In this article I want to explain the difference between what I’ll call ‘image browsers’ and ‘image cataloguers’. Image cataloguing tools like Adobe Lightroom import your photos into a database and offer very sophisticated, very adaptable organizing and search options. But they bring their own limitations and complications. What’s the alternative?
Photography explained
Want to know more about photography theory and jargon? Here's a selection of articles that explains some key terms and concepts in what is hopefully plain language.
Selections and masks: what do they do, what’s the difference?
Selections and masks are subtly different, and the ‘parametric’ masks in non-destructive editors give more flexibility than ever.
Cataloguing software explained
Cataloguing software can organize your entire photo collection, but how does it work and what do you look for?
Image metadata explained
Metadata is image information stored alongside or within a photo. You don’t see it in the image, but it can be read by different software applications to help filter, sort, search or identify images.
Black and white photography basics
Black and white photography is as popular now as ever. Here are some key things to know about black and white photography with digital cameras, and how they change the way you see, shoot and edit black and white.
Local adjustments explained
‘Local adjustments’ is a bit of a catch-all term. It means picking out an area of an image for adjustment while leaving the rest unchanged. So how do local adjustments work and which software does them best?
Plug ins and external editors explained
Plug ins and external editors are part of most photographers’ workflows. But how do they work and what’s the difference?
Shadows, midtones and highlights explained
Photographers often use the terms ‘shadows’, ‘midtones’ and ‘highlights’ as if their meaning is obvious. Perhaps it is, but it still probably deserves a little explanation.
Layers explained: what they do and how to use them
Layers are a central part of many photo editing processes, but they come in a number of different types, notably image layers, adjustment layers, type layers and vector layers.
RAW files explained
Many photographers prefer to work with RAW files – but what are they, how do you work with them, and why are they so much better than regular in-camera JPEGs?