From photo organization to photo publishing, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom provides all of the essentials to perfect the art of taking digital photos. The product's overall goal is to simplify photography from start to finish, a goal they have definitely achieved.
Presented as a series of easy to use modules, Lightroom provides the user with the ability to easily navigate through each of the steps in the common photography workflow. Through the five modules, Library, Develop, Slideshow, Print and Web, both the serious and amateur photographer alike can easily accomplish the tasks of photo importing, organizing, developing, editing, printing and publishing. The user interface provides a simple, uncluttered design that features panels on either side of the workspace. Panels are easily navigated using minimize and maximize features to show and hide tool options.
Photo importing is where the process begins. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom offers tools that automate such tasks as file handling, assigning metadata, applying keywords, establishing exposure levels and backing up digital images. Photo organization is handled through the Library Module, which also serves as the photographer's workspace. Quick collections and long-lasting collections offer the ability to further categorize photos by shoot. One of the great things about collections is that they do not supersede the library. Any images removed from a collection will remain in the library for future use.
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The Develop Module of the product includes very robust tools that allow the user to manage color and exposure using tools as simple as a slidebar. The preview feature illustrates the before and after view of the photo enabling the user to see what the selected changes will do to the photo. One of the most exciting benefits of using Photoshop Lightroom is that all of the selected changes applied to the raw format of a photo are non-destructive. Therefore, the user can experiment with different settings to see what they like best while preserving the original quality of photo.
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The Print Module provides the ability to quickly create contact sheets, proofs and gallery sheets. Templates of common layouts are available but the user an also modify the layout to fit their needs. Identity plates are available for the photographer to put their stamp on their work and also include any of the available metadata as well. Due to direct integration with Hewlett Packard, Espon and Canon printers, users can print directly from the Photoshop Lightroom application.
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The Web Module is available for creating online presentations in the format of slideshows. Available as either Flash or HTML galleries, users can preview their files in Photoshop Lightroom and then upload to their own webserver for client viewing. The slideshow view has a lot of customization options including setting to music, timing for transitions, and slide viewing. Identity plates and backdrops are also options.
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