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This release of Lightroom CC contains a lot of new features that photographers will really like in that it will make them less reliant on Photoshop.

New Software Newsflash: Adobe Creative Cloud For Photography – April 2015

As part of their ongoing efforts with Adobe Creative Cloud to bring you updates on a more regular basis, Adobe has announced that a new update for their photography line of products. This update takes is a major release for Lightroom.

Lightroom CC
Lightroom CC

Adobe Lightroom CC

Lightroom is a software based digital darkroom that is used for developing your photographs, managing your photographic library, and creating great presentations whether for printing or for the web. Lightroom is different from Photoshop in that Photoshop is an image editing program that has big guns to do just about anything to an image. Many times, at least for most traditional photographers, it has too many things. While Photoshop comes with Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw, they are more challenging to use and really do not provide the same kind of management that you get with Lightroom.

So what is new with Adobe Lightroom CC

Lightroom CC
Lightroom CC

• HDR Merge – gives you the ability to create High Dynamic Range (HDR) images right in Lightroom. HDR allows you to capture successive shots at different exposures to get all the light areas and all of the dark areas, and then you can merge these in to a single shot that contains all of the various dynamic ranges resulting in a picture with the full range of light.

• Panorama Merge – lets you take successive images of a large area such as a mountain range. You take the images with about 20 percent overlap and then using the new merge feature, Lightroom will stitch them together to create one seamless image as a panorama.

• Facial Recognition – provides the ability for you to locate all of the faces in your image and tag them for better organization. Once you find and name a person, it can scan your catalog matching the similar faces. If a face is obscured or turned, you can draw a box around the face and name them.

Lightroom CC
Lightroom CC

• Filter Brush – allows you to reshape gradients that were created with the Graduated Filter and the Radial Filter. This way when you apply a gradient and it covers too much of the scene or changes an object in the scene more than you want, you can use the filter brush to erase the unwanted area without affecting the area that gradient was meant to change.

• Advanced Slideshows – now lets you add professional looking pan and zoom effects to your slideshows giving them a much more dynamic feel. You can even sync slides to a multi-song sound track

• Lightroom Mobile – permits you to edit, organize, and share you photos anywhere. Now you can take you images with you when you are on the go and you can apply adjustments, rate, flag, crop, use presets, and share and, when you get back to your desktop, your images will be there waiting for you.

• Segmented View – gives you the ability to view groups by date making it easier to find images in your collection.

• Enhanced support for Android devices – includes DNG Raw file, access to microSD storage to edit and save photos, and tablet support.

• Voice and Slate – access allows you to tell stories by using your own photos from Lightroom through the use of the free Adobe Slate and Adobe Voice iPad applications. Using Slate you can create a visual story through the use of words and pictures. When you add Voice, you can create an animated video where you just talk to tell your story.

Lightroom CC
Lightroom CC

This release of Lightroom CC contains a lot of new features that photographers will really like in that it will make them less reliant on Photoshop. The HDR merge and the Panorama Merge are two areas that in the past required the use of Photoshop. The filter brush is also a really great addition since one of the areas that gradients are use is to manipulate sky color which can change the color of other items in the scene. By being able to brush the gradient away from those other areas, you have better control of your image.

The mobile synching capabilities will prove to be very useful as well. Being able to work on the go and have everything available no matter where you are, is a great productivity boost. Adding all the other features makes this a must have update. Lightroom 6 is available as a standalone product (mobile capabilities are not included) and Lightroom CC is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. If you have a subscription to the Photography or complete Creative Cloud then you already have this upgrade.

 

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About T. Michael Testi

Photographer, writer, software engineer, educator, and maker of fine images.

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