Lightroom 2: Streamlining your Digital Photography Process

• #45 in Best Photography Books

34 Reviews

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I was honestly a little leery of purchasing another Lightroom 2 book. I had a few kicking around the house already and I doubted there was anything left to learn that I couldn't find for free online.

I was wrong.

If you're in the market for a single Lightroom 2 book - buy this one. For those of you who have followed Lightroom from the beginning there are great tips and shortcuts to be found. For those of you who are new to the Lightroom work flow this is the book for you. "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2: Streamlining your digital photography process" will help unlock all of Lightroom's potential.

Ok, I know that sounded a bit like a commercial. It isn't. I was just pleasantly surprised to be learning new tips and shortcuts that I will use and that will save me time.

So what sets this book apart from the others?

It's simple really - Mr. Coalson sticks to one thing and one thing only; moving images through the Lightroom pipeline. He's not trying to make you a better photographer, he just wants you to take care of your images, manage them and then reach your end goals. He wants you to be a more organized photographer.

This is a great book! Its a pleasing read front-to-back and clearly laid out with intuitive, eye-catching graphics for shortcuts, tips, reminders, etc. This makes later reference a snap.

I was quite familiar with Lightroom before purchasing, but I'm picking up new tips, tricks and techniques at the turn of every page. I've learned how to better integrate my old catalog of digitized 35mm and 4x5 transparencies with the thousands of newer DSLR images. I've also learned a bunch of processing tips to get the best out of my images. My catalog and digital workflow have both become more organized and efficient.

I highly recommended this book for anyone starting out with, or interested in truly get the best out of Lightroom!

When I got my Nikon DLSR I found myself with a big problem, how to manage all of these pictures and how to pick the best ones for processing. My existing work flow was amateur at best! This book completely changed how I process all of my digital photos. With easy to follow step by step instructions anybody can have a professional workflow after reading this book.

Unlike many other technical books I have read which just give you the how-to on things. Nathaniel Coalson takes you through how he as a photographer uses this software and what he has found is the most efficient. You can quickly tell that he is a true master with it and the simple tips and instructions you can be too.

There are many different types of books for an application like Lightroom because there are so many different kinds of audiences out there with different needs and desires. So first off, and perhaps most importantly, I'll try to state what I think the target audience is and the author's apparent goals are.

Essentially this book outlines how to use and integrate Lightroom into your workflow from image capture in the camera all they way to output to a print or a web page. It accomplishes this fairly encompassing goal by assuming the reader has some basic photographic and computer knowledge as well as the initiative to play, poke and prod on their own once the logical path forward has been illustrated.

The book assumes you know how to find a file on your computer and open it. It assumes that you know how to click dialog buttons and open and close windows. It assumes you know what shutter speed, aperture and exposure compensation are. It assumes you know how to plug in your printer and load its drivers. Basically, it assumes you are proficient enough that you could probably get Lightroom installed, some images into it and do some limited developing and printing by yourself. Really, no one needs to write a book on that, a couple web pages or free video tutorials will get you there if you need a helping hand.

Instead the book primarily focuses on the how and why of the features included in Lightroom. Why the features are there at all and how you can best use them to manage, develop and print your images. Which features are the big time savers and how using them in a particular way is even more efficient. In this exploration it also addresses certain issues that are not a direct part of the software but are nonetheless part of integrating the software into a work flow. Asides into the proper exposure of a RAW file and file naming choices for easier Digital Asset Management are good examples - nothing about Lightroom the software strictly relates to these topics and yet they are an integral part of getting the best out of a work flow that encompasses Lightroom as its central core.

Definitely use the look inside feature to examine the contents, it will give you a good flavor for the breadth of the book.

Some specific points:

- The coverage of the develop module is excellent in the sense that it shows how every part is used, recommends on order of operations, and gives the basics of what the controls do. As with all the other parts of the book it has great information on time-saving shortcuts in this module. What it lacks, and I didn't really expect it to cover, is in depth technical nitty-gritty on the controls and some of their subtleties. If you are interested in such things I can suggest the middle chapters of the Fraser/Schewe book on ACR (which has the same controls as Lightroom). Again, this book covers the whole Lightroom work flow and thus doesn't go into hyper-detail of every part.

- The little shortcuts sprinkled through the text are huge time savers. You'll definitely want this book at your side when first using Lightroom until you end up learning the shortcuts best suited to your work flow. When reading the book the formating of these shortcuts (different fonts and colors) seems distracting but it does make it very easy to use as a desk side reference.

- My one area of criticism is that there should really be an extra page or two on keywording. Keywords are one of the most important aspects of DAM and in my opinion Lightroom has one of the most usable and useful implementations of keywords. The author does in fact cover the topic, but there are some subtleties to how the keyword hierarchy plays out in searches and exports and really some more text should have been dedicated to this very critical subject. This is a bit strange because the author clearly understands the central points and practices of DAM and advocates for keywording strongly but doesn't seem to follow up with as much depth as the topic deserves - really just an extra page or two would have made a big improvement.

As a final summary, remember this is not a Scott Kelby hold your hand and show every dialog box kind of book. It isn't a Martin Evening here is every single freaking feature reference kind of book either. If you can successfully get Lightroom started and poke at a few features but are then left with the feeling of "well this is pretty cool, but just what the heck do I do with it to make my life easier" then this is the book for you. A software package like Lightroom offers so many features and the flexibility to use them in so many ways that the possibilities are overwhelming. The time it takes to experiment with different work flows is enormous and the consequences of various choices often don't play out until very far in the future when much time has been invested and potentially wasted. What makes this book a gem is that it narrows the paths to those most productive and useful to a broad range of photographers.

Lightroom 2: Streamlining your Digital Photography Process I have 3 Lightroom books, none that I have been very satisfied with. "Lightroom 2 book" by Nathaniel Coalson is by far the very best! Save yourself alot of money and get this book! It is well written and it just flows well. For newer photographers you will learn a lot about photography.... I cant put this book down! It covers so many topics and insights to Lightroom and photography that have helped me out in many ways.....and I am a semi-pro photographer! If your using Lightroom 2, "Get this book"!

I've read several instructional books for programs such as Photoshop and other programs. I've found this book to be one of the best formats for learning and retaining the information I've come across. Since I started using Lightroom for my workflow, this book has provided a great deal of information along with tips and suggestions for efficient and effective processing of images. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn Lightroom.

This book IS photo management at it's best! I have been serious about photography for a little over 1 year and I kept changing the way I managed and streamlined my workflow and still never seemed to be effective at it. I decided to purchase Lightroom on a friend's suggestion and found it very helpful, but still found myself overwhelmed with too many files and started falling behind in my processing.

Nat's book has been so valuable in changing this for me. His workflow suggestions, processing and tips in this book are fantastic and very easy to follow. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a great way to manage their workflow and streamline their process!

I bought this book on the strength of the overwhelmingly positive user reviews since there was no Look Inside option. As soon as I looked at it I knew it wasn't for me.

There's an abundance of shortcut icons, sometimes as many as two complete pages of them. Its text is mostly one or two sentence paragraphs. It reads more like an extended pamphlet than a textbook.

I buy software books that give me more depth and more nuance than the help files, I want to understand the program not just understand how to use it. This book didn't provide that for me.

I don't read a lot of them, but this may very well be the best technical reference I've ever read. Prerequisites for getting the most of this book are a solid relationship with your camera, and at least a fundamental understanding of Adobe's Lightroom 2 software. If you have those, it's written such that any digital photographer looking to better manage their photos will learn valuable and immediately applicable information in an easy-to-follow format.

The book doesn't get into the nitty gritty of processing photos in Lightroom (nor does it promise to), but it does lay out effective strategies for defining a photo management workflow from shutter release to final export, particularly for organizing your files on disk. This is something I have been struggling with for a while, and I feel that Coalson's advice and examples have given me a solid toolkit to work from. I'll read Kelby's Lightroom book next for more detail on processing techniques, but I feel Coalson's book delivered exactly what it promises.

I have attempted to learn Lightroom from several books before this one and I still had program operations that I didn't feel comfortable doing afterward. I must say that Nat Coalson not only clearly gives you the nuts and bolts of working with Lightroom but he also explains simply and concisely some of the finer aspects of workflow operation and image refinement. This is one of those books that you will read and then keep close by for future reference.

I have read several BOOKS BY BIGG NAMES This book is packed with real world info and presented in a logical order so the reader can adapt and steamline his workflow
WARNING does not contain JOKES

I have read a few LR 2 books that were out prior to this book and was wondering what more can be learned. I am glad that I picked up Nat's book as I have learned plenty. The style is very friendly and easy to read as a novel and mark the items you want to explore the next time you are in front of your workstation with LR 2. I sent an email question to Nat and he replied with sold information along with a great attitude. I am wondering if there is another photo related book to follow; as I would pre-order the next title from Nat.

I have been using Lightroom since the first version and have read practically every book that has been published on the subject. This book is refreshingly different. Nat's style of writing makes you feel like he is there with you guiding you through the the software.

I process a lot of images and feel that I am very proficient at using Lightroom. I was surprised at the amount of tips I got from the book. I might have been exposed to them earlier, but it was the way that Nat demonstrated them that made them stick.

If I were to recommend any Lightroom book to a new or existing user, this would be first on the list.

I've been using LightRoom since switching from Aperture two years ago. LightRoom is, without question, a better, more powerful and feature-rich application BUT, not being a "computer geek", I never felt that I was able to get the maximum benefit from it. Coalson's book has been a huge help for me. The book's content, lay-out and approach are all designed to quickly improve one's ability to optimize LightRoom. The writing style, explanations, step-by-step instructions and guidance are clear, easy-to-follow and comprehensive. And you don't need to be a "geek" to get it! I now keep Coalson's book on my desk for every editing session and find it continues to be a very useful tool. My satisfaction with LightRoom has improved dramatically as I am now faster, more productive and a better image editor.

If you are seeking an introductory text to Lightroom 2, this is an ideal purchase. The author knows his subject.
Having mastered the basics of LR2, you will find more than sufficient information throughout the book to take you to more complex workflows (if you wish).
I bought this book upon purchasing LR2 (still use CS4) and it served my purposes admirably.
Definitely worth considering.

I shoot professionally and spend quite a bit of time each day working on images in Lightroom. I try to stay up-to-date on all things Lightroom through forums, videos, websites, etc. Although much of the material was review for me, I found lots of really helpful little techniques and approaches that made the book a very worthwhile purchase. His personal notes are what I found to be the most helpful as he intersperses the main material with little hints and tricks to improve the work flow. There is a lot of great material in this book that will take some time to master. I'm going to take my copy to an office store and have it ring-bound so that I can refer to it on a regular basis. I highly recommend it for those who want to squeeze as much as they can out of Lightroom.

I started this several months ago and got to about the end of Chapter 6, which is the meat of the book and pertains to the cataloging capabilities of LR2 and thought it was pretty comprehensive through that point. I just picked it up again, and find that the processing and printing aspects are given somewhat short shrift. Terminology (what exactly did Adobe adopt so much different vernacular here than from the Photosop products?) is explained in abstract, but no real examples are presented either verbally or visually. I have read the Kelby book The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers and find it much more detailed in the processing aspects and much more helpful in providing an understanding of functionality (corny jokes notwithstanding.)

After owning already Scott Kelby and Martin Evening Lightroom 2 books, why did I buy Nathaniel Coalson's ligtroom 2 book?Simple,all nine chapters are comprehensively covered in very easy ,quick ,simple to understand manner. Mr. Nathaniel Coalson wrote the book for a person to learn Lightroom 2 and also use the book as a quick reference in solving their Lightroom 2 problems in short order. It is the first book I grab to refresh or learn the steps for the lightroom 2 procedure. I have use the book so frequently that I have side tabs to the frequent reference sections. Also, this is the Lightroom 2 book I grab first. I agree with the above 20 other above reviews that Nathaniel Coalson book is the best Lightrooom 2 Book.

Ksaneagle, Arizona

This book is exactly what I was looking for! I just started using lightroom and I wanted to get it set up with a system that would be simple, easy to use and organize my photos in a logical way. The author explains in detail how he manages his files, he also explains the reasoning so that you can make informed decisions for your system. Here is the information that was important to me.
- How to set up catalogs and where to store them
- Where to store files
- How to set up meta data templates
- How to set up file naming templates and suggestions on what naming convention to use.
- Recommendation to convert to DNG file type and why.
and more...

I now feel that I have system in place that will serve me for years to come. I highly recommend this book to anyone new to Lightroom or anyone who wants to streamline their work flow.

I finished reading the book. I keep it handy for a reference as I work out my work flow. This book very clearly lays out a recomended order for work flow with explanations as to why to do it that way.

EDIT:
Here are some of the latest things I have learned:
- How to use the rating system to decide what to keep and what to work on first.
- Which adjustments I should make first and why.
- How to keep an eye on import presets and when I may need to change them.
- What place external programs have (Photo Shop, Dfine...)

More to come...

This is really is the best book I have ever read for learning to use software.

I saw Nat speak at a Denver photo club and enjoyed his teaching very much. I have used Lightroom for about 2 years now and I just read the book. Much of it was review for me, but it would be helpful for a new user. The book helped me with a number of advanced functions (gradient filters, brush applications). The book also helped me understand data management and backup methods to make my workflow more secure and streamlined. This is now my "must have" guidebook for lightroom 2.

Adobe Lightroom is not difficult to learn to use, but if yu want to learn to use it most effectively, you need this book. It's an ideal guide to digital asset management, workflow improvement, and using all the features of Lightroom to help you organize and improve your images. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent resource. It should be bundled with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2. I'm half way through the book. I could not imagine learning how to process images with in Lightroom 2, with out it. This volume takes difficult information, and presents it in such a way that it is easily assimilated. Everything that I've studied to this point is crystal clear. Nat Coalson did a great job. Let me say this again. This is a must have for all Lightroom 2 users.

May not be the end all be all book for learning about Lightroom, but Nathaniel does a wonderful job at highlighting all of the features within Lightroom.

I wish I would have purchased this book sooner. I've been using Lightroom for a little over a year and I did not have a good understanding of all of the available features. Had I read this book sooner I would have been able to save time and energy when editing and printing photos.

I would definitely recommend this book to all Lightroom users.

Clear, direct and well-written. While getting acquainted with Lightroom 2, all questions I had except one was answered in this book. It gave me the ability to use Lightroom 2 immediately and get a project out the door right away. Organized in a user-friendly flow, each step is well-illustrated and explained. You can quickly find what you are looking for and the writing is concise, which saves you time and effort. Get this book if you want to just get going and not fluff around.

After reading some reviews, I settled on this guide to Lightroom 2 and am very glad I did. It's very thorough and well-written... I'm nearly finished now and can see that I'll be referring back to it time and again.

I've only made it through part of the book (about half), but I've already learned so much. Very easy to read, and the author lets you decide how to set up your workflow, instead of saying "do this, now do this". Instead, he says "do it this way, OR do it this way, OR do it that way". I can't believe a product like Lightroom doesn't come with some kind of manual, but I guess the silver lining is that we get to spend more money finding the guide book that suits us best. Hopefully, you find the right one for you the first time. I will say that other reviews of this book assisted me in making this one the first I bought. I'm about 99.9% sure this will be the ONLY book. I leave a little room there since I haven't made it all the way through the book. Read all the reviews, as most folks have detailed the book far better than I can, and then decide if that's the way you learn. For me, it's been a good investment!

This book is very disorganized and extremely difficult to read! I've been using Photoshop for a couple of years and decided recently to try out Lightroom 2. Based on the many very good (dubious!!!) reviews here, I decided to purchase the book. A big mistake!

I totally do not know where to start in Lightroom 2 as the layout is very different from Photoshop and other softwares where you'd expect File -> Open, etc. It looks totally alien to me. To make matters worse, Coalson jumps from one topic to another assuming you are already very familiar with Lightroom 2.

I wonder how some reviewers could say this book is recommended for beginners. Are they Coalson's friends wanting to boost sales of his book?

Don't waste your money on this crappy book. I'll be searching for other better How-to books.

Apart from being an accomplished photographer and a digital imaging expert, Nat Coalson is one of the best educators out there. I've been watching his work for years, and have had the pleasure of working with him one-on-one. Offering a very practical and accessible teaching style, his guide is THE authoritative and comprehensive resource for those who want to get the best out of Adobe Lightroom. "Streamlining your Digital Photography Process" has greatly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of my professional workflow ... and I've been using Adobe products since Photoshop 1.

Lightroom 2 doesn't come with its own manual. This book is a useful companion to the software, and was clear enough for a novice to begin developing photos MUCH better.

Nathaniel Coalson's guide to Lightroom 2 is thoughtful, comprehensive and well written. I reviewed both Coalson's guide as well as Scott Kelby's before making my decision. Coalson's book seemed much better organized and more comprehensive. By explaining the reasons why he makes his recommendations, Coalson engages his readers in the process and enables them to create their own Lightroon workflow solutions. He also explains how to create a digital asset management system that is efficient and should be fully functional with future generations of Lightroom and beyond.

If you want a guide that explains the "why" as well as the "how to", this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book to both novices and experienced Lightroom users.

this is a great reference book and has some helpful shortcuts for those who want to improve their lightroom skills. I've read thru most of it and find it very helpful. Definite must have for Lightroomers...

While reading this book I've have been able to improve dramatically the quality of my pictures using Lightroom. The author explain every feature in great detail, yet in a very simple language.

My only couple of complains are about the explanation of the sharpening function, which as the author himself proclaims, remains as an esoteric task and about the use of the adjustment brush, which I haven't been able to understand yet. For the rest I would highly recommend this book.

I took Nat's advice and had the book spiral-bound at my local agent($9.00AU) and this has made an excellent volume very user-friendly. After 40+ years as a film photographer and some 4 years as a digital novice this book is proving to be invaluable to me as I work with Lightroom 2.5. Thank you Nathaniel Coalson. Tim Elliott.

It covers what you need to know in a clear and concise way. Great book.