Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible [Paperback]

Mark Fitzgerald (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470303093 | ISBN-13: 978-0470303092 | Publication Date: September 9, 2008 | Edition: 1

The digital photographer's workflow is divided into two distinct parts - the Production Workflow and the Creative Workflow. The Production workflow is used to import and organize large numbers of images, and prepare them for presentation via proof printing, Web, or slideshow. Increasingly, photographers are turning to Adobe's acclaimed new Lightroom software to manage this part of the workflow.

After the best images are identified, photographers move to the second part of the workflow, the Creative Workflow, to fine-tune special images using a variety of advanced digital tools so that the creative vision is realized. An overwhelming majority of digital photographers use Photoshop for this advanced editing.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom & Photoshop Workflow Bible effectively guides digital photographers through both parts of this process. Author Mark Fitzgerald, an Adobe Certified Expert and Adobe Certified Instructor in Photoshop CS3 offers readers a clear path to using both Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS3 to create a complete digital workflow. Fitzgerald uses tips, tricks, and step-by-step directions to demonstrate how to integrate these two powerful programs to optimize image management and create stunning images.

The first part of this book is dedicated to offering an overview of the complete workflow, clearly defining the purpose of both Photoshop and Lightroom within a photographer’s workflow and explaining the basics of image files and how to organize them.

The second part delves into using Lightroom to manage the Production Workflow.  It begins with an in-depth look at the Lightroom workspace and how images are imported into it. Photographers are then guided through organizing images within Lightroom, processing photos, sharing photos with others in a variety of formats and creating files to use outside of Lightroom. Finally, the workflow is put into action by demonstrating how a wildlife photographer used Lightroom in the field while photographing migrating polar bears in the arctic.

The third part focuses on Photoshop and the Creative Workflow, starting with opening files in Photoshop as well as suggesting when and how photographers should be utilizing Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw. A review of the Photoshop workspace is followed by information on adjusting tonality and color with a wide variety of tools, and working with layers.

Part four moves into more advanced Photoshop tools and techniques, such as selections, layer masks and using Photoshop’s retouching tools. There is also a discussion on the nuances of using Photoshop and Lightroom together and how to use Photoshop actions in Lightroom.

Part five focuses on putting all of the pieces together to create the complete Creative Workflow with Photoshop. It begins with a discussion for creating strategies for success. The author then moves on to how to solve special portrait retouching problems and how to add creative finishing touches. Then Fitzgerald demonstrates the entire process with a downloadable practice file so you can follow along and practice your newly learned skills.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Photos the way you like them—from raw to well done

If you want to improve your photography, this comprehensive guide and Adobe's powerful Lightroom and Photoshop tools are just the ticket. Discover how to download your images and edit them for impact; export, print, and present them with a flourish; and carefully archive everything at the end. You'll find step-by-step techniques, expert advice, and great ideas for getting the most done in the shortest time, thanks to these practical and creative workflows.

• Use Lightroom and Photoshop together to form a complete workflow

• Build a non-destructive workflow, so you don't lose valuable content

• Get up to speed on Lightroom's workspace and five modules

• Import, organize, and edit groups of photos in Lightroom

• Use Photoshop to take special images to the next level of quality

• Smooth out wrinkles, whiten teeth, and add even more magic

Companion Web Site Visit www.wiley.com/go/workflow and download practice files for the book's projects. You can start with the original images and work through the author's step-by-step instructions.

About the Author

Mark Fitzgerald is the founder and operator of The Digital Darkroom, a post-production digital photography training facility that offers workshops, one-on-one training, digital post-production services, and consulting. He is an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop as well as an Adobe Certified Photoshop Instructor. Mark is also the author of Photoshop CS3 Restoration and Retouching Bible.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470303093
• ISBN-13: 978-0470303092
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been involved in the professional imaging industry for my entire adult life. When the digital revolution occurred a few years ago, I was able to apply everything I already knew about traditional film photography to the learning process. This is what gives me my unique slant on Photoshop and how it's used in the digital workflow. Here's how it all happened:

Before Digital
I bought my first camera right after graduating from high-school. I instantly fell in love with photography. A couple of years later I began to work for one of the largest photo processing companies in the country, Fox Photo. We had several labs across the country, but only one professional lab at that time. It was located in San Antonio, TX, which is also where Fox's corporate headquarters was located. The pro lab was in the same building as one of the huge "mother labs", so on average we had about 150 people working there throughout a 24-hour period.

In the early days, for someone who was interested in photography, Fox Photo's Pro Lab was an incredible place to work. It was like having a job in a candy store. I was not only exposed to lots of amazing photographs and the photographers who made them, I also worked with some of the smartest people in the industry. All of them were willing to share their knowledge, as well as their photographic equipment.

Having a state-of-the-art pro lab at my disposal made it possible to burn through lots of film at a fraction of the usual cost. I was able to improve my photography and technical skills at a very quick rate. It wasn't long before I was landing freelance commercial gigs, photographing a wide range of subject matter for publications, advertising - and even album covers.

I continued to work in and consult for photolabs. They ranged from large labs like Fox, to small mom-and-pop operations that were usually in the back of photo studios. I got to see how lots of craftspeople created works of art from average images. I also became an expert in color management and color correction.

In the mid-90's my wife and I moved to Portland, Oregon. I quit shooting and focused on my job at a local pro lab. In 1999 I decided I was burned-out on the lab business and ready for something different so I quit and took a two-year sabbatical. During the first few months of that sabbatical I purchased my first digital camera and a copy of Photoshop. It wasn't long before I fell in love with photography all over again.

After Digital
I worked with Photoshop every day and read every relevant book I could find. In the beginning the learning curve was steep. But I had two things working for me: I was already comfortable with computers and I knew what quality photographic prints were supposed to look like. All I had to do was figure out how to use Photoshop to create them from digital files.

Within two years I was ready to begin offering post-production services to several local photographers. In 2002 I started my business, The Digital Darkroom, (). For the first year or so I concentrated on helping photographers create really great prints from their images - (the same thing I've always done). Then, in early 2004 I began to teach photographers how to digitally edit their own images. I soon realized that it's more powerful to teach people how to catch fish themselves than it is to sell fish to them. Ever since then I've been focused on teaching photographers to manage their digital workflows and how to create high quality files from their photos.

Today
I work with a wide range of professional photographers who shoot subject matter ranging from advertising to wildlife. I help them with Photoshop, Lightroom, and digital workflow. I lead workshops and offer private one-on-one training. I am an Adobe Certified Photoshop Expert and an Adobe Certified Instructor for Photoshop CS4. These certifications, are important, but it's really all of the experience I've gained over the years helping professional photographers - whether they were shooting film or digital - that gives me my unique view of Photoshop and how it's used to help photographers reveal their true art.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Use this book to save yourself time!, September 24, 2008

By 

Charles G. Waugh (Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible (Paperback)

I'm a professional portrait photographer. I work both in-studio as well as on-location and I have used Photoshop intensively for 6 years and Lightroom since beta. That said, I am always open to learning new methods that can shave time off my workflow - the less time I spend at the computer, the more dollars per hour I make. This book has helped me to learn more about the programs that I use all day every day.

Now, trying to cover ALL of Lightroom and Photoshop in one (albeit full-to-the-brim) book is an impossible task. One has to choose what to cover in depth, and what to leave out. Fitzgerald has done a fantastic job of covering the critical components of the actual workflow without getting bogged down in (for instance) the minutiae of how to do eye enhancement retouching so as to bring out liquidity and presence.

All of us need to `hammer through' thousands of images, sorting, color-balancing, retouching a bit, cropping, etc.,, etc., etc., ad infinitum! And, all of us need to do this faster and smarter without dropping our guard on the finest end result we can create (which is what our clients pay for!) Fitzgerald gives you just the right amount of information so you can get up and running RIGHT NOW and start using the programs.

This book is a huge help in that. Fitzgerald covers the entire process from importing images to Lightroom through final printing out of Photoshop. As a portrait artist who specializes in enhancement retouching I have spent hundreds of hours studying and using Photoshop and Fitzgerald teaches me new stuff on darn near every page. I also simply love Lightroom (especially 2.1!) and Fitzgerald gives so many great little tips along the way I wonder how the heck he could find time to learn it all and write the book when LR2.0 was still in beta!

Caveat: this in NOT an absolutely thorough coverage of every little thing in either of the programs (for instance, color management gets a few pages here and there whereas Bruce Fraser wrote a whole book on it!), but, that said, it sure as heck will give you the groundwork that you require for getting your workflow up and running and for understanding the programs enough to really get good work done. Actually, I am very surprised at how well Fitzgerald did considering the scope of this book.

I wish the index was more thorough, but I wish that for every book (oh! for an on-line concordance for books!) And I wish there were full-tilt keyboard shortcut charts for both programs (but those can be found on-line, I suppose). The layout is a bit dense to my eye, but there is so much to cram in, I guess if it were less dense the book would be a brick.

Lastly, I have to say that I usually find that book writers do a poor job of keeping a teaching-flow going while writing, they jump around, they try and be too `cool' and get all cutesy, or they dive down long, dark rabbit holes and lose the reader. Fitzgerald is one of the best in-print teachers I have come across, and I read many books per month.

All in all: if you want to improve your bottom line by improving your workflow, buy it!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is all about the Workflow, November 17, 2008

By 

Hovering (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible (Paperback)

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom & Photoshop Workflow Bible by Mark Fitzgerald is an indispensable text for today's digital photographer. I have been working with Photoshop for over a decade and Lightroom for the past 2 years. As I have transitioned between film and digital photography, going all digital 3 years ago, my post production needs have changed dramatically. The right software added to knowledge of workflow management coupled with post production skill is key to success. Lightroom is an incredible program that has allowed me to fully leverage the power of digital photography while Photoshop remains the premier program for serious digital image post production.

I have found Lightroom to be essential for managing workflow and Mark's book essential for understanding Lightroom. With the complexity that comes with modern software, an instructor like Mark is a rare find. I find his teaching style intuitive and his technical explanations digestible, being distilled down to the important necessities. There are some places where I would like to find more information (like addressing the limitations of watermarking and slideshow output in LR), but usually I find I am looking for features that are not yet fully fleshes out in Lightroom. LR 2.0 is a major improvement on the first version of Lightroom and I look forward to future upgrades of this relatively new software.

Photoshop is a beast. What can be done with Photoshop is nothing less than incredible. I have been self taught on Photoshop through the years and subsequently missed learning many of its key elements. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom & Photoshop Workflow Bible by Mark Fitzgerald has gratefully filled in many of the holes in my knowledge that are essential to harnessing the power of Photoshop. Here, Mark's style was indispensable as he took me through the steps that are most important to me as a Professional Photographer.

With the power and flexibility of both of these programs can come confusion at times. There are different ways to accomplish the same result so which way is best? A streamlined workflow is essential to being successful with your digital photography. The real value of Mark's book for me comes from increased productivity and more joy in the process. Having settings and preferences customized, presets and metadata at my fingertips, knowledge of the process and best practices in my workflow has allowed my photography to reach new heights. I have always enjoyed the process but the software can be frustrating at times. Mark has erased any frustration from my process and for that I am grateful.

I can not recommend this book enough. The volume of images with digital photography can be crushing for both amateur and professional photographers. Being able to quickly manage your images and then knowing how to retrieve the ones you want is essential. Mark will get you to the point where shooting is fun again, your images look fantastic, and the workflow is second hand nature, freeing you up to concentrate on those aspects that bring you the most joy.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Speed, quality, profit, November 11, 2008

By 

Tyler Bahner "Bob Bahner" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible (Paperback)

I have been a commercial advertising photographer for thirty-five years. I started shooting digital in 1995. One of the things I learned early on is that if you don't have your digital asset management under control you can lose your shirt on the back end. In this book, author Mark Fitzgerald lays out a comprehensive road map using the powerful combination of Lightroom and Photoshop to manage my images. Quality and speed (in that order) are the two primary goals when it comes to processing my images. Mark has shown me how to use these two powerful tools to add a creative touch of custom processing to my files quickly and with the knowledge that I am archiving them in a reasonable way. This has become my workflow bible and its home is right next to my computer where I refer to it often.