Elena Jasic - SLR Lounge

How to Organize, Import, & Backup Your Images Using Adobe Lightroom Classic

February 21, 2024January 19, 2021 by Elena Jasic

Workflow Tips for Lightroom Elena Jasic SLR Lounge

[Related Reading: The Ultimate 3-2-1 Data Workflow with the GNARBOX 2.0]

In this video tutorial, Elena Jasic is going to be demonstrating one of the most important things in photography, and that’s workflow. She’ll show you how Import, backup, and organize images using Adobe Lightroom for a successful workflow.

We’ll start off by plugging in our memory card reader, with our memory card and navigate to the images on the card as you can see right here;

Next, we are going to create a folder on the desktop by right-clicking, and going to new folder.

The folder structure we are going to be using is year/month/date followed by the client, project, location, or event name. Then we are going to create two folders within that;

The first folder we are creating is the one that will hold all of the images. This folder is going to be called 0 – RAW
The second folder we are going to create will hold our Lightroom catalog. This folder will be called 1 – LR

Now we are going to click on our Raw folder, navigate to our card reader, click an image, press command A to select all, and drag these images into our newly created Raw folder and then create a new Lightroom catalog.

We are going to do this by opening up Lightroom, clicking choose a different catalog, go down to create a new catalog. We are going to navigate to the Lightroom folder that we created on our desktop called 1 – LR and we’ll call this Barcelona.

Once we have created our new catalog, we are going to go to import our files.

Now Navigate to the top right corner, and under “build previews”, we are going to select 1:1.

When selecting 1:1 Lightroom will render previews, standard previews, and thumbnail previews all at the same time. After we have selected build 1:1 we will go to the bottom right and select import.

Once your images have imported and rendered, go back to the desktop and we’ll show you an example of how to use a color-coding system to organize your workflow, and keep track of progress on projects.

So what I’m going to do is since these are new images I have not looked at yet, I have not sorted them, I have not color corrected them, I am going to mark this folder the color red. The color yellow would represent a project that is currently being worked on, and the color green would be a project that is finished.

The next and arguably most important thing we are going to do as a photographer is to BACK. UP. YOUR. FILES.

If you are a hobbyist, aspiring professional, or working professional, regardless of the level of photography, it is an absolute must to back up your files.

Once we have transferred our files, we can now safely begin working on the project.

Once we’ve gotten the import and backup created the next thing to do is to get to work on the new image set by going through every image and check for sharpness and focus. Since we have already rendered 1:1 previews, we are now able to look at each image at 100% quickly and easily and can start culling and editing our preferred files.

And that’s it! We hope this video and write up gives you some good starting points for your own workflow and data organization. Be sure to check out the related posts for more details on backup strategy and workflow tips. Be sure to let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or suggestions for your own workflow improvements.

How to Shoot & Edit Layflats Using A Smartphone & VSCO

August 14, 2024November 5, 2020 by Elena Jasic

How to Shoot Edit layflats using a mobile device VSCO SLR Lounge

In this video, I’m going to show you how to shoot and edit ‘layflats’ using only a mobile device. I’m going to be sharing three quick colorful setups where I will discuss the shooting and lighting process. At the end of the shoot, I will show you how to edit your images for cohesion and style.

The lighting we are going to be using is very simple, available to everyone, and most importantly free: window light. So let’s get started!

[THE SHOOT] @ 00:36 – 1:35

To shoot the layflats I place my surface directly under the window as you can see by the shadows in the scene. I played around with the placement of the objects and once I got them to a spot I thought was good, I snapped a few images. While shooting I am trying to keep my phone as level as possible. It helps to zoom in ever so slightly to avoid distortion in the corners of the images.

For the next setup, our table is placed directly under the window like before, but it’s a different time of day so we are now getting soft and indirect light. This setup is ideal for product photography. I start off by placing my objects and once I have them set, I bring in a white reflector and I place it parallel to the window. This allows the light to bounce off of the white surface and it creates a soft shadow fill. For a stronger effect use a silver reflector.

The last shot is a multicolored setup with a graphic kind of look. When shooting this entire demonstration, I made sure to use colors that would complement each other in a grid format. If you are a business or company there is no better way to display your brand than to choose similar colors throughout your feed and one to two color presets to keep cohesion. People will recognize your brand and be drawn to it because of the style and identity.

[EDITING] 1:35 – 7:28

After the shoot is complete we’re going to select our favorite images. I have already done so to save time. These are the three images I have selected. (Shown in video) The next thing I’m going to do is import these images into my favorite photo editing app that I’ve been using for years called VSCO.

I’m going to select the images from my camera roll and press import. Once the images have been imported, I’m going to select my first image and begin working on it.

Here you can see they have many presets for you to choose from and here are some of my favorites I’ve already used. I’m going to stick within this realm because I already know that I like some of these color palettes.

For this what we’re looking for is a good base because we’re going to edit it anyway to get the feel and aesthetic that we want. I really want to go for a pastel light airy look. I’m going to start off with this preset because I feel as though this is a good base. (DOG3) If you tap down on the screen you’ll be able to see the before and if you lift your finger off you can see the after.

The next thing I want to do is edit this image. The first thing we’re going to do is lift the exposure. Then we’re going to add a little bit of contrast. Then we’re going to add a little bit of sharpness. You can pinch with two fingers to zoom in so you can really see the detail. Next, We’re going to add a little bit of clarity. We’re going to click on tone to lift the shadows, but not too much. Next, we’re going to add a little bit of grain. I like to do this to add some texture to the image and kind of give it a film look. Once we have completed the edit, you can tap and hold to see the before and after. If you’re happy with this, which I am, we’re going to click next.

We’re going to save this as a draft. Now that we’ve completed our first edit, we’re going to select that image once again and we’re going to click on the three dots at the bottom right of the screen, where it says “more”. We’re going to Copy Edits.

Now we’re going to deselect the original image and select the images that we want to apply that color treatment to. We’re going to click down on More in the bottom right again and this time we’re going to select Paste Edits. Once we have our edits pasted, you can see the three images together as a whole. Our goal here is to make them look unified and to make them have all the same color, tone, and feel. The image I’m going to adjust now is the middle one with the perfume and the necklace. I’m going to tap just to show you the before and after.

The first thing I’m going to do is crop this image and straighten it out. The next thing I want to do is add a little bit of contrast. I would like to tone down the white balance just a little bit, to have the pink look more like the pink in the other image, which was a little more on the cooler side. Now I’m going to tap before and after, and you can also zoom in and tap before and after. Now that we’re finished with this, we can tap next and save as a draft.

The final image is the most challenging because as you can see, the colors don’t read the same as they do in the other images. So for this one, I’m going to not use this color preset, but maybe another one that I feel would be a better base for this image. I’m going to scroll down first through my favorites and see if I have anything that I think would work. I didn’t see anything there, so I’m going to go to all the presets. I feel as though this is a good starting base for this image. (E1) Now what I want to do is straighten it and crop it. We want to click ratio 3×4, so it locks and does not change.

[FINALIZING THE EDIT] 7:28 – 9:12

The next thing I want to do is just kind of mess with the settings and see if I can get it to look more like the other images. So I took down the contrast a little bit. I’m gonna click on tone to see if lifting the shadows would be good, and I do believe it does look better with lifted shadows. I’m gonna mess with the highlights a little bit. I’m going to press okay. I’m actually looking at my crop here and It’s not quite straight. I’m going to straighten this out a little bit more. Now I’m going to click on my before and after. I think this could actually use maybe just a little down on exposure. Now click next, save as draft.

I’m going to look at them together to check for cohesion. I feel the color story matches very well. The pinks look very similar. You have to keep in mind that the middle image is different lighting from the other two. The other one is softer, so the way the pink is going to read will be a little different. Overall, I’m really happy with how these look. Now I’m going to select all three of my final images, click on more, and save to the camera roll. And boom! We’re finished!

If you have questions about any part of the process, please feel free to ask. Thanks again for watching and/or reading this tutorial!

How To Micro Dodge & Burn Skin in Adobe Photoshop

February 7, 2024October 7, 2020 by Elena Jasic

MicroDodgeAndBurn Tutorial Elena Jasic SLR Lounge

Retouching your images can be an overwhelming process sometimes, especially if you’re new to photoshop and beauty/portrait retouching. In this tutorial video from we’re going to make things a little easier to understand by walking through all the steps needed to completely retouch a portrait image in Photoshop using nothing but Dodge & Burn techniques, focusing on ‘Micro’ D&B to look for lines in the skin that look blotchy or uneven. Let’s dive into the video and if you’d like to skip ahead to a particular topic we’ve listed out what’s covered in each of the sections below.

00:48 – 01:58 – Dodge & Burn Curve Adjustment Layers

To begin create two curve adjustment layers. One for dodge and one for burn. For dodge drag up, and for burn drag down. Invert both layers, to create a mask. Once the masks have been made, place them into a folder, so you can later toggle both at the same time. Rename the folder to D&B.

01:58 – 02:28 – Black and White Visual Aid

Next, create the black and white visual aid. To do this we use two adjustment layers. The first adjustment layer will be Channel Mixer, make sure to check the monochrome box. The second adjustment layer will be Curves. Drag down on the curves to darken the image slightly. We are doing this to increase the visibility of the areas we will be focusing on. Select both layers and place them into a folder together. Rename that folder to Visual Aid.

02:58 – 03:28 – Brush Size, Opacity, & Flow

Make sure that you have a white brush selected, as we will be working with masks. Set Opacity to 100% and Flow to 1%. You will be changing your brush size depending on the area you are working on. I prefer to use a brush with softer edges for easier blending.

03:28 – 9:43 – Micro/Local Dodge & Burn

You are now ready to start. Begin by zooming out to see the overall image. You will be Dodging (lightening) the dark areas, and Burning (darkening) the light areas. Change your brush size according to the area you want to target, and start painting with gentle strokes. As you scan the image, you are looking for any areas of the skin that appear blotchy and uneven. I like to start out with dodging, because I feel like that takes care of about 70% of the image. Once I’m done with that, I move on to the burning.

If at any point during your gentle strokes, you feel that the effect is too strong, go up to Opacity and lower the percentage.

You can also switch to a black brush to essentially “erase” anything, since we are working on a mask.

09:43 – 10:21 – Duplicating D&B

Since this is a layering process you will duplicate the existing Dodge and Burn grouping. To clear the layers, press shift + delete and fill them in with black. If you toggle them on and off you should see no difference, which means you have done it correctly.

10:23 – 14:50 – Global D&B

During this process, you will be zooming in and out & will be switching between Dodge and Burn. For this process, we are doing the opposite. We are darkening the dark areas and lightening the light areas to sculpt the face.

14:50 – 17:51 – Skin Enhancement & Finishing Touches

The last step is to add depth to the skin. Create a Black & White adjustment layer. Set blending mode to Soft Light. Move the red & yellow sliders to play around with skin tone. Once you get it to a place you like, then you will Invert the Black & White adjustment layer. This enables us to paint the effect only on the desired place. (Skin) Using a white brush, paint the effect over the face.

How to Organize, Import, & Backup Your Images Using Adobe Lightroom Classic