Adobe Lightroom Classic - Beginner Level

Get to know all the role players in Lightroom and how they work together:

1) The computer;

2) The software;

3) The catalog;

4) The external hard drive; and

5) The image files.

It's time to become familiar with the Lightroom interface. Let's take a first look...

By the end of this lecture, you'll know how to create your Lightroom catalog file and how to import any existing photos, which we'll move from your computer's hard drive to an external hard drive in order to speed up your machine.

Welcome to Lightroom's LIBRARY MODULE. By the end of this lecture you'll be familiar with the basic layout of the Library Module.

By the end of this lecture, your Identity Plate will be set up in the Library Module.

By the end of this lecture you'll know how to open and close all the most important panels in the Library Module and which shortcut keys to use to:

1) View thumbnails of your images;

2) View a single image only;

3) View an image in full screen; and

4) How to darken the areas around an image.

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to zoom in (to 100%) and out of your photos using the Library Module's Navigator.

By the end of this lecture you'll know all the most important buttons on the Library Module Toolbar, including the Survey View, Compare View and image attributes.

An organized Lightroom catalog is a healthy Lightroom catalog!

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to:

1) create new folders;

2) rename existing folders;

3) rename existing images; and

4) drop and drag one or multiple images into other folders.

You'll also understand how links are formed between Lightroom and these files, ensuring that you never see worrying question marks or exclamation marks.

By the end of this lecture, you'll know how to create specific sets of information that can be viewed for either individual images or groups of images, including things like:

1) Shooting mode;

2) Camera settings;

3) Camera make and model;

4) Lens and focal length;

5) Cropped image dimensions; and

6) Date taken.

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to assign specific attributes to your images, including:

1) flags for ones you like or dislike;

2) star ratings (1 to 5); and

3) colors (red, yellow, green, blue and purple).

This lecture serves as a quick recap of the most important things you've learnt in this section on Lightroom's Library Module.

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to import new photos from your camera's memory card straight into your Lightroom catalog, where you'll create or choose the right folder for it.

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to narrow down your images from hundreds (or even thousands) to the few that are worth processing in Lightroom's Develop Module. I'll show you my workflow in choosing my best images with the help of the white flag and five star attributes.

Welcome to Lightroom's DEVELOP MODULE. By the end of this lecture you'll be familiar with the basic layout of the Develop Module and you'll understand why you should shoot in RAW!

In this lecture you'll master the crop tool, which allows you to:

1) Crop images;

2) Straighten horizons; and

3) Change the aspect of your photos.

In this lecture you'll master the basic adjustments panel in Lightroom's Develop Module, which includes:

1) White Balance;

2) Tint;

3) Exposure;

4) Contrast;

5) Highlights and Shadows;

6) Clarity and Dehaze; and

7) Vibrance and Saturation.

Once you've completed this lecture, you'll be able to increase or decrease specific colors in your images evenly.

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to sharpen the most important parts of your images without increasing noise levels in the blurred backgrounds.

In this lecture you'll master the spot removal tool, which enables you to remove unwanted spots or distractions in your images.

By the end of this lecture you'll understand why a RAW file has to be exported before it can be used on, for example, social media or for printing...

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to create a preset for exporting files for social media use. The preset will be optimized for Facebook and ensures that your images show up pin sharp!

By the end of this lecture you'll be able to create a preset for exporting files for printing, ensuring that the colors look perfect and the image is at its best size and resolution.

It's incredibly important to always backup your photos and store the backup hard drive somewhere safe.

In this lecture I leave you with my five TOP TIPS for beginners in Lightroom Classic CC, namely:

1) Concentrate when you import new photos!

2) Keep your folders in the Library Module nicely organized.

3) Choose your favorites as soon as possible after a shoot and then delete the rest from your hard drive to save space.

4) Apply subtle adjustments to photos when you process them in the Develop Module.

5) Play around with all the functions, buttons and sliders in Lightroom and familiarize yourself with the program.

Don't forget to watch the Bonus Lecture after this one and please leave a rating and review if you haven't done so already...