Crashing Lightroom

[Vernon Barker]

Just getting to grips and learning to use Lightroom. Problem is everytime I try to export a picture Lightroom stops responding.
Any ideas?

PS I have sent an enquirey to ADOBE, but they wont be replying until Monday.

[Jon Sharp]

I had the same difficulty when I tested it.

I found it too slow and cumbersome, I suspect becuase of how much they've packed into it. Needless to say - I hit the uninstall key and got rid!

[carman]

Are you ussing the current final version 1.0. I had some problems with the Betas but the final version is great. It will sometime seem to stop for a few seconds to catch up.

[Leicaman7]

Originally Posted by carman

Are you ussing the current final version 1.0. I had some problems with the Betas but the final version is great. It will sometime seem to stop for a few seconds to catch up.

I have only used version 1.0 and have had no problems exporting at all. sorry I can't help.

[Nigel G]

I've just downloaded my freebie having had Rawshooter premium and it seems to work ok. Again this is the final 1.0 version.

[Stephen]

Adobe Lightroom v1

Like many others, I downloaded the Beta version of Lightroom last year, it was far from full featured at the time and rather slow. I could see some potential, though frankly its method of workflow was different to my existing one and consequently it was not long before I uninstalled it.

Since that time and especially after the release of the full version, I had heard great things about the program and decided to download the Trial version towards the end of February. It promised to be the one stop solution for the Pro photographer, incorporating asset management software, Raw file conversion, as well as jpeg adjustment. Then there was Slideshow production, Web gallery production and a print module.

Frankly, I’ve been blown away by this program. Once you get to grips with the way it works, I’ve found it easy to learn, it has an intuitive interface and most tasks can be worked out easily without the need for manuals. I have to be honest and say that for years now I’ve been a big user of Windows Explorer to manage my folders, and later of Adobe Bridge/ACR for Raw file adjustment and other Photoshop related tasks. Lightroom goes far beyond this though, and it only took just over a week for me to make the decision to buy it. The boxed version was ordered direct from Adobe, and it took only a couple of days to arrive.

I store my personal images on a 320gb external drive, so decided to try importing key folders from that. I say import, though in reality the actual files are not imported onto your C drive. They stay in their original location and only a thumbnail preview is imported. This means of course that vast numbers of images can be imported, catalogued etc without it filling up your C drive. If you don’t use an external drive then obviously importing files from you’re My Docs folders, creates the shortcut thumbnail just the same. Anyway it was not long before I had imported over 6500 files in a series of folders, and all had been given basic Keyword tags. Keywords btw can be refined and added to files and folders very easily at a later date. It must be said at this stage that files imported from an external drive don’t disappear when the drive is switched off, the folder name simply appears in red and the thumbnails can still be viewed though obviously not adjusted. As soon as the external drive is switched on the files are accessed again and the folder names revert to their normal state.

In the Develop module, we have the raw conversion and file adjustment element of Lightroom. I’m not going to go into all that can be done to your raw files here, suffice to say the adjustment controls are infinitely better than Photoshop CS2 and the built in ACR. The ability to fine tune and alter colours, saturation, hue etc have been a revelation to me, and the ability to do spotting with the Clone and Heal tools whilst still in Raw format is brilliant. Not only this, but spotting done on one file can be applied to a batch of similar files. This is going to save a lot of time. One of the major benefits for me was that it seems so much easier to separate out tonal areas like highlights and shadows, or different areas of colour etc and adjust them without affecting other areas too much. For anyone who cares to look there are some great little video tutorials on the LR website. The before and after option also is a brilliant way to clearly see the changes you have made. Once adjustments are made to the files in a folder they can be exported to another location, in any format, colour space or size you want, and if it’s only 1 or 2 files they can be opened in Photoshop or your other manipulation program. It doesn’t take you long to realise however that the need for further manipulation is greatly reduced as most tasks can be done in Lightroom.

Lightroom is not the only program that will allow you to rate images, Bridge does that, but it is so easy to rate your favourite shots from a shoot, then add them to a new ‘Collection’ These are just like a virtual folder where you can easily access your favourite shots. Again the files are not duplicated, rather a shortcut thumbnail is created, it allows you to find and work on images more easily. From a collection, for example you could move on the Slideshow or Web modules and simply work on the shots in your collection.

I have also been impressed with the Slideshow module. It allows you very quickly, without the need to work on the converted jpeg to create extremely attractive slideshows, and even export them to PDF so anyone can view them in Acrobat.

The web module is equally slick, having a variety of ready made templates to create HTML and Flash style web galleries, and with a built in FTP program its easy to upload directly to your web space.

In the Print module there are a variety of ready made templates for different contact sheets and print sizes. It is easy though to create your own. I prefer for example a 6x4 (24 image) contact sheet and it took me only a short time to get it exactly how I wanted it. The ability also to add a watermark or a personal nameplate to prints is also possible here, positioning it exactly where you want and with the opacity you want

So, is it all good? I’d be interested to hear from other users, but I’ve had the occasional hiccup, where the program briefly freezes, as though its trying to catch up with what you have asked it to do. Now this could be because I’m working on files from an external drive, I’m not sure, so any comments from others would be welcome. I haven’t done any timings in the print module but my impression was that it took quite a while to start printing, though I suppose it is assimilating a lot of data, and even Bridge has to process and create the Contact Sheet in Photoshop before you tell it to print, and there is none of that in LR.

In summary then, LR will pretty much do all the basic tasks for you, and seems to be a one stop shop for the average Pro photographer. The cost of £125 + vat. is not an inconsiderable amount, though to put that into perspective its about 3 tank fulls of petrol, a meal out for four maybe, or a new household appliance for your wife. For the Pro, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue, and can easily be recouped one way or another.

I've been playing around with LR this afternoon, and especially the Slideshow and Web modules. I created a Quick Collection of 11 images taken from a folder of Raw files taken in 2003 when I visited the SW USA. We were at Page Arizona and went on a float trip down Glen Canyon on the Colorado. One of those must do things, that stays with you for life.

I have created a web gallery HERE which incorporates a slideshow and a PDF slideshow HERE which will run in Acrobat, if not straight in your browser, in mine the mouse wheel moves the slideshow on.
Feel free to have a look they will give you some idea of what can be done literally in a few minutes, straight from the raw files

[carman]

I agreee with everything Stephen says. this is a great piece of software. I will take a lot of persuading to use anything else. I use LR for all normal adjustments a PSE5 for tweaks and layers. Go here for great how to do it video. http://www.rawworkflow.com/index.html

[Nigel G]

Originally Posted by carman

I agreee with everything Stephen says. this is a great piece of software. I will take a lot of persuading to use anything else. I use LR for all normal adjustments a PSE5 for tweaks and layers. Go here for great how to do it video. http://www.rawworkflow.com/index.html

Thanks for this Carman. Having just loaded LR these videos are just what I need to get started. It looks great.