Learn the essential tools for working in Lightroom and be able to answer simple questions patrons may have about Lightroom.

The question we get asked most often about Lightroom is: “Which computers have Lightroom?”
Answer: Only double screen macs (it is also on the computers in the labs we teach in, but those are not open-access for students).

Here is a sweet video if you’re a beginner in Lr:

Demonstrate skill with:

• Basic DSLR knowledge (Watch this tutorial, unless you already feel like an expert on ISO, shutter speed, and aperture)

• Catalog system
• Importing
• Library module
  • View modes
  • Collections
  • Organization – filters, keywords, rating
• Develop module
  • Presets
  • History
  • Basic
  • Tone Curve
  • Crop Tool
    • Straighten
  • Spot Removal
  • Red Eye correction
• Image navigation (zoom and pan shortcuts)
• Editing in Photoshop (right-click image > Edit in > Edit in Adobe Photoshop CC 2017)
  • Saving Photoshop edits to Lr (simply save and watch it update in Lr)
• Have a basic idea of what these modules are for…
  • Map module
• Slideshow module (just know it is there and have a basic idea of what it does)
• Print module (just know it is there and have a basic idea of what it does)
• Web module (just know it is there and have a basic idea of what it does)
• Exporting
  • Batch exporting

Common questions you should be able to answer:

“If I edit this image, is it going to mess up my original file?”
“What if I want to make some changes in Photoshop too?”
“How do I save my work?”
“How do I export this as a JPEG?”

Show your finished images and explain how they were made to the Sage of Lightroom, who will check to make sure you have learned these skills well and award your medallion.

Level 2 – Teaching level

Learn the rest of the tools we teach in our Lightroom classes. Finishing this level shows that you have mastered the core of Lightroom and could reasonably teach the classes yourself. You may find it helpful to attend a Lightroom class while you work on these skills.  In order to feel like an expert at Lightroom, you need to understand basic photography.  So for this level of the competency, you are going to shoot and edit your own raw photos.

Demonstrate skill with:

• Raw files (read this and be able to explain the reasons behind using RAW)
  • You will need to take at least 20 RAW images of your own (borrow a camera for 5 minutes and take random pictures around the office if you want!) and as you import and edit them in Lr, notice how much more you can push the photo processing
• Develop Module
  • HSL/Color/B&W
  • Color Grading
  • Detail
  • Lens Corrections
  • Transform
  • Effects
  • Camera Calibration
• Masking
  • Brush
  • Gradients
  • Ranges
• Batch Processing
  • Copy and paste edits onto several images at once
  • Sync settings for batch processing
  • Create/import presets
• Smart previews and their benefits
• Panoramas
• HDR Photos
• Exporting with custom watermark

Show your finished photo series and explain how they were edited to the Sage of Lightroom, who will make sure you have learned these skills well and award your medallion.