How to Run Lightroom on a Network

Posted by Eric Leszkowicz on May 6, 2010 in Blog, Featured Articles, Lightroom | 0 comments

Lightroom ships with a great limitation: the database cannot be accessed by more than one computer. The computer that you install Lightroom on is the computer that has to have the database on it.  Not a big issue if you have only one computer….but who does that anymore?  There is a way to make the changes that you make to a RAW file be shared between many computers.

Is there a workaround?

You can work around this limitation with a feature that is built in called synchronize folders.

First steps for success

You need to go through the steps I recommend for setting up the program.

Lightroom Preferences Settings

Lightroom Catalog Settings

The main thing is that you have the write changes into xmp checked.  Using the DNG format also improves your success.  Adobe has some information on their site if you need more information.

Making it Work

Although the database cannot be shared in Lightroom, you can have pictures placed anywhere on the network.  So imagine that there is a folder that has all the images from 2010.  Also imagine that there are Lightroom catalogs on two different computers called Catalog 1 and Catalog 2.

Scenario:

1. Computer 1 imports the images in the 2010 folder calling its Lightroom catalog “Catalog 1.”
2. Computer 2 imports the images in the 2010 folder calling its Lightroom catalog “Catalog 2.”
3. Computer 1 makes some changes to the RAW files that are (preferably) stored as DNG.
4. Computer 2 will see the updates when the preview is refreshed or rebuilt.

As long as no files are added to the folder, both catalogs will see the update.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When importing files, do not move them to a new location or rename them.  If you do, the other catalog will lose touch with them.

But I WANT to add files to the folders. Who doesn’t?  So now what.

The magic synchronize folder trick.

I suggest right clicking on a parent folder for this step.  When you click on this, you get an option box.

I highly suggest you check the “show import dialog before importing” box.  Otherwise, it will automatically import the photos. You also have the option of apply presets and applying keywords as well.

Feel free to offer comments and criticisms in the comments section. Thanks for reading.

Preferences Settings for Photographers Using Lightroom

Posted by Eric Leszkowicz on Feb 15, 2010 in Blog, Featured Articles, Lightroom, Setup | 4 comments

The following are what I think are the best Preferences Settings for Lightroom.

This will help Lightroom run well and play nice with other RAW readers (Bridge, PS, etc.)

Basic Catalog Settings for Photographers

Posted by Eric Leszkowicz on Feb 13, 2010 in Blog, Featured Articles, Lightroom | 0 comments

Lightroom is ready to go right out of the box (or right out of the download), but I think there are some settings that should be tweaked for optimum performance.

NOTE: This applies to Lightroom 2.6 and it is designed by a portrait photographer for portrait photographers.

Black and White Presets solved

Posted by Eric Leszkowicz on Dec 30, 2008 in Blog, Lightroom, Presets | 0 comments

Many of you have no doubt tried to do black and white in Lightroom.  I have . . . and failed.  I have also succeeded.  In the past I have tried to make a preset to be the one and only supreme black and white preset to address every situation that could every exist and bring about world peace.  Not possible.  Sure I knew the rules of black and white photography, but I was hoping to avoid them.  You can’t fight physics and win.

Yet. There was this thought that it could be a streamlined process that could produce predictable results, but how could this be done?  No doubt the best way would be to do this with presets and that is what I was able to do.

Soon…..VERY soon….you will be able to purchase and download the presets right here on the website.

I am excited to show others how to save time and this series of presets I hope will save everyone a TON of time.

Watermarking in Lightroom

Posted by Eric Leszkowicz on Nov 19, 2008 in Blog, Lightroom | 3 comments

Fellow geeks rejoice.

OK, at least for us photographers, watermarking is a part of everyday life.  The problem is that it is not an easy process.  Opening files and running actions, droplets, shortcuts and who knows what else on images all the while being frustrated and tearing our hair out.

What solutions exist that could make watermarking a touch easier? Lightroom has already simplified my life greatly and now it can do more.

There are two options that I know of:

Option1

Matt Kloskowski just posted a video on his blog that shows how to make lightroom slideshow do what it wasn’t intended to do. You can see that video here on his Lightroom Killer Tips website.

Option 2

Download a donation-ware plugin that Timothy Ames has created.  This is a plugin for Lightroom that allows you to apply the copyright information upon export.

My opinion.  Matt’s version of copyrighting is a bit easier to execute in the sense that all you need it Lightroom and Photoshop, but the Mogrify plugin is nothing short of amazing.  You can do so many tweaks to how it works. What do you do to watermark images?  Post your comments below.

UPDATE: Seeing LR3 beta 2 in action, the watermarking feature is far superiour to this method.  I suggest abandoning this method as soon as LR3 is available.