Lightroom workshops?

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John Hulburt
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Lightroom workshops?

Is there any interest in starting a Lightroom Users group that meets regularly to discuss all things LR and plugins?

Gerry Bishop
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Great idea, John.

As you know, I was a LR skeptic for several years, content that I could do all I needed to do with Photoshop and Bridge, along with the Nik plug-ins, so why learn another program? But I finally decided to see what LR is all about, and I'm very glad I did. It is now the basis of my image management and the starting point in all of my image editing.

A users' group would be a great way to help people get past the initial learning hurdles and into this helpful program, as well as ways to share what we all learn as we continue to use it.

Michele Fletcher
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LR is my constant companion! ;-) I'd enjoy learning more advanced things in it (hoping to get LR5 loaded in January) and see how others handle their images in it. My only only concern is timing of meetings - 75 minute drive over Afton mountain and the occasional vertigo attacks could keep me from a few.

Peter Clark
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I've taken one course with Victoria, but could use more instruction and experience.

Peter

Gene Runion
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A great idea for sharing knowledge about LR. I have always felt that LR should be ones starting point. Everything plugs into it. Now that Apple has ceased development of Aperture there isn't much else out there.

Sandy Hodge
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Yes, definitely!

Fax Ayres
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Yes!

Ken Porter
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I'm going to need to get up to speed on it since I need to move over from Aperture.

Diana Rockwell
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I'd be very interested since I don't find it very intuitive.

John Hulburt
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Thanks for your comments. More are welcome. If there continues good response, perhaps we can schedule an organizational session in early 2015? Are there members that feel LR skilled enough to lead a workshop session?

Paul Grim
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I would be interested. Is it necessary to have LR installed on a laptop in order to participate?

Anton Largiader
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I'm interested. For the past few years I've been using iPhoto. I started off manually organizing my downloaded photos but honestly iPhoto made everything so easy that there was no reason not to use it. I export to Photoshop when I need to.

However, Apple is discontinuing iPhoto and Aperture. Now, I'm sure the replacement Photos app will be pretty similar but if there is going to be a change I might as well learn more about the alternatives.

Alda Vidrich
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A Lightroom user group would be great! I do use Lightroom but not well and would love to learn a lot more. I'm in!

Anton Largiader
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What are the alternative programs, other than iPhoto/Aperture and Lightroom, for photo cataloging and editing? It might be worth running a poll at some point to see what people currently use. Maybe some people would benefit from Lightroom but don't realize it.

Lightroom is still available for outright purchase, unlike the rest of Creative Suite. Adobe's website shows $79 upgrade and $149 full. There's also a $10/month subscription option that includes Photoshop.

Toni Zappone
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PhotoShop Elements is an alternative to Lightroom; besides all the tools for raw editing, it has cataloging as well. From what I've seen, it can do everything Lightroom can do. (I'm sure I'll get some argument on that.)

But, for you Lightroom aficionados, here's something from Scott Kelby: http://lightroomkillertips.com/gets-vote-one-top-lightroom-tips-year/

John Hulburt
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Alternative cataloging include Photomechanic, Bridge. Elements is an editing program, does not do cataloging.
Deb, thanks for offer to provide some introductory guidance.
Looks like we have strong interest.
Gerry, can we work this into the workshop schedule and have the projector available?

Gerry Bishop
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Yes, I think we could begin a series of LR-user's sessions beginning in April. (We have a workshop already scheduled for January and March.) These could be the "official" CCC workshops for a few months, with perhaps breakout groups continuing to meet on a less formal basis thereafter. I'll go ahead and post the opening workshop for April as soon as Jim Fergus gets us a venue, assuming that either you, John, or Debbie can kick things off on that date. (The new Northside library may be open by then.)

Toni Zappone
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John. You said "Elements is an editing program, does not do cataloging." PhotoShop Elements has an Organizer feature that allows you to catalog, tag, and organize photos and works seamlessly with the Elements editing features.

John Hulburt
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Ok, regular workshops are assigned until April but in April I will be very busy with my new photography course at UVA "Secrets of Montpelier". BTW, the course is filling up - if you are interested, suggest that you enroll soon. Should be great time for all of us - photography & a little history. If you would like to see syllabus or need more info, send me an email jh2em@virginia.edu.
Let's look at scheduling first workshop in January for those interested in discussing Lightroom 5. I will try to set a venue and date - standby...

Gerry Bishop
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OK--sounds good, John.

And a note to Toni--the Organizer feature in recent versions of Elements replaced the much superior Bridge of earlier versions. It is inferior to Bridge and WAY inferior to Lightroom's abilities to manage images. And by the way, both Organizer and Bridge are browsers, rather than databases, and that's a big difference--probably to be discussed in our first user group meeting! :-)

John Hulburt
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Our first meeting has been scheduled - see page 1 of CCC website. See you January 10th?

Toni Zappone
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Note to Gerry: Thanks for that clarification on Organizer, Bridge and LR. I did not know it was only a browser. I hadn't planned on attending the LR meetings, but now I will. Thanks.

John Hulburt
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Via email, I just sent out the latest list of registered members. If you did not receive the email, please advise and I will add you to distribution email list.