Insights and Expertise from Masters of ON1

During the ON1 Landscape Photography Conference you’ll have the opportunity to learn from a team of knowledgeable instructors. From planning your photographic experiences, to the fine points of shooting and composition, through all steps of post-processing, they’ll guide you through every step of the journey.

These experts are not only seasoned photographers but also masters of leveraging ON1’s cutting-edge tools and software to streamline and enhance the landscape editing process. Their insights will empower you to capture breathtaking images like never before, and transform your raw captures into stunning, gallery-worthy masterpieces.

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

Register now at the Early Bird price of $149 and save $150. Plus, as a special bonus All Early Bird* registrants will receive a complimentary copy of ON1 Effects 2024.5, valued at $69.99! Don’t miss this chance to not only save big but also enhance your editing toolkit with this powerful software. Learn more about ON1 Effects 2024.5.

*EARLYBIRD PRICE EXPIRES JUNE 18, 2024, 11:00 AM EDT

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

If you enjoy exploring lighting and special effects in your edits and would like to do more in Lightroom without jumping to Photoshop, this tutorial might be for you. Boris FX Optics is a unique plugin, literally packed with creative options. Optics can be used for subtle lighting and color grades to full blown Marvel film style photo manipulations. Here, I’ll show how Optics can be used to add cinematic lens flares, particles and chromatic aberrations to make your shots stand out. The tutorial was done with Optics in Lightroom Classic, but the same steps will work with Photoshop, or the Optics standalone application. 

if you’d like to follow along, I’ve provided a quick screen recording that you can pause, rewind and follow at your own pace. (You can download this source image from Unsplash.) And if you don’t own Optics, you can download and install the free 15-day trial to follow along. 

Launching Optics

Apply Optics in Lightroom classic by selecting Photo>Edit in>Boris FX Optics. 

I recommend, choosing Edit a Copy. 

Adding Light Effects

Optics has its own interface with a layer system on the upper left and effect categories below the image. We’ll start by choosing the Light category and selecting S_LensFlare effect. This will add the Lens Flare effect to our image and we can choose from the flare presets in the lower left. Optics ships with 126 Lens Flare presets and all can be edited, customized and saved.

Position the lens flare by clicking on the center of the flare and drag. You can also position the pivot, or adjust the position sliders on the right in the Parameters window. 

I chose the Zeiss LWZ flare prest and positioned the flare to the top lext of the image. To zoom the image canvas in/out, use the middle mouse scroll wheel OR short cut keys I + O. 

To add a smoky feel to the lens flare, twirl down the Atmosphere tab in the parameter window. Increase the Atmosphere Amplitude and Frequency settings to your liking. 

Optics allows you to stack and edit unlimited effect layers. Next, we will Add a New Layer, by selecting the Add Layer icon in the upper left or using shortcut key (CMD/CTRL + L). 

Particles for Dummies?

Now, to add more depth and atmosphere, we will explore the Particle Illusion category. Here you will find hundreds of environmental effects like smoke, clouds, explosions, fireworks, and so much more. The particle effects are generated by a powerful animation engine but the interface hides much of the complexity typically found in 3D animation tools. 

Particle effects are broken into sub categories (Clouds, Water, Fireworks, etc), but if we want to search them all, choose PI Complete. We can scroll through the presets or use the search window. 

I’ll type “Seed” in the search window to find a floating dust particle emitter. I will position the emitter to the upper left to accentuate the lighting effect. Particles properties such as position, number, and size can be edited in the Parameter window, making Optics such a value add compared to buying overlays or stock images. Its addictive making your own effects libraries. 

More Light Effects

We can add a new layer again (CMD/CTRL + L) and continue to explore effects. In the Light category, one of my favorite effects is S_GlowDarks which adds a beautiful, diffused glow to the darks — all in one effect. I chose a preset called  “Beauty Pass”, then dialed the layer’s opacity down in the upper left. Every layer in Optics has blending modes and masks for combining and isolating effects. 

Finalizing the Look with Film Lab

Once I am happy with my lighting or effects, I typically use the effects found in the Film Lab category to add grain and a color grade. You can find hundreds of color, black & white, and historical film process presets in the Film Stocks effect. I chose the Cross Processing effects and preset “Cross Processing 2”, then dialed the opacity for this effect down to 40 in the layer opacity. 

Final Touch: Chromatic Aberrations

Lastly, to really make digital images look more like film, I like to apply “chromatic aberrations” to add a little color fringing and movement.  There are a couple ways to do this in Optics, but I like the “Chromatic Aberration – Subtle” preset which is found in the S_WarpChroma effect. 

Comparing and Exit: 

Above the viewer, find compare modes to view the before/after images with “side by side” or “split screen” options. Optics is always procedural, meaning you can simply double click on any effect layer to edit the corresponding parameters. 

If you are happy with your your image edit in Optics, simple select the Apply button in the lower right OR go to File>Exit, short cut key (CTRL/CMD + Q) and select Save. 

More About Optics:

I hope you enjoyed this Optics tutorial. If you’d like to learn more, here are a couple useful links: 

Optics Tutorials

Optics User Forum

For a limited time, take 25% off Optics! 

Optics is available to purchase OR choose an annual or monthly subscription plan. 

Visit Boris FX and enter code on checkout: Kelby25 

The post Boris FX Optics: Lens Flares & Film Effects in Lightroom appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

We’ve all faced the same problem: photographs that lack contrast; images where the shadows and highlights look flat and the details are muddy. While the problem is common, the solutions are many. In this article, I want to show you several easy fixes (using built-in tools) — including some uncommon ones — that you should explore. We’ll also take a look at Aurora HDR, which works as a plugin to both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.

The Problem

You open up an image and it just feels flat. Your mind doesn’t remember the scene this way, but your camera sure does. What’s the problem? It’s all about dynamic range.

Dynamic Range Explained

The dynamic range of your photo is the difference between the maximum and minimum values. In simpler terms, are the black points rich and the white points bright? Here’s a simple example where you can see which gradient has a true black and white point.

In most situations, a photo with a wide dynamic range feels rich and deep. Once adjusted, this low-depth image takes on a richer feel. Note that this isn’t just about moving the Contrast slider. It’s about extending the histogram to ensure a full balance.

There are several ways to improve the dynamic range of your images: You can change how you capture your images, change how you process them, or both. There’s no right answer, as it really comes down to how much effort you’re willing to put in and the results you want to get. Toss in the limiting factors of your camera and shooting style and you’ll quickly discover that one size does not fit all.

Why HDR Isn’t a Bad Word

For many photographers, the term HDR (high dynamic range) causes their blood pressure to rise. I encounter photographers all the time who tell me how HDR is awful. A fad. A gimmick. Absolute garbage. They cite garish examples where the colors and details have been pushed to cartoonish extremes.

Sure, if we judge HDR by its worst examples, that’s totally valid. But it’s akin to assuming that Photoshop is only capable of examples like this or this. Don’t blame the tool for a lack of good judgement by the user. For the record, I strongly prefer the third image below.

HDR has been around for a long time. Photoshop CS5 introduced Merge to HDR Pro back in 2010 to create 32-bit files. Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw more recently (version 6 in 2015) added an advanced option to create floating 16-bit DNG files from several raw images. This feature has received additional updates in Lightroom and now can even be used to create panoramic HDR images.

Using HDR imaging techniques really makes a difference in your photos. If you use the Shadows and Highlights sliders, you’re effectively using a less powerful version of HDR. Why not take these controls further and get even better results? When done correctly, HDR is naturally beautiful!

Let’s explore the options you have built into Lightroom.

Built-In Methods

Getting proper dynamic range in Lightroom has gotten easier as the application matures. Let’s take a quick look at the built-in options. These all work best with a raw file, so be sure to capture raw in-camera. These days, even smartphones and drones can capture DNG files, which result in superior quality.

Tone Controls: Shadows & Highlights, Whites & Blacks

These four sliders are the key to getting your dynamic range correct. Typically, it’s a give and take. For example, if you pull the highlights to the left to recover, you should pull the shadows to the right to lift.

• Highlights –This adjusts the brighter areas of the photo. Dragging to the left is typically ideal.
• Shadows –This slider works well in both directions. Dragging to the left darkens shadows and to the right lightens them. Typically, I’ll drag the Blacks slider in the direction opposite the Shadows.
• Whites –Use this slider to increase or decrease clipping in the highlights. If the image lacks dynamic range, drag this slider slowly to the right.
• Blacks –This slider behaves similarly to the Whites slider, except it affects the shadows.  Drag to the left slowly if the image lacks dynamic range.

Presence Controls + Contrast

The Presence controls generally affect the depth and color saturation of the image. I typically combine these controls with the Contrast slider.

• Contrast –While it may seem illogical, I tend to reduce contrast in an image to keep the midtones from getting bunched up. Try dragging the Contrast slider to the left and then using the Presence controls to add back depth.
• Clarity –The Clarity adjustment can be thought of as Contrast 2.0. It essentially adds depth to an image. Be sure to zoom to 100% magnification when using this slider and watch for halos around the edges.
• Dehaze –This is another method for affecting contrast and is useful to remove haze in an image.

Merging Exposures

If you’re using a newer version of Lightroom (or the Creative Cloud version), you’ll find the ability to merge exposures. The approach here is simple: To increase the dynamic range of a photograph, simply capture more information in the field.

In the field: Look for a setting on your camera called Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB). This option allows your camera to quickly switch through several exposures while shooting in a burst mode. Most cameras have this feature, but the number of shots and the exposure difference between each shot can vary between models.

In Lightroom: The process to create a basic HDR image is pretty easy.

Step One: Select the images you want to merge. You can use Cmd/Ctrl-click to choose multiple photos.

Step Two: Choose Photo > Photo Merge > HDR, or press Ctrl+H. A new dialog box will open. After a few seconds, a preview image should appear.

Step Three: Choose the Auto Tone option if you want Lightroom to create an evenly toned merged image.

Step Four: Choose the Auto Align option if you were shooting handheld. Otherwise, you can leave it unchecked.

Step Five: If there were moving objects in the scene (like a tree blowing in the wind or people walking), try one of the Deghosting options.

Step Six: Click the Merge button to generate a new DNG file and add it to your Lightroom catalog.

Step Seven: Adjust this new image like a regular raw file. You should see more flexibility in the dynamic range, however.

Using Aurora to Push Dynamic Range Further

While I’m a huge fan of Lightroom’s HDR toolset, I often want to take things further. For this, I turn to Aurora HDR from Skylum. It’s a plugin that works seamlessly with Lightroom. 

You can use Aurora’s Quantum HDR engine to:

• develop individual photos
• merge brackets to a 32-bit file
• enhance panoramic DNGs made in Lightroom.

While Aurora has been around for many years, the latest version changes everything. The Quantum HDR engine is a technological breakthrough. Not only are the best parts of each photo used when merging, details that are harmful are left out. This means no halos and less noise. In fact, the software use artificial intelligence to recognize key parts of the image and automatically create the best photo. If you haven’t seen it, you just have to give it a try.

Alternative Raw Developer

If you’re facing a tough exposure, there’s an alternative to fighting it in Lightroom. Sure, you could use Tone and Curves and localized adjustments, but that takes time and doesn’t always work. Instead, I just kick the raw file over to Aurora and let it solve things. This approach is really Expanded Dynamic Range photography; the image is maximized from a single raw photo.

Step One: Select the image in Lightroom.

Step Two: Choose File > Plug-in Extras > Transfer to Aurora HDR 2019. The raw image will be opened in Aurora HDR.

Step Three: In Aurora, choose the Color Denoise and Chromatic Aberration Reduction options from the gear menu.

Step Four: Click Create HDR. The full range of details in the raw file will be analyzed and recomposed into a proper exposure.

Step Five: Feel free to use an Aurora HDR Look to quickly enhance the image, or use the manual controls to dial in the perfect exposure.

Running as a Plugin

Sometimes I get to the end of my workflow in Lightroom and I just want some more pop. The Artistic and Dramatic Looks in Aurora are great for creativity. I also love black and white photography, and Aurora’s support for Lookup Tables (LUTs) makes for compelling black and white conversions.

To apply a Look in Aurora:

Step One: Select an image in your Lightroom catalog that you’d like to  enhance.

Step Two: Choose Photo > Edit In > Aurora HDR 2019.

Step Three: In the new dialog box, choose to edit a TIFF image in 16-bit color using the Adobe RGB color space.

Step Four: In Aurora HDR, if the Looks panel isn’t visible, choose View > Show Aurora HDR Looks.

Step Five: Click the Collections button to browse categories or download more Looks.

Step Six: Click on a Look in the browser.

Step Seven: Use the Amount slider to adjust its intensity.

Step Eight: Use the manual controls as desired to further enhance the image.

Step Nine: Click Apply to return the image to your Lightroom catalog.

Developing an Advanced DNG

I love the ability to merge panoramic photos right inside Lightroom. I use it all the time with my drone photographs. Most drones have panoramic shooting built right in. If not, a gentle tap on the control stick will let you pan the drone between shots. Just be sure to capture DNG files for the maximum benefit.

To develop a panoramic DNG:

Step One: Select the panoramic images in your library.

Step Two: Choose Photo > Photo Merge > Panorama, or press Ctrl+M. A new dialog box will open. After a few seconds, a preview image should appear.

Step Three: Choose a projection method. Spherical and Cylindrical usually work best.

Step Four: Adjust the Boundary Warp settings and the Auto Crop to taste to give a full image.

Step Five: When ready, click Merge. A new DNG file will be created.

Step Six: Select the new file and choose File > Plug-in Extras > Transfer to Aurora HDR 2019. The raw file will be handed off to Aurora, where exposure and detail can be maximized.

Step Seven: In Aurora, choose the Color Denoise and Chromatic Aberration Reduction options from the gear menu.

Step Eight: Click Create HDR. The full range of details in the raw file will be analyzed and recomposed into a proper exposure.

Step Nine: Use Aurora HDR Looks or the manual controls to refine the image’s appearance.

Step 10: Click Apply to return the image to your Lightroom library.

Merging Brackets

While Lightroom offers a compelling solution for HDR merging, it still only creates 16-bit files. These new DNG files are quite useful, but merging with Aurora HDR allows you to create a 32-bit image.

To merge brackets in Aurora HDR:

Step One: Select the source brackets in your Lightroom library. The files should all be in the same format.

Step Two: Choose File > Plug-in Extras > Transfer to Aurora HDR 2019.

Step Three: Choose options in the merge dialog.

• If you shot handheld, be sure to select the Auto Alignment option.
• From the gear menu, you can remove ghosting and remove chromatic aberration for backlit scenes.

Step Four: Click Create HDR to merge the files. The full range of details in the raw files will be analyzed and blended into a proper exposure.

Step Five: Use Aurora HDR Looks or manual controls to refine the image’s appearance.

Step Six: Click Apply to return the image to your Lightroom library.

Step Seven: Take advantage of Lightroom adjustments like Upright and Sharpening.

Now You Try

I’m sure you have images in your library where dynamic range is challenging. Try out the techniques in this article and see if they make a difference. Better yet, the next time you’re shooting, give bracketing a try. And don’t forget to give Aurora a chance. It’s perfect for unlocking the hidden beauty in your photos and gives a huge boost to natural light photographers. The power of HDR can be our little secret.

The post How to Recover Shadows and Highlights Like a Pro—A Guide to Maximizing Details for Any Photograph Using Aurora HDR appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Happy Friday, everybody! Just a quick heads up; the fine folks at DxO have released an update for the Nik Collection — it’s the same Nik Collection as always (no new features), but now it actually works across all the new Adobe applications (including the most recent Photoshop CC and Lightroom Classic updates), as well as the most recent Mac OS.

This update is $49 (on their site, it looks like it will move up to $69 at some point).

Don’t be down on DxO for charging
Look, they did a great thing — they invested a ton of money in updating mountains of code, across a bunch of plug-ins, and brought a beloved plug-in back to working order for all the folks whose version of Google’s application no longer worked. They didn’t “owe” anybody anything (though I think Google kinda did), so I give big props to DxO, and there is nothing wrong with them charging for the update to recoup their investment (it would have been wrong for Google to do so, but not for a third-party like DxO who basically came to the rescue). DxO isn’t a charity — their employees need to feed their families, too so I applaud DxO for what they did, and totally understand why they are charging for the update. Hope you do, too.

Here are the download links (and there is a free 30-day free trial version).

In case you’re wondering, “Scott, does this mean you’re going to stop using Luminar?” (you were going to ask that, right?), the answer is no — I’ll absolutely keep using Luminar. It rocks! While it certainly was a great replacement for the Nik Collection when it died, Luminar has a LOT of features the Nik Collection doesn’t — plus they are constantly adding new features to Luminar and growing the plug-in’s capabilities very quickly, so it will remain an important tool in my bag of tricks (errrr, I mean my “plug-in arsonal”) right along with the Nik Collection.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Best,

-Scott

P.S. I posted some videos from the Photoshop World Conference, including a quick recap of the week, over on my blog today if you’ve got a sec. 

The post Good News: DxO Released a New Version of The Nik Collection, and It Works! Bad News: No New Features, and They’re Charging For It. appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Back on Monday I did a post about which filters you’d use in MacPhun’s Luminar to get the looks we used to get in Nik ColorEfex Pro 4 (my go-to effects plug-in for years, until it started slowly dying on my, and many other folks, version of Photoshop and Lightroom, and Google just announced they are not going to release any fixes. Basically, it’s dead).

Anyway, I’ve got a bunch more filters to add to my decoder list (tip of the hat to my friend Alex), that you might find helpful. Without further ado (yes, that was ado), here we go with Part 2:

The post Part 2: Nik Color Efex Pro 4 to MacPhun Luminar Decoder appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

While Luminar it doesn’t replace everything the Nik Collection does, it does a pretty awesome job of covering the special effects plug-in I used the most by far — Nik Color Efex Pro 4. That is one awesome plug-in, and I hate to see it die on the vine like this, but at least we have a viable alternative, and one that’s pretty cheap (It’s $69, and if you’re a KelbyOne member you get 15% off of that).

Anyway, I recorded the class last week and in the class, I included a Color Efex 4 Pro to Luminar “decoder” and I thought I’d share that with you folks here in case you find it helpful (btw: my class should be out at the end of this month).

Here are the effects in Nik Color Efex I used the most (my personal favorites), and the filter that gets similar (sometimes better, sometimes not), looks in Luminar:

> Nik’s Bi-Color Filters   =  Luminar’s Bi-Color Toning

> Nik’s Bleach Bypass   =  Luminar’s Dramatic

> Nik’s Brilliance / Warmth   = Luminar’s Split Color Warmth

> Nik’s Cross Processing   = Luminar’s Cross Processing

> Nik’s Darken / Lighten Center   = Luminar’s Vignette with “set center” point

> Nik’s Detail Extractor   =  Luminar’s Details Enhancer

> Nik’s Glamour Glow   = Luminar’s Soft Focus

> Nik’s High Key   =  Luminar’s High Key

> Nik’s Polarization   = Luminar’s Polarizer

> Nik’s Remove Color Cast   = Luminar’s Remove Color Cast 

> Nik’s Skylight Filter   =  Luminar’s Golden Hour

> Nik’s Tonal Contrast   =  Luminar’s Structure

> Nik’s Pro Contrast   = Luminar’s Advanced Contrast + Structure (you need to add some of Luminar’s Structure filter to get it looking more like the presets from Nik’s Pro Contrast; in particular their ‘Auto Enhance,’ ‘Dynamic Contrast,’ and ‘Strong Contrast’ presets. I cover these settings in the class so you can create your own presets that look very much like Nik’s Pro Contrast presets.

Those were my “bread and butter” filters so to speak (Mmmmm. Bread. Mmmm. Butter), so it’s helpful (well, to at least to me) to know which Luminar settings I can use in their place. Hope you found it helpful, too. I’ll let you guys know when the class goes live (it’ll be a few weeks yet).

Hope this week is a really fun, productive, and awesome one for you!

Best,

-Scott

P.S. My brother Jeff treated the wifey and me to go see Ann Wilson of Heart in concert on Saturday at the intimate Capital Theater – really great show! With the way she belted out those songs, and classic Heart hits, it’s hard to believe she’s 66 years-old. What a voice!

The post Nik Color Efex Pro 4 to MacPhun Luminar ‘Decoder Chart’ appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Don’t know if you heard, but silently in the dark of night last week, Google snuck in and snuffed out the last flickering candle of hope that many longtime users of the Nik Collection of plug-ins (for Lightroom and Photoshop) had been clinging to, when they publically announced (right at the top of their downloads page) that they would no longer support the Nik Collection or offer any updates going forward. A moment of silence for the Collection. It is officially a dead.

Today, over on my daily blog, I did a full-blown Q&A and if you’ve got a sec, it’s worth bouncing over there for all the whys and whatfors (and for what I’m using as my Nik ColorEfex Pro 4 replacement).

Here’s the link. 

BTW: Sorry, I missed out on my Friday post last week (when all this came down). I was up in NYC on business, and my wife and daughter flew up so we could catch some Broadway shows, and give our daughter her first real taste of the city that never sleeps. She loved it!!! We all did. What a great town — what a great weekend! Still glad to be back home.

Hope you all have a great Monday, and let’s pour a glass for what as perhaps the greatest collection of plug-ins, ever.

Best,

-Scott

The post Nik Collection: The Bell Tolls For Thee… appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Hope you find that helpful! (and don’t forget to watch the Grid today at 4pm).

Best,

-Scott

The post First Look at Portrait Retouching Plug-in for Lightroom: Perfectly Clear Complete 3 appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Hi Gang, and Happy Friday. Here’s a quick look at a plug-in for Lightroom that lets you post directly from Lightroom straight up to Instagram. Cameron Lundstedt  (one of my readers) turned me on to this plug-in after reading my post last week about “Grids” — a great desktop app that lets you post from your desktop straight to Instagram, and I really liked it (and still use it daily).

Anyway, this one is plug-in called LR/Instagram and I wanted to give it a try and share my experience with you guys on LR Killer Tips. You can download the plug-in and test is free from the developer, but if you find yourself using it regularly, then he asks that you donate $10 to fund development. More than fair.

I’ll do the rest of this mini-review using the captions below.

Above: You install the plug-ins via Lightroom’s Plug-in Manager, and you configure the plug-in there as well. What it creates is a entry in your “Publish Services” panel at the bottom of the left side panels in Lightroom.

Above: Once you install the plug-in, it creates a new custom metadata panel (chose LR/Instagram from the Metadata pop-up panel in the right side panels in the Library module. This is where you enter your caption information and separately any hashtags (though you can choose what you want to enter in this panel in the plug-in Manager — there a pop-up menu of configuration choices). There’s also a field to enter the GPS image, if you have it or if it’s embedded into the file. Here’s where things get kind of funky (well, for me anyway). If you don’t have the GPS, you can’t enter the location here. As best as I could tell (there’s little documentation available on the site — a very short video with a very quick run-though of how to install and use it, and an FAQ with far too few questions), you use a Preset Extra to choose the location (see below).

Above: To add the location, you go under Lightroom’s File menu, under ‘Plug-in Extras’ and under ‘LR/Instagram’ choose ‘Set Location.’ That brings up a dialog with a search field and a blank pop-up menu under it. I was never able to get it to work. I would input a location; click the Search button (as seen above); a status bar would appear saying it was Querying server (seen above), and then nothing. No location; the pop-up menu remained blank, and the location I typed in didn’t appear in Instagram’s Location field when I posted the image. I tried numerous times; I could never get it to work. Maybe I’m doing it wrong, but I couldn’t even find a single mention of this feature on their site, so no luck.

Above: When you’re ready to upload the photo that you’ve captioned, etc., just drag its thumbnail to the LR/Instagram Publish Service listing in the Publish Services panel (there’s a set-up link here, too — where you can add your Instagram user name, password, and configure the plug-in as well from the Plug-in Manager). When you’re ready to publish the image, click on that Publish collection; hit the Publish button, and it posts your image to Instagram (and it does work).

What’s missing?
Besides the location info not working, I miss the fact that it doesn’t let you simultaneously post to other social media like Twitter and Facebook like the native Instagram app on your phone does. It also doesn’t suggest hashtags; and of course

What’s nice
It does allow you to easily publish multiple photos, and to publish to multiple accounts, which is nice if you have multiple instagram accounts. You can also add post-processing actions to crop the image square, add padding, and different aspect ratios. And of course, you’re going straight from LR to Instagram, so you don’t have to export your JPEG image, email it to yourself (or dropbox or iCloud it), and that’s the #1 big feature, and it does that well.

Impressions
It did work, but the workflow is fairly clunky overall; entering the Caption in one place; then entering the location info in a totally different area (though as I mentioned, I couldn’t get that to work); dragging the image to the Publish Service; and all that. It didn’t feel like a fast way to publish. It feels just the opposite. Maybe if I used it a bit longer I’d get more comfortable and faster with the workflow, and then I might feel differently. If you could get the location search in the same Metadata panel, I think that would be a big plus. Of course, Twitter and FB integration would make a big difference, too.

Bottomline
If going straight from LR to Instagram sounds like heaven to you, this will get you there and you should definitely give it a try (after all; the trial plug-in is free and you only pay if you wind up using it). I do like where the developer is taking it, and I know his hands are somewhat tied by what Instagram will let third parties do. That has to be frustrating, but I think he did a good job of working within what they will let you do, and there are probably many users for whom this will nail just what they wanted to do.

Hope you find that helpful.

Want a recommendation on a Lightroom Course to watch this weekend?
Watch Kristi Sherk’s “Retouching Portraits in Lightroom.” This course continues to get absolutely rave reviews — you’ll be amazed at what you can do all within Lightroom. She crushed it.

Here’s the official course trailer (below):

Have a great weekend, and we’ll catch ya back here next week.

Best,

-Scott

The post LR/Instagram Plug-in — Going Direct from Lightroom to Instagram appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

I ran across this video Webinar from the folks at SmugMug on their Lightroom plug-in integration, and I know a lot of you out there use SmugMug to host your portfolio or sell your images online, so I thought I’d post it for you here.

https://youtu.be/b9moOKwNk_4

Hope you found that helpful.

This ones for all you Photoshop users out there…
In case you missed it — I did a post over on my daily blog on three “Old School” Photoshop techniques that are still pretty useful (even if I have been using them a long, long time now). Again, stop snickering. Here’s the link. 

Hope yours is a good one today!

Best,

-Scott

The post Posting Your Images to SmugMug Directly From Lightroom appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.