The Library module offers
several ways to view your
images. One useful way to
compare a group of similar
images is the Survey view. To
use this, use CTRL-click or
SHIFT-click to select three or
more images and then click
on the Survey view button,
highlighted in the image
above, or use the hotkey N.
The view window will change
to show the selected images
arranged automatically to
maximise the size of each
image. The Survey view can
display dozens of images but
obviously the more you select
the smaller the individual
images appear, so it’s best to
select no more than five or six
at a time.In the left sidebar you’ll
also find the metadata
panel. In the case of
photographs, metadata is
generated by the camera
that took the picture. This
data file is then attached to
the digital image, carrying
information about the
image, such as the date
and time it was shot, the
type of camera and lens
used, the exposure settings
used, GPS location data,
copyright information,
the creator’s name,
contact details and even
information about the size
of the photo and the flash
settings if they were used
in the shot. There are many
editable fields in the image
metadata and you can edit
them by clicking on them
in the sidebar panel and
typing in your entry. If you
upload images to photo
sharing sites like Flickr, this
data will be shown as part
of the image profile.
The other really useful feature
found in the left sidebar is
Keywording. You can add
keywords to single images or
groups of images, to make
it easier to sort and search
your image library. You can
add keywords manually or
from an exhaustive list, or
use automatic suggestions.
Keywords are added into the
metadata for the image. The
more keywords you use, the
easier it becomes to search
your image library for more
specific items and narrow
down search parameters to
pick out the most appropriate
photos that you are after.There are several useful
features to be found in
the left-hand sidebar of
the Library view. One is
Quick Develop that lets you
make broad adjustments
to exposure, contrast and
tone; and apply pre-sets or
automatic adjustments to
single images or groups of
selected images. It’s very
useful if, for example, you had
the wrong white balance or
exposure set on your camera
for a group of shots; but it
doesn’t allow for the same
range or finesse of adjustment
as the Develop module that
we’ll look at in a later section.INTRODUCING THE LIBRARY MODULE
The Library Module is the workspace where you can manage
and organise all your Lightroom photos and their metadata.
You can find, assess and import them, assign keywords and
search for specific images; and it is also the space where you
can use Lightroom’s social integration tools such as Facebook,
Flickr and find more services online.
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