These final version contain even more bug fixes and support for 16 new cameras (up from 12 on the candidate releases) including support for the just recently announced Canon 60D.

To check out the new features, big fixes, new cameras supported check out this article on the Lightroom Journal.

And to download click on the appropiate links below:

• Camera Raw 6.2 for Mac
• Camera Raw 6.2 for Windows
• Photoshop Lightroom 3.2 for Mac
• Photoshop Lightroom 3.2 for Windows

Using the Survey Tool to select just one image of my beautiful model Sara.

Don’t forget about the Survey Tool. It is invaluable when selecting from a number of similar images. Highlight all of the images in the batch and hit N. Use the numbers to rank them by stars and hit / to deselect images and knock them out of your Survey window.

Bonus: New in Lightroom 3, you can hit N from anywhere in Lightroom! Spot Removal has been reassigned to the Q key in the develop module.

What happened to Lightroom 3.1 you ask? Well here is Adobes own words on the matter:

WAIT! What happened to Lightroom 3.1? Well, it never happened. In order to simplify the presentation of updates for raw file format compatibility, the Lightroom and Camera Raw “dot” version numbers have been aligned at “2″. We update the Camera Raw plug-in and Lightroom regularly to provide access to new proprietary raw file formats and have aligned the decimal place so that there’s no confusion over which Lightroom update corresponds to a Camera Raw plug-in update and vice versa.

One new feature has been posted for this release of Lightroom:

• The ability to publish directly to Facebook from within the Library module

This LR update brings 68 bug “corrections”, support for a dozen new cameras, 54 new lens profiles and 3 lens profiles updated.

For the full details and links to download both LR and ACR go to: http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/2010/08/lightroom-3-2-and-camera-raw-6-2-available-on-adobe-labs.html

Lightroom 3 offers many improvements and enhancements over the previous version, most noticeable are, speed improvements, MUCH improved sharpening & noise reduction algorithms and the ability to shoot in tethered mode,

For a comprehensive list of enhancements go to: http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/

To download the new version go to: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=photoshop_lightroom

Here are a few interesting articles on DPE regarding the new capabilities of Lightroom 3:

• Juan’s Favorite Lightroom 3 Features
• Tethered Capture in Lightroom 3 Beta 2
• Julieanne Kost from Adobe Presents the New Features in Lightroom 3 Beta 2

How easy is tethered capture? Fuggedaboutit!

Tethered shooting is a great way to make sure you’re “getting the shot”. Shooting tethered means that your DSLR camera is attached to your computer so that your images transfer directly to your hard drive instead of being saved to your memory card. The camera is normally connected to the computer via a USB cable,and some systems offer a wireless connection option as well. It is much easier to check exposure, focus etc. on a large computer screen than it is on your camera’s LCD.

You also need software on the computer to capture images from the camera. Starting with Lightroom 3 Beta 2, this function is built right into Lightroom for many Nikon and Canon camera models. Here’s how it works, and a couple of tips for making the most of it.

First, connect your DSLR to your computer using a USB cable and turn on your camera. If you shoot this way a lot you will want to get a long USB cable or a USB extension cord so you have enough cable to move freely. You’ll also want to make sure your computer is secured so you don’t pull it onto the floor with the USB cable.

In the Library module inside Lightroom 3 beta 2, select File> Tethered Capture> Start Tethered Capture… This will bring up the Tethered Capture dialog where you will select the session name, file naming options, destination, and metadata including keywords. When you click ‘OK’ you will see a bar with your camera name and current exposure settings. If your camera doesn’t show up right away try turning the camera off, then back on. I haven’t found that one way works better than another with my Nikon D700. Sometimes I turn the camera on first, sometimes I start tethering first. It doesn’t seem to make a difference. I would like to hear your experience in the comments.

Now you’re up and running. Here are a couple of ways to make the most of this setup using the Color Checker Passport from X-rite. Once you have your lighting set up, take a shot of the Color Checker Passport. Inside Lightroom, select the Passport shot and choose File> Export with Preset> Color Checker Passport. Name the profile (possibly the same as the session name), and the X-rite software will build a DNG profile for your particular camera and lighting situation.

You will need to quit Lightroom 3 beta 2 in order to use the new profile. Restart Lightroom and start Tethered Capture again. Your Session, Naming, etc. settings should be saved from earlier. Take a shot of your subject holding the Color Checker Passport and switch to the develop module. Go to the Camera Calibration Panel (command/cntrl 8) and select the profile you just created from the drop down menu. Press W to select the White balance eyedropper and click on one of the white balance targets on the Passport to set the white balance.

In the Tethered Capture control bar under Develop Settings, select Same as Previous. Now your shots will come straight from the camera with your custom profile applied and properly white balanced. Nice!

You can apply any develop settings this way. For example, you can get the sharpening or noise reduction the way you like it and automatically apply it to your photos as you’re shooting.

I like to make my previews as large as possible on my computer while I’m shooting tethered. Press the F key to enter Full Screen mode. There are three options here, so press F until the Lightroom interface takes up the whole screen. Now press command/cntrl tab to hide all of the panels. Press T to hide the toolbar at the bottom of your screen, then press \ to hide the Library filters bar if it’s visible. Now press E or double-click an image to enter Loupe view, and you will see you images at maximum size while you’re shooting tethered.

This incremental upgrade add support for the following cameras:

• Canon EOS 550D (Digital Rebel T2i/ EOS Kiss X4 Digital)
• Kodak Z981
• Leaf Aptus-II 8
• Leaf Aptus-II 10R
• Mamiya DM40
• Olympus E-PL1
• Panasonic G2
• Panasonic G10
• Sony A450

Additionally a few tweaks were made:

• Camera Raw 5.7 includes an updated demosaic algorithm designed to provide compatibility with settings applied in Lightroom 3 beta 2.
• Lightroom 2.7 also includes the same updated demosaic algorithm. The updated demosaic algorithm will appear as a subtle shift in noise characteristics at default values.
• By default Camera Raw will display the image adjustments exactly as performed in the Lightroom 3 beta 2 develop module. However, at this time Camera Raw 5.7 is unable to support further adjustments to the following settings or tools:
  • Highlight Priority and Color Priority post-crop vignette
  • Enhanced Luminance and Color Noise Reduction
  • Grain effects

You can download the updated versions at: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

“What software should I get first?” is a common question to aspiring photographers, especially when first getting into using DSLR cameras. Or more commonly, “Should I get Photoshop CS4 or Photoshop Elements to start out?” With the term Photoshopped entering the vernacular, it is not surprising that most people think about it first when starting to get serious about digital photography. However, diving straight into Photoshop CS4, or even the simpler Photoshop Elements alone is not the best choice for an aspiring photographer. While Photoshop CS4 and Elements are extremely powerful tools, they are more than you need to get started when there is a fantastic solution available in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Beyond simply offering the ability to edit your photographs, Lightroom gives you a unified interface for organizing, editing, printing and sharing your pictures. The Library module is a fantastic place to start good organizational habits by importing into custom folders, keywording and grouping into collections.

The develop module allows you a huge amount of latitude, mirroring and greatly simplifying nearly any technique available in a classic wet darkroom or most non-pixel editing processes from Photoshop CS4 or Elements. The develop module is also completely non-destructive, so you can always go back to your original files today, tomorrow or down the road when you learn new techniques. Finally, this module makes working with RAW files as simple and transparent as JPEGs.

The very easy-to-use print module offers multi-image prints and simple but powerful sharpening and resizing algorithms. Sharing digitally is also very easy with the web module and export plug-ins.

All of these modules support a variety of presets, which make working in Lightroom even easier, quicker, more reliable and fun. It is very easy to repeat a process without learning how to record custom actions or create a signature post-processing look that takes little to no time to apply.

What about Photoshop? Well, if you need to erase a fire hydrant, or insert a dog next to one, then Photoshop CS4 or Elements is the best choice. And eventually you will learn new techniques that require the added pixel-punishing power of one of these versions of Photoshop. Spend a year working on your photography, getting it right in camera, and using Lightroom to organize, tweak and export. As a new photographer your time is best spent learning to use your camera and seeing the light.

Still not sure? Get the free trial and give it 30 days. I think you’ll find it tasty and delicious.

Watch the unveiling live over at the CS5 Launch site

For us photographers, the most significant part of the Creative Suite is of course Photoshop. The new version brings in a slew of impressive, some would call magical, features.

Some of the most popular ones are

• Content-Aware Fill
• HDR Pro
• HDR Toning
• Easier complex selections
• New Camera Raw plug-in
• Automated lens correction
• New Painting effects
• Flexible custom panels
• A new workspace switcher
• Puppet Warp
• GPU acceleration
• Faster performance with native 64-bit support

(click on the links for previews of those features)

Adobe has posted a 12 minute video on what is new and of interest to photographers in the new Photoshop CS5

And if you’d like to find out more about what is new in the entire suite, you can see a slew of videos going over many of the new features.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CS5 Extended are scheduled to ship within 30 days. Adobe Photoshop CS5 is $699 and $999 for Photoshop CS5 Extended; upgrades from previous versions are $149.

Get out your wallets!

Welcome to Sharpening Saturday! Follow along as I describe Lightroom’s sharpening features and functionality. We will build a solid workflow to execute an effective and efficient input sharpening workflow.

Hope to meet all of you at the California Photo Festival later this year! Check out the DPE gang who will be attending http://www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com.

Fiat Lux!

Bull

[Editors note: this brings to a conclusion our Lightroom week, but keep your eye out on DPE as we will have a few more Lightroom articles for you soon, including previews of Lightroom 3 Beta 2.]

Before and after with #85 warming filter applied. Photo by Rob Knight.

I’ve already written about Lightroom’s Library filters (read the article HERE), so I’m going to talk about a different type of filter for Filter Friday. There is an adjustment in Photoshop called “Photo Filter”. It contains several preset colors that warm or cool your image, as well as presets for adding more dramatic colors. These are based on filters you can use in front of your lens when you’re shooting. The filter effects in Photoshop are much more flexible than glass filters are because you can adjust them, change the color, or remove them all together after you take the shot. I’m going to focus on the warming and cooling filters and show you how to get these effects in Lightroom.

Select the photo you want to warm or cool and make sure you’re in the develop module. We’re going to apply the color filter using the Split Toning panel. For the traditional ‘Photo Filter’ effect you will want the Hue and Saturation the same for the Highlights and the Shadows. For a more subtle (and generally much better) look, apply the color and saturation only to the Shadows.

You will start by setting the Hue, then adjust the Saturation slider until the effect looks the way you want it. The sweet spot for me is usually between 25% and 35% saturation, but this is up to you and your taste. These colors are the same ones used in the Photoshop Photo Filter adjustment, but play with different colors and see what you can come up with.

Before and after with #81 warming filter applied. Photo by Rob Knight.

For the #85 warming filter, set the Hue slider to 33º. For the #81 filter try 42º. Warming filters can spice up photos made on overcast days, or add a sunset glow when the sun is still up. A warming filter can add spark to your portraits too.

For cooling filters try 215º for the #80 filter, and 200º for the #82. Cooling filters are great for changing the mood of an image. They do a nice job of accentuating green foliage in your landscape images too.

Before and after with #80 cooling filter applied. Photo by Rob Knight.

Once you find some color filters you like, you can save them as develop presets so you can apply them quickly and easily. Click the ‘+’ icon at the top of the Presets panel in the develop module. Be sure the Split Toning box is the only one checked and give the preset a descriptive name. Click ‘Create’ and you’re done!

You’ll learn lots of Lightroom tips and tricks like this at my Arenal Eco Adventure Photo Workshop in Monterrey, Costa Rica this September. All of the photos in this post are from locations we’ll be shooting in Monterrey. For more information and online registration visit http://arenalworkshop.eventbrite.com/ and my blog at www.DphotoA.com