Months ago I downloaded the beta version of Adobe's Lightroom. I played with it some and tried to watch some of the free on-line video tutorials. Video tutorials just don't do it for me. All I see is an arrow darting around the screen and someone talking too fast for my slow brain to fully comprehend what they are doing. I really wasn't getting the Library module of Lightroom but the Develop module seemed a little more intuitive. After downloading the Lightroom beta I was able to download the beta version of Photoshop CS3, I found that some of the features I like in Lightroom's Develop module were included in Photoshop so I stopped exploring Lightroom.
I started not to even buy the full-blown Lightroom software but it was being offered at a discounted price and I decided to get it so that if I did start to use it, I would only be buying future upgrades. I guess that somewhere I knew that I would eventually want to use it and I was becoming more and more aware of how much I needed a better system of file management for the rapidly growing digital files.
One of the books I recently bought from my huge Amazon Wish List was Scott Kelby's new book, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers. I'm about 1/3 of the way into the book but I now know that I made the right decision in buying Lightroom. The Library module is going to be a great help......just wish I would have been using it for the last four years of digital shooting. Now I'm starting to read the Develop Module. I feel sure that I'll come to really understand the controls instead of just playing with them until things look "right."
I really like the way that Kelby sets up his instruction manuals. His book on Photoshop CS2 has been my all time favorite reference book for Photoshop. If you need to understand all the underlying programming, his books may not be for you but he has an easy way of explaining how things work and how they work together. And I like the screen shots of each step. I'm waiting for the release of his Photoshop CS3 book. Amazon doesn't have an estimated release date yet but I'm pre-ordering so I'll get mine as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'll work on the learning curve for Lightroom.
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My friend, Erika, and I are attending a Lightroom day-long seminar tomorrow in Boston conducted by no other than Scott Kelby, himself. I will talk about it later in the week.
Pitchertaker
I initially resisted Lightroom and now I loove it. I think it really enhances creativity by making it easier for you to 'try stuff' by making virtual copoes, using presets with previews etc. And I couldn't agree with you more about the Kelby book. I bought his as well as Martin Evening's and I think the Kelby book is far superior.
I bought CS3 Extended as an upgrade, and I am not going to even install it untill the CS3 Kelby book is out. I don't think his books are the best if you are intermediate to advanced user looking for new techniques, but for finding your way around a new program his clear style can't be beat!
The seminar was informative -- best thing I learned is how to switch on/off any correction applied in the development module: simply click the name of the control you are using....DUH. They could have told me that from the beginning. Works like a "preview." Also, you should know that Lightroom 1.XX is coming soon and it will be a free upgrade. A guy from Adobe was there and spent 20 minutes going over what additional things they are going to add. But that means Kelby's book will be outdated soon. Hope he issued an upgrade, also. More later when I get my thoughts together.
Pitchertaker
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