Although I have been dabbling in graphic design for a while, I have recently focused on elevating my design skills across different facets of Graphic Design. Through my Style and Design course at Auburn, I can access learning tools for the Adobe suite. I have been a self-taught Adobe Illustrator user for a while, and that is where my Adobe knowledge stopped. That is until I discovered Lightroom. Using Lightroom has elevated my design skills immensely and allowed me to create work that I am proud of.
Adobe Lightroom is a tool that allows you to “Make your photos amazing anywhere you are with powerful photo editing software.”[1] Through the ability to adjust and edit my pictures, I can create visually appealing photos from anywhere- including my phone. This has elevated my design skills because adding visually appealing photos to graphics and posts really makes a difference. Although I have a little experience editing photos, learning how to use Lightroom through my coursework has made all of the difference in my personal and professional life. I use it not only to elevate my design skills at school and my job, I also use it to create a visually appealing social media feed in my personal life.
One thing in particular that I love about Adobe Lightroom is that I can access my account from my computer and my phone. It allows me to use the presets, or saved filters/edit recipes, across all platforms. Being able to access these from my phone allows me to create on the go. The presets allow me to create a cohesive look across all of the photos that I edit. This tool was specifically helpful when I was editing headshots for everyone at work. I wanted them to all look the same for the graphics we were creating, and using the preset helped me do just that!
Another awesome tool in Lightroom is the ability to rename files quickly. I had between 5 and 15 photos of every employee at work. In addition to needing to put them in a graphic with their name on it, I also wanted to be able to send them their headshots for personal use. With the batch rename ability, I was able to simply type in their names, and it labeled each of the pictures “[THEIRNAME]1”, “[THEIRNAME]2”, etc. When I originally started the headshot project I wasn’t aware of the tool, and it took me about 10 minutes to rename every file for each person, so this tool really save me a ton of time. Lightroom saved me time so that I could focus on creating elevated graphics and less time doing organizational work.
Lightroom is an essential tool for any graphic designer looking to elevate their design skills. It not only helps you create visually stunning photos, but it can also help save time in the long run so that you can spend more time focusing on other elements of your work. Additionally, you can do it on the go! I will never edit photos on another software!