1. Go to the Lightroom 2 Help page directly.
2. At the bottom of that page, choose Help on the Web
3. Close your browser.

Now, the next time you launch Lightroom 2 and use the Help > Lightroom Help menu, you should go directly to the Lightroom 2 help doc.

That said, don’t give up on the Community Help page! There is a ton of great info to be found from there, and even the links to the Help pages for all versions of Lightroom under the Additional Help menu:

And you can still access all the Lightroom 2 content via the search field at the top of the Community Help page:

What about Lightroom 3?

When you launch Lightroom 3 and go to Help > Lightroom Help don’t be surprised if the Adobe Community Help AIR application opens, which runs a local version of the Community Help as well as the Help docs. Enjoy!

All seems well until you launch Lightroom the next time and see Edit in Adobe Photoshop (not found).

But you know CS5 is installed because you can launch it directly just fine! So, thinking this is a Lightroom problem you might trash your Lightroom preferences or uninstall/reinstall Lightroom to no success. The issue is that Lightroom relies on a registry setting created by Photoshop when it is installed. However, when you uninstall the older version of Photoshop it removes that registry setting and Lightroom becomes blind to Photoshop’s existence.

Adobe has a TechNote that provides 2 solutions to fixing the problem. Both solutions work. Most people seem more comfortable with the reinstall of Photoshop option over the registry edit. Unfortunately, the only way I know to avoid the problem is to uninstall the old version first, then install the new. Hope that helps you plan ahead or at least regain your sanity after discovering the problem the old fashioned way (by accident).

Here’s an extra tip I find really useful, when I am first using the Adjustment Brush to apply any setting I prefer to start with all sliders zeroed out and the mask overlay visible. This way I can just focus on applying the brush strokes to the right part of the image. Once the brush strokes have been applied I’ll hide the overlay and work on tweaking the settings as needed. The non-destructive editing capability of the Adjustment Brush is one of its most useful features, so don’t be afraid to experiment. You don’t need to get it right the first time!

If you are using the Lightroom 3 Beta you can simply hold the Alt/Option key and the Effect label changes to Reset. Click Reset and you are all zeroed out. The preset works equally well in the beta too, so if you prefer that option you can still use it.

To install this preset:

1. Download and unzip the .lrtemplate file.
2. In Lightroom, go to Preferences > Presets and click the Show Lightroom Presets Folder button.
3. When your file browser opens, navigate inside the Lightroom folder and copy the zeroed.lrtemplate file into the Local Adjustment Presets folder.
4. Restart Lightroom and look for the “Zeroed” preset in the Effect drop-down menu in either the Adjustment Brush or the Graduated Filter.

1. Press G to jump to Grid.
2. Select all the photos you want to have the same aspect ratio.
3. Expand the Quick Develop panel
4. Expand the Saved Preset section if you can’t see the Crop Ratio setting.
5. Click the Crop Ratio drop-down menu and select the aspect ratio or Enter Custom to create your own.

All the selected thumbnails will update to the new aspect ratio. Press R if you want to jump to the Crop tool and tweak the crop composition.

Last week I posted a follow up  called: Migrating Lightroom 2 Catalogs to Lightroom 3 – Revisited.

Let me know if you have any questions!

From the course description …

“Are you a new to intermediate Lightroom user who is looking to take your Lightroom experience to the next level? Do you have the basics down, but still want to know more? Does Lightroom drive you crazy sometimes? Would you like to learn how to better integrate Lightroom into other aspects of your digital life? Would you like to avoid common problems and learn from the mistakes of others? Well then this is the course designed for you. After answering questions from thousands of Lightroom users over the last 3 years I created a course that covers the most common things people have been struggling to understand while integrating Lightroom into their photography workflow.”

Continue reading about Lightroomers Guide to Lightroom class over at ppsop.net. The part of this class I am most jazzed about is that it allows for a level of interaction between me and the students you won’t find in most online learning experiences. This class includes lessons, assignments, video tips and lots of Q&A interaction via the classroom message board. You’ll be able to reach me via email, my blog, and twitter too, so it is the next best thing to having me at your side for 4 weeks while you take your Lightroom skills to the next level!

PPSOP was founded by one of my long time photography heroes, Bryan Peterson, who authored (among many others) my all time favorite book on understanding exposure, perfectly named, Understanding Exposure. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to wrap your head around exposure once and for all.

Bryan produced a great video explaining how PPSOP courses work. My class will continue to run throughout the year so if the January 8 start date doesn’t work for you keep checking back for the next session. I look forward working closely with you over those 4 weeks!

If you are brand new to Lightroom and you are looking for a great place to get started then I suggest taking Jon Canfield’s Lightroom From Import to Output first and then take my class next. I’ve designed my class to build on the materials in Jon’s class so your learning continues to the next level!