Now that we have added some pictures to the catalog, let’s take a very quick look at each of Lightroom’s 7 modules.
- Library
This is the main module, where you’ll organize your pictures by assigning them keywords and other metadata, star-based classification and color. There are also many options to sort and filter the pictures, as well as group them into collections.
It also includes the Quick Develop panel for basic enhancements such as exposure and contrast. - Develop
Just as the library, the develop module is very important and allows you to greatly improve your pictures using many tools: cropping, red-eye reduction, color correction, sharpening, noise reduction, etc… - Map
There you can assign your pictures their geographical (GPS) coordinates, using satellite imagery. - Book
In this module, you’ll create and customize photo books, with the possibility to export them in JPEG or PDF format. Another option is to send them to Blurb for online printing, in which case you’ll see the estimated price directly in Lightroom, depending on the book size, cover type and other characteristics. - Slideshow
To create slideshows with optional text overlay and watermarking, as well as soundtrack. You can save them and view them within Lightroom or export them as JPEG, PDF or videos. - Print
As everything in Lightroom, the print module offer a lot of flexibility to customize how you want your pictures, whether you just want to print one image, or create picture packages or contact sheets. You can color manage your pictures or let the printer do it. - Web
Multiple, customizable web galleries are available in this module, using Adobe Air, Flash or HTML. You can either export the files or enter your web server’s FTP configuration and upload them directly from here.
In the next articles of this series, I’ll explain the main functions of each module, starting with the library.
This post is based on Lightroom 4.1; the described interface and functions may be different in other versions.
