"Spotting" in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Iron Flatline · Mar 13, 2008

Hi everyone.

I just spent three weeks travelling through South East Asia, and will be returning home soon. I've been here primarily to photograph, so I've got about 1,000 images. Most will never see print obviously, but I still would like to work on them somewhat.

I'm an experienced Photoshop user, so I am evaluating the Lightroom, because I assume there will be some familiarity, esp. within Adobe Raw Converter.

One of the problems I have (like every digital photographer) is that I have some dirt that built up on my sensors.

Usually I check out images in Adobe Bridge, and crop/adjust in ACR. However, there's no easy way as part of the work flow to get rid of spots. I have to open every image in CS3 to remove them.

Does Lightroom allow a RAW conversion and basic work-up within a sensible workflow? I know it doesn't permit layers, but I'm not convinced I need that if I can output a PSD file after some dodging and burning. The few prints I'll go big with I can still work up in CS3.

Big Mike · Mar 13, 2008

I believe that Lightroom has the clone stamp and maybe the healing brush as well. If so, that would allow you to remove spots without going into Photoshop.

Sw1tchFX · Mar 13, 2008

Lightroom can clone stamp.

Iron Flatline · Mar 14, 2008

Healing brush? I'm not a clone stamper...

Garbz · Mar 14, 2008

Healing brush is a clone stamp which does some analysis and smoothing. Sometimes even if there's a big black spec in the middle of an chaotic surface like water which couldn't be fixed with dodging and burning (which are not available in lightroom), the healing stamp can make it almost indistinguishable.

Not being a clonestamper? Is that like not wanting to use a certain chemical in the dark room? It's just another tool. It doesn't matter if you like it but clone stamp gets specs out of photos really well if you know how to use it correctly.

Iron Flatline · Mar 14, 2008

Hey, that's fantastic. Thanks for the lecture.

Not being a clone stamper was tongue-in-cheek, but I do prefer the Healing Brush, and want to stick with it.

Now can you answer my question too?

Garbz · Mar 16, 2008

Ease up. That wasn't a lecture. I just didn't understand what the phobia was about when a perfectly good tool is available. And I did answer the "Healing Brush?" question.

Iron Flatline · Mar 17, 2008

Turns out the version of ACR which ships with CS3 (or Bridge 2) has a clone and a heal brush in it's little tool pallette.

As an aside, I'm surprised Lightroom doesn't have Dodging & Burning, two real photo-related apps.