templates. Since I’m not that familiar with Flash web gallery
development I can’t really provide an indication of whether this
addition will make life easier for those who are. My guess is that it
will, although probably not as much as hoped.
The Web module also includes menu options that allow
selection of photos that match specific criteria (rating, label colour
or flag status) within the filmstrip. This module also supports the
filter toolbar and keyboard modifier selection method discussed
earlier.
Final thoughts
Adobe could easily have taken a more cautious approach
to Lightroom 1.1 by only providing bug fixes along with the bare
minimum of feature enhancements (e.g. Synchronise Folders and
Catalogs). The fact that they didn’t should not go unnoticed nor
should it be thought of us a reaction to criticisms levelled at
Lightroom 1.0. That said, Lightroom 1.1 has many more new
features than most expected and certainly more than many commentators
thought possible within the relatively short period of time that has
elapsed since 1.0 first went public. Will Lightroom 1.1 satisfy version
1.0 critics? I doubt it, however, I believe those with more realistic
expectations will see 1.1 for what it is - a significant and very
welcome update.
