Cropping and Straightening

Impossible Things has introduced two new editing features – Perceptive Cropping and Perceptive Straightening. These can be used separately or together.

The cropping will avoid cropping out key people or objects, while the straightening option will work towards proper straightening without forcing an image level against the intended artistic composition. These options are available now and will respect the photos original aspect ratio.

Consistency Algorithm Called the “Nest Engine”

Impossible Things has also designed a consistency algorithm that they call “Nest Engine.” This engine will be at the core of their predictions and aims to solve the primary feedback they received during early access: consistency. The Nest Engine has a visual memory and will recognize images that are shot in sequence, in the same lighting scenario or in the same setting. It will group like images into “Nests” and treat them as similar with a little bit of mathematical magic. The results are that similar images will be given nearly the same visual treatment while still allowing for the individual needs of the image to be met.

Better Predictive Algorithm for Better Results

Along with the incorporation of the Nest Engine, Impossible Things has overhauled the predictive and training methods. The new, next generation version results in fewer edge cases or editing anomalies, and the predictions are significantly improved across the board. If you weren’t getting the results you wanted before, these new changes make it worth giving another shot.

Plugin Auto Updating Released

The plug-in itself will now look for new versions and update itself. This will be the last time you will have to run the DVLOP & THINGS installer to keep up to date with the latest features. It will check for updates when Lightroom starts. If there is an update, with your permission, the plug-in will update itself in 1-2 seconds.

Lightroom Crash Detection

Impossible Things has also integrated a smart system to identify Lightroom malfunctions. Depending upon system resources, Lightroom may crash whenever it gets overworked. Upon restart, Impossible Things will now report the number of images successfully edited before the crash, ensuring that those are added to the free re-edit list (for subscribers), and automatically return the unused credits after a few short minutes.

Unlimited Re-edits

Since launch, Impossible Things also added “unlimited re-edits,” the ability to re-edit any image originally edited using Impossible Things without any additional fees within a 24 hour time period.  This feature gives users the ability to test out different Lightroom Presets and Cloud Styles to find the perfect match for the shoot or scene.

The re-edit feature is not only meant for fixing, but also for enhancing creative abilities of an artist.  Experiment with your own presets or try a cloud style to find the perfect match for your image.

Additional Cloud Styles

Since launch, Impossible Things has also introduced new Cloud Styles.   Cloud Styles are the different looks and styles that come built in to Impossible Things.  You don’t need to purchase any preset packs, and they are available for everyone to use.  The cloud styles currently available include:

• A Fist Full Of Bolts – Myage
• Chrisman Studios – Columbia
• Eric Floberg – Ravenswood
• Jeff Newsom – Razzle Dazzzle and Shenanigans B+W
• Jose Villa – 400 Hybrid
• Nirav Patel – Lotus Remix
• The Kitcheners – Reemotive
• Two Mann Studios – Mannhattan

How to get started

To get started, go to things.co where you can try it out with 500 free credits. For more information on the core features of Impossible Things, such as Cloud Styles, Custom Tuning, and more, see our previous post.

In this article, we will explore the importance of exporting from Lightroom with the correct, optimal settings, and the benefits of using export presets in Lightroom. We will give you the best export settings for Lightroom, and show you how to turn them into presets for different platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and the web, or even physical prints!

Why The Right Lightroom Export Settings Are Important

Exporting your photos with the right settings for your intended use is crucial because it ensures that your images are displayed correctly. You’ll be able to maintain the quality of image detail, and accuracy of tones and colors, across different platforms and uses.

Without proper export settings, your photos may appear pixelated, lose details, or have incorrect color profiles which make your images appear dull. The right settings, though, will not only avoid these issues but also ensure that your file sizes aren’t unnecessarily large in terms of megabytes. An image file that is too big can be inconvenient to share online, especially with mobile devices on mobile networks.

Let’s review some of the most common export settings. For your convenience, we have a set of free Lightroom export presets that you can download and use! These include export presets for the following:

1. ) Print (Full Resolution)
2. ) Facebook
3. ) Instagram
4. ) Web (Blogging and Email)
5. ) Display – 4K.

You can download them for free here.

Best Lightroom Export Settings for Print

Before we get to web display and social media image sharing, let’s talk about the highest-quality scenario: a physical print! For those select few truly special, beautiful images, you may decide that sharing them from a phone screen just doesn’t do the images justice. However, you absolutely cannot just take a low-res, compressed photo from your phone and send it to a print lab!

When exporting images for print, it’s important to consider the resolution, color profile, and file format. To ensure high-quality prints, set the resolution to 300 pixels per inch (ppi). Here are our recommended best settings for photo printing:

File Settings

• Image Format: JPEG
• Color Space: sRGB
• Quality: 100
• Limit File Size To: (unchecked)

Image Sizing

• Resize to Fit: Unchecked
• Resolution: 300

Output Sharpening

• Sharpen For: Glossy Paper
• Amount: Standard

Note that if you want to enlarge your images, and/or save them as a TIF file instead of a JPG, you can do that too, but we highly recommend communicating directly with your print lab before doing so! For more info on how to get the best results when printing your photos, read the full article on the best Lightroom export settings for Print.

Best Lightroom Export Settings for Facebook

When sharing photos on Facebook, it’s essential to consider file size and compression. Facebook is going to automatically shrink your images if they are too big, and add even more compression to get the overall filesize down as low as possible.

We recommends using JPEG files with an sRGB color profile. (You can save a few KB by not including any Metadata except copyright information, but it’s not much.) To perfectly balance image quality and file size for Facebook in particular, be sure to resize the images to a maximum width of 2048 pixels for landscape-oriented photos, or a maximum height of 960 pixels for portrait-oriented photos. Then, select a Lightroom export image quality setting between 80 and 100.  This combination will  optimize the viewing experience on Facebook, despite Facebook’s own additional compression…

File Settings

• Image Format: JPEG
• Color Space: sRGB
• Quality: 100 (65-80 is accptable for slower internet uploads and larger galleries)
• Limit File Size To: (unchecked)

Image Sizing

• Resize to Fit: Long Edge
• Pixels: 2048
• Don’t Enlarge: Checked
• Resolution: 240

Output Sharpening

• Sharpen For: Screen
• Amount: High

Believe it or not, but that last setting, the “Sharpening : Screen, High” actually makes a huge difference, so don’t forget it! Read the full article on the best Lightroom export settings for Facebook.

Best Lightroom Export Settings for Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for sharing a mix of both images and video, and often images that are turned into video content! Therefore, optimizing your exports for Instagram is important to ensure your photos look their best in any medium.

Instagram supports JPEG files with sRGB color profile, of course. To maintain image quality while reducing file size, use a quality setting of around 80-100. Resize your images to a maximum width of 1080 pixels and maintain the original aspect ratio for optimal viewing on Instagram.

File Settings

• Image Format: JPEG
• Color Space: sRGB
• Quality: 100 (65-80 is accptable for slower internet uploads)
• Limit File Size To: (unchecked)

Image Sizing

• Resize to Fit: Short Edge
• Pixels: 1080
• Don’t Enlarge: Checked
• Resolution: 240

Output Sharpening

• Sharpen For: Screen
• Amount: High

Note that for Instagram, the optimal aspect ratio for posts is a vertical 4:5 ratio, while the optimal aspect ratio for Reels and Stories is a vertical 16:9 ratio. Read the full article on the best Lightroom export settings for Instagram.

Best Lightroom Export Settings for Web

When exporting images for the web purposes, such as showcasing the images on a blog or website, it’s crucial to consider both file size and display quality. Use JPEG as the file format, of course, with a quality setting around 80 to balance image compression and file size. For the color profile, sRGB is widely supported by web browsers.

Resizing your images to a suitable width, typically around 1080 pixels can optimize loading speed and ensure a pleasant viewing experience on various devices. Alternatively, if your blog/website allows larger images, going with 2048 pixels can allow you to use the images for both your blog and Facebook, of course.

File Settings

• Image Format: JPEG
• Quality: 80
• Color Space: sRGB
• Limit File Size To: (unchecked)

Image Sizing

• Resize to Fit: Long Edge: 1080 pixels or 2048 pixels
• Don’t Enlarge: Checked
• Resolution 240 Pixels Per inch

Output Sharpening

• Sharpen For: Screen
• Amount: High

Read the full article on the best Lightroom export settings for Web.

Download & Install Our Export Presets

For your convenience, we created a set of Free Lightroom Export Presets that include export presets for the following: 1.) Print (Full Resolution), 2.) Facebook, 3.) Instagram, 4.) Web (Blogging and Email), 5.) Display – 4K

You can download them for free here.

Why Use Lightroom Export Presets:

Adobe Lightroom is all about saving you time! With a few Lightroom export presets, all you need are a few hotkeys (The export interface is “CTRL-Shift-E” or “CMD-Shift-E”) …and a couple mouse clicks, and all your images are exported perfectly! Having all of the pre-defined settings ready to go allows you to quickly output multiple images at once, and even output the same image in multiple formats for different platforms, too!

So, export presets, just like regular Lightroom presets, will save you time and effort by eliminating the need to repetitively adjust numerous settings. Using Lightroom export presets also ensures consistency in your workflow, which improves your viewers’ experience and your clients’ satisfaction.

Conclusion

By using the best Lightroom export settings for print, Facebook, Instagram, and the web, you can consistently showcase your images in their best light and engage with your audience effectively. Plus, you’ll save a ton of time! Experiment with different settings if you need, and remember that changing a preset is just a right-click away. (Look for “Update with current settings”) You can also create your own presets, of course, and enjoy the flexibility and control that Lightroom offers for exporting your photographs so they always look their best, everywhere you share them.

Adobe

Of course, when it comes to photo editing, we have to start Adobe, the leader in the industry in terms of the number of users, name recognition, and overall company value.

Adobe is constantly updating its software and adding features based on AI to Photoshop and Lightroom.  For example, they added a Denoise features that automatically removes noise/grain from images shot at high ISOs.  This new feature goes beyond the previous, simple tools, and creates a whole new raw DNG file.  They also added the ability to make precise edits to clothing and facial hair, as well as new AI mask categories (eyes, eyebrows, lips, hair, etc) for automatically generating a mask in any portrait. These are just a few of the features powered by AI in the Adobe ecosystem.

When it comes to photo editing software, the question, for most photographers, is not whether you should use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, but, what else should you add on top of Adobe Lightroom to help your workflow? In other words, most photographers’ workflows will begin and end in Lightroom. Beyond that, however, you may add additional apps, extensions, or plugins.

Luminar Neo

Luminar Neo is a standalone photo editing software application developed by Skylum, a Ukrainian company. Luminar NEO is the newest version in their long line of capable software; this one adds the power of AI to almost every feature. Primarily, Luminar Neo includes what they call Enhance AI, which has two components, Sky Enhancer AI and Accent AI.  Accent AI balances hue, saturation, highlights, contrast, and details, while Sky Enhancer AI automatically detects and enhances the skies in a photo.

You might consider Luminar NEO if you’re a landscape photographer, a photographer who edits each image individually, or a photographer with a bold and vibrant style of photo editing.  You could also consider Luminar NEO if you don’t like the pricing structure of Adobe and you’re looking for Adobe alternatives, however, the overall workflow is more convenient in Lightroom.

Impossible Things

Impossible Things is a new AI Photo Editor from the creators of DVLOP and SLR Lounge.  The AI works inside Adobe Lightroom, automatically adjusting 38 different settings for each image to arrive at a final result.

In addition to its advanced capabilities, Impossible Things is the only AI editing solution that natively works with Lightroom Presets, allowing it to adjust itself situationally without requiring extra training or uploading new catalogs to a cloud or server. For photographers who don’t have their own presets, Impossible Things provides an expanding collection of “cloud styles” that offer instant access to a range of popular looks. (DVLOP is known for its world-class development of “looks” that range from vibrant & punchy to muted, pastel colors, as well as accurate film emulation.)

The AI also incorporates camera profiles and features a patent-pending “Lighting Condition Based Development” system that adapts image color, contrast, and dynamic range to specific lighting conditions.

Retouch4me

Retouch4me specializes in creating A.I. powered photo retouching tools, which you can use as standalone apps or also as plug-ins for Photoshop. Portrait photographers, in particular, will appreciate Retouch4me’s current selection of AI plugins. Among the collection, you’ll find specialized plugins for masking and healing skin, dodging and burning, smoothing fabric, cleaning up backdrops, and color matching, among others.

Check out the video below to see how SLR Lounge Co-Founder Pye Jirsa made the plug-ins a regular part of his post-production workflow.

These AI plugins are available for individual purchase (prices range from $124-$149), but they can be stacked together. Retouch4me delivers on quality and the time saved from using their tools adds immediate value. After all, the real benefit of integrating AI tools like this into your workflow is to get professional-quality results and streamline your workflow to make time for other, non-editing tasks. It’s worth noting that you can try each plugin for free before you purchase it (and pick up a free plugin for frequency separation).

Special Offer: 20% Off for the SLR Lounge Community

SLR Lounge community members can save 20% on any or all of Retouch4me’s plugins. Just use the following code during checkout: SLRLounge20

Topaz Studio

Topaz Labs is a software company that creates powerful and easy-to-use editing tools.  Topaz offers three primary pieces of software that use AI for more technical tasks:

• Topaz DeNoise AI – Eliminate noise while recovering detail in high-ISO and low light images.
• Topaz Sharpen AI – Sharpen images without artifacts to help with shake reduction, focus correction, and blur removal.
• Topaz Gigapixel AI – Get better photo quality by enhancing the detail and upscaling for printing, cropping, restoration and more.

You can purchase any of these applications separately and integrate them into your Lightroom workflow, or you can purchase Topaz Photo AI, which offers a combination of all three applications. Topaz Photo AI offers slightly less advanced tools than the individual applications.

Topaz is a great tool to have in your software lineup, as it can help you save photos that might otherwise be discarded. On the one hand, things like noise, sharpening, and enlargement all lend themselves very well to being assisted by AI. On the other hand, of course, these aren’t the artistic aspects of photography itself, so they are definitely meant to just complement your main creative workflow.

Aftershoot

Aftershoot CULL is a feature that enables you to sort through each pose, variation, or group of people in a photo shoot and select the best image. You can set your own preferences and determine the “keepers” based on factors such as image sharpness or the subject’s smile. You can also adjust the number of keepers for each pose, selecting only a few images based on specific criteria.

Aftershoot EDITS is another feature that allows you to apply your own personal style of color correction and artistic editing to your photos. It learns from your existing work and can automatically perform technical corrections such as straightening and cropping. You can also use your own creative profiles to switch up your editing style.

See our full Aftershoot Review here.

ACDSee

ACDSee, which has been in existence since the early days of digital photography, is comparable to Adobe in terms of its longevity. Although it is not as well-known, the company’s Photo Studio Ultimate software for photo workflow and editing has garnered a loyal following among users who prefer it over Lightroom.

ACDSee’s Photo Studio Ultimate 2023 has been updated with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, including a fresh Face Edit feature and subject removal, aligning it more closely with rival offerings from Adobe, Capture One, and Skylum.  The latest version of the app, released in 2023, features layer-editing capabilities similar to Photoshop, and some of its tools, such as Light EQ adjusters, are particularly effective.

However, it lags behind top competitors in areas such as initial raw camera file conversion quality, import speed, the effectiveness of some corrections, and interface usability. For these reasons, our Editors’ Choice photo workflow app, Adobe Lightroom Classic, is recommended for those with higher volume workflows.

Spyne

Spyne AI is an app that takes advantage of AI’s powerful ability to identify mechanical things, cars in this case. Entirely dedicated to auto vehicle photo editing, Spyne allows users to create a “Virtual Car Studio”, putting your car on a showroom floor, and making adjustments such as controlling tint on windows.

The app offers over 100 backgrounds, from showrooms to on-location photo scenes, and a scalable (high-volume) workflow. Last but not least, you can use their technology to turn your own car

Remove.bg

With a straightforward interface, Remove.bg allows you to easily eliminate the background of an uploaded image. Within moments, Remove.bg will return the image without the background.

The standard definition image is available for free download, but higher resolutions require credits, which must be purchased.  Remove.bg also provides options to replace the background with a new one. You can choose from the given backgrounds or upload your own. If you prefer, you can blur the background of the image instead of removing it.

While Remove.bg is free to use, there are limitations. The tool allows unlimited low-quality versions of an image for free. Additionally, creating a free account enables you to download one high-quality image for free.  To access further features, payment is required. As you purchase more image credits, the cost per credit decreases. If you plan to use Remove.bg programmatically, you must pay for API calls too.

autoRetouch

This AI-powered retouching software is made for all types of product photographers, it offers a host of features that may be attractive to e-commerce type businesses.

In addition to basic tools such as automatically removing and changing subject backgrounds, autoRetuoch offers tools such as various cropping, alignment, and border padding tools. Also, besides simple portrait retouching and background “cleanup” tools, there are advanced tools  for product photographers such as extracting a fabric swatch from clothing photos, and generating/exporting different vector paths.

Pixlr

Pixlr is a photo editing software that comes in both free and paid versions. The free version includes standard photo editing features such as background removal (with a separate app available), filters, effects, animations, and collage creation.

The paid version provides access to a vast selection of photo overlays, stickers, assets, exclusive editing tools, and tutorials. Additionally, Pixlr allows users to open images from cloud storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, making it a preferred choice for professionals who need to make quick and simple edits.

Capture One

Capture One is the biggest rival to Adobe Lightroom, because it too offers a catalog system. This means Capture One is capable of a start-to-finish workflow, in addition to special editing tools.

Catering primarily to all types of portrait photographers, the software’s Smart Adjustments tool uses AI to apply exposure and white balance corrections to any photo with a face in it. Of course, Capture One also offers some highly useful tools that all types of photographers will appreciate, and is known for film-like colors that portrait and landscape photographers alike appreciate.

Other AI Photo Editing

Below are other AI Photo Editing options to consider and research.  As we explore each of the companies mentioned below, we’ll expand on them and update this article.

• Movavi Picverse
• PortraitPro 23
• Imagen AI
• Leawo PhotoIns
• Lunacy
• Quik.ai
• Claid.ai
• Slazzer
• Prisma
• Lensa

Conclusion – AI Photo Editing Is Getting Even Better!

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, it is clear that AI photo editing is the future. What is possible now will seem very common in a few years or less! Thanks to its ability to save time and improve results, AI is poised to revolutionize the world of photography. We created this article to help you understand and utilize this powerful tool to your advantage! Be sure to check back regularly for news about improvements and new opportunities.

What is RAW Format?

RAW is an uncompressed image format that contains all the data captured by the camera sensor. RAW files offer superior image quality and more flexibility in post-processing, allowing for more significant adjustments without losing image quality. RAW files are larger than JPEG files and require specialized software to process.

Advantages and Disadvantages of RAW Format

The main advantage of RAW format is the superior image quality it offers. RAW files contain all the data captured by the camera sensor, resulting in higher image resolution and more significant color depth. RAW files also offer more flexibility in post-processing, allowing for more significant adjustments without compromising image quality.

The main disadvantage of RAW format is the larger file size, which can make it challenging to store and process. RAW files require specialized software to process and can be time-consuming to edit.

What is DNG Format?

DNG (Digital Negative) is an open-source file format developed by Adobe. DNG is a compressed image format that contains all the data captured by the camera sensor, similar to RAW format. DNG files are smaller than RAW files and can be processed using various software.

Advantages and Disadvantages of DNG Format

The main advantage of DNG format is its smaller file size, which makes it easier to store and process. DNG files can be processed using various software, making it a more versatile format.

The main disadvantage of DNG format is the potential loss of image quality due to compression. While DNG format is capable of retaining all the data captured by the camera sensor, the compression can result in loss of image quality.

Choosing the Best Format for Your Photography Needs

When choosing between RAW and DNG formats, it’s essential to consider factors such as image quality, file size, compatibility with software and devices, and workflow and processing time.

• Image Quality – In terms of image quality, RAW format offers superior image quality and more significant color depth, while DNG format sacrifices image quality for a smaller file size.
• File Size – In terms of file size, DNG format offers a smaller file size, which makes it easier to store and process, while RAW format requires more storage space and processing power.
• Software Compatibility – In terms of compatibility with software and devices, RAW format requires specialized software to process, while DNG format can be processed using various software.
• Processing time – In terms of workflow and processing time, RAW format can be time-consuming to process, while DNG format is faster to process.

Workflow and Processing for RAW and DNG Formats

The workflow and processing for RAW format and DNG format are similar, with minor differences. RAW files require specialized software to process, while DNG files can be processed using various software. The processing time for RAW format is longer than DNG format, making DNG format a better choice for time-sensitive projects.

RAW vs DNG in Lightroom

Conclusion

In summary, both RAW and DNG formats have their merits and are capable of preserving the highest image quality. Your choice between the two will largely depend on your specific needs and preferences as a photographer.

If compatibility, long-term archiving, and broader software support are your priorities, DNG is a compelling option. On the other hand, if you value the manufacturer-specific software and initial rendering, RAW might be more suitable for your workflow.  When making your decision, consider the camera model you use, your preferred editing software, and your long-term archiving plans.

Common Photo Editing Styles

Let’s discuss the common editing styles that photograph apply to their images.  Most photographers mix and match these general styles to create their own.

Natural Photo Editing Style

The editing style involves subtle adjustments that emphasize the inherent beauty of the image. This approach to wedding and portrait photography produces an authentic, true-to-life feel that accurately captures the moment. This style is particularly effective for editorial portraits where simplicity in editing is favored, allowing the subject’s pose and expression to take center stage and speak directly to the viewer. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Pure Presets.  See more examples of this style in the work of the clean and modern photographers on Wedding Maps.

Bold and Vibrant Photo Editing Style

The unique editing style in is known for its warm, lively, and bold colors. By utilizing the camera’s entire dynamic range and image quality, this editing approach showcases the stunning hues in images that capture breathtaking moments such as fiery sunsets, tropical blue waters, or vibrant wedding florals.  You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Crush Presets.  See more examples of this style in the work of the bold and vibrant photographers on Wedding Maps.

Light and Airy Photo Editing Style

The light and airy style of photography has a distinct charm that is recognized by its soft, pastel colors and dreamy, ethereal ambiance. This popular approach to wedding and portrait photography is often compared to filmic or fine art styles and exudes a romantic and whimsical vibe that is often captured in natural light. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Pastel Presets.  See more examples of this style in the work of the light and airy photographers on Wedding Maps.

Dark and Moody Photo Editing Style

The editing style is recognized by its deep, rich colors, and a dramatic, moody aura. Often referred to as boho or earthy, this trendy approach isn’t hesitant to explore the shadows and resides predominantly in the left side of the histogram. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Mood Presets.  See more examples of this style from the dark and moody photographers on Wedding Maps.

Film Emulation Photo Editing Style

The Film Emulation Photo Editing Style is an approach that involves mimicking the visual characteristics of traditional film photography film stocks such as Fuji 400, Kodak Portra 400 and others. This editing style is popular in wedding and portrait photography, as it provides a classic and timeless aesthetic to images. The editing process involves adding grain, altering color hues, and adjusting contrast to create a look that resembles different types of film. By emulating the look and feel of traditional film, this editing style creates a sense of nostalgia and timelessness in the images, lending them a unique and distinctive quality.

Black and White Photo Editing Style

The editing style is known for its monochromatic and timeless feel, relying solely on contrast and tonal range to create a striking image. This style is commonly utilized in wedding and portrait photography, lending a classic and elegant aesthetic to the images. Additionally, this approach can eliminate distracting colors and minimize the impact of unsightly elements within the frame, resulting in a cleaner and more polished final image. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Black and White Mixer.

Painterly Photo Editing Style

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGD25ovd9b/

The Painterly Photo Editing Style is an approach to photo editing that is characterized by its resemblance to traditional painting techniques. This style involves using digital tools to manipulate images to resemble a painting, incorporating elements such as brushstrokes, textures, and color blending. This style is often used in fine art photography and portraiture, as it allows photographers to add a creative and distinctive touch to their work.

Cross-Processed photo editing style

The Cross-Processed (or cross processing) Photo Editing Style is an approach to photo editing that emulates the look of film that has been processed using the wrong chemicals. The original technique involves developing color film in chemicals that are meant for another type of film, resulting in unusual and striking color shifts. In digital photography, this effect is achieved by manipulating the color balance and saturation to create a similar look. Cross-processing can create images with bold and unexpected color combinations, high contrast, and a distinctive vintage or retro aesthetic.

HDR Photo Editing Style

The HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photo Editing Style is an approach that involves combining multiple images of the same scene taken at different exposures to produce a final image with a greater range of brightness and detail than is possible with a single exposure. The HDR technique is often used in landscape and architectural photography, where it allows for greater detail in both the bright and dark areas of the image. In the editing process, multiple images are merged and adjusted to create a final image with a high dynamic range, resulting in a photograph that appears more vivid and realistic. The HDR Photo Editing Style is often used in travel and outdoor photography, as it allows photographers to capture and share the beauty of a scene in a more compelling way.

Essential Photo Editing Terminology

Basic Photo Editing or Corrective Photo Editing – Basic photo editing involves the essential adjustments that are necessary to improve an image’s overall appearance. It includes techniques like cropping, resizing, and adjusting exposure, contrast and color temperature, and other basic functions.

Retouching – Retouching involves correcting any imperfections or blemishes in an image, reshaping and liquifying subjects, and other advanced techniques.  This is typically done in Photoshop and other retouching software like Portrait Pro.

Color Grading – Color grading is the process of adjusting and enhancing the colors and tones of a video or image to achieve a desired look or mood. It involves adjusting the brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue of different color channels, as well as applying creative color effects and stylizations. Color grading can be used to correct color imbalances, create a consistent look across a series of shots, or add a cinematic feel.

Advanced Photo Editing Styles – Advanced photo editing involves more complex techniques like compositing, HDR, and frequency separation. These techniques are used to create unique and visually stunning images.

Conclusion

Understanding the different photo editing styles is essential to improve your photo editing skills. From basic styles like cropping and adjusting brightness and contrast to more advanced styles like compositing and HDR, there are countless approaches to photo editing. By exploring the techniques and approaches that define each style, you can develop your own unique style and approach to photo editing. So get out there and start experimenting! Who knows, you may just discover a new photo editing style that defines your work.

Video: 10 Tips for Editing Wedding Photos in Less Than 1 Hour!

1. Shoot Compressed RAW
2. Shoot in Manual Mode
3. In-Camera Color Temperature
4. Use a High Speed Card/Reader
5. How You Import Matters!
6. Import to a Fast Internal Drive
7. Simplify Your Culling
8. Use AI-based Editors
9. Sync Photos Per Scene
10. Final Review & Signature Edit

Step #1: Shoot Compressed RAW

The first step to editing wedding photos begins before you shoot a single photograph. If your camera has the option, shoot medium or compressed RAW. Shooting in RAW is a given for its flexibility in post. However, today’s cameras often come with 50+ megapixels, but for portrait work, you don’t need more than 20-30.

By scaling down, you’ll not only save a ton of storage space, but your editing machine will run faster due to the smaller file sizes without a reduction in quality.

Step #2: Shoot in Manual Mode

Having consistent exposures is critical for batch processing and shooting in manual mode is your best bet for achieving this. Aperture/Shutter priority still rely on some level of auto-exposure that varies depending on what your camera is pointing at. These exposure differences will bog down your editing workflow since you’ll need to individually correct each image that is off.

Adjusting your camera settings on the fly to changing scenes gets easier with time. Once adjusted, you’ll get consistent exposures every time regardless of where you are.

Step #3: Adjust Color Temperature/Tint In-Camera

Once you’re comfortable with manual exposure, start adjusting your color temperature/tint in-camera. Much like having consistent exposures, having your color temperature already set will save a ton of time in post.

On top of that, it’ll help your AI-based editor immediately understand your intentions with your image. More on that later.

Step #4: Use a High Speed Card & Reader

While we’re waiting for direct-to-cloud capture, we’re stuck with memory cards. It’s important to keep in mind that memory cards and card readers are not created equally. Make sure you’re using a high speed memory card as well as a high speed memory card reader. Having a high speed memory card reader can save you 10 minutes just from the import process. Even more so if you’re uploading multiple full cards.

Step #5: How You Import Matters!

Use these settings when importing into Lightroom:

1. Build Preview > Minimal
2. Check “Build Smart Previews”
3. Check “Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates”
4. Leave other two options unchecked.
5. Select your baseline look or preset if you’re planning on editing manually.
6. Select “None” if you plan to edit using an AI-based editor.

Step #6: Import to Your Fastest Internal Drive

Don’t use external hard drives. Sorting through and editing high volumes of high-resolution images requires a ton of data bandwidth. An external hard drive will likely slow down that process (though if you must, make sure it’s an SSD connected to the fastest port available).

Ideally, you’ll want to import your images and keep your catalogs on a local SSD drive.

Step #7: Simplify Your Culling

I’ve seen many photographers assign specific meanings to their star-rating system. I’d advise against this as doing so only complicates your culling process.

Instead of having to spend more time on these complex judgment calls, try out what we call “Culling-In.” This means that you’re going to assume that every image is going to be rejected unless you flag it as a keeper. As you move through each image, you’ll only be thinking one thing: Do I want to deliver this image?

For added efficiency, turn on “Auto Advance” which will automatically move you to the next image after flagging, saving keystrokes.

Step #8: Use AI-Based Editors

Here, I want to introduce Impossible Things, our new AI-based Lightroom native plugin. It’s the only AI editor (that I know of) that can be used with your own presets.

After installing, simply go to Plug-in Extras > Edit Photos. From there, select your preset, select your additional settings such as AI Portrait Retouching, and hit proceed. Impossible things will do the rest and after a brief moment, your work will essentially be done.

If you choose to use an AI-based editor, you can skip to Step #10.

Step #9: Sync Your Photos Per Scene

If you’re editing wedding photos manually, you should have your preset applied on import. From here, I suggest that you work by camera and by scene.

Make your adjustments to the first image of a given scene. Then, select the last image in that scene, and copy all of your adjustments over. Repeat for each new scene until all of your images are edited.

If you’re working with multiple cameras, filter through your cameras by selecting “Camera Serial Number” (In case there are more than one of the same camera). Follow the steps to edit the first scene, then move to the same scene on the next camera(s), ensuring that any differences in camera profiles are corrected. Follow the same steps for each scene.

Note that AI-based editing tools such as Impossible Things will actually sync all of your cameras for you!

Related Reading: 4 Steps for Cohesive Editing in Lightroom

Step #10: Final Review & Signature Edits

Whether you’re editing wedding photos manually or using AI, always review for consistency and make any necessary minor adjustments. As you review, mark your favorites to add in your signature look. These are the images you’ll want to have featured in albums and blog posts so be sure to give them some extra love at the end.

Conclusion

That’s it! From there, export and prepare your images for delivery.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to check out our complete Mastering Lightroom course on SLR Lounge Premium. You can also visit Visual Flow for our entire library of Lightroom presets and retouching tools. Lastly, check out Impossible Things and how you can integrate them into your own professional workflow.

Don’t miss our next episode of Mastering Your Craft on Adorama’s YouTube channel next week! If you want to catch up on all the episodes, make sure you check out our playlist!

Of course, when you’re editing just a few dozen or even a few hundred photos, Lightroom’s speed may be more than enough, indeed not at all worth obsessing over. Here’s our “spoiler alert”! advice: just buy any decently fast computer with an SSD drive and a multi-core, multi-thread CPU, at least 16 GB RAM, and a decent graphics card. We promise that you’ll be happy! You probably don’t need to worry about one CPU versus another. Save your time (and money) for more important things such as a good long-term external storage solution.

Oppositely, however, if you process thousands, or even tens of thousands of photos every single week or month; basically anyone who spends time in Lightroom almost daily MUST pay attention, and read on! Getting exactly the right components could literally save you hours each month, or even weekly or daily…

In this article, we are going to explain a little bit more about what makes a computer fast for photo editing workflows, and we will pick PC computer parts for optimal Lightroom performance!

Adobe Lightroom Speed, Explained | Passive Tasks VS Active Tasks

The question of how to speed up Adobe Lightroom (both Creative Cloud/CC and “Lightroom Classic, mind you) has two measurable categories of speed. These categories are passive tasks and active tasks. Unfortunately, the two don’t always go together when you buy a “fast” computer, unless you spend absurd amounts of money on the most cutting-edge components, which we usually don’t recommend.

The way “passive” and “active” tasks are measured in Lightroom are as follows: a passive task is something Lightroom can do in the background, like importing, exporting, and rendering previews. An active task, on the other hand, is when you are actually working on your photos, waiting for your adjustments to take effect, waiting for the next image to load its preview, etc.

Before we get deeper into those two categories, however, let’s set one thing straight: Everything you do will be affected by the biggest constraint of all, and that is, how fast is your hard drive? You could buy the fastest processor with tons of RAM, but if your Lightroom Catalog file is stored on a spinning hard disk drive, let alone your entire computer operating from one, then that will always be your biggest bottleneck.

So, to begin with, your computer should have an SSD hard drive, above all else. There are many different types of SSDs today, and some are only “pretty fast” while others are “blindingly fast.” We’ll talk more about SSDs later; just make sure you are using any SSD as a bare minimum to operate your computer and store your LRCAT file, even if some or all of your raw photos are stored on spinning external disk drives.

Aside from SSD storage for giving you the fastest Lightroom PC, it is a safe bet to focus a lot of your time and money the best CPU for Lightroom. RAM and graphics cards do matter, but the exact make and model of each aren’t as critical as which CPU you choose. Thus, we will focus a little bit more on CPUs, and how they affect your Lightroom speed.

Passive Lightroom Tasks: Import, Export, Render Previews

As the name implies, a passive task is something that Lightroom does in the background. You don’t sit around waiting for each individual step in the task to finish; you either do something else on your computer, or just get up and do something off your computer! In other words, if you tell Lightroom to export 1,000 photos from raw to JPG, it’s usually not a big deal whether it takes 90 minutes or 120 minutes to finish.

Of course, whether an import or export process takes one hour or a whopping ten hours can certainly factor into your overall workflow. Thankfully, such a staggering difference isn’t likely to be a problem with almost any “decently fast” computer these days.

Either way, just note that the more photos you have to process, the more even a passive task can become important, eventually. If you find yourself waiting around for your computer to finish importing/exporting/rendering thousands of photos, then it’s time to upgrade at least one component. Start by considering your storage (SSD) speed & capacity, then your RAM, and then your CPU. (Note that this order of priority may change for other needs; keep reading!)

Active Lightroom Tasks: Culling, Develop Module Work

Active tasks in Lightroom are all the steps in your workflow that you are, of course, actively performing. In other words, you adjust a setting in the Develop Module, for example, and then you wait for that change to take effect and become visible. A slow computer can have an immediately noticeable lag effect in Lightroom when performing active tasks, while a fast computer may seem to perform these tasks almost instantly.

Also, this is where the CPU can either really shine, or begin to let you down: depending on how fast the CPU is, and how many cores it have. You may begin to notice a lagtime when you are trying to adjust a lot of editing sliders very quickly quickly, effectively giving Lightroom 10-20 tasks to perform all at once.

Another way this type of bottleneck can appear is when using a lot of burning & dodging or cloning/healing brushes. You may not be doing multiple burn & dodge brushes at once, but as they “stack up”, Lightroom can begin to “bog down”.

It may not sound like much of a problem if you only ever edit a few dozen photos in a given week, but if you have to wait a whole extra second or two between each adjustment you make, and you do it literally thousands of times, then obviously it adds up very quickly!

Your best defense against this type of Lightroom slow-down with active tasks is usually a better CPU.  BUt, the next question is, should you buy a CPU with more speed, or just more cores? Or both? Read on…

Best Computer CPUs For Adobe Lightroom

So, now that you know a little more about how Lightroom works in terms of the burden it places on a computer’s processors, the question is, what type of CPU is going to be the fastest if you want good all-around performance?

Well, for one, the AMD Ryzen 5000 series are great CPUs that, for Lightroom in particular, give a much better value than CPUs costing far more.

For those of you who want the “why” behind our general recommendation, here’s the “secret recipe” behind the speed, so to speak: 8 (or more) cores, and 16 (or more) threads. Having so many cores/threads is definitely Lightroom-friendly! Sure, the AMD Ryzen is particularly awesome and fast overall, with speeds ranging from 3.4 GHz to 4.9 GHz. That’s blazing fast! But, to over-simplify it: Lightroom really loves cores.

There are lots of CPUs on the market, of course, from many different brands. Intel makes very similar CPUs, for example, with a similar number of cores/threads. They simply cost a bit more, on average, so we’re keeping our recommendations simple based on a balance of performance and value. Keep that in mind, if, for example, you have an absolutely unlimited budget!

So, whatever CPU you get, do this: combine a lot of cores+threads. Then, make sure you have a fair amount of RAM and an SSD hard drive. With this combination, and even just a half-decent graphics card, you’re in business! (Sorry, NVIDIA HODL’ers!)

NOTE: Of course, this article is entirely focused on how to make Lightroom faster. If you also do various other work, such as using generative AI to create imagery from scratch, let alone if you are also a gamer, then of course, you’re going to want to splurge on a very exotic graphics card, too!)

[Related Reading: $8,000 Mac Pro vs $8,000 Puget PC | High-End Apple vs PC in 2020]

Good, Better, Best: The Fastest Lightroom PC Workstations for Photo Editing

Of course, there is still one major thing we haven’t discussed yet: hat if you’re not a DIY computer builder? We didn’t even talk about motherboards, of course, and if the thought of “gluing” a CPU to a motherboard is overwhelming to you, then you have only two options in the PC world.

1.) Try to find a pre-built computer that has specs somewhere along these lines. Such computers were not as easy to find 10+ years ago before the fastest components became affordable and before 4K gaming experiences became so common, but today they’re not that hard to find. If you go this route, we do recommend at least learning how to upgrade your RAM and/or your hard drives, at the very least, so that in a few years you can breathe a little bit more life into your computer as faster versions of those components become more affordable.

2.) Have a Fast Lightroom PC custom-built for you! This isn’t the cheapest route, of course, but if you are a professional photographer who is using Lightroom every day and processing literally thousands of photos every week, it could pay for itself many times over in time saved.

Simply put, when you get a custom build, you can pair the exact components for optimal speed, while also being conscious of the current market price/value of each individual component.

For example, our friends at Puget offer this list of the three most impressive Lightroom “builds” possible, ranging from “good” to “better” and then “best”:

Good Lightroom Computer

Make no mistake, this may only be “good” by the top-shelf standards that Puget holds their machines to when it comes to Adobe Lightroom performance, but the computer is extremely fast. We’d recommend this PC to at least 90-95% of serious, full-time photographers!

Better Lightroom Computer

You can get a decent speed boost by simply upping your RAM, of course, and by the time you get to 64GB there is very little chance that Lightroom alone will max out your resources. It also can be helpful to have a separate (third) SSD as your cache disk. This will allow your entire computer (and Lightroom LRCAT catalog) to operate on one SSD drive, all your photos to be stored on a separate, second SSD drive, and a third SSD just to act as a “helping hand” to your RAM and CPU for whatever tasks it may try to juggle.

Imagine, oppositely; even if you have a very fast SSD, if it’s only one SSD then you are effectively asking your computer to operate from the same drive, store, and access photos on the same drive, and then use additional space on that drive as a “scratch pad” (cache) for various active tasks. Add all that up, and you might just experience a slowdown.

Best Lightroom Computer

For those who are importing, rendering, and exporting literally thousands of photos every day or each week, and especially if those images are 40-60 megapixel raw files, then you can indeed benefit from having the absolute best. (And, again, not to mention any potential needs you may have for exploring generative AI imagery or using future AI photo editing possibilities to help edit your own photographs!)

So, whether you’re creating a 400-megapixel panorama, or you’re just color-correcting ten thousand images after a  big weekend of wedding photography, these specs are virtually impossible to beat.

Of course, we should note that you don’t need to pay someone else to build these computers for you! The specs are all listed right there. So, if you actually love building computers, go for it! (It sure is nice to have an expert offering their customized input, and customer support, though.)

[Related Reading: $6,700 IMac Pro Vs $5,700 Custom PC: Adobe Premiere Performance Test]

About Puget Systems | Custom-Built Lightroom PC Workstations

To read more about each of these systems, visit this page here on the Puget Systems website and configure a Lightroom-focused machine. Considering that these are custom-built machines that take all the hassle and anxiety out of building such a high-powered machine, (and which completely out-spec’s a comparably priced Apple computer, mind you) …their starting price of about $3,000 for a custom Lightroom PC computer is an investment that we highly recommend. Here in our studio we have, in fact, been using Puget-built computers in our own high-volume wedding photography business that culls and color-corrects tens of thousands of photos each month.

Of course, if you’re truly serious about tailoring a computer to your exact needs and budget, then you might want to consider simply hiring their experts to assess your exact needs and offer you advice on which components to buy, or even offer to create that “dream machine” of a Lightroom computer for you!

Puget Systems’ computer hardware recommendations could save you thousands of dollars, so the starting price of $200 per hour would be a good investment, even if you decide to build it yourself! Puget’s team, simply put, are the absolute gold standard when it comes to their knowledge about which exact computer components are the fastest possible for your photo and/or video workflow.

If you have any questions or up-to-date tips about Lightroom speed on a PC computer, please feel free to leave a comment below!

The Primary Features

This AI Photo Editor was designed by working photographers with a deep understanding of the editing process and pain-points. We want speed, but not at the sacrifice of quality. We want convenience but not at the expense of artistry, creativity, and personalization. With this understanding, we designed these primary features:

Never Leave Lightroom – Impossible Things is 100% Lightroom Native, so you never have to leave the program or waste time exporting/importing catalogs or wait for email confirmations. Edit one image or thousands with our easy and simple workflow.

Edit better (with more consistency) – Impossible Things intelligently adapts 38+ separate slider predictions to edit your raw files.

Use Your Lightroom presets – Impossible Things is also the only AI editing solution that works natively with Lightroom Presets, including Visual Flow Presets, DVLOP Presets, presets you purchased elsewhere, and even presets you created yourself.

For photographers that don’t own any presets, Impossible Things includes an expanding library of “cloud styles” that give photographers immediate access to a variety of popular looks.

Edit with Artist Presets – The system was designed and tuned for the DVLOP Artists, such as Jose Villa, India Earl, Shortstache, Nirav Patel, Two Mann Studios and More.

If you own their presets, you can either apply their presets directly to your RAW images or custom tune them to match your personalized style. We’ll also be adding more incredible artists consistently to expand your creative toolkit with Impossible Things.

No Training Required – Start right away! The AI was trained with over a million dngs, over 200 unique camera models, and 300 different lenses. Not only does it incorporate camera profiles, it’s the only AI solution that incorporates a patent-pending “Lighting Condition Based Development” system to adapt image color based on specific lighting conditions.

The result is a model that recognizes and correctly edits in every common scenario a photographer faces, including tricky mixed lighting, low light conditions, high dynamic range scenes, and more.

Custom Tuning – For even more control, you have the option to use Custom Tuning, which lets you adjust a wide selection of sliders, such as exposure, temperature, tint, saturation, and more, to your exact specifications and tastes. Any changes you make are synced with the cloud and are accessible on any computer you log into.

Advanced wizardry – Additional unique features include:

• The Intelligence Slider – which lets users determine exactly how much influence they want the predictive model to have on the images. (learn more)
• Adaptive Noise Reduction – which applies the perfect amount of luminance noise reduction to high ISO photos. (learn more)
• Adaptive Lens Corrections – that accurately corrects for lens vignetting, and even “AI Masking Preconditioning,” which sets users up for targeted retouching within Lightroom. (learn more)
• AI Masking Preconditioning – For users of Lightroom Classic 12 or later, use masking preconditioning to enhance the subject of the photo or to provide some targeted retouching. We call it preconditioning because the final render isn’t applied until you are ready so that it doesn’t interfere with the speed of your workflow. These masks are subtle and designed to be used often and on everything. (learn more)

  

More on the way!  We even have a future roadmap of inspired features, styles and tools. Impossible Things is primed by and for innovation and this is only the very beginning of our journey. For more on Impossible Things, check out Impossible Things.  Read More about the “Benefits of Impossible Things” here or read more about what’s Under The Hood.

Getting Started

The system was designed with your workflow in mind.  To get started, simply start an account or log into your existing DVLOP account, run the installer and launch Lightroom Classic.  You’ll get 500 free edit credits to experiment with.  From there, simply select your images, select your preset, and watch as your RAW files are edited in seconds directly inside of Lightroom.

Here’s a quick primer to walk you through the steps: