OK, I’m sure you are curious about jumping into the driver’s seat and giving this new version of Lightroom a few laps around the block. There’s a lot of cool stuff in here, and if you have been using Lightroom for awhile you should feel very much at home, but there are a few things I want to mention before you go too far.

Hope your 2012 is off to a great start! Always hard to believe a new year has rolled around once again. I just wanted to share my 2012 workshop calendar as it stands so far.

There comes giddy a time in every Lightroom user’s life when you will purchase a new computer. I’ve broken out the components you need to consider to get from old to new with a minimum amount of angst and a maximum amount of control.

I’ve had a chance to play around with a pre-release version of Adobe’s new platform for viewing, sharing and editing your photos across any number of supported (Mac only at the moment) devices. I thought it might be helpful to share some of my impressions and how I’ve come to use this platform within my existing photo workflow.

I don’t often get questions about how to apply keywords to photos, but I do hear from people who are struggling to regain a bit of order over an unruly keyword list, so it is to them that I devote this column. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand to wave and automatically fix a disorganized keyword list, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves, put the kettle on, and just get down to business.

I’m excited about a new learning opportunity just starting at the Perfect Picture School of Photography. This new series of classes is called One on One with an instructor of your choice. I have been teaching a specialized 4-week Lightroom class there for almost 2 years, which is still happening every month. In this new class you have the chance to work with me one on one for 4 weeks covering just the Lightroom-related topics you are most interested in learning more about.

Have you ever opened Lightroom and thought something was lost? A tool, a panel, a preset, or something you knew was there before is no longer there? Don’t fret; it is most likely just hiding.