Lightroom updated

Lots of folks have already blogged this, but Adobe updated Lightroom to version 2, and added support for the Nikon D700 (unofficially, though). If anyone wants to send me a D700 for testing, just drop me a note and I'll make time in my schedule to accommodate you.

John Nack (linked above) lists some of the highlights in this release, so I'm going to ramble a bit about why I'm finally going to add LR to my imaging lineup.

First off, I'm doing more and more actual photography, where I want the image to be done right in the camera. And while I am writing a book on composite photographs using Photoshop, I want to keep my photography at the highest quality I can on its own. Yes, Photoshop has most everything I need, but I want to keep my brain on the images themselves for some projects, and LR has more flexibility in tweaking photographic images.

As a user group manager, I have been obligated to point out that Adobe has always meant for LR and PS to be used together, though either can stand alone for their own particular target audiences. Indeed, you can survive quite nicely as a photographer using only PS (the converse is not true for designers and LR). However, I never figured I needed to make the kinds of adjustments LR is capable of. That is changing, and it is mostly due to my changing perspective on photography alongside the availability of a more powerful image tool, LR.

If you are a PS user and a photographer, join me in adding LR to your lineup. It may take some getting used to, but I think it will be worth it to keep focused on a photography work flow that is distinct from an imaging or designing work flow.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinions on this.

AllExperts Answers - Photography Basics

I am just posting a couple of TinURL links to answers I've given recently. Mostly, I just want to keep track of them, but some folks might find them useful for explaining a couple of basic photography concepts to their neophyte friends:

Explaining Depth of Field and Aperture

Explaining "accuracy" misconception in photographic images

As I get more, I'll create a little library of TinyURLs for quick reference  :)

Complexity in Art (via Scott Kelby)

Scott Kelby recently hosted guest blogger Stephen Johnson to talk about complexity in creating art:

Art seems rarely achieved through complex techniques, hidden features or secret workflows. This is particularly true in the digital era where the distraction of the software itself can make the creative process become stymied in menus and self-doubt regarding using the program to its fullest potential. Add to this a steep learning curve inherent in the current transition to digital photography and you have a situation where “tricks” can effect results more than vision.

This is a pretty good read, worth the few minutes and 1/2 cup of coffee to get through. Johnson speaks to some of the topics my partner and I will be writing about in our upcoming book, specifically about 'getting it right' in the camera.

Mac Pro setup?

So, I recently bought a refurb Mac Pro. I am moving from Windows, and would like to get started the right way. And I'm asking for your help despite my better judgment.

I have heard that it's possible/recommended to partition the OS onto its own drive for easy reinstalls. Is it possible to do this across the board for other applications? Is it possible to mirror just the application drive so that I can clean out the entire OS if necessary?

Also, how would I go about having a distinct install (virtual?) drive for beta applications? You know... not that I currently do any beta testing... ahem. But, if I did, what would be the best way to set up a Mac Pro for this hypothetical arrangement?