The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)

What a great book! I just recently purchased LR 2 and could not be happier. I am a freelance photographer and have always enjoyed Mr. Kelby's books. Thanks for helping to make editing easier than ever before! Awesome!

Kelby is very easy to read and understand. Funny too!

The beautiful photos throughout the book make it a joy to follow along.

Highly recommend getting this book.

I have been using lightroom since its release as well as am a big fan of Scott Kelby books. It is simple to read, gives practical examples and is set up so you can use it as a quick reference in addition to learning the ins and outs of Lightroom 2. Buy it, Use it, Love it....

Once again, Scott Kelby has written a book that totally explains a piece of Adobe software and does it in a way that everyone can understand.

Where a number of Lightroom and/or Photoshop books talk about "theory" and what a program can do, Kelby lays it out in a fashion where he tells you exactly what each slider/button/tab does and what his recommended setting is for that setting.

He also take time towards the end of the book to tell the reader how to achieve some of the effects that are commonly seen in images online and in print. He takes you step-by-step through each process, so that your final image achieves the same effect as what you hoped.

Lastly, he takes you through his entire workflow from start to finish which was very enlightening to a non-professional like myself as I learned many tricks/tips that I have already put to use.

Cutting to the chase: This is a good introduction to understanding what Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (LR) is and how to use it. It's a worthwhile read for beginners and more experienced photographers alike, even those who have used LR 1.

Here are my reasons: LR is a significant innovation in photography generally and digital photography particularly. Specifically designed for photographers, LR is intended to provide a comprehensive workflow that integrates cataloging, processing, and output functions.

Kelby understands what this means for photographers who have long relied on Photoshop (PS), with its graphic design orientation and tool-based approach (also found in PS Elements). Most photographers learn relatively few tools in PS, reaching for them on an "as needed" basis. Kelby helps photographers understand why LR's workflow approach is more effective. His discussion carefully follows the LR workflow from capture to output, emphasizing how it all fits together. Readers are explicitly warned they will get the most from the book by reading it straight through, rather than jumping around the way one might if reading about tool-based software. This is an important aspect of LR; I think Kelby does a better job with it than other writers.

LR 2 offers some powerful tools, including new ones for nondestructive local adjustments to images. Kelby provides thorough, clear, step-by-step instructions on using these tools. Throughout the book, Kelby takes a straightforward approach to getting things done efficiently and effectively -- this is one of the book's strengths. Kelby shows you how to use LR's features, without losing sight of each feature's place in an overall workflow.

I've been using LR since it was in version 1 beta, have read a number of books on LR, and follow discussions on some related web sites. But I'm definitely not a LR power user. Neither am I a big Kelby fan, though I've read some of his books, including the one on LR 1. This is both one of the better books on LR 2 and one of Kelby's better efforts. He keeps himself more under control and is consequently a better instructor. I can do more with LR 2 now after reading the book than I could before -- which is the bottom line, of course.