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What I’d Love to See in Lightroom 2.0

By Scott on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 2:09 am | updates.

lr2wishlist.jpg

This past year I’ve spent a lot of time immersed in learning, using, and teaching Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. I traveled around the country with my Lightroom Live Tour and trained literally thousands of Lightroom users in person. Between that tour, my Lightroom hands-on workshops, the magazine, and hearing from readers of my Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers, I’ve gotten more real world, down in the trenches, tell-it-like-it-is feedback of what photographers want to see next in Lightroom than you can imagine.

I love Lightroom—it’s changed my digital workflow forever, and because it’s so important to me (and to so many people I’ve trained this year), I wanted to share the comments and ideas I heard most—including those most-asked-for features and enhancements.

I know Adobe gets a lot of input from high-end power users of Lightroom, but I also want to make sure that they hear from the working wedding photographers from Cincinnati, and the Senior Photographers from Jacksonville, the landscape photographers from Boulder, and the Portrait Photographers from Atlanta who are dealing with a different set of challenges in their daily work. I hear from these folks all the time (these are “my people”), and today I’m carrying their message forward, along with my own “wishlist” of ideas for things I’d love to see included in Lightroom 2.0 as well.

The first batch are the ones people asked me about again and again during my Lightroom Live Tour, so I’ll start with those first, then I’ll go module by module for the rest, so here goes:

THE BIGGIES

  • NETWORKING: We’ need (need!) the ability to have multiple users access the same Lightroom library across a network. This is big. Biggity-big.
  • PHOTO BOOKS: How about the ability to create printed photo books (like those found in Photoshop Elements and Apple’s iPhoto and Aperture)? Also, we’d love it if Adobe hired some big-time design firm to create some really professional looking sets of templates for wedding albums, portfolios, coffee table book layouts, proof books, etc.. That would take it to the next level. (Personal admission: I process all my images in Lightroom, export them as JPEGs, import then into Apple’s Aperture, and then I use Aperture’s built-in book templates and printing service to print my photo books. Hey, what can I say—-Lightroom doesn’t have a books feature, and Aperture’s book feature rocks).
  • THE JPEG PROCESSED LOOK: When a Raw photo appears in Lightroom, it first displays the same low resolution JPEG preview image you see on the back of your camera’s LCD. After a few seconds that image changes as Lightroom renders the real unprocessed Raw image file. I get asked this again and again and again during my tour: Is there a way to get that JPEG preview look applied to their image (they love that look because it’s been color processed, tweaked, and sharpened by the software in their camera), but they (their words—not mine), often don’t like the way their photo looks after Lightroom renders it (that’s because they’re now seeing the unprocessed raw image). What they want is a way to get the exact same look as that JPEG preview applied to their raw photo as a starting point. I don’t know how Adobe would pull that off, but if they could, it would make an awful lot of people happy (basically, they want their raw photo to be auto processed to match what the camera would have done if they had shot in JPEG rather than Raw). I want this one for them.
  • OPEN AS SMART OBJECTS: We want the ability to open a Lightroom file in Photoshop CS3 as a Smart Object.
  • SHOOTING TETHERED: We’d love to be to shoot tethered directly from the camera straight into Lightroom without having to use a separate third-party application.

LIBRARY MODULE

  • I’d love to see the Stacking feature (which is now only available in the Folders panel), available within Collections. It’s a great Lightroom 1.0 feature that I never get to use because it only works in Folders.
  • I’d like to see the Keywording consolidated into one single panel, instead of two panels on either side of the screen.
  • If they’re going to keep the Quick Develop panel, at least make it usable by getting rid of the barely usable one-click buttons, and give us sliders. It’s like Adobe gave us those annoying one-click buttons to discourage us from using Quick Develop (it worked; I don’t use it, and most of the folks I’ve talked with don’t either for that very same reason). If we had sliders, it might keep us from having to switch back and forth between the Library and the Develop Module so often. Want to really take it up a notch? Not only give me sliders in Quick Develop, let me pick which ones I want to appear in the Quick Develop panel.
  • I’d like to be able to hide panels I never use, and then combine panels (kind of like you combine palettes in Photoshop). That way, I could put all the panels I really use together on one side of Lightroom, and keep the other side hidden all the time. That way, I’d always have a much larger preview area, but still have access to all the panels I need.
  • I would like to see Adobe change the keyboard shortcuts for switching modules to the first letter of each module. For example, you should be able to press P for the Print module, W for Web, and so on (Yes, they’d have to come up with a new shortcut for Lights Out mode so people can jump to the Library Module by pressing L).
  • I’d like a Loupe feature like Apple’s Aperture, but not anything like the one in Adobe Bridge (Yeech!).
  • I want a Light Table feature (like Aperture’s but better) where you can manually arrange your images. I know it’s not a terribly efficient way to sort photos, but it is terribly fun.
  • When you’re in the Loupe view, and select another photo, it should automatically put you in Survey mode. (By the way, Survey mode is a lame name. Hey, I’m just sayin’).
  • I’d like an easy way to not just edit, but delete Metadata presets from right within Lightroom.
  • I want to be able to change the name of any image in the Library by just double-clicking on its name (you can do that in the Bridge—why not in Lightroom’s Library?).
  • When you go to Export a file, and you choose to have the Copyright Watermark visible, you should be able to choose the size of the copyright text.
  • I want a big Reset button in the Library module (just like the one in the Develop module), and I also want it in the exact same place (while I’m being picky).

DEVELOP MODULE

  • I want Noise Reduction that’s good enough to make me not have to jump over to Photoshop to run a third party noise reduction plug-in like Noise Ninja, Define, or Noiseware).
  • I would like a Duotone/tritone/quadtone panel with some great built-in presets (so we don’t have to fake it using Split Toning).
  • I want the option of using a regular Healing Brush for spots/specs that works like a regular brush.
  • I’d like to be able to choose the color for my Clipping Warnings. With some photos it’s hard to see the red warning .
  • I want to be able to toggle through the different White Balance presets and see image update as I highlight each one (using the up/down arrow keys on my keyboard).
  • I’d like to have Sharpening Presets that I can apply from right within the Detail Panel itself, so I don’t have to leave the right side panels (where I’m making my manual adjustments) to apply a simple sharpening preset. I know, it’s a little thing.

SLIDESHOW MODULE

  • My pet peeve is that if you’re showing a client a slideshow, they will see the first image of your slideshow on screen before the slideshow even starts. That stinks, since their first impression of your work will be a small version of the photo, with no music, surrounded by Lightroom’s interface. I would like to have a blackout mode, where all that is visible on screen is a play button—center screen. That way, when your client sits down to watch a slideshow, the don’t see anything until the slideshow actually begins. No visible filmstrip, other photos, or panels–just a black screen, and a play button. That would be sweet.
  • There should be an option to start each slideshow by fading in from black. Even iPhoto does that.
  • The music should automatically fade out at the end of a slideshow. Again, iPhoto does this automatically. You should also have a music loop on/off option.
  • I’d like a built-in Ken Burn’s-like Pan & Zoom effect, and some nice transitions (Elements has something like this—can’t we have it, too?).
  • In my “shooting for the moon” category of slideshow requests, it would be incredible to be able to set it up so your images could display in sync with the music. Yes, you would have to do this manually, by listening to the music and adding markers where the next slide should play, but it would be wonderful, and would let you create dramatic slide presentations that really made the most of the music. I saw a presentation where the photographer was showing his pro football porfolio, and he used the theme music to ABC Monday Night Football (not the Hank Williams Jr. opener—the main theme), and when it went, “Bom, bom, bom, bommmmm” four images appeared—one on each beat, and it was very dramatic. I want that. I know there’s no way in heck I’m going to get it, but hey—I said it was my “shooting for the moon” request.
  • We need to be able to import and place more graphics on the slide (like logos, water mark graphics, etc.). More than just the one graphic we get to use as an Identity Plate.
  • I want the ability to put a stroke around just the photos I choose, instead of applying to every photo or no photos.
  • Adobe—I’m begging you—let us export our slideshows as a QuickTime or Window WMV files, and we MUST be able to include music with them. I’m begging, here. So are thousands of other users who are forced to switch to 3rd party apps like Apple’s iPhoto when it comes time to make a slideshow.
  • Slideshows where you have two images side-by-side are all the rage right now, but to do one in Lightroom, you’d have to go to Photoshop first and manually combine the two photos into one document and import them one-by-one back into Lightroom and that “Just ain’t right.” Let us put more than one photo on each slide (at the very least, give us a side-by-side slideshow feature), but ideally we should be able to have more images on the same slide, like we do in the print module.
  • The ability to create a simple title screen for slideshows should be built right in, and a tracking feature (to tighten or increase the space between letters) should be included for sure.
  • We need a “Fit Slideshow to Music Length” option (like iPhoto).
  • There needs to be an option that burns your slideshow to direct to DVD (like iPhoto). I know, I keep comparing the slideshow module to a iPhoto, but come on—can’t we beat iPhoto? (it’s consumer software for goodness sakes!) Lightroom is a professional application—my little nephew shouldn’t be able to use the free software that came with his iMac (iPhoto) and make a more professional-looking slideshow than my application designed from the ground up for for professional photographers. That just ain’t right, but at this point, that’s the way it is. I can only hope.

PRINT MODULE

  • I desperately want the ability to create non-uniform cells. By that, I mean I’d like to have three images across, the first being square, the center photo being a wide rectangle, and the third being another square. As it is, I’d have to have three perfect squares, or three identical rectangles.
  • I want a separate watermarking feature, with opacity control or ideally a “blind emboss” option that is totally separate from the identity Plate feature.
  • I want to be able to change the background color of my prints, so if I want a black background behind my photos, I just choose black.
  • I want the ability to add more graphics to the page, or at the very least have multiple Identity plates.
  • I want the built-in ability to add a matt (or something that looks like a matt).
  • I want the built-in ability to add edge effects (without having to resort to a clunky Identity Plate workaround).
  • I want the ability to export custom print templates I’ve designed as PDFs or PSDs (with the photos embedded—ready to print). I get asked this numerous times at every stop on my Lightroom tour.
  • We need a better way to make Wedding templates for wedding albums. Creating the look that’s popular now in wedding album design (lots of backscreening, tints, cutouts, mixing color and black and white images on the same page, edge effects, paragraphs of poems or the invitation text or wedding vow text, etc.) almost requires that you go to Photoshop and create it all manually. We need an automated layout function (like the half dozen or so stand-alone apps I just saw at Imaging USA), then we need to be able to save these out as PDFs or PSDs, and then ideally upload them directly from Lightroom to the wedding album printing company.

WEB MODULE

  • I would love a Flash-based client proofing gallery template that puts a number beside the pictures (like the default HTML template), but I also need two more things: (1) the ability to add a custom watermark across each image, and (2) Approval checkboxes so clients can choose the images they want and then hit the Send button, and it sends me just those numbers, and any additional comments from my client.
  • I want to be able to add a caption, or change the name, of any individual photos right there on screen, without going back to the Library module and Metadata panel.
  • I would like the ability to add multiple galleries to a home page and also separate customizable inside pages like an about page, a contact page, etc..

STUFF I MISSED THE FIRST TIME AROUND
Here’s a few I missed in my initial posting this morning, but when I saw your comments I knew they needed to be there, too.

  • Dual Monitor Support (I can’t believe I forgot this one, as it was one of the very things I went searching for when the first Beta version was released. Good catch!).
  • Softproofing. (I know, I can’t believe I forgot that one either).
  • Perspective corrections (this is something we’d have to jump over to Photoshop for, and having it built-in to Lightroom would save us the trip).
  • Built-in HDR, but more full-featured than the one in Photoshop CS3. (This one’s for Ben and Barney). It would rock.
  • A Browse Feature, where you can look without importing (like the Bridge allows). I hadn’t thought of this one at all, but now that I see it listed—I want it.
  • I also like the Archiving to DVD on import idea a lot. Now I want it, too.
  • Another I hadn’t thought of, but really like, is adding the option of having a checkbox on Web galleries that would enable the viewer to download a high-res version of the Web thumbnail or preview-size image they’re seeing.
  • How ’bout that tweak of having the Vignette readjust when you crop a photo. It’s a little big thing. :)
  • Changing Catalogs without having to restart. I can’t believe I forgot this one either. Thanks for the reminder.

Well, that’s pretty much it. Now, I don’t want you to get too excited, because I don’t have a very good track record of getting anything added to Lightroom (or Photoshop for that matter), so if one or more of these ideas got you jumping up and down, I have no way of knowing if it’s in Adobe’s plans or not (at least at this point), so our only hope is to let Adobe know that’s what you want.

Yell it from the rooftops, because this early in the game we just might have a chance of getting something added, but you’ve got to yell it really loud. Post your favorite ideas here in the comments section and I’ll make sure the Lightroom Product Managers know it’s there (I’ll do yelling for you), and if there’s enough umph behind your plea—hey….ya just never know. :-)

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  1. #1

    One of your best Scott.

    cooksfriend

    Frank Severa on January 18th, 2008 at 3:32 am
  2. #2

    I absolutly aggree Scott.
    My favorites
    Loupe, delete Metadata, Light Table, shooting tethered, Photo Book, Networking, Resset Button.
    Lets shout it out.
    Heinz

    Heinz on January 18th, 2008 at 3:58 am
  3. #3

    Scott, you made a very good collection of suggestions.

    Greetings Thomas

    Thomas on January 18th, 2008 at 4:01 am
  4. #4

    But wait! You forgott to add “Perspective Corrections”, like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_correction

    –
    Christer

    Christer on January 18th, 2008 at 4:31 am
  5. #5

    I really feel you on a lot of these topics.

    What i could se as an idea in was combining some of this functionality to make et even more powerfull. you are talking about lighttable function like in aparture.

    What I see as a prime solution would be to add the lighttable and combine that with the slideshow and web module.

    Make it posible to set op with the light table and use this to define slides and pages in the web module.

    Ofcourse add the posibility to make text elements to the lighttable also.

    That would make some thing LOADS easier.

    Best regards and lets hope just some of the things make it to v2 :D

    Theis

    Theis Poulsen on January 18th, 2008 at 4:56 am
  6. #6

    Is this really early in the game? I was expecting a new one early this spring, june the latest.

    Mattias on January 18th, 2008 at 5:32 am
  7. #7

    Well let’s just keep going with the requests…

    1. Archiving - I’d like to see Lightroom become more of an archiving program. While it’s on the right path, I’d love to be able to phase out using Expression Media (iView Media Pro) to do my archiving, but at this point it’s not there yet.

    2. Advanced Filtering - Lightroom needs to have filtering like Bridge, not just filtering based on flags, stars, or labels.

    Those are two that come to mind first; I’m sure I’ll have more.

    Josh

    Josh Garretson on January 18th, 2008 at 5:41 am
  8. #8

    Please, don’t forget softproofing! This is essential. Also output sharpening. For these two steps alone I switch to CS3 on a regular basis!

    Unlesbar on January 18th, 2008 at 5:46 am
  9. #9

    Here here! What a great list!

    Although some features should be incorporated in free update 1.4 or 1.5, but hey - let’s not be to picky.

    Christer is right, you forgot to add ‘Perspective Corrections’! Or even better! The whole lens correction thingy from Photoshop, I’d really really like to be able to remove lens distortion from within LR.

    Karel on January 18th, 2008 at 6:03 am
  10. #10

    I think you’ve missed the point of the adjustments made in Quick Develop, Scott. I know you already know, but they are Relative adjustments. Not absolute adjustments like in Develop. What’s a Slider going to do with that? The slider in Develop forces adjustments to a fixed point, whereas the buttons in Quick Develop add or subtract from the current amount. This is great for quickly processing loads of images with very different settings.

    Some of the requests are OTT, but hey I like them. Great post.

    Sean McCormack on January 18th, 2008 at 6:28 am
  11. #11

    So funny, You’re wishlist is good.

    I think you missed a web album where you can add child albums (maybe with the same categories). Now you always have to publish every Lightroom choice in a little webalbum and creating a custom index :-)
    I thought in a entire website you upload first and then all childalbum would be referenced with one XML ?

    Frédéric on January 18th, 2008 at 7:08 am
  12. #12

    Soft proofing all the way. I simply can’t understand why it’s not there starting with 1.0.

    futomki on January 18th, 2008 at 7:11 am
  13. #13

    multi-screen support!

    running two 30 inch screens with apples aperture is fantastic, however i would love to switch to lightroom IF they would support multiple screens. for me, this is the biggest hold-back at this stage.

    Stephan on January 18th, 2008 at 7:14 am
  14. #14

    I love your set and some of the others in comments (especially dual monitor support) and I’d like two more things:

    1) to be able to open a RAW file in a different raw converter (ie Capture NX) for those images where I really have to - and great as Camera Raw is sometimes I just have to, and have the resultant TIF file imported back stacked, just like when I go to Photoshop.

    2) After I’ve processed all of the files from a shoot and printed them I often convert them to JPGs and import them back into Lightroom so I have less live disk space used as archive. Make this a one button operation please - including archiving off the selected adjustments and raw files to a DVD, and naming it. Then when I look at a JPG in future and want to get back to the RAW file with Lightroom adjustments it tells me which DVD to mount and pulls the RAW file and adjustments back in.

    Nick Kirkland on January 18th, 2008 at 7:41 am
  15. #15

    Very good list. I really support these ideas. But I’d love to have a built-in HDR option as well!

    georg on January 18th, 2008 at 7:45 am
  16. #16

    Great list Scott!

    I want to add something to your list that drives me crazy in Lighroom. I love the scrubby sliders in Photoshop as well as in ACR. Unfortunately, they can’t be used the same way in Lightroom. In ACR you’ll get the scrubby slider the moment your pointer hoovers over any slider. In Lightroom you have to hoover your pointer directly over the according number field of a given slider (which hides the scrubby slider in ACR by the way). Why? For me the ACR-Photoshop way is far better. Especially, if you are working with a tablet.

    Marcus on January 18th, 2008 at 7:47 am
  17. #17

    Your suggestions are great. However, shouldn’t some of these be in Photoshop first, or at least at the same time. I always thought of PS as a step above Lightroom. Am I wrong in that assumption?
    Bob

    Bob Rutan on January 18th, 2008 at 8:03 am
  18. #18

    Great list and if those features would come along that would be a major update.

    I would like to see implemented the browse folders without having to import the photos every time into Lightroom.
    This way would give the ability to browser and process photos from a specific location without having to import them to Lightroom.

    This was one of the great features of the Raw Shooter Professional application can’t understand why the creators of Llightroom did not kept this simple and useful feature.

    Rui M Leal on January 18th, 2008 at 8:06 am
  19. #19

    Not sure if this was seen by all but I thought I would throw it out there. Found this last night and thought it was an interesting read.

    http://www.news.com/underexposed/8301-13580_3-9852812-39.html

    Not sure if this is what inspired Scott for this topic. Ironically last night I comment on lightroomkillertips about the same thing… a list of things you would want to see in LR 2.0.

    Pete

    Pete on January 18th, 2008 at 8:15 am
  20. #20

    The biggy for me is dual monitor support… let me devote one to the image, and the other to palettes… Photoshop can do it, so pleeeeeease please please can we have this? More than half the photographers I know have 2 monitors (although I’m a graphic designer, which probably skews the figures a bit…)

    And applying the processing the camera’s done on the jpegs to the RAW file as a starting point would be great, as I believe capture NX does, although I can’t imagine Nikon would be too forthcoming with help on this.

    Also, being able to crop in the same way as photoshop would be nice… I’ve used PS far too much so the controls are just the wrong way round. And if I ever get the hang of it in lightroom, then photoshop will confuse the hell out of me! And magic stamp that worked the same would be nice too… In fact, wherever LR and PS have the same tools, let us poor PS users set up LR to work in the same way.

    PS thanks for the book Scott!

    Martin on January 18th, 2008 at 8:17 am
  21. #21

    Special purpose stacks … HDR, Pano, expanded DoF, rez enhancement, etc. Put the pictures into one of these stacks and the top-of-stack image becomes the result of the ’stack process’.

    Print to jpeg.

    Slideshow export to flash.

    Side-by-side slide shows, sure, and with independent transition effects. Don’t want to go through the whole show with both pictures changing at the same time.

    Print templates (or slide show) with irregular ‘mats’. Your list included the idea of rectangles and squares - I’d like arbitrary widow sizes, overlapping windows.

    Terry on January 18th, 2008 at 8:21 am
  22. #22

    They should buy or embark on a simlar project to DxO Optics Pro. Create a database of perfects lens/camera correcting adjustments.
    Whilst I love what Optics Pro sets out to do, I hate the program itself. Buggy and flawed. Get that into Lightroom stat please!

    HDR/32bit support would be fun too. Although It should have a ‘what the hell are you doing?’ dialog when the image looks too much like the terrible HDRs on flickr.

    richard on January 18th, 2008 at 8:24 am
  23. #23

    I would totally like this list in the next version. Some that I would use most would be the making albums feature-from coffee table ones, wedding albums…also I like the ideas for the print module with edge effects and all that. The slideshow features mentions rock that you mentioned! l concur with all of them.

    Leo on January 18th, 2008 at 8:26 am
  24. #24

    I second both of Richard’s points in #22 - especially the DX optics and ‘what the hell?’ bits!

    Martin on January 18th, 2008 at 8:33 am
  25. #25

    Creating a preset of ONLY spot removal needs to be possible without having to choose ’select all’ then edit the preset in explorer to remove everything but spot removal in retouching. Truly annoying as any user with hot pixels/dust will know.

    David on January 18th, 2008 at 8:50 am
  26. #26

    Creating a preset of ONLY spot removal needs to be possible without having to choose ’select all’ then edit the preset in explorer to remove everything but spot removal in retouching. Truly annoying as any user with hot pixels/dust will know.

    David on January 18th, 2008 at 8:51 am
  27. #27

    What I would really like to see are Pick Lists for ISO fields in IPTC Metadata. Lightroom was designed as the tool for Professional Photographers, so it would be a real help to not have to look to .org websites or have external Metadata tools to get ISO Metadata populated in your photos.

    Also, this doesn’t happen very often, but Scott, I am going to have to disagree with you on the Light Table idea. I think that it would be a better use of the developers time to have them working on other performance enhancements, like opening in Photoshop as Smart Objects or turning Lightroom into the pre-eminent DAM tool as well as the best digital photography tool. I really don’t want to have to learn iVew MediaPro (MS Expression) as well as LR. Lets get this application to a point where it is the only logical choice for the digital photographer.

    Alessandro Rosa on January 18th, 2008 at 9:04 am
  28. #28

    Hi Scott -

    What a wish list!!! I’ll second many of your wishes, especially the ability to open an image in Photoshop as a smart object!!!

    I would also like to see a truly custom crop option. There are times when I want a vertically oriented bit out of a horizontally oriented image - or the reverse. Have I missed something or is this truly impossible in the current version of Lightroom??? Speaking of cropping, I’ll second (or third or fourth) the wish for perspective cropping.

    Libby on January 18th, 2008 at 9:11 am
  29. #29

    Printing:
    Non Uniform cells is a very good idea. Maybe to arrange the pics automatically, to waste as low paper as it gets.

    HDR, PANO, Resolution enhancement:
    very welcome

    Federico on January 18th, 2008 at 9:14 am
  30. #30

    Something else:
    64bit support:
    try to stitch 75 TIFF files with 80MB each.

    We have XP/Vista x64. I think it’s time for it.

    Federico on January 18th, 2008 at 9:17 am
  31. #31

    Very nice. I agree with everything… and then some.

    I would like to see a slight interface change: hyper-sensitive panels that fly in from any give side of the screen when the cursor barely brushes against them — drive me nuts. I want to hover over something a bit longer before it pops into view.

    More flexibility when using the Slideshow module: non-itunes support, optional timeline control (ala Premiere), Fit Show to Music option, straight forward graphics creation options (i.e. title screen). I love the .pdf file output option — I send slideshow out a lot! As a longtime video producer/editor, though, I want/need more control.

    I wish I could use my Nik filters without having to slide into Photoshop: I can dream, can’t I?

    Great ideas Scott. Keep ‘em coming!

    - Dave

    Dave on January 18th, 2008 at 9:23 am
  32. #32

    Yes yes and more yes Scott!!!

    This is list is exactly what I want. More of the export options for slideshows.

    I agree with the open as smart object in PS CS3.

    I hadn’t thought of the tethered shooting direct into Lightroom without third party software but current Nikon software isn’t working with my D80 so if Lightroom could this as well as the slideshow export options, it would be well worth while the paid update.

    Any ideas of when Lightroom 2.0 is to be launched / beta - are we thinking 6 months? 12? or more???

    Ed O'Keeffe on January 18th, 2008 at 9:35 am
  33. #33

    Great wish list, Scott!

    I would add to the slideshow wish list - the ability to select the music tracks and the order you want them to play, not just an alphabetical playlist of the entire folder contents.

    James Pearson on January 18th, 2008 at 9:38 am
  34. #34

    How about the long-promised SDK to allow integration of third party functional add-ins, not just exports?

    Carl on January 18th, 2008 at 9:42 am
  35. #35

    I agree with Josh. Archiving is perhaps the single most important element in the Digital Asset Management (DAM) workflow. Initiallly, on importing pictures, you should be able to burn those pictures to DVD, and again after processing in the Develop Module, you should be able to burn the processed pictures to DVD. There may be other stages of the workflow, such as after cataloging in the Library Module, when it would be desirable to burn the processed or semi-processed pictures to DVD.

    Monte on January 18th, 2008 at 9:46 am
  36. #36

    Ability to paint simple masks which are numbered.
    Then be able to attach effects to the mask of choice!
    Especially useful for selective noise reduction I would think!!!!

    Richard Costin on January 18th, 2008 at 9:51 am
  37. #37

    Softproofing - The ability to have the histogram and the image clipping reflect the selected export color space, so if you are going to export to sRGB, you can have an approximate idea of what your image will look like. ACR offers this feature, why not LR.

    Print to file - Not everyone prints their on materials. Please provide a way to set the printer output to ‘file’, so that the page created, with all the borders, logos, watermarks, multiple images, etc gets sent to a JPEG file. It is available for PSD, why not just a regular JPEG.

    Awake on January 18th, 2008 at 9:52 am
  38. #38

    I love all these suggestions, lets hope adobe is reading it too :)

    John Law on January 18th, 2008 at 9:53 am
  39. #39

    Excellent list Scott -

    One thing I’d LOVE to see is a Mac integration. You see, using iPhoto, all other Mac apps see the iPhoto library - and if you use Apeture, those apps see the Aperture library. It’s the one thing that still keeps me tied to iPhoto. If Lightroom could incorporate better into my entire Mac pipeline, I’d never have to use iPhoto.

    Dan Ablan on January 18th, 2008 at 9:53 am
  40. #40

    Excellent List Scott!

    I hope they listen! Those are the things that get me so excited over new versions.

    One thing I would like to add: In adding a lens vignette, I wish I had the option of applying it to the cropped image, instead of the original. If I have to crop something, then want to add a vignette, I end up having to do it in photoshop. It’d be great to have the choice in Lightroom!

    Karen on January 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
  41. #41

    Scott,

    A really great list. One other thing which has been promised (at least I heard this from Adobe at PSW in Boston last spring) was a programmers toolkit for Lightroom. Lightroom is programmed in LUA - a really easy to program language. If Lightroom’s language were exposed 3rd parties could answer a lot of the Adobe shortcomings such as Noise removal. The only LR integration which exists is DXO’s kind of hack connection.

    Joe (who yes is a coder)

    Joe O'C on January 18th, 2008 at 9:55 am
  42. #42

    Honestly I thought more 3rd party software would have been addded by now Especially web & slideshow mods.

    dual monitors!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Way to catorgize presets easier
    vignette actual cropped image size
    Slideshow Fade to or from black…is a no brainer
    Music/timed….Hello
    I agree with scott …….my 10 year old son can make a better show with little or no effort on his mac….oh thats easy Dad,let me make a show for you…..consumer grade the bar needs to be raised

    I was photographing a wed …at the dinner a guest had a very nice slideshow to music of the day’s events… completed in just several min
    I would love to be able to go into lightroom add some presets to some cropped images ,produce a stunning show to music that would be able to be uploaded to web for family/friends to view …

    David on January 18th, 2008 at 10:03 am
  43. #43

    Scott, I’m sure you already know this, but for the others…. posting your wishes here may have a slightly greater chance of being read by Adobe….

    http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3bc34322/

    Sam on January 18th, 2008 at 10:17 am
  44. #44

    Don’t think I saw them listed above (1) ability to select more color spaces thand the 3 current options when exporting to jpeg (2) a cleaner way to select images and “send to via e-mail” in Outlook Express without having to export to a folder and then select (3) in the web module, a means to reuse images in the web module without regenerating each time.

    Nate on January 18th, 2008 at 10:26 am
  45. #45

    Great List,

    My understanding was that one of the original intents of creating Lightroom in Modules was to allow easy add-on of features.

    If that is still the intent, I would like to see a module of Photoshop type adjustments that are directed towards photographers and incorporate within Lightroom; allowing more control over cloning with some layering and masking capabilities. Adobe is probably walking a fine line of impacting their Ps sales. Maybe they could link the programs so that you have to have Ps and the modules for with these features is actually Ps running in the background but appearing as if you have never left Lr. I suspect that is what they are probably doing with the Develop module and Camera Raw right now. ???

    You have already mention what we discussed briefly in Boston, the ability to save a setup in the print module for a custom print templates. I would be happy with a simple jpg export like in the other modules or as a preset with “smart attachments” so I could recreate the exact set-up for reuse.

    Thanks for keeping us involved.

    Peter Marcaurelle on January 18th, 2008 at 10:47 am
  46. #46

    Totally agree. I didn’t even know I wanted some of the features until you mentioned it. I would love to just go to one program to do all the things you mentioned. If Adobe incorporated your ideas to the 2.0 version, Lightroom would Rock so much more than it already does.

    Christina on January 18th, 2008 at 10:49 am
  47. #47

    I completely agree… Especially with “THE JPEG PROCESSED LOOK.” It’s why I now use the camera manufacturer’s software for tough RAW files and shoot OOC JPG for the rest.

    If open raw were implemented across the board, Adobe would make short time of getting the camera processing look in the RAW file…

    The alternative is to shoot RAW and strip the preview JPG…

    Else use Lightroom for sorting and use an external editor for the raw files you want to tweak, but at that point it’s probably more efficient to use Photo Mechanic in conjunction with your camera manufacturer’s raw converter.

    My biggest problem with Lightroom is just a mess of files everywhere… I think there could be a much better system of importing, sorting, finding and moving files than Lightroom allows. Especially when using a network.

    Klifton on January 18th, 2008 at 10:50 am
  48. #48

    Awesome list - ones I’ve posted to Adobe’s feature request are:
    - Add a checkbox in the Web Module that would allow a user to download a higher-res version of the photo. This would be HUGE when posting slideshows for family members, etc. They’d be able to download a printable version of the photos they are viewing.

    -Make some more of the EXIF data editable, instead of just viewable. In particular, I want to be able to enter my GPS coordinates (Lat, Long, and Altitude). Even better, it could synch up with a .gpx (common GPS file) and automatically tag.

    Brian on January 18th, 2008 at 10:54 am
  49. #49

    Great article Scott. I have a few other feature changes to suggest:

    1. Support for exporting multiple images to Photoshop for HDR, Photomerge, etc. Right now the workaround (export, process, synchronize) is really clunky.

    2. Add\Remove vignettes to cropped images rather than just from the original image.

    3. Exporting “final” images from the print module for printing at an external service. eg. I really want to be able to send “Gallery Prints” directly from Lightroom to the print lab without having to go through Photoshop first.

    4. I really like the Quick Develop panel as it is. I find using the one touch buttons for either 1/3 or a full stop adjustment is really fast and intuitive. I find sliders really annoying and usually end up typing in my desired correction amounts in the Develop module, so don’t change that!

    5. Better integration of Library and Develop. I do most of my editing on the fly and I often find myself wanting to do the same changes to multiple images and so I woudl like to have access to all of the Develop functions while in the Library and all of the Library functions while in Develop. I guess I really don’t wee why this needs to be two modules. The other modules being separated out all make sense to me, but these two do not…

    Sean Phillips on January 18th, 2008 at 10:56 am
  50. #50

    Scott,

    Don’t forget to tell Adobe to add support for all those great panos we’re now creating using the new photomerge features in CS3. It stinks that you can’t have large panos included in your slideshows or on the websites.

    I’m not sure what areas Adobe is working on for V2.0 but your list needs to hanging from the to do board in the lead developers office.

    Robbie R. on January 18th, 2008 at 11:07 am
  51. #51

    My biggest grip with Lightroom is that you have to import images into the library this horrid. That is what keeps it from being able to shoot tethered to it.

    I have multiple drives and servers that I work on and can’t use them in Lightroom.

    I use Bridge and ACR and will continue to until they added a file browsing function that doesnt require “importing”
    Pluse the Bridge/ACR combo works a bit faster than the Lightroom interface being that also open the images into photoshop to save as an .EPS for the offset press at my employer.

    Brian Faini on January 18th, 2008 at 11:18 am
  52. #52

    How about some soft focus filters so I can soften a group of pictres before proofing. great post and comments

    thanks
    David

    David Hopkins on January 18th, 2008 at 11:19 am
  53. #53

    Forgot something in my previous comment. Maybe I’m a total klutz (or maybe I’ve missed something), but I find the slider bar to navigate the Develop module very narrow and I wind up hiding the palette more often than I’d like. It can be very frustrating and I’ve been known to say unkind things to that slider bar. Could we have a way to customize its width, please?

    Libby on January 18th, 2008 at 11:23 am
  54. #54

    The following features are also needed.

    DEVELOP MODULE
    Add shortcut key to most of the major control sliders, like exposure, contrast, the 2 color sliders and satuation. Right now you have to use the mouse way too much and it is not quick or precise. It would be a dream to be able to edit lots of files with basic adjustments quickly without even moving the mouse.

    PRINT MODULE
    Add the ability to output the print to a image file at a specific resolution. We need this very badly to be able to send anything in the print module to a professional color lab. The wedding book idea is useless without it.

    Allen Gambrell on January 18th, 2008 at 11:24 am
  55. #55

    Having a button to automatically burn RAW files plus corrections to a DVD after JPG files have been exported with the DVD referenced in the JPG files would be really useful for the way I shoot.

    I would also like to be able to specify the crop I want without having Lightroom decide to change it to a relative crop. If I ask for an 8X10 crop out of a horizontal image I should be able to get it!

    Getting the slide show synced to music length should be a no brainer.

    Homer Arment on January 18th, 2008 at 11:29 am
  56. #56

    Scott,

    I just purchased Lightroom (and your book) based on attending your class in Tampa in October and some additional research I did after that. The product is so feature rich to begin with I was amazed to find that we should be wishing for so many more features. I can’t disagree with anything you (or the others that have responded) listed. I’m not sure if Lightroom does this now or if it should but a Comp/Zed Card format might be nice. I know it may not ever be as good as sending them out but it at least gives us the opportunity to pre-screen what one side of the Comp Card might look like before we send them out to have them professionally printed. It may be already in there and I haven’t found it yet but if it’s not … that’s my wish to the Adobe Santa Claus

    Regards,
    Dennis

    Dennis Dwyer on January 18th, 2008 at 11:31 am
  57. #57

    Another thing I’d like to see for 2.0 is a $49 upgrade, or lower. :)

    Tom Boucher on January 18th, 2008 at 11:34 am
  58. #58

    Amen! Fabulous list - concise and well reasoned.

    Kim on January 18th, 2008 at 11:42 am
  59. #59

    And all this by when? :) :)

    Richard Earney on January 18th, 2008 at 11:56 am
  60. #60

    Good list.

    A pet peeve: Every time I change the print settings it goes into the History file. What’s up with that?

    Also how about a web display similar to the Apple CoverFlow?

    John on January 18th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
  61. #61

    Did I miss “ not having to restart Lightroom to change catalogs”

    Take Care,
    Roy

    Roy Evans on January 18th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
  62. #62

    Scott,

    A great list, and I really second all of the comments about the Develop, Print and Slideshow modules.

    One minor thing that bugs me about the Lightroom Library module is that the import dialog box retains the previous file name you gave it the last time you imported photos, something I occasionally forget to change when I’m in a hurry, forcing me to redo the import. I know that this is my fault, but simply having it go away each time Lightroom shuts down would save me from myself on occasion and get me a few more hours of sleep.

    Emmet

    Emmet Whitehead on January 18th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
  63. #63

    I think the Develop module needs to allow for comparison with another image, as in Loupe mode, not just a Before and After comparison. This helps when making corrections to an image similar to another, with a reference to maintain consistency. At the same time, an eyedropper to sample one image, click on the other and (selectively) have the luminance, hue, saturation, etc. automatically matched in the target region would be nice. Finally, print output sharpening in addition to soft proofing (this could even be automated based on user-controledd slider settings combined with the selected printer and target print size).

    David on January 18th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
  64. #64

    Localized editing (masking or whatever) for ALL edit functions.

    I would rate this higher than any of your listed suggestions.

    Rory on January 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
  65. #65

    Scott,

    Thanks for the great post, as always. This is a fantastic list. I have some additional wishes which would help me make Lightroom my primary photography tool, and eliminate other products from my workflow:

    Library
    -Support for additional file formats and CMYK. Currently Lightroom does not support many different image file formats, such as gif, eps, ai, etc. that Bridge does. Worse, it does not support images after they’ve been converted to CMYK. Given that it is trying to be a DAM solution, this is problematic. It would be great to organize all of the given files in a project; especially those that we’ve converted for pre-press. It makes the journey to CS3 a “one-way” instead of “round-trip.” Further, movies taken with digicams as well as audio recorded with pro cameras like the D2x and D3 cannot be managed by Lightroom. This is a big shortcoming. As one poster said, we don’t want to have to use Lightroom AND iView (Expression Media).

    -Completely agree with you on the Light Table feature (I do not at all agree with the poster that said this a waste of engineering resources). I think this is an ESSENTIAL way of interacting with images. Aperture is wonderful for this; it’s one of the few features I actually use. When planning an exhibit, book, or other publication, it is absolutely invaluable to be able to place images next to each other, and to play with the sizes and relationships (and be able to check them with the loupe, and make adjustments without switching from that view).

    Develop
    -Selective editing please!!! Capture NX is a POS in terms of interface and performance, but the control point methodology is undeniably cool. We need this!! I don’t want to have to create masks in PS for every image. Lightzone also has a cool approach with “regions” that are non-destructive, but you cannot save them, which is a bummer. Lightroom could really use a feature like this to its benefit with the saved history. I have a feeling this one is high on the list for the LR engineering team, because they’ve mentioned it frequently in podcasts.

    -”Relight” tool in Lightzone is amazing! Similar to shadows highlights in PS, its default setting is often just amazing at correcting an image. This would be great to have in Lightroom. Whatever algorithm Lightzone uses to analyze the image is a good one, and usually produces excellent results without much editing.

    Slideshow
    -Totally agree with you on QT Export - absolutely essential! However, the implementation of this bears some thought. There is an old program called LiveSlideShow that has an awful interface, but produces incredibly small slide shows because in its QT files it uses embedded animated JPEGs with dissolve transitions, rather than rendering out 30 frames per second video as programs like FotoMagico do (with ridiculously large files that can approach 1GB for a 5 minute HD show).

    Print
    -You are so right about books - that’s the other thing I use Aperture for. And the new iPhoto ‘08 books are even nicer (assume an Aperture update will offer those soon). Perhaps Adobe could integrate with a 3rd party service like Blurb. Their books are even nicer than Apple’s anyway, and maybe they could convert their application into a module or (easier for a short-term solution) have the images export from Lightroom in order and populate the pages within the bookbuilder application (BookSmart I think it’s called).

    -Other products would be useful too. Although they seem gimmicky, those iPhoto cards and calendars are actually great, and a wonderful promotional giveaway around the holidays.

    Web
    -While I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect, as one poster suggested, that Adobe integrate with the Apple OS the way iPhoto and Aperture do (you can bet that Apple is keeping a firm grip on those APIs), I do think integration with .Mac would be incredibly helpful. For anyone who is a casual web publisher, .Mac is a really great solution, and iPhoto and Aperture make it really easy to get your work online directly from your photo database. Given that 3rd party apps like RapidWeaver and Sandvox allow publishing to .Mac, this seems to be within Adobe’s reach and would not be difficult to implement.

    Thanks again for the thoughtful commentary, and I hope Adobe is listening!

    Sterling Zumbrunn on January 18th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
  66. #66

    i agree with every comment that scott made in regards to iphoto. i am constantly exporting jpegs from lr over to iphoto to make books or slide shows simply because lr doesnt offer the same quality. lr should be able to kick iphotos butt!

    Matt Barnett on January 18th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
  67. #67

    Selective adjustments, as mentioned above.

    Include more metadata in renaming templates. Specifically camera model, serial, etc and image number within the second (useful for bursts).

    Even Solberg on January 18th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
  68. #68

    Hi There

    Great list. I’d buy into that update!

    The extra I’d like is the ability to export two different file sizes at the same time. First one so that I can email my clients for approval & second one full res so I can print.

    Another is a proper clone tool aka cs2/3

    Jon Maggs on January 18th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
  69. #69

    EXPANDABLE MENUS
    By this I mean not having a menu list miles long. There are so many now that it is getting hard to find things. Or maybe a Menu search field. Often one does not visit some things real often and a navigation method would be good. Maybe Alphabetic?

    What we don’t want is a PS X approach where there are 25 different ways to get to or execute every feature. Make subsets in Library, Develop, etc that you can set to always open 100% or always open closed up. Subsets and Sub-subsets probably. Some way of indicating which subsets one wants to always open. An example of the problem is Web. It is getting so many addins that you have trouble finding what you want. Auto grouping?
    Mel

    Mel Lammers on January 18th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
  70. #70

    I have your blog in my feedreader and was very happy to see this list, especially because I keep a textfile where I add stuff I would like to see in the next, big version.

    Here are some of the things on my list:

    1. Filesize - I would like to open any size. I sometimes make a panorama stitching in a different program and they can easily get beyond 50 MB. I do not see any reason why there should be a limit to filesize. I need to be able to go back and forth between Lightroom and Photoshop with no limits.

    2. Road warrior - I travel. And so does my computer. There should be a possibility to set up two different active catalogs for pictures. That mean I could have my main catalog on a server, network drive or removable drive and a secondary catalog on the system drive of the laptop. When I connect to my main catalog again, there should be a function to merge the secondary catalog into the main catalog and keep the structure of what I have been doing while travelling, including stacked pictures that has been edited in Photoshop.

    3. Absolute network paths - When you attach to servers or removable drives you do not always get the same drive letter. But there is a system of addressing resources that see beyond this and find the drive every time. I would like to see this implemented in Lightroom.

    4. Metadata - I like big forms. I would like a view in Lightroom where the metadata is in centre. The picture should just be a thumbnail (that you can adjust the size of, of course), the main thing should be the information to fill in. It should not be necessary to use any hacks to edit what fields you want to see when you do this. After pictures have been sorted in the library, it should be natural to add metadata to the individual pictures. Metadata is becoming increasingly important to photographers everywhere.

    5. IPTC constant writetrough - As I am adding metadata to pictures, I want it to appear in the picture immediately. This means that if any extra files/databases are lost, I can still get all info from the picture itself. At least the stuff about the pictures. I know the develop part would not be there unless… Write all that as “black metadata” at the end of the file. This would be proprietary information, but it would really keep the info with the picture forever. One program that is very clever on this part is Fotostation. It is a picture archive, but as it uses QT as the core, it can read all filetypes QT can read. AND - it can add IPTC/metadata to all these files. QT movies, jpg files, Word documents, TIFF files etc.

    6. Text in slideshows - There is a simple text tool in the slideshow mode. I might be wrong about this, but I can only get it to add a text that stay on through the whole slideshow. I would like different texts for different slides. I need it to avoid having to go to Photoshop to make title slides, adding a couple of lines of text to a slide, etc. Or even better - I would love to be able to turn on the IPTC title and description of the picture here.

    7. Backup - A really important thing when dealing with digital originals is to make backups. And there should be a big part of Lightroom dedicated to this. Take a look at Picasa. there you can burn backups to CD/DVD and Picasa will keep track of what pictures that have been backed up already. I see there are many other good suggestions regarding this so I will just add my voice to the choire :-) I am currently working on setting up a server with a RAID controller and mirrored drives to be sure if anything happen, I do not get any problems. And make backup copies on DVD on top of that. But I would really appreciate if Lightroom could handle all the logistics of the backup process.

    8. Using the scroll wheel or arrow buttons to step the different sliders in Develop mode one step at the time. Or use a modifier key (hold down shift and alt at the same time as you drag the slider or something like that) to force the sliders to move in smaller increments.

    9. Keyword assistant - I have seen something on the internet about some special method that has been developed to assist a photographer, archivist/librarian etc. to tag a picture with the right keywords. This would really be something to add to Lightroom. It would certainly help if you are selling stock pictures that go into a big catalog. To get your pictures to the top of a search, you need to have the right keywords.

    Svein Wisnaes on January 18th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
  71. #71

    I’d like to see some additions to the ‘find’ tab. Why not make it possible to exclude certain keywords or search for multiple in a specific order (like google does with quote-marks). Another thing that would help me out is searching for child>parent, where the parent can be a grandparent or whatever.

    Jurgen Radier on January 18th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
  72. #72

    Well, I’ll also go with my own song…
    By preference order :

    1 Selective editing, for all the develop features

    2 Perspective control (can be within the crop tool)

    3 Soft proofing (pref. in the develop module)

    and for Libby (comment #53) :
    4 get the button to hide a panel on the center side of the panel, NOT just next to the slider please…

    NicolasG on January 18th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
  73. #73

    We really need something to be able to make panos i Lightroom or be able to export several pictures right away to photoshos photomerge!

    Mattias Richter on January 18th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
  74. #74

    Hey Scott,

    Superb post!!! It’s really comforting to read that the majority of features I’d like to see added in the next edition of Lightroom are the same ones you and many others want too.

    Personally, my priority features to be added would be:

    1. Smart Objects

    2. The ability to back up to disc / DVD on import.

    3. When adding a copyright, being able to choose it’s size and location on the image and to be adjust it’s transparency (ie like in photoshop adding a bevel & emboss and then removing the colour using the fill slider)

    4. The ability to add softening to a picture such as a portrait

    5. Slideshows that you can ‘fit to music’ … have more than one image on the screen … control when they appear etc….

    6. In the print module, as you said, to have no -uniform cells.

    I’m sure there are more, but these are the ones that spring to mind.

    All the best to you and yours,
    Glyn

    Glyn Dewis on January 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
  75. #75

    Scott, I think you missed one,

    In Bridge, you can use select images to batch in photoshop, or merge to HDR, or Pano or whatever, This same communication layer would be nice in Lightroom, it would allow adobe to provide us this functionality automated within lightroom, without cutting too deeply into their photoshop features.

    (I know that you can make droplets and do this from the export module, but ideally, the end result of this, would be the resultant image stacked with the original(s), similar to the edit a copy function.)

    Chris Bennett on January 18th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
  76. #76

    Oh yea, and a few more DAM features would be nice too, IE, create a serial number for backup DVD’s and store what backup disc each image is stored on — This would be huge

    Chris Bennett on January 18th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
  77. #77

    about NETWORKING:
    I would only need to access (or to a network location or to a portable drive) from different PC, so It could be just a networking with only one user at the same time (simplier than multi-user software in a concurrency environment).

    Paolo on January 18th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
  78. #78

    I wish Adobe fixed some bugs I found in the slideshow module (where the slideshow restarts from the beginning at a completely random time).
    SDK for Lightroom, macros, the use of ActionScript or JavaScript as a scripting language (like Photoshop).
    LuLuc

    Jean-Luc on January 18th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
  79. #79

    Did someone mention the TSA again? This is becomming quite a big response, but then again I don’t think Scott has written that much into one blog entry before. What would be really great is if Adobe rolled all these ideas into The Bridge and made it free of charge if you purchase Photoshop. But they probably will keep it ever so similar so you have to purchase both. Of course the other way to go is use Lightroom and then Elements which is still cheaper that Photoshop by itself. And that’s all I have to say about that.

    mike meyer

    mike meyer on January 18th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
  80. #80

    Hey Scott, it was Dave Black who had the NFL presentation. The software was called Pictures to exe. It’s about 39 bucks and available for a free trial download. Check it out here. http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/

    mike meyer

    mike meyer on January 18th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
  81. #81

    I’d personally like to see some way of emulating a gradieated neutral density filter. Maybe even an adjustments layers lite type affair.

    Then I would rarely ever have to open a photo for external editing.

    MRKisThatKid on January 18th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
  82. #82

    Scott - I really think a stronger achieving process is needed. Something similar to the one the Portfolio offers is really handy. I know this combines Asset Management with Workflow Management, but Lightroon is about rethinking the whole process — beginning to end — isn’t it? I would love to see an Archive module that is nothing more than thumbnails with key words, etc. that sends you to an achieve source/location (other HD, DVD, etc.) when you want to work on an image. An easy way to clean up the harddrive, but still know where the original is….

    Carey Box on January 18th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
  83. #83

    Masking/zoned image adjustment like Lightzone. Better redeye fix (I sometimes have to export to iPhoto!

    (On the Mac), somehow making it easy to work with the iLife/iWork series…

    Randy on January 18th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
  84. #84

    Some great ideas here. I’d personally like to see more of a “plug-in” type of architecture, where you’d have a cheaper “basic” version without the Slideshow and Web modules, which would become plugins that could be purchased and integrated separately. I have zero need for those 2 modules, but recognize many folks can’t live without them.

    Dave on January 18th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
  85. #85

    Two words - Combining Libraries - I NEED this functionality, and I think so do most people who shoot - AND PROCESS - on the road.

    Other than that great stuff.

    Christian on January 18th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
  86. #86

    Hey JeanLuc,

    Am I glad to hear you get that happening in the Slideshow module too … geez, I thought it was just me :o)

    Glyn Dewis on January 18th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
  87. #87

    I’d like to see a search feature for the web module just like the find feature for the library module.

    So, for example, I could put up a web gallery of old family photos on the internet. Someone who just wanted to see pictures of “Aunt Sally” could type that in the search field and bring up just those pictures.

    Elisabeth G. on January 18th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
  88. #88

    Hey scott,
    I would like to see lightroom and photohop to Support Canons Picture styles, as I head the picture styles get ignored when opening the images through these program. I have to use the cameras software to get the exact colors right and save it as a tiff and then open it up in lightroom and photoshop.
    I hope they can support the cameras picture styles soon.
    mike

    Michael J. Colarusso on January 18th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
  89. #89

    I’d love to see a feature similar to “regions” found in Lightcraft’s Lightzone. Essentially a quick, intuitive way to deal with mask like effects by dragging something quite like the polygonal lasso tool around the area that needs to be adjusted, which then creates a draggable subselection to adjust the feather of the region. Combine this with “lens blur” in lightroom and I’d be happy. (assuming all the other great suggestions here were also added)

    Patrick Dean on January 18th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
  90. #90

    How about Lightroom importing files as quickly and smoothly as Capture One 4? Or being able to make fine adjustment using Lightroom’s sliders with a mouse as easily as in Capture One 4? (I just wrote a review on Capture One 4 and I was impressed!)

    How about being able to adjust for lens distortion as easily as in DxO Optics 5?

    Robert Jensen on January 18th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
  91. #91

    Almost forgot my BIG #1 request… an Auto function that won’t boost Birghtness to rediculous levels as in Lightroom and newer versions of Camera RAW?

    Robert Jensen on January 18th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
  92. #92

    3 things i want to see in Lightroom2.0

    1) Sub Modules

    2) Maybe one of those sub modules could be to create a CONTACT SHEET!

    3) SOmething easier to switch back and forth between photoshop and lightroom. Like the buttons on camera raw.

    Brandon (A.K.A. PhotoshopKid) on January 18th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
  93. #93

    Just to make life easy on all of us, I would like Adobe to use the same standards across the various applications that photographer’s use (Lightroom, Photoshop and Bridge). I think that all the applications should have the same basic look and feel. The only difference should be what can be done in each of the applications.

    Also, adopt Bridges’ filter panel for Lightroom. Lightroom’s filters are not that useful. I like the ability to run filters on all the data in the file, not just the ones that the developer’s think are important.

    I would also like to duplicate photos in collections. That way, you could do multiple types of adjustments in Photoshop.

    Larry J. Patrick on January 18th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
  94. #94

    You just made me get EVEN MORE excited about Lightroom, which I didn’t think was even possible. PLEASE Adobe, take these into consideration, PLEASE! The cropping/vignette and no-watermark-resizing issues particularly annoy me.

    Zack DeLaune on January 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
  95. #95

    Great list of suggestions! You got ALMOST everything…

    Here’s what I really want though, and I imagine some people will agree with me.

    There needs to be a better system for dealing with those of us who shoot in RAW + jpeg. There should be options for stacking jpegs behind RAWs or vice versa, and a filter for not showing RAWs or jpegs (instead of simply organizing by file type). There should also be options on import to put RAWs and jpegs in different folders. There are also other possible solutions that I haven’t even thought about fully, such as linking jpegs to their RAW counterparts in different folders, or simply treating both files as one if you chose to do so.

    I mostly work with jpegs simply because I don’t like how lightroom processes the colors in my RAWs, but I need the RAWs around in case I want to do extensive manipulation or large prints. However, it’s a real chore to keep them organized with my jpegs, and to flag both pictures everytime, and to have two copies of my pictures (one for each file type) in all of my folders.There has got to be a simpler, more transparent way of keeping the RAWs around but not always visible.

    As far as your ideas go, here are the ones I found really important (there are a lot, I’m impressed that you hit on just about everything I’ve wanted).

    I would love to be able to process my RAWs easily to match my jpegs, to be able to stack pictures in collections, to change background colors and add edge effects to prints, DUAL MONITOR SUPPORT (please!), soft proofing (please again!), HDR support, vignetting adjust for cropping plus stronger vignetting effects, as well as just about everything else you said.

    Can you make this happen Scott? If you can write like two dozen books in a year, I imagine you can make Adobe listen. Haha, thanks man.

    Brandon Friend-Solis on January 18th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
  96. #96

    I hope Adobe is listening!!! The DVD and music are high on my list. I’d even pay for an upgrade that had all of these features.

    Bill on January 18th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
  97. #97

    Considering the response and agreement here (I also agree on just about every point there) it’d be foolish by Adobe not to listen to this, I mean iPhoto can’t seriously beat Ligthroom in some places…

    Erik Bernskiold on January 18th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
  98. #98

    One needs to be ableto adjust the OUTPUT. This includes GRAYSCALE images. Output with LR requires a color space. I would like to see grayscale added.

    Talk about wasting space, import a grayscale and require an output in RGB. Dumb.

    Eric Neilsen on January 18th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
  99. #99

    My two requests for LR2 are:

    1. Better management tools for keywords - dragging and dropping keywords into a category is OK to start with, but when your list starts getting long, management gets really difficult.

    2. Slideshow DVD authoring - you’ve already covered it, I’m just saying, Amen to that!

    David Keaveny on January 18th, 2008 at 7:09 pm