Over the past ten years I have taken many more photographs than I can comfortably count. Keeping track of them is a huge job, and keeping track of the ones I want to have access to is even more difficult. I have solved the dilemma of cataloging my photos with the use Adobe Lightroom. The application, which works on both Mac and Windows computers, was designed for use by photographers, and is an amazing tool. In addition to creating a catalog of all imported photographs, the application is closest thing to a true digital darkroom I have used.
Many of you who are Mac users may use iPhoto to catalog and edit your photographs. I have never been happy with the way iPhoto catalogs photos, but it has been the application of choice for a majority of Mac users. I say has been, because it is being phased out, soon to be replaced by Photos for OS X, an application that will function like the iOS Photos app on iPhones and iPads. Mac users can continue to use iPhoto, but as it will no longer be supported, this might be the time to find a better alternative, and if you are serious about your photography, there is no better alternative than Adobe Lightroom. To aid in transition, Adobe has in incorporated features into Lightroom that make it easy to transition from iPhoto and Aperture, Apple’s more advanced photo application (also no longer supported).
Using Lightroom to catalog photos is very straight forward. Every time a photo is imported into the application it is placed in a library. The library can be subdivided into folders and subfolders, and the photos can be stored on multiple disk drives. What makes Lightoom standout is that every photo that has been imported appears in the library catalog, no matter where the actual photograph is stored. If the photo is stored on a disk that is not connected to the computer, an exclamation mark will appear next to the photo, and the name of the drive housing the photo will appear in a side panel. My main Lightroom library holds over 22,000 photographs and works seamlessly.
In addition to storing my photo library, Lightroom is my go-to application for photo editing. With the program I am able to adjust light balance, lighting, and lens correction, as well as preform a myriad of other editing options. I still use Adobe Photoshop for complex editing functions, and for many of you Adobe Photoshop Elements is an excellent alternative, but since I started using Lightroom I find less need to use Photoshop.
Within the past year Adobe has been adding functionality to its mobile applications for both iOS and Android devices, among them a mobile version of Lightroom. Using both the desktop and mobile version of the program I am able to transfer photos between devices over WiFi, edit photos on my iPad, and take selected photos with me wherever I go.
Lightroom lists for $150 and can be purchased for under $135 from Amazon. It is also available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan. For a subscription of $9.99 a month, or $119.88 a year, subscribers receive full version downloads of both Lightroom and Photoshop. Upgrades are rolled out to subscribers several times a year, and while Lightroom can also be purchased as a stand-alone application, upgrades are not included. Adobe Photoshop Elements is also still available as a stand-along application, but Photoshop is can only be purchased through a subscription.
If you are interested in learning more about using Lightroom, there is a plethora of learning material available on the web. Adobe features a full range of tutorials, as do a number of high-quality third party websites.
Adobe tutorials: helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/tutorials.html, tv.adobe.com/show/learn-lightroom-5/
A free getting started in Lightroom guide - lightroom-blog.com/2015/01/03/the-free-start-guide-to-lightroom/
Excellent daily Lightoom tips: lightroomkillertips.com
Information about the new Photos for iOS: www.theverge.com/2015/2/5/7982735/apple-new-iphoto-announced-photos-app-for-mac.
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