The virtual copy shows up as a second copy of the image as if you have two identical photographs. You can make a virtual copy at any stage of the process, and it will be a copy of the image at that point. So, for example, you wanted to compare two different BW conversions you would do the basic conversion first, then make the copy, that make your further edits.

K.

BW conversion in Lightroom is a breeze and every bit as good/easy as doing it in PS. Also, you can easily apply the same change to every file in a batch, for example I guess upping the vibrance a bit would be a common edit for wedding photos.

Using collections is also a great way to go. Create a new one for a particular job and add images to it as you go along. When you have finished you can bulk export in whichever format you like, e.g., low res watermarked ones for a website or high res ones for printing.

K.

Hi.

Yes, you need to use the catalogues, it is as much a cataloguing system as a editing package.

The biggest difference is that you do not have to convert the image from RAW as Lightroom works on the RAW file. It does not, however, change the RAW file, it just stores your edits as a sidecar file. If you want to try different versions of the same image, you can create a virtual copy which means there are two sidecar files, but only one copy of the original image.

I find that with 95% of my images I can do all the editing I need in Lightroom and do not need to go into Photoshop. If I do need to use photoshop you right click on the image and select the appropriate item. You are given choices as to how you want to proceed but usually I select "edit with Lightroom changes" which does create a copy, a PSD file normally, and dump you into PS. When you have finished editing, save the file and it will be updated in Lightroom ready for you to export it as a jpeg.

Lightroom is a little fiddly to start with, but when you get used to it I find it marvellous. The fact that you are unaware of any explicit RAW conversion stage (and all those changes are easily adjusted when you want) means that the usual anti-RAW complaint of there being a fiddly extra stage in processing is irrelevant.

Best wishes, Kris.

I cannot think of an automatic way of dividing an image up. As you say, set some guides and use those. If you copy the part rather than crop, then when you go to file->new it will offer you a new image the same size as the one on the clipboard.

K.

When we were broken into a few years back they nicked the choccie bars from the cupboard and we found a trail of wrappers down the garden path. Oh, and my beer from the fridge.

Buy yourself some HP5, load up the Zorki and then develop it yourself... sounds fun to me!

K.

Thanks Ken. I'm not likely to change system now (as I already have it) but it is good to know the alternatives.

Best wishes, Kris.

The other point to keep in mind with pricing is all the other costs. Shop rents in the UK are huge compared to the US, wages are high compared to the US, petrol is high compared to the US, sales tax is high compared to the US... all these things have an impact on the final prices. I know this isn't the entire story, but it is one more point to keep in mind.

K.

Lovely today! Yesterday I rode over to Welwyn in the afternoon and had to go through three floods up to the axle of my bike. I took a photo of the last flood but cannot now find my download cable. It is probably with the red filter...

K.

I look forward to seeing your macro images.

K.

PS. Anyone know where I put my red filter? It must be on a lens somewhere but I cannot find it. ~sigh~