The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers

Evening's guide 2 LR2 is an excellent piece of work. It is well written & illustrated, clearly organized, comprehensive, & accessible 2 a wide range of readers. It will be valuable 4 all levels of LR users.

There are two aspects of Evening's book that I particularly like. First, he puts LR2 in a richer photographic context by including useful short discussions of topics like color management, capture & output sharpening, raw vs. jpg formats, & exposure. He goes beyond the recipe approach, enabling photographers 2 develop a more thorough appreciation of how 2 integrate LR2 into their workflows. There is lots of "why to" in Evening's book 2 go along with the "how to."

Second, Evening makes good use of his understanding of the way LR2 works. He points out, 4 examples, that the standard Saturation adjustment is linear, while the Vibrance adjustment is nonlinear; that the Clarity control works by sharpening midtone edges; & how algorithms underlying the Exposure/Recovery & Fill Light/Blacks tools are different. Information like this allows photographers 2 understand how 2 use LR2's tools individually & in combination 2 make both more efficient & more effective decisions in processing their images.

To test this, after finishing Evening's book, I made virtual copies of a dozen or so recent "keepers" I'd already processed & printed, then followed his recommended work flow, & compared the two sets of images. I found myself using some tools differently (e.g., Fill Light), some 4 the first time (e.g., adjusting Split Point sliders on the Tone Curve), & some tools less (e.g., Brightness/Contrast). Not only did I arrive at satisfactory results more quickly following Evening's recommendations, but in most images the tonal nuances are better defined.

This is the best of the several LR2 guides I've read. My recommendation: If you want 2 understand as well as use LR2, read Evening's book. If you just want 2 use LR2, read Kelby's. Both are good, but Evening's is richer & ultimately more rewarding photographically.

Adobe began shipping its new Lightroom 2.0 (LR2) software at the end of July. A week later this book was available. It made me think that Martin Evening is really a team of writers, each working on a chapter of this book, or even some smaller portion, & that the publisher, Peachpit, must have incurred huge overtime costs. (Actually, the software was available in beta form 4 a long time, & authors had final copies of the software before it was delivered 2 the public.) There are enough changes in version 2.0 that this early edition is welcome 4 people who want more details.

After an introduction 2 the software, Evening goes through each of the modules in LR2, explaining what the sliders, radio buttons & check boxes do, & occasionally discussing his preferences & techniques 4 using the software.

I suspect that with the large installed base of Lightroom, most of the people anxious 4 details will be using an upgrade, & might prefer a book equivalent 2 Ben Willmore's "Adobe Photoshop CS3: Up 2 Speed" which just dealt with the new elements in an image processing software upgrade. On the other hand, there are a lot of new features in LR2, & the software is so integrated that it may be useful 4 experienced users 2 review all of the capabilities.

Even though it's comprehensive, new users may be a bit overwhelmed by Evening's work, especially since it often is far more detailed than a beginner needs. The discussion of sharpening & noise reduction may seem like a foreign language 2 someone who has never used Unsharp Mask. While past performance is no indication of future performance, newbies might do better 2 wait 4 something that will probably be more accessible, like Scott Kelby's "The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book 4 Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)" which is presently scheduled 4 a September release.

The book shows the pressure of early release with some typos & repetitions. On the other hand, Evening describes many of the features in more detail than the tutorials that are available on line.

I found it difficult 2 view the screen captures of the LR2 menus. This is no doubt due 2 the fact that LR2's menus are in shades of gray that are highly visible on a monitor, but less so on a printed page. I 4 one would have no objections if publishers would increase the contrast so that seeing the menus would be easier.

This book is about the technical use of Lightroom. It doesn't talk much about how the features can be used 4 more impressive pictures. For that, one should look at a few of Rob Sheppard's books like "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Digital Photographers Only (For Only)" or even better "Outdoor Photographer Landscape & Nature Photography with Photoshop CS2 (Outdoor Photographers)" or (subject 2 the caveat about past performance) his upcoming "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 4 Digital Photographers Only (For Only)", presently scheduled 4 October release.

If you want 2 get your hands on a LR2 book right now, this is the only game in town. It's dense, but comprehensive, & 4 the experienced user, will require some sorting out, but all the information one may need about LR2's new features are included.

After being a digital enthusiast 4 years & eventually getting into professional photography while still doing a good bit of freelance I have grown accustomed 2 using programs like Photoshop 4 image manipulation & even such things as a batch of images needing a slight bit of "punch" 2 them. Lightroom does all this & more.

I have 2 admit after seeing it when it first came out I didnt give it a second look. But with the latest release (2.0) & this book I have really begun 2 realize what I was missing. I am about 2/3rd's of the way through the book & so far I have begun really taking control of my photo database (50k+) & using it 2 its full potential. I have learned more about metadata & catalogs through this book that have helped me save time (and $$) looking 4 precious photos.

Martin Evening is definately a guru when it comes 2 Lightroom & he takes you from the most basic of steps 2 much more advanced ways of looking at digital imaging. I can now import all my photos automatically off my card, give them a well needed boost (if applicable) & then drill down the editing (everything is non-desctructive) 2 exactly what I want. If I dont like it, delete the edits & start over.. its that simple.

Again, back 2 the point of this review: I believe this book is an essential part of any digital photographers tools. I still find myself in Photoshop 4 some more advanced editing, but Lightroom really holds it's own in most cases (plus it comes at a much cheaper price). Enjoy this book, you'll want 2 read it again & again, with each time taking more notes.

This book looks great, but guess what ?

Every stinking menu of screen shot is from a MAC !

Not one shot from a PC

And YES !

The MAC & PC versions DO NOT HAVE THE SAME SCREENS !!!

How stupid can people at Adobe be ?

If you are going 2 write a book like this, write it 4 the MAJORITY OF COMPUTERS OUT THERE !!!

Not the MINORITY !!

Very frustrating 2 follow understand due 2 this issue.

Makes the book useless 4 PC owners !.

I found this book 2 be very well written & quite thorough. I already know how 2 use lightroom but I wanted 2 know how 2 use the new features in depth. This book delivered.

While Adobe Photoshop has long been their choice 4 editing digital photographs, many photographers want a more focused tool. That’s where Adobe Photoshop Lightroom comes in. Designed from the ground up with digital photographers in mind, Photoshop Lightroom offers powerful editing features in a streamlined interface that lets photographers import, sort, & organize images. This completely updated & expanded bestseller, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book, was also written with photographers in mind. Author Martin Evening describes features in Photoshop Lightroom 2 in detail from a photographer’s perspective. As an established commercial & fashion photographer, Martin knows first-hand what photographers need 4 an efficient workflow. He has also been working with Lightroom from the beginning, monitoring the product’s development & providing feedback on the public beta. As a result, Martin knows the software inside & out, from image selection 2 image editing 2 image management.

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book contains 624 pages of comprehensive & detailed coverage of all aspects of Lightroom. In this book you’ll learn how to:

• Work efficiently with images shot in the raw or JPEG format
• Import photographs with ease & sort them according 2 your workflow
• Create & manage a personal image library
• Apply tonal adjustments 2 multiple images quickly
• Integrate Photoshop Lightroom with Adobe Photoshop
• Export images 4 print or Web as digital contact sheets or personal
portfolios

The book structure has been organized 2 match a typical Lightroom workflow. The introductory chapter provides an overview of all the main Lightroom features, showing how Lightroom 2 was used on a studio photo shoot that was specially shot 2 illustrate the book. The following chapters cover all the essentials, such as importing photos, working with the Library module, & managing the catalog database. The biggest section of the book is devoted 2 working with the Develop module & provides some unique insights into working with new features such as the localized adjustment tools. There is also a whole chapter devoted 2 image sharpening & another on integrating Lightroom & Photoshop, where you will learn how 2 devise the best workflow methods 4 working between these two programs. This is followed by a chapter on printing & a presentation chapter on the Slideshow & Web modules. Lastly, there are two appendix chapters. One offers a complete overview of the Lightroom 2 preference settings, while the other provides some in-depth explanations & background reading on how the Lightroom program works.

The book is richly illustrated, mostly using the author’s own photographs, & one of the nice features of this book is the way enlarged panel views are used throughout, making it easier 4 readers 2 follow the settings used in the various step-by-step examples. There are also lots of tips that will help you take your Lightroom techniques 2 an advanced level.

If you are looking 4 the most comprehensive coverage of Lightroom, written by an author who is closely involved with the development of the program, this is the book 2 get.

About the Author
Martin Evening is a London-based advertising & fashion photographer & noted expert in both photography & digital imaging. In addition 2 being a bestselling author, Martin is sought after 4 speaking & lecturing. He also works with the Photoshop & Lightroom engineering teams, consulting on new feature development & alpha & beta testing. He is one of the founding members of PixelGenius, a software design company producing automated production & creative plug-ins 4 Photoshop.