Table of Contents

Welcome to your last FREE Lightroom Classic lesson!

Thanks for joining me for another lesson here…I’ve save the best for last!

This lesson is really special as it covers the adjustment brush – a time-saving tool that can make incredible improvements to your image.

It’s hands down the most frequently used tool I have in my Lightroom workflow.

However, the adjustment brush can be a little tricky to master since there are quite a few settings that control how your brush performs.

Brush size, flow, feather, density…all work together to create specialized brush effects.

But like any tool, if you don’t know how to use them or know what they do, they’re pretty useless.

Here’ what we’ll cover in this comprehensive lesson:

• How the adjustment brush gives you the power to apply the basic panel locally.
• The difference between size, feather, flow, and density….and the practical use of these settings to control the quality of your brushwork.
• How the brush overlay works to guide your brush application.
• Refining your brushwork with the eraser tool.
• Layering your brush applications for greater control over your adjustments.
• Advanced adjustment brush tips and strategies to improve your workflow and brush quality.

Questions? I’m happy to help! Click here to send me a note, or leave a comment down below.

What’s Next for Lightroom?

I hope you’ve enjoyed your free Lightroom lessons over the past few days, and most importantly learn a TON about how to use Lightroom to create your very best photographs!

Because sometimes, just one small tip can make the biggest difference in your photography.

So now that we’ve reached the end of your mini-course, you may be wondering what to do next? What is that next step?

Learn more Lightroom, of course 🙂

I consume photography education like candy. I LOVE to learn new techniques, and it’s GREAT to never get that “plateau” feeling where you don’t know what to do next…

Instead, I’m constantly inspired to get out and try something new in the field or with my processing, and create an image even BETTER than my last. It’s the best feeling, and I never lose it.

For the next few days, you can still enroll in my complete Lightroom for Landscapes Training Program at a HUGE 70% discount!

Ready to finally master Lightroom Classic?

By enrolling, you’ll receive instant access to:

• 300+ Video Lessons on Lightroom Classic
• Both 4K Streaming and HD Downloads Available
• 30+ Hours of Video Content
• 20+ Practice Files
• 15+ Cheatsheets, eBooks, and Study Guides
• LIFETIME access to the program itself (including all future updates)

Lightroom for Landscapes is something that I’ve been putting together for quite a while now as I wanted to make sure I created one of the best resources for both beginner and advanced Lightroom users.

The result: the most complete, comprehensive, and transformative program out there today for Lightroom Classic!

It’s a step-by-step program that will literally hand-hold you through Lightroom so you can create, organize, enhance, and simply have fun with your images in the most streamlined, no-nonsense way possible.

The best part? I’ll show you the best processing techniques specifically for landscape photography, so you can effortlessly create the photographs you’ve always wanted…

And most importantly, you’ll see just how much fun it is to use Lightroom!

This discount is only available for a few more days though…

So if you’re interested, don’t hesitate to read more about Lightroom for Landscapes!

Sale Ends in:

Welcome to your FREE Lightroom Classic lesson on sharpening!

Image sharpening is probably the most important step of processing your raw files. It has the power to crisp up the detail and give your image excellent texture and interest.

You see, raw files are naturally a bit soft in detail…

No matter how perfectly you capture your image or how sharp your glass is, the “picture-taking” process that your camera goes through will blur the detail just a bit.

This is why Lightroom will automatically add a small, default amount of image sharpening to your photo a soon as you import them.

However, there’s a fine line between a perfectly sharpened image and one that seems “crunchy” and overly processed…

So it’s imperative that you know how to customize your sharpening to compliment your image by learning the tools of the sharpening panel.

Here’s what we’ll discuss in the following lesson:

• The causes of soft detail and tips on how to capture the sharpest image in the field.
• The step-by-step workflow for sharpening and how to tell when you’ve added enough.
• The balance between noise removal and sharpening, and what is an acceptable level of detail.
• The difference between sharpening, clarity, and texture…and how to use these adjustments cohesively.
• How to use subtraction to sharpen a focal point by softening the detail surrounding it.

Ready to finally master Lightroom Classic?

While this class is very comprehensive, it only scratches the surface as to what is possible in Lightroom.

If you’d like to learn more, there is a 70% discount on my full Lightroom for Landscapes Training program!

By enrolling, you’ll receive instant access to:

• 300+ Video Lessons on Lightroom Classic
• Both 4K Streaming and HD Downloads Available
• 30+ Hours of Video Content
• 20+ Practice Files
• 15+ Cheatsheets, eBooks, and Study Guides
• LIFETIME access to the program itself (including all future updates)

It’s a comprehensive collection of courses and exercises that show you the best processing techniques for landscape photography, so you can effortlessly create the photographs you’ve always wanted.

And most importantly, you’ll see just how much fun it is to use Lightroom!

This discount is only available for a few more days though…

So if you’re interested, don’t hesitate to read more about Lightroom for Landscapes!

Sale Ends in:

Welcome to your FREE Lightroom Classic lesson!

Thanks for joining me, and I hope you’re ready to finally learn how Lightroom works “under the hood”!

Trust me: knowing exactly how Lightroom “imports” your images and the amazing benefits of the catalog file will pay off exponentially by saving you tons of wasted time and confusion.

I find that many photographers have misconceptions about how Lightroom handles their images (specifically the raw files), which can lead to regrettable mistakes and overcomplicating the workflow.

Lightroom is actually designed to be very simple and intuitive to use…but if you don’t understand how to best use its features to your advantage, you’ll be taking a much longer (and fragile) road to the same destination.

Here’s what we’ll discuss in the following lesson:

• How Lightroom connects to your images, and how it compares to Photoshop and other “non-virtual” image processors.
• What happens to your source files (the original image files on your disk) when Lightroom imports them into the catalog.
• How the catalog file functions and the benefits of a “virtual” image processor.
• The power of the non-destructive workflow, and how Lightroom protects your images from irreversible damage using previews.
• How Lightroom excels as a DAM (digital asset manager), specifically image organization with keywords and collections.

Questions? I’m happy to help! Click here to send me a note, or leave a comment down below.

Ready to finally master Lightroom Classic?

While this video lesson is very comprehensive, it only scratches the surface as to what is possible in Lightroom.

If you’d like to learn more, there is a 70% discount on my full Lightroom for Landscapes Training program!

By enrolling, you’ll receive instant access to:

• 300+ Video Lessons on Lightroom Classic
• Both 4K Streaming and HD Downloads Available
• 30+ Hours of Video Content
• 20+ Practice Files
• 15+ Cheatsheets, eBooks, and Study Guides
• LIFETIME access to the program itself (including all future updates)

It’s a comprehensive collection of courses and exercises that show you the best processing techniques for landscape photography, so you can effortlessly create the photographs you’ve always wanted.

And most importantly, you’ll see just how much fun it is to use Lightroom!

This discount is only available for a few more days though…

So if you’re interested, don’t hesitate to read more about Lightroom for Landscapes!

Sale Ends in:

There’s big news from Adobe this week and it has left a lot of Lightroom users either totally confused or disappointed (mostly both). I’ve had a few days to mull things over, and I’m here to offer up my recommendations that may help you better understand this monumental shift in the Adobe ecosystem.

Wait – what’s happened to Lightroom?

There are many great posts out there that have already covered the specific changes extensively (a few are linked below), so I will not dilute the atmosphere anymore with my own explanation ….but here are the bullet points (in case you haven’t heard):

1. Lightroom CC is now called Lightroom Classic and has received some much-needed performance updates that many are enjoying….as well as a few new features.

2. Adobe introduced their new cloud-based program, which has now been crowned heir to the “Lightroom CC” name (hence the rebranding of Lightroom CC to Lightroom Classic). This program takes advantage of the fluidity and less complicated environment that only cloud apps can offer, but with several drawbacks that are leaving traditional Lightroom users reluctant to move – including me.

3. No more perpetual licenses for Lightroom. A move that is not entirely surprising given Adobe’s unwillingness to update Lightroom 6 with the latest features….but I was hoping Adobe would put this move off until CC was more widely adopted. Lightroom 6 users won’t receive any new updates after the end of the year.

Photographer Piet Van den Eynde has created a very nice overview of the new Lightroom Classic features…as well as briefly going over what Lightroom CC is. It’s very informative and to the point:

And here’s the information directly from Adobe. Our dear guide Julieanne certainly has her hands full with this one. In this video, she compares Lightroom Classic to Lightroom CC.

It’s really not the introduction of this new app that is making users anxious, it’s the subtext (and possible foreshadowing) that accompanies this news….specifically, the future of Lightroom Classic (the folder-based program) and whether or not Lightroom CC (the cloud-based program) will replace it.

I go into further detail below, but here’s the punchline:

Lightroom Classic is not going to disappear anytime soon, so stay put and let’s see how this plays out with Adobe. Whether you’re a CC – sorry, I mean “Classic” – Lightroom user or have a perpetual Lr6 license, there’s really no reason to jump ship right now….especially without an adequate lifeboat to jump into.

I’m not saying that I’ll be sticking with Lightroom forever, or suggesting that you do the same (as explained below)…but there’s no big red switch coming down. Let’s see how this develops…and more importantly, how Adobe responds to its customers’ concerns.

First onto the elephant in the room….the “Classic” rebranding of Lightroom CC.

I’m not sure who at Adobe decided that it was a good idea to rebrand a program currently used by many professionals and serious enthusiasts as “classic” and expect a good reception. Even worse, to simultaneously introduce an inferior cloud-based app and give it the Lightroom CC name. I’m baffled.

Now I understand WHY they moved the CC name over to this new cloud-based program, but surely they saw the potential confusion and possible foreshadowing that could be interpreted here when they chose to rebrand the folder-based application as “classic”.

Does this simply mean that Lightroom Classic is using a “traditional” setup of folders and local storage vs. the more-modern, cloud-based systems….which everything seems to be moving towards lately? Or does “classic” imply that Adobe will be phasing out of their folder-based Lightroom program at some point?

We don’t know what Adobe is planning to do (and perhaps they don’t either until they get more feedback on this bold move), but I’m betting that Adobe’s marketing team is regretting their choice of words.

Not only is this terminology confusing, but it makes “Lightroom Formerly Known as CC” seem archaic and stale, and a program that they will eventually retire…..while passing the CC crown to their new cloud-based app.

Will Adobe stop supporting Lightroom Classic?

I believe that is their current end-game, yes….but it won’t happen for a while (and depending on the performance of Lightroom CC, it may not happen at all).

Professional photographers represent a small portion of the “photography” market, so it makes sense that Adobe – being a business with shareholders – would try to tap into the amateurs.

Lightroom CC is essentially a very fancy, sophisticated app that amateur photographers can step into without being overwhelmed. If you remember, there’s a lot to learn about Lightroom Classic initially – importing, catalogs, keywords…let alone the Develop module. It’s a big barrier coming from a cell phone. Lightroom CC makes that initial learning curve much less steep.

I can’t imagine Classic being pulled until CC is a suitable replacement…and Adobe needs to hit a LOT of marks before that becomes a reality.

It’s also reassuring that Adobe has greatly improved the performance of Lightroom Classic (and added some nifty new features that Piet goes over in the above video), so they do plan on keeping Lightroom Classic around for a while.

However, with the unveiling of CC, it means that fewer resources are being diverted to Classic support and development….which can be worrisome for us who will most likely never use a cloud-based program as our main image organizer/raw processor.

My advice is this: If you are a Classic user, just wait it out. It will be a long time before Adobe stops supporting Lightroom Classic. Remember: they’re in business, so it would not make sense to kill a product without having an equal replacement for users to move to.

Are you a Lightroom 6 user (with a perpetual license)? I’d wait it out too – at least for the short term. Support ending at the end of the year is not Doomsday. The final support release for Lightroom 5 was back in November of 2014, and there are still many photographers using it (or even earlier versions of Lightroom).

Do I recommend using Lightoom CC then?

Not right now. I don’t believe photographers who are already familiar with Lightroom Classic are going to see any real benefit to adding CC to their workflow in its current state….and I definitely would not recommend Lightroom CC as a replacement for Lightroom Classic.

There are big concerns here for professionals and serious enthusiasts….program stability, file security (storing your trove of images in a cloud managed by Adobe) and of course reliable high-speed internet access for continual downloads and uploads. Since Lightroom CC is in version 1.0, there will inevitably be problems that Adobe will need to troubleshoot – so it’s better to let their team work out the kinks first before making any serious commitments to CC.

Now with that being said…Adobe is banking hard on Lightroom CC being a success. This is their new baby. I believe they will be swift and thorough to address program bugs and roll out features to rival Lightroom Classic. Also, Lightroom CC is a simpler program to use without catalogs, so bugs should be fairly easy to fix and program speed should not be much of an issue.

The biggest bottleneck I see here (and it is a HUGE one for many) is a reliable high-speed internet connection, so I’m curious as to how Adobe is going to address this. The new Nikon D850 has raw files in the 50MB range, so imagine uploading a couple hundred frames over a slow and spotty internet connection.

I’m spoiled here in Boston, but it was not too long ago I was tethering internet through my cell phone on an island (with a monthly limit on usage). This was not fun, and I could never use Lightroom CC for any kind of serious editing if I was still living there. I couldn’t even use Netflix.

In my opinion, internet availability and stability is not there yet for many serious photographers to support a cloud-based workflow.

That’s not to say that Lightroom CC is totally out of the question. If you’re a CC member, you get this program already as part of your monthly plan…so give it a spin. It can be very useful for off-site backup and initial editing/culling before you get home.

However, I personally will not be using it (not yet anyway).

Here’s my honest opinion of Lightroom CC….

I see Lightroom CC as a complementary program to Lightroom Classic and Photoshop…a nice feature for professionals and serious hobbyists to use alongside Classic, and a gateway program for amateurs to enter into the Adobe ecosystem. It’s kind of like how Elements is a stepping stone to Photoshop.

For those who are already invested in Classic and familiar with the program, CC is a big step backward with very little reward.

What will happen if Adobe ends support for Lightroom Classic?

There are alternatives to Lightroom Classic – fantastic alternatives – and I’ve been exploring those in order to bring you the best in digital darkroom education. Your success and enjoyment is my primary goal here at creativeRAW, especially for Lifetime members who rely on my courses. If Adobe ever decides to phase out of Lightroom Classic, that is not going to happen for a while….which gives me plenty of time to find a suitable alternative if needed.

I love using Lightroom and Photoshop cohesively and rely heavily on the synergistic relationship between the two….it’s just so fluid to jump back and forth between both programs. However, I’m not blindly in love with them. If the day comes that Lightroom is not the best choice for image organization and raw processing, and I’ve thoroughly tested a better alternative…I will absolutely switch over and create tutorials for that program.

Workflows change and evolve over time, and I am not afraid to jump into a different program….but not yet. This Lightroom overhaul will certainly invigorate the competition and not allow Adobe to get comfortable….which is great news for all of us.

Even if I do move to a Lightroom replacement, I will definitely be sticking with Photoshop as I highly doubt that Adobe has any plans to shake up their flagship program like they just did with Lightroom. These are their “bread and butter” customers, so I imagine they want to keep them very, very happy.

While Photoshop is still well ahead of its competitors, it would only take a few stumbles for programs like Affinity to lure customers away….so Adobe will probably take the straight and narrow path with Photoshop for a long time.

For now, I will wait and see how this venture develops over the next few months and will enjoy the recent improvements and features added to Lightroom Classic.

Thoughts or opinions? Many of you probably have a question (or twenty)…so please ask away in the comments below and I will get right back to you. Chances are other creativeRAW subscribers are wondering the same thing you are, so don’t be shy 🙂

EDIT 10/22/17 at 8:25 PM EST: Looks like the comments are not currently working. In the meantime, feel free to bring the conversation over to the creativeRAW Facebook Group to share your thoughts on all of this.

EDIT 10/22/17 at 9:03 PM EST: Comments are back up and working!

Note: You can adjust the video quality and playback speed via the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the playbar.

Lesson Downloads

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If you can not download the zip file, try reloading the page which will issue a fresh download link.

• Worksheet #4 (.pdf)
• Course Summary (.pdf)
• eBook: Creativity in the Digital Darkroom (.pdf)
  
• Sign up for my FREE Foundations course for Lightroom and Photoshop

Note: Lessons on Luminosity, Contrast, and Color are part of the Foundations course linked above.

About this Lesson

Here we are…

The FINAL lesson for Creativity in the Darkroom! 

Missed the first three videos? You can access them here:

• The Creative Thesis
• Barriers to Creativity
• Learning Without Overload

Now today, I saved the best for last…

We now know that your unique perspective and connection to the landscape fuels your creative vision…and is the driving force behind your very best photographs made in the darkroom. 

Tactics, tools, techniques….they can help you communicate that vision more clearly, but they are not the source. It’s 100% YOU!

There will be a flood of creative ideas and inspiration once you make this realization.

As exciting as this may be, it can be a bit overwhelming at first…making it difficult to determine which creative direction to take your image in.

For your fourth and final lesson, I’ll be fully unpacking a workflow that will allow you complete creative freedom…

But also maintain a degree of order to the chaos of ideas that can prevent you from taking action towards the finished photograph.

Here’s what we’ll cover: 

• The IMA Method, unpacked in FULL detail…with specific examples and strategies for implementing this powerful, yet incredible simple process into your processing workflow.
  
• How “creative bumpers” allow for maximum creativity, but prevent you from steering too far from your goal. 
  
• Why “pre-visualization” places unnecessary pressure and expectations on your creative abilities, which will build walls around the development of your craft.
  
• How to enhance the quality of your IDEAS, which is secondary to the technical quality of your detail. 
  
• Why most photographers process in a linear workflow (step 1, step 2, etc.), and why this is counterproductive to authentic creative expression.
  
• How to decide whether a new tool or tactic will compliment your workflow and creative goals…and customize them to create your OWN processing techniques (this is crucial!).

If there’s one thing you take away from this course, it’s this: 

Just have FUN…and point your camera at something just because you LIKE it! 

Because that connection will be your jumping-off point in the darkroom.

Then it’s just a matter of identifying why you took that photograph and what it means to you…and then distilling that down into a visual story.

And once you jump into the darkroom, you’ll take those feelings, emotions, and authentic reactions you had in the field to fuel your ability to create the atmosphere you want – and with total confidence.

And now that you have a process in place (the IMA method) to help you make clearer, more confident decisions that are aligned with your creativity…

You can worry less about trying to ADVANCE your photography, but rather let your photography EVOLVE organically with the natural ebbs and flow of your creativity. 

The “identifying” part may not always be clear at first…

But if you’re enjoying the process by photographing what FEELS right to you, then your creative journey will always be successful. 

Because every photograph you create is 100% valid if it’s based on YOUR unique perspectives and reactions. 

These are photographs that will:

• Bring a smile to your face whenever you look at it…
• Evoke the warmest of memories for you, as well as your friends and family…
• Make you truly proud to hang on your wall….
• And wholly represent your unique creative vision and successfully tells the story that YOU want it to.

This is the difference between creating an image that is just aesthetically pleasing, and one that truly represents YOU…and is just fun to make! 

The Next Steps…

1. Make sure to download the course summary (there’s a link below the last lesson). This is a printable recap of the entire process, an is an excellent future reference for those quick reminders. 
   
2. Also make sure to download the video files for the other three lessons:
   
   1. The Creative Thesis
   2. Barriers to Creativity
   3. Learning Without Overload
      
3. Email me with any lingering questions or feedback you have about this course. Please take advantage of this! I’d love to hear from you, because it truly makes me happy to help you overcome any obstacles.

REMINDER: The 5DayDeal Photography Bundle is just around the corner…

This Thursday (October 14th), the annual 5DayDeal Photography Bundle will open up for 2021!

This is your yearly opportunity to stock up on a treasure trove of knowledge from some extraordinary photographers, as well as some amazing tools to keep you inspired and creative at a ridiculous discount (usually around 95% off)…

And raise an incredible amount of money for some outstanding charities…with over TWO million dollars donated since  2014!

I know many of you wait all year for this event, so make sure to keep an eye out for an email on Thursday…

Because this bundle is only available for (you guessed it) 5 days. 

In the meantime, you can still enter the 5DayDeal Giveaway…

For three more days, you can still throw your name into the hat for a (pretty good) chance of winning a new Macbook, photo gear, and other excellent prizes.

It’s completely free to enter, no obligation, and absolutely no hoops to jump through.

Good luck! And I’ll be back in a few days when the bundle opens up.

Note: You can adjust the video quality and playback speed via the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the playbar.

Lesson Downloads

Note: The video download link expires after a certain amount of time.
If you can not download the zip file, try reloading the page which will issue a fresh download link.

• eBook: Creativity in the Digital Darkroom (.pdf)
• Sign up for my FREE Foundations course for Lightroom and Photoshop

About this Lesson

Welcome back for Lesson Three!

For your third lesson, we’re going to discuss how to amplify your ability to create photographs that fully express your creative vision…

And that starts with learning how the fantastic tools of the darkroom can enhance the quality of your ideas WITHOUT overload. 

The “without overload” part can make all the difference between wasting time learning useless skills and actually advancing your craft in a meaningful way.

This is sometimes easier said than done though…

Because many photographers assume that you have to learn EVERY single tool of Lightroom and Photoshop (and there are many).

And not just learn them, but MASTER them. 

It’s like standing at the base of a mountain…with no guide or gear to help you reach the summit.

Just thinking about that is an overwhelming thought…

But thankfully, this is not how you should approach the darkroom.

Here’s what we’ll cover: 

• The difference between tactics and foundation skills…and why the principles will give you 90% of the knowledge needed to fully understand even the most advanced techniques.
  
• How to use the darkroom tools to Distill, Clarify, and Curate your creative ideas effectively…so you can better hone in on the exact techniques that will bring your vision to life.
  
• Why presets, actions, panels and other “tactical” skills will only marginally improve your photographs (the difference between quality and content). 

…and much more.

Lesson Four is Coming in a Few Days! 

For your final lesson coming your way in a few days, we’re going full circle. I’ll be walking you step-by-step through the process of developing a creative thesis for your photograph.

We’ll be drawing on all of the skills we’ve learned in this course thus far and put them into action. I’ll also be offering suggestions for implementing this method into your own workflow using the IMA method.

 This will be a big lesson, but I guarantee it will give you the biggest strides in your creative development as a photographer. I can’t wait to unpack this process with you in a few days. 

PS – Have a question about these videos? Just leave a comment below or message me privately by clicking the orange button in the bottom-right corner.

The 5DayDeal Bundle is just around the corner…

Every year, my good friends Griffin and Valerie put together the Complete Photography Bundle…

A carefully curated collection of courses, tools, and other resources to help you improve your craft and inspire you with new creative ideas. 

The best part? We donate a portion of each bundle sale directly to select charities…

And since 2014, we’ve managed to raise well over $2 million dollars! It’s quite a feat to have accomplished…and has impacted many lives.

In order to raise these donations, we discount this bundle by a ridiculous amount (pennies on the dollar)…

And for 2021, they’ve pulled out all the stops and compiled the biggest bundle yet.

There are some extraordinary resources from some of my favorite photography educators that I think you will particularly enjoy…

Greg Benz, Mads Peter Iversen, Ryan Dyar, Tim Grey, Jimmy McIntyre, Joshua Snow, and Sebastian Michaels…just to name a few. 

You can see the full list of contributors right here.

This is without a doubt my favorite bundle to date…because it’s now more catered to nature and landscape photographers than ever before.

I know many of you look forward to this opportunity every year, so I wanted to give you as much of a “heads up” as possible…

Because I think this is a fantastic opportunity to make a wise investment in something fun, productive, and creative.

The bundle officially kicks off this Thursday, October 14th, so make sure to keep an eye out for an email from me around that time if this interests you…

Because it will only be available for (you guessed it) five days.