Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 - The Missing FAQ: Real Answers to Real Questions Asked by Lightroom Users [Paperback]

Victoria Bampton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2010

When you have a Lightroom question, where do you look?

Do you trawl through thousands of web pages looking for the information you need?
Perhaps post on a forum and wait hours for anyone to reply?
Maybe try to figure out the Help files?
From now on, you look right here!

This is the reference book that should have shipped with Lightroom.

Adobe Lightroom 3 - The Missing FAQ is a compilation of the most frequently asked questions, presented in question and answer format so that you can easily find the answers you're looking for.

Whether you're a new user who likes to dive straight into new software and figure it out as you go along, a more experienced user wanting to learn how to get the best out of Lightroom, or you've just got a burning question you'd like answered, this book is for you.

These are real-world answers to real questions asked by real Lightroom users. It not only covers how to do things, but also why they work the way they do.


Lightroom may have a mind of its own... but now you can learn how it thinks.


The story behind the book... and a FREE bonus!

The Adobe Lightroom - The Missing FAQ series was originally intended to be a searchable eBook, however once the book was released to the public, a demand arose for a paperback version too. While some books have a PDF supplement, this book is the other way round - the colour PDF eBook is designed to be the primary book, and this black & white paperback is the supplement. Anyone purchasing the paperback version is invited to contact the author via her website to download the main PDF version worth £14.95 (approx. $25 US*) absolutely FREE.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This edition of the ongoing series, [...] weighing in at over 100,000 words, is jam-packed with tips and information [...]  It's one of the most useful resources we've read on the topic and is well worth the [money]. --Rob Galbraith

From the Author

Hi, my name's Victoria Bampton, and I'm the author of "Adobe Lightroom 3 - The Missing FAQ". 

You probably recognize my name from one of the many Lightroom or other photographic forums I frequent.  I love spending time helping Lightroom users get the best out of the software!

In fact, that's where this book started - certain questions come up repeatedly on the forums, and none of the available books seem to answer them - or if they do, you have to read the entire book to find the answer.

I wanted to be able to recommend an easy reference book - one that you can pick up and skip straight to the answer you're looking for - but there wasn't one. Instead, I sat down and compiled a list of questions directly from the forums, and wrote jargon-free answers as if I was answering a user on the forums. 

This is the information you actually want to know, in an easy reference format.  It's as simple as that!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Lightroom Queen, The (July 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0956003044
• ISBN-13: 978-0956003041
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi, my name's Victoria Bampton, and I'm the author of the "Adobe Lightroom - The Missing FAQ" series.

You probably recognize my name from one of the many Lightroom or other photographic forums I frequent. I love spending time helping Lightroom users get the best out of the software!

In fact, that's where my books started - certain questions come up repeatedly on the forums, and none of the available books seem to answer them - or if they do, you have to read the entire book to find the answer.

I wanted to be able to recommend an easy reference book - one that you can pick up and skip straight to the answer you're looking for - but there wasn't one. Instead, I sat down and compiled a list of questions directly from the forums, and wrote jargon-free answers as if I was answering a user on the forums. It's grown since those early days, now coming in at a massive 698 pages, but the format makes it easy to find the information you need.

This is the information you actually want to know, in an easy reference format. It's as simple as that!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

394 of 399 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Which is better, this book or the one by Scott Kelby? February 24, 2011

By Bob Tobias #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Q) What's the best Lightroom (LR) book to have if you're stranded on a desert Island?

A) The one with the most pages; if you're stranded on a desert island then you'll want to use those pages for kindling.

Now, if you want to know which is the best book for helping you deal with LR then the answer is... It depends. I'll illustrate that by comparing this book against the well written and extremely popular The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) by Scott Kelby. The reason for this is that they represent the Best-of-Breed in two different approaches to writing about LR.

Scott Kelby has written a great many books on various flavors of Photoshop and LR. It them he provides explanations of how things work and then gives very clear, extremely detailed examples (recipes) of how *he* uses them. As he is also an accomplished photographer, following his recipes can lead to successful results.

Victoria Bampton has spent a lot of time collecting questions from other photographers. This book is a well organized compendium of those questions along with clear and complete answers.

So, which is approach (and book) is best? It depends. (Weren't't you paying attention a few paragraphs ago?)

If you don't have an established approach to processing your images (work flow) then the Kelby book gives you both the work flow and instructions in one way to implement it. In his LR book that naturally focuses on LR but also includes recipes for Photoshop where appropriate.

If, however, you already have an established work flow and just want to know what all the buttons do, or need specific answers to questions that come up while you're using LR then this book is superior.

In addition, with this book you get the added bonus of being able to download a full electronic copy. That means you can have access to all 480(ish) pages of information wherever you are. That is a real handy feature.

There is, of course, considerable overlap. This book does discuss work flow, albeit in a stepwise fashion. The Kelby book provides answers, albeit without the convenience of seeing the questions.

Bottom Line: If you can, get both. You won't be disappointed. If you've never dealt with managing and developing digital images then get the Kelby book. If you want to know how to efficiently apply methods you already know (or think you can figure out on your own), using LR, then this book is by far your best choice.

BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.

69 of 71 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention all Adobe Lightroom users! August 29, 2010

By Don JJ Carroll

Format:Paperback

I have been a Lightroom user ever since Beta1 and although Lightroom is a great photo software package, I found that I still had to rely on additional resources to "get me up-to-speed". In the past, I have purchased excellent Lightroom hardcopy books, subscribed to online tutorials and downloaded videos, all with the intention of becoming more informed about Lightroom's capabilities. Recently on one pro photographer's website, I saw a notice and recommendation for Lightroom users to take a look at a product called Adobe Lightroom 3....the missing FAQ by Victoria Bampton, I'm glad I did. Unlike my previous Lightroom resource aid purchases, the missing FAQ was totally different in it's delivery style. Instead of "instructional based, how to do" type of content, Victoria's product, in my opinion, is quite unique. Adobe Lightroom 3....the missing FAQ, a 400+ page document, available in both hardcopy and PDF formats, is written in a style based on Questions and Answers. The questions are specific and the answers are detailed and well explained. I was extremely surprised at what I did not know about Lightroom that I found out in Victoria's new release. I also have to say that I found it quite refreshing to use a Lightroom resource aid that was not following the mainstream presentation modes. I have purchased both the hardcopy book and the PDF documents, the latter a joy to read on my IPad. The PDF product's hyperlinked "Table of Contents" and "Index" are quite useful. For Lightroom 3 users, I highly recommend you check out Adobe Lightroom 3....the missing FAQ by Victoria Bampton. ... Don J J C

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Concise. A Great Resource August 10, 2010

By Thomas Husband

Format:Paperback

I have a couple of Lightroom books but this is the one I continually go back to time and again. I've yet to come across a question that wasn't answered. Real clear and concise and organized in a way that makes locating the question easy.