Customer Reviews

Photoshop Lightroom 2 For Dummies

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In the past I haven't been a huge fan of the "Dummies" books, not because they haven't filled an important need, but because for my style of learning they've seemed excessively "cute" and spent too much space on cartoons and clever comments often unrelated to the subject. I'm old-school -- I admit it -- and when I sit down to learn something I don't want to be entertained...I want clear, concise, accurate information that I can absorb as quickly as possible.

This "Dummies" book is not like any I've seen before. Right off the bat the paper and printing quality is way better; while maybe not quite in the "really slick" category, it's well beyond the black ink on heavy newsprint of many past editions. Another positive feature is the author, Rob Sylvan, whose credentials as a National Association of Photoshop Professionals Help Desk Specialist are impeccable and whose style throughout the book clearly demonstrates not only mastery of the program he's writing about but outstanding communication skills as well.

As to the subject -- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 -- anyone even remotely involved with digital imaging knows how popular this program has become since its launch about two years ago. Lightroom's defining concept, parametric editing (the fancy term for non-destructive image editing) has changed the way we think about processing digital image files. This isn't the only program to use this approach -- Apple's Aperture and Light Crafts' LightZone employ a similar methodology -- but Adobe's rich history and huge market share in the image editing business provide a lot of user confidence and pave the way to better integration with other Adobe products like Photoshop and Bridge which still have a place in a complete, upper level digital workflow.

While it's nearly impossible for any one book to cover every feature of a complex program like Lightroom 2, this one does a very good job. Along the way the author provides practical tips that go well beyond just describing the features -- the kind of advice most often sought by folks learning to use the program. Rob's depth of understanding really shows, and his ability to anticipate questions and provide well-considered suggestions increases the value of the book immensely.

One feature I especially like is the list of resources at the end. When you're really trying to learn a program inside and out, knowing where to go for additional insights and answers is crucial, and Rob lists the cream of the crop within the Lightroom community.

So, while "Dummies" books are often intended (or at least perceived to be) more for beginners, this one pretty much breaks that mold. It's thorough, exceedingly well written, and both a better learning tool and reference book for Lightroom than at least 90% of the rest out there. If you use, or anticipate using Lightroom, it definitely belongs on your shelf.

I started shooting RAW a few months ago and have been wrestling with a basic Nikon RAW/NEF converter, ViewNX. ViewNX is very basic and easy to use and fits my style of photography since I don't do much postprocessing to my images - some adjusting of white balance at times, a little sharpening. The problem with ViewNX is that it keeps crashing every 5 minutes on my 64-bit Vista machine. Well, that gets old when I am trying to work on 500+ images of school plays/musicals to get to parents. So, I bought Lightroom 2.

I am not a techie at all and have zero experience with Photoshop, so I knew I would need to read about Lightroom before I could get anything really useful out of the software. I picked up this Dummies book at the library, and this is a great book. It's really easy to read and understand and apply. The author does a good job of writing in a simple, concise way about the tools and features of Lightroom and also adds in a "This is what I do" here or there. There are lots of helpful illustrations and screen captures. I returned this book back to the library a few weeks ago, and I will probably buy it from amazon to keep as a reference. Right now I am reading another Lightroom 2 book, one by Martin Evening, also from the library. For some reason, M. Evenings book doesn't seem as easily accessible to me (and the text in the screen captures is barely readable, so they aren't as helpful as they could be). It's definitely not an easy read like this Dummies book. Perhaps I will end up buying both books at some point, but right now this book is more useful to me as a complete beginner.

If you don't have it yet, Lightroom 2 is awesome btw.

This is an easy read, great book and loaded with information and additional resources.The book is broken up into manageable bits that you can sit down and take in at once, and also handy when you just need a quick bit of info. I highly recommend this book, especially for someone like me who is new to Lightroom.

I purchased this book with some knowledge of Lightroom and it's uses already.....or so I thought. This book helped me to learn all the ins and outs of this program. Not only is this book well written, it is FULL of useful information. It's one of those books that you don't want to miss a page because you could miss some little tricks along the way. This book gives you short cuts and tips, it tells you how to organize, rate, and develop your photos. It shows you how to put them in a slideshow, how to get them on the web and so much more. It tells you everything this program has to offer. This is a must have to a new or unseasoned Lightroom user. I have referred to it numberous times. Definite 5 stars.

Someone already commented on the way that this book differs from the normal Dummies routine. I support that review 100%. In fact, that was the sole purpose of me seeking out posting this review. I, too, am not a Dummies fan, but this book breaks that mold. In fact, it is a wonderful supplement to many other books I have on Lightroom. This book is an excellent tool to have by your side. Ron wrote this with the end user in mind. He is straightforward and helpful. The figures provided are extremely valuable. If you are learning Lightroom, this is certainly a great addition to your library and a MUST HAVE.

One selfish, personal comment, if I may. Almost all my purchased books are written from the Mac point-of-view: Screenshots, key commands, etc. This one is different and is (still) unsettling as everything stems from Windows. LOL, I know, "get over it" ... hey, I told you it was selfish and personal! :-D

I'm sure there are many things in Lightroom that I have to discover that might not be covered in Rob's book, BUT, this is a TERRIFIC "smart" beginner's guide. The whole "dummies" mindset probably puts off some people, but after buying two other Lightroom 2 books and returning them, this one did just what I wanted. Of the other two books, the first was very large, very dry, very encyclopedia-like. The second, while better, with excellent photos, still felt a bit dry, and I felt the books formatting actually wasted space rather than made things clearer. Rob's book is laid out in logical order, with specific steps to do those basic routines that are common to a photographer's workflow. Although it's straightforward, he includes a plethera of tips to help speed up the process and he throws in his own preferences here and there with explanations as to why he does it that way.
Overall very well done book. The only suggestions I would have is to add a few more shortcuts in the "cheatsheet" (especially those which speed up the reviewing portion of the workflow) and perhaps to more heavily touch on how Lightroom 2 handles "digital asset management" principles (which is why I am using this program)
P.S. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Peter Krogh's "The DAM Book" as a companion to your Lightroom library.

My book arrived in pristine condition, and in only three days. Super Amazon seller!!

The book is right - dummies sure can learn! Great reference in learning to navigate through the Photoshop Lightroom software.