Adobe Lightroom 2.0 Review

The Good Stuff

The best from Adobe has been saved for last. The achievement of obvious workflow streamlining combined with the Multi-Display, the powerful new features of the Develop Module, and the previous listed changes in other modules leads to what is possible in this new Lightroom.

The Secondary Display gives the users a choice of Grid, Loupe, Compare and Survey (Selected Images array) views of Library photographs. The choices are useful on a second screen while working through large numbers of images, especially when building a collection. Using the Secondary Display in Develop with the Loupe/live mode is a great asset. Virtual Copy enables before and after views with Compare while editing. A different concept than what many might first occur about using this implementation of a secondary display, but it works! Comparison of images side-by-side from pre-edit to post-edit sources is also possible.

Secondary Display

The Develop Module

The real killer app tools in Develop are Local and Targeted Adjustments using Gradients and Brush masks. These tools solve many of the image-to-image issues facing a digital photographer. The ability to copy, globally ‘paint’, or apply the same correction set to entire collections (smart or otherwise) now is even more flexible. The examples focus on these new features.

The Develop Module adds eyedropper driven Tonal Maps for split toning, a Detail Magnifier, and a Vignette tool. Enhanced Grayscale work is possible with combined use of these tools. In this example, a tonal choice alters the appearance of the scene under the tent. Split comparison viewing displayed. The Highlights map picks colors for modification or reassignment.

Tone Map

A picture is worth a thousand words and the face examples are what minutes of editing in the Lightroom alone can accomplish.

The after picture includes exposure and brightness gradients, localized sharpness adjustments around the eyes and eyebrows, cropping, and minor tonal work. There is also spot healing for a big piece of dust or something along the cheek line. The dirt on the chin is really part of an ice cream sandwich.

Before and After Editing

The screen shot examples below with the red masks for the eyebrows and hair are set for Clarity adjustments. The white circles are centers of adjustment masks for other effects. The image with the three diagonal lines is a gradient mask assigned to adjust the Exposure.

Local Brush Mask

Local Brush Mask

Gradient Example

The vignette photos to demonstrate effects available at extreme of application. All editing performed to this photo was performed in Lightroom. Modifications for exposure, clarity, and her eyes are to overcome the light. The detail inset in the one shows the right (her left) eye.

Vignette Before and After

Border Vignette

These might not be final images and just be Reset, but there is no huge consumption of disk space as the changes in Lightroom are data based and not written to disk until the final Export. Virtual editing of RAW files from individual work to multiple virtual copies that can be saved if needed but it is not necessary, is one of the continuing great strengths to this approach of document handling.

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