Along with support for new cameras, new lenses, and bug fixes, there are a few important new features to be aware of in both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom. Some of the new features are the same in both, but some are also unique to each application. Let’s start with some new features you’ll find just in Lightroom Classic (LrC).

New Catalog Upgrade (LrC)

As with each new version number change (from 13 to 14 in this case), you will be required to upgrade a copy of the LrC catalog you want to open in the new version. As soon as you launch the new LrC you’ll be prompted through this process.

Once new aspect this time around you won’t see the option to rename the new catalog here, but don’t worry as there is a new feature for renaming catalogs we’ll look at in a bit. Additionally, note that this process now includes a step where a compressed copy of the old catalog is created at the same time. This is only to preserve your old catalog in case you need to roll back to the previous version of the software for some unforeseen reason. It is worth checking the new minimum requirements for running the new version before you install. Click Upgrade to begin.

When finished, the upgraded copy of the catalog will open in the new version.

Rename Catalog (LrC)

If you now wish to rename your LrC catalog file (which is entirely optional and only for your benefit), head over to the File menu and look for the new Rename Catalog option there. Clicking that will open the Rename Catalog dialog box, which will auto-populate with the current name of the catalog.

Enter in your new name and click the Rename button, which causes LrC to quit and restart with the new name. Optionally, you can check the box to rename the parent folder too.

Before relaunching it will confirm the catalog has been renamed, then click OK to have the program launch.

Thankfully, the process is also smart enough to update the preferences to use the renamed catalog if you have changed the Default Catalog setting (Preferences > General) to open the specific catalog instead of Most recent. I don’t know why it took 14 versions to get this, but grateful it is here.

Preview Cache Size Limit (LrC)

On the subject of catalogs and preferences and such, on the General tab of the Catalog Settings dialog, there is a new option in the Preview Storage Management section that allows us to set an upper limit on the size of the preview cache. The goal of the preview cache is to speed up performance by storing ready made versions of imported photos so they load fast in Library while moving through folders and collections (as well as modules other than Develop), so having a large cache is a good thing for performance. However, if left unchecked (as it has been all this time) it can get very large over time. The idea is that you set a storage size limit that you are comfortable with from the perspective of available disk space on the drive where your catalog is stored, and once that limit is reached LrC will automatically purge the oldest preview files to make room for new ones.

In my case, my preview cache is currently 14GB (as shown above). I try to keep 300GB or so of free space on that drive, so I do have room to grow. I decided to check the box and limit that cache to 20GB and we’ll see how that goes. Note that you will be notified when the cache reaches 90% of that amount, and again when older previews are about to be purged. Keep in mind that LrC will automatically generate missing previews when you view an older folder. The only problem I can foresee is if you have older photos stored offline, as LrC can’t create previews of offline photos until you bring them online again.

One last LrC only thing to note is for Nikon photographers who shoot tethered on Silicon Macs is that you no longer need to run LrC in emulation mode, and support for the Zfc, Z9, and Z6 III has been added. Let’s look at a few things added to both LrC and Lightroom (Lr).

Generative Remove out of Early Access (LrC and Lr)

Originally added as an Early Access feature, the Generative Remove feature within the Remove suite of tools is a full-functioning feature. The first time you use it you’ll be asked to agree to Adobe’s User Guidelines for generative AI and then see a few tips to get started.

The panel has been refined, and I’m sure we’ll do a deeper dive on the way it works here soon, but Scott wrote about it when it first added.

Content Credentials (LrC and Lr)

This is being introduced as an Early Access feature, so not fully developed yet. Content credentials is a new type of metadata that allows content creators to add more information about themselves and their work as part of the export/output process. This is a new endeavor through the Content Authenticity Initiative that will likely become more important as the amount of generative AI content grows. You can find the option to include content credentials on the Export dialog in LrC:

Or as part of the Share dialog in Lr (settings are controlled in Preferences > Export):

We’ll do a deeper dive into the options, what’s included, and how to get it set up in a future blog post.

Denoise Linear Raw Files (LrC and Lr)

One last thing to note that has been added to both LrC and Lr for Mac/Windows is that the Denoise tool can now be used on linear raw DNGs, which includes merged Pano DNGs, merged HDR DNGs, and other linear raw formats. Let’s wrap up with a look at a few new features added just to Lr.

Smart Albums (Lr Windows/Mac)

If you’ve used Smart Collections in LrC then you know exactly what Smart Albums are in Lr. However, if you are new to the concept you can think of them both as a sort of saved search where you define the search criteria and then photos (and videos) appear in the saved search (smart album) automatically. Just as Smart Collections don’t sync from LrC to Lr, Smart Albums do not sync from Lr to LrC. You can create a Smart Album by clicking the + sign next to Albums and choosing Smart Album from the list. This opens the Create Smart Album dialog where you configure the search criteria and give the smart album a meaningful name.

You can also select All Photos, then use the Filter above the thumbnails to filter your entire library on desired criteria, then save that as a Smart Album.

I’m sure we’ll be taking a closer look at how to best use these down the road. This is only in the Windows/Mac (aka Desktop) version of Lr right now.

Edit 3rd Party Apps (Lr Windows/Mac)

Another new feature only for the Windows/Mac version of Lr is the ability to edit photos in external editors beyond Photoshop. This has been a big limiting factor for a lot of folks who use products like Topaz, On1, Affinity, etc. and want to integrate them with the editing they are doing in Lr. To do this, you can use the File > Edit in, then browse to the application file for the program you want to send the copy to for editing. This can also be accessed by right-clicking the photo and using the Edit in option that appears in the contextual menu.

Quick Actions (Lr Android/iOS and web)

I recently wrote about Quick Actions in Lightroom for web, and this is that same feature evolved and added to Lr for Android/iOS. This is an Early Access feature, so it will continue to evolve over future releases. For now, look for the magic wand icon to have the selected photo analyzed and ready for quick AI-powered edits.

I’m sure we’ll see this feature added to Lr for Windows/Mac in the future as well.

So that’s the highlights for LrC and Lr, but be sure to check out Adobe’s own rundowns for what’s new in Lightroom Classic and Lightroom, and check back here for deeper dives into all the new features in coming days.

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Insights and Expertise from Masters of ON1

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Immersive Learning and More

Dive into the beauty of nature and learn how to conquer the complexities of landscape editing with the most robust software available. Visit the conference website to view the schedule for the conference sessions and bonus events. You can also join our Pre-Conference day on June 17th for an orientation and intro sessions, and get to know the other attendees before the conference starts. Discover ways to get the most out of the conference, network with other photographers, share your work, and make new friends.

Pricing and Special Bonus

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The post Presenting the ON1 Landscape Photography Conference June 18-19 appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The October 2023 issue of Photoshop User is now live on the KelbyOne site and the KelbyOne app for iOS and Android.

In this issue, we continue our annual tradition of bringing you 100 of the hottest tips by 10 of the coolest gurus in the industry, plus we explore ways to improve Lightroom Classic’s performance, experiment with blending textures with live text and using layer styles as dynamic masks, mimicking infrared effects in Photoshop, turning midday lighting into golden-hour lighting, creating designs for packaging, and so much more!

This issue’s cover designed by Jessica Maldonado

Current KelbyOne members can log into their account to access the new issue, or you can visit https://kelbyone.com/magazine to sign up and start reading today.

KelbyOne Pro members have access to more than 120 back issues of Photoshop User magazine all the way back to January 2012, plus all 64 issues of Lightroom Magazine. Not a Pro member yet? Click here for more information.

The post The October 2023 Issue of Photoshop User Is Now Available! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

AI goes well beyond generating images in Photoshop and we show you all the ways it can help improve your images and workflow, plus things every Lightroom Classic user should know to get the most out of managing and editing their images, creating the Droste effect where an image repeats within itself, mastering the colors and textures of the Arctic, using the Warp tool to apply texture effects, building a product label, and so much more!

This issue’s cover image by KelbyOne member Laurent Lanée

Current KelbyOne members can log into their account to access the new issue, or you can visit https://kelbyone.com/magazine to sign up and start reading today.

KelbyOne Pro members have access to more than 120 back issues of Photoshop User magazine all the way back to January 2012, plus all 64 issues of Lightroom Magazine. Not a Pro member yet? Click here for more information.

The post The September 2023 Issue of Photoshop User Is Now Available! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The June 2023 issue of Photoshop User is now live on the KelbyOne site and the KelbyOne app for iOS and Android.

In this issue, learn the fundamentals of masking to using them creatively to add depth and dimension to your images, plus a closer look at the mind-blowing Remove tool in the latest Photoshop update, exploring the latest updates in Lightroom Classic that have improved the Lightroom-to-Photoshop workflow, creating a day-to-night image gradient, correcting white balance for skin tones in Lightroom, and so much more!

This issue’s cover image by KelbyOne member Steve Whiston

Current KelbyOne members can log into their account to access the new issue, or you can visit https://kelbyone.com/magazine to sign up and start reading today.

KelbyOne Pro members have access to more than 100 back issues of Photoshop User magazine all the way back to January 2012, plus all 64 issues of Lightroom Magazine. Not a Pro member yet? Click here for more information.

The post The June 2023 Issue of Photoshop User Is Now Available! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The May 2023 issue of Photoshop User is now live on the KelbyOne site and the KelbyOne app for iOS and Android.

In this issue, we’ll tell you all the reasons why showing off your work online is key to your success, and how Lightroom and Adobe Portfolio make it easy, plus a look at all the new Lightroom updates released in April, a test-drive of Adobe’s entry into the AI image-generation race, creating rusty text in Photoshop, building a mixed-media collage, exploring Retouch4me plug-ins, and so much more!

This issue’s cover image by KelbyOne member Jack Kosowsky

Current KelbyOne members can log into their account to access the new issue, or you can visit https://kelbyone.com/magazine to sign up and start reading today.

KelbyOne Pro members have access to more than 100 back issues of Photoshop User magazine all the way back to January 2012, plus all 64 issues of Lightroom Magazine. Not a Pro member yet? Click here for more information.

The post The May 2023 Issue of Photoshop User Is Now Available! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The April 2023 issue of Photoshop User is now live on the KelbyOne site and the KelbyOne app for iOS and Android.

In this issue, see how applying blur effects creatively in Photoshop can bring your images into focus, plus learn a unique way to create and apply scan lines to your subjects in Photoshop, speed tips for quickly reviewing and culling images in Lightroom, masking images with graphic patterns, tips for building books in Lightroom, adding digital face paint, create your own custom vinyl album, and so much more!

This issue’s cover image by KelbyOne member Don Hoekwater

Current KelbyOne members can log into their account to access the new issue, or you can visit https://kelbyone.com/magazine to sign up and start reading today.

KelbyOne Pro members have access to more than 100 back issues of Photoshop User magazine all the way back to January 2012, plus all 64 issues of Lightroom Magazine. Not a Pro member yet? Click here for more information.

The post The April 2023 Issue of Photoshop User Is Now Available! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The March 2023 issue of Photoshop User is now live on the KelbyOne site and the KelbyOne app for iOS and Android.

In this issue, learn how to use Photoshop Express to quickly and easily add special effects, graphic overlays, text, and looks to your phone images; plus, retouching hot spots in Lightroom; using Lightroom to import images into Lightroom Classic; turning your photos into chalk drawings in Photoshop; creating stained glass portraits in Photoshop; creating three different posters with one image; and so much more!

This issue’s cover image by KelbyOne member Wendi Kennedy

Current KelbyOne members can log into their account to access the new issue, or you can visit https://kelbyone.com/magazine to sign up and start reading today.

KelbyOne Pro members have access to more than 100 back issues of Photoshop User magazine all the way back to January 2012, plus all 64 issues of Lightroom Magazine. Not a Pro member yet? Click here for more information.

The post The March 2023 Issue of Photoshop User Is Now Available! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Eight individual masks will be applied to the photo, and at this point, each mask has no settings included. Think of it as a blank canvas awaiting your brush. You can make this a template that you can use to quickly make new presets down the road. In the Masks panel, double-click on each mask and rename the Mask Group to reflect the feature being masked (instead of Mask 1, and so on). When you’re done your masking panel will be a lot easier to read what each mask is affecting.

Let’s save all that work as a preset. Click the + sign at the top of the Presets panel and choose Create Preset. In the New Develop Preset dialog box, click the Group drop-down menu, choose New Group, and name the new group something like My Adaptive Presets or whatever makes sense to you. Then click the Check None button at the bottom to clear all checkboxes. Under Masking, check the box next to each Mask Group name (this is why I had you rename those Mask Groups previously). I’d leave Support Amount Slider checked, but that’s all. Give your preset a meaningful name, like Portrait Template, and click Create.

That will create a new preset group in the Presets panel and place your new preset within. Now you’ve got a powerful preset that does nothing except create masks for each portrait feature. Here’s where you get to customize and play with settings. One at a time, click on each Mask Group and adjust the settings for that specific feature to make it look good to your taste. Don’t worry about it being perfect for all photos, just tweak and adjust for this one. Once you’ve adjusted the settings for each feature, click the + sign above the Presets panel and create a new preset. Give it a meaningful name, in my case Enhance Portrait: Teen Male, make sure all the Masking boxes are checked (and support Amount slider), and click Create. The preset group you created previously should still be selected, but always worth double-checking so you can find it again.

That preset will be added to your preset group along with your template. Now that you know how this works you can use your template preset as a starting point for creating new presets for different looks, and different portrait subjects. If you want to make presets for single features (like just hair), then only check the box for the Hair mask group. You can be as granular as you wish. If portraits are not really your thing, then try those same steps but with using a landscape photo with an obvious sky for applying the Select Sky masking tool. Or experiment with Select Subject and Select Background for automating the creation of masks for the subject in your photo with different settings for the background. Use the included presets for inspiration. When you are comfortable with applying these presets to individual photos try selecting a batch of photos in Develop, enable Auto Sync, and apply one preset to all selected photos to really speed up your workflow (note, some time is needed to generate the masks in your batch, but once done you’ll be further ahead). Then you can walk through each photo and tweak as desired. Have fun!

The post Adaptive Presets in Lightroom Classic: Part 2 appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The January 2023 issue of Photoshop User is now live on the KelbyOne site and the KelbyOne app for iOS and Android.

In this issue, when dodging and burning is done right in Photoshop, it can open a galaxy of possibilities in your images; plus join us on an exploration mission of Adaptive presets in Lightroom Classic; wrap text into a cylindrical shape using the new Cylinder Warp preset in Photoshop; retouching teeth, hair, and eyes in Lightroom; create custom distortion effects using filters in Photoshop; and so much more!

This issue’s cover image by KelbyOne member Liesl Walsh

Current KelbyOne members can log into their account to access the new issue, or you can visit https://kelbyone.com/magazine to sign up and start reading today.

KelbyOne Pro & Plus members have access to more than 100 back issues of Photoshop User magazine all the way back to January 2012, plus all 64 issues of Lightroom Magazine. Not a Pro or Plus member yet? Click here for more information.

The post The January 2023 Issue of Photoshop User Is Now Available! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.