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!

1. Select photo(s) to be watermarked, click Export.
2. Configure Export dialog to include Mogrify watermark, check the Add to This Catalog box, configure other settings as desired, click Export.
3. Select imported watermarked photos and switch to Web module.
4. Configure gallery and upload.

Here’s an example gallery. To make it easier to manage these watermarked copies I always configure the Export dialog to save them into a subfolder within the folder that contains the original photos, but you might want to do it differently.

For my watermark I use the Text Annotation feature of the Mogrify plugin to add my name, copyright and email (all pulled from each photo’s metadata) to the center of each photo at a low opacity and then I use the Graphical Watermark panel to add a PNG of my signature to the lower left corner. This feels like a good compromise between keeping the photo viewable and keeping my name associated with the photo. I also use Mogrify to add a border. I’ve found this to be the most flexible and efficient process for adding a custom watermark to all photos leaving Lightroom. I do the same for the photos in my blog posts or when sending via email. I’ve even used it as a way to add my signature to prints.

EDIT: I have written a more in-depth tutorial on using LR2Mogrify for anyone needing more detail: Watermark with Lightroom

This month’s column was about adding new web gallery engines to Lightroom 2. You can test drive the gallery featured in the column (and see some photos from my Alaska trip) by going to Lightroomers.com/alaska. The gallery I used is called TTG Shadowbox and it is one of my all time favorites.

While you can pick up Photoshop User at many bookstores (at $10 a pop) it is a far better value to pay the $99 annual membership fee ($129 international) and join NAPP to get all 8 issues of the magazine and a whole lot more in discounts and training resources.

I always read these cover to cover, but I’m really looking forward to reading To DNG or Not? the Lightroom section feature article by Victoria Bampton, easily one of the most helpful people on the planet. Feedback, questions or comments about my column are always welcome!

Question: In a very recent Photoshop TV episode Scott Kelby showed how to access more options to customize the html in the Lightroom Web module. The option was available through a “hidden” keystroke shortcut while in the Web module which when used changed “Web Module Shortcuts” in the help menu to a feature that changed the right panel into a more in depth editing menu so you could customize code. Is it Mac only?

A: No, the feature is not Mac only, but the way to access it is a little different on each operating system.

On Mac, do this: Switch to the Web Module, click on the Help menu, press Shift+Option and notice that Web Module Shortcuts changes to Use Advanced Settings. Click Use Advanced Settings to see what additional options are available in the various panels for the gallery type you are currently using (not all settings are found in all galleries). Note, these options don’t preview inside of Lightroom, so click Preview in Browser to test drive your new settings. To exit, click the Help menu and press Shift+Option to see the menu change to Use Normal Settings, which you can use to return things to … well … normal. 

On Windows, just press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+/ to toggle between the Advanced and Normal Web module settings.

That tip was shown in the December 22 episode of Photoshop User TV along with a bunch of other great Lightroom tips. If you’re not already, you can subscribe to the Photoshop User TV podcast for free via iTunes. NAPP members can watch old episodes for free via the NAPP member website (another nice membership benefit, so go signup for NAPP while you are at it).

Bonus Tip: Here is a list of the Advanced Mode panel controls and supported values on Bluefire Blog.

1. Create watermark action in Photoshop
2. Turn action into a droplet and save in Lightroom’s Export Actions folder
3. Configure Lightroom’s Auto Import function so that images saved from the droplet are automatically imported
4. Select images in Lightroom that you want to watermark, click Export and select your droplet as the “After Export” action
5. Bring all the auto imported watermarked images into the web gallery
6. Upload to your web space

Pick up the September 2007 issue of Photoshop User magazine for the detailed steps!

http://www.bluefire.tv/blog/flashgalleries/gallery_tipsandtricks12.html