Page 6 - Lightroom Magazine Issue 26

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A Note from Scott lightroom updates
If you’re wondering if anything “big” has happened since our last issue, well, yeah! Plenty! First, there was a new update to Lightroom CC, called the 2015.8 release (yes, it’s not lost on me that it’s now nearly 2017—don’t get me started. With any luck, the Lightroom team will fol- low the cue of the Photoshop team, which jumped their recent release to a much more fitting 2017). Okay, what’s in the new release? In brief, they added a new Develop module feature that gives you the ability to choose any image as a “Reference Image” (an image whose look you want to match in your current image so you can do some serious side-by-side tweaking). They also worked on speed improvements throughout. According to Adobe, “...you should notice improvements in image editing responsive- ness when background tasks (such as Preview Generation) are running, moving files between folders, and running catalog backups.” A speedier Lightroom is always welcome.
They also added a few minor, but helpful tweaks, such as more accurate Fit and Fill image previews for users with 4K or 5K monitors. You can now export a collection as a catalog, and smart collections have the ability to filter images that have snapshots associated with them. Outside of that, it’s the usual new camera support (including teth- ering support for the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV); a bunch of new lens profiles; and of course, bug fixes. As I mentioned on LightroomKillerTips.com (I write Lightroom posts there daily), it’s a pretty modest update, but the stuff they added is all decent. Not necessarily any stuff at the top of my Lightroom wish list (or on it at all for that matter), but there are probably some users jumping for joy, and I’m happy for them. Kinda. ;-)
Lightroom for the Web also got a few tweaks and enhancements a few weeks earlier. Adobe added things such as the ability to download full-resolution images and to share individual images (so you no longer have to share an entire collection).
But Lightroom Mobile got the biggest overall update, especially for the iPhone version, which has a new editing interface that’s designed to make it more like Lightroom on the desktop. It’s a totally new way to work, and so far most folks seem to dig it. They also majorly tweaked Lightroom Mobile’s built-in camera with the ability to go into “Pro” mode and set the f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO for the iPhone camera. There are lots of other little tweaks as well (such as seeing and editing your basic metadata in the app). It’s a very worthwhile update, and I like the direction they’re headed with the new user interface.
On the KelbyOne site we’ve been getting awesome feedback on my new online course called the Simplified Lightroom Image Management System (the SLIM System)—so much so that we did a special live Members- Only Webcast where I answered users’ questions. Click here if you missed the webcast. Of course, make sure you watch the course first (it’ll make much more sense). I cre- ated the course exclusively for you, our KelbyOne members, so if you’ve ever struggled with keeping your library main- tained, backed up, and organized, this class is for you.
A lot’s happened since last issue, and with what we have planned for our Lightroom-using members in 2017, I expect you’ll be hearing a lot more from me again next issue.
All my best,
Scott Kelby
KelbyOne President & CEO
Editor & Publisher, Lightroom Magazine
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