A great book for step by step instructions on getting to know Lightroom - as long as you can cope with the 'wordiness' of the book & Scott Kelby's attempt at humour..

Of all the books I have read so far that pertain to photography and post-processing - I got more out of this book than all the others combined. I was a little frustrated trying to do a few things in Lightroom, particularly with Workflow. This book taught me so many tips and now I fly through Lightroom like a pro! It made me LOVE a program that I simply just liked......I don't mind Kelby's humor, I think some folks are too easily annoyed by such things. I think this book is a must for the Lightroom user and I give it A++++.

I have a bunch of Scott Kelby books - which means I respect his knowledge and the fact that you can actually get stuff done by reading his books.

Is this book useful? Yes.
Will it annoy and irritate you endlessly? Oh!Yes.
You have to wade through knee-deep garbage to get to the good stuff.

Scott spends so much time on his puerile, infantile humor and then, pages patting himself on the back when he imagines the reader rolling around laughing at his "humor", there are pages and pages wasted on absolute garbage humor.
I won't be surprised if one of these days he packages a fart cushion or plastic turd or something similarly juvenile with his books.

Scott, how old are you? Not 14 or 15 I would imagine.

Someone as knowledgeable and expert as you doesn't need this rubbish, or don't you have enough self-esteem to write straight text without covering it up with this "Oh, you don't like it? Never mind, I'm not serious, Its just a joke."

This is the last Scott Kelby book I buy unless he cleans up his act.
There are many, many others who feel the same way - just read the reviews of Kelby books.

This is a very easy book to follow. But it is definitely better to work through the examples in the order written, rather than just picking a topic. Well worth it.

This book is a must have while learning the ins and outs of Lightroom. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow for both pc's and mac's.
With a little more advanced knowledge it is easy to know what you are looking for - important since it is not a read through once and get it kind of book.

An excellent, well written and presented instruction book. Easy to follow although a bit 'folksy' in its wording

I purchased this book from Amazon and not only got a nice discount but I also got a perfect readable book for Adobe lightroom. This book is a must have if you are using lightroom. It is very understandable reading and covers everything you will need to know.

I purchased this book and Rob Sheppard's "Photoshop Lightroom for Digital Photographer's Only" after getting Lightroom and finding that I needed some instruction. After working with Kelby's book for a couple of weeks and going nowhere fast, I turned to Sheppard's and found it far more helpful. The issue I see with Kelby's book is that it's needlessly complex and tedious. I wonder if he got paid by the word, or even by the step. The book is arranged by the program's modules, and each module's functions are broken into several steps that explain how to use it. Many steps. Multitudinous steps. O, if only there were 12 steps, not 25!

Is there good information in the book? Surely. Is it hard to find? Somewhat. Is the book's structure tiresome? Yup.

Kelby is the consummate Lightroom guru. He writes with extraordinary clarity. Of course the 2.0 version of Lightroom will somewhat outdate the value of this book. Kelby already has published a book on the Beta version.

LR is a very powerful editing program for photographers but not the most intuitive program, however. I tried the beta version initially but decided to give another try of 1.3.1. This book really helps to bring the best out of LR.

Even though I have PS CS3, I am using LR almost exclusively now because this book teaches me how to organize photos, setup libraries, export photos at various resolutions, jump between CS3 and LR. I am sure I could have learnt on my own eventually but not within the LR evaluation period to make a purchase decision.

Lightroom is wonderful, and so is this book. A thoughtful and thourough presentation of workflow and proceedures "step by step" with lots of good humor.

A good read, and a good reference manual as well.

Pete b

The book should be titled Lightroom for Dummies because this book lays out the ins and outs of Lightroom so that anyone can understand it. Each part of the work flow is broken down into it's own individual chapter. From there, whatever it is that needs to be done is further broken down into steps, rather than just a long chapter of reading and technical jargon.

I have used Lightroom on a few occasions, but never knew it's full capabilities until I read this book. I highly recommend it to anyone!!

This book is so well written-Scott Kelby gives you it ALL every different way to click and his favorite ways. Why beat your head against the wall trying to figure it out. He has done it for you and then some. The time it takes to go thru the book will save you time and grief so many times over. He lives and breathes this stuff- this is how he makes his living and he is real good at it. If he was a surgeon, you would want to be under his knife. This is not a paid endorsement, just someone thankful for a tech writer who can make his topic accessable to all.

Dr Arthur Miller ( not the playwright- although I could write a View from the Bridge. What am I????? Scott also has a wonderful sense of humor.

First I want to say that buying and shipping with Amazon.com across the ocean was a really pleasant experience. Good price (better than at home).
The book is a very good assistent when working with Lightroom. Easy to read, good examples and I discovered many features of Lightroom that I would not have discovered without this book.
I think that Scott Kelby is a funny man because of his way of writing. This could be disturbing, but to me it wasn't.
I really can recommend Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for Digital Photographers

This book is a must-have to anyone new to Lightroom. I have been overwhelmed since installing Lightroom, but Scott Kelby has explained many features I would never even know existed. He really tries to teach the basics first and then walk you through a well-thought out workflow. I wish I had purchased this book at the same time as the software. His writing style can be a little corny, but the meat of the book is explained very well step-by-step. Highly Recommend this book!

I can always rely on Scott Kelbys "how to " Books. This is another great one. I would highly recommend it to anyone new to Lightroom. This is all you need to get started . Very clear and easy to follow.

Excellent book anybody who uses Adobe Photoshop Lightroom it is very helpful to learn it's full potential.

Scott Kelby has a winning formula. (There are many reasons he's the top selling author of all time in his field.) Plain English. Great graphics. Only the information you need to know to get the job done. No nonsense. A little humor.

No matter what your level, his books are rewarding.

If you're just getting started, Scott's books are the ones I recommend. Dive in. Skip beginning level introductions and go straight to Scott. Scott makes great information extremely easy to absorb.

If you're more practiced and looking to catch up on new features, this is the easiest place to start. One of the most seasoned presenters and prolific authors, Scott's always up to date on the latest advances.

Scott covers all the important bases. He organizes his material by task, rather than delineating every feature of a robust software program.

You just want to get the job done well? This is the book for you.

I've learned a lot about keeping it simple and being more effective at the same time from Scott.

(You'll note my review for two of his books are the same. He and his format are that consistently good.)

See other books I recommend here: http://astore.amazon.com/johnpaulcapon-20

As a pro photographer Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is an indispensable tool I use everyday. It doesn't always preclude moving an image into Photoshop for further editing abilities that Lightroom isn't capable of, but quite often it does just that. A VERY powerful photographer's tool, it can make a hard shoot easier (mixed or unusual light sources on location? Just pick a white balance, shoot a color card, and then "fix it in the mix," to use an old audio expression, in Lightroom back at the studio) and has saved my but several times when things were a little off and a reshoot was not possible (of course if you didn't shoot it in RAW you're XXXXed!)

Anyway, I'm not much of Kelby fan. His humor can be amusing at times, but can also grind the wrong way when you're not in the mood. I'm also not much of a step-by-step-recipe guy. Truth be known, Martin Evening's Photoshop and Lightroom books are the most dog-eared references in my library. Evening's Photoshop books lifted me past a plateau (and I've used Photoshop since v2!), and elevated my work to a new level.

So all that said, this Kelby book is still a good one. In my opinion, Kelby's books are often best if you already have a good understanding of the subject matter. They are NOT for finding out how to do something NOW with a deadline looming. I read them as I might a novel or non-fiction biography/history/etc. they have been known to get me out of a comfortable chair in the late evening, put on my coat, and walk across the yard to my studio to check it out. There's actually one little tip in this one about portrait processing that I use all-the-time now. Sweet little trick - but you have to take it over to Photoshop to do it.

I was a Lightroom beta tester so when v1 was released I already had a good handle on it. I'd say that this bok, along with Martin Evening's Lightroom book all all you need for a rock-solid understanding of the image management/workflow, development, slideshow/pdf, web gallery and printing capabilities of the program.
(printing being much less technical than in Photoshop but still fairly "tweakable" for us color-control freaks)

I just like the way Scott writes! I now have 5 of his books and I would have to say that each one is excellent.

Don't get me wrong. I love Scott Kelby and his sidebars of comedy. Sometimes, though they can seem to get a little overwhelming or repetitive. I think the NAPP Photoshop User magazine, and podcast are great, even if there is a bunch of filler stuffed in there as well.

Scott has managed to remove a lot of his sidebar commentary though with his "Lightroom for Digital Photographers" book. The result is a thorough book that is peppered with enough commentary to make it a palatable, fun, enjoyable read, that will really take your Lightroom skills up a notch.

Prior to reading the rave reviews about this book, I contemplated picking it up at the NAPP booth at PhotoPlus Expo here in NYC, but thought it would ultimately end of with the other slew of books I buy but never read, then ultimately giving it away when the next version of the software comes out. In order to have my wife agree to the purchase, I had to promise her, I'd actually read this book, and get my money's worth, rather than having it become a dust collector that she would wind up storing somewhere.

In the first day or two, I think I read the first 100 pages, but also did the exercises as well. There is some really excellent information in here, chock full of tips to really enhance anyone's workflow. That is the real benefit of not only Lightroom, but this book. I honestly felt I got my money's worth in the first few chapters, as some tips Scott mentions really can shave hours off a project's production time. A streamlined workflow, makes you more efficient and more profitable.

If you are on the fence about this book, buy it, if even for the first few chapters, as that alone will save you time and put money back in your pocket.

This has to be one of the most frustrating books to read, with rambling and irrelevant excursions through every paragraph, and,the indices do not direct one to specific questions.
There is a very annoying quality when someone subjects a "captive audience" to sophomoric humor, we just ask to learn from Mr.Kelby in exchange for allowing him to make a profit off his knowledge. If he cannot adequately communicate his knowledge, then we feel cheated.
This is one book that is so bad, that I wish I could have a refund.

I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack when it comes to editing and when I got light room I started looking for help. I had already purchased Scott Kelby's book The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers and found it easy to understand, he's funny, to the point, and he doesn't make you feel like you need a masters degree to do this. He makes you feel like he talking to you with a desire to help you and not talking down to you. So when I saw the book on Lightroom I bought it, Again this book was easy to understand, light hearted and informative. I've been able to progress in both programs faster then I had ever thought possible.

Great book, that explains Adobe Photoshop Lightroom in depth. Author gives a lot of useful hints and shortcuts, and provides an insight to a Pro's Workflow, while also giving basic tips about technique.

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers
I'm an advanced-amateur digital photographer who has been working with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom since it came out as a beta last year. It's an incredibly rich program that has already had two updates that have enhanced its already-significant feature set. When Scott Kelby wrote The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers, he created 394 pages of step by step instructions covering all the program's tools, options and capabilities across its five distinct workflow modules. Now, with the free upgrade to Lightroom 1.1, Scott has added an additional 55 pages of new material that are available from the publisher's Web site for free download. In addition, many of the images used in the book are also available to be downloaded.
Scott Kelby has taken his usual approach in this book of talking with--rather than to--the reader. His always-quirky sense of humor helps when he has to describe some of the less-than-intuitive sequences necessary to adjust and greatly improve one's images. Scott's book is broken up into chapters that move through the recommended image workflow of Lightroom's four main operational modules: Library, Develop, Slide Show and Print. There are also chapters that cover all of Lightroom's preferences, getting images into Lightroom and using Lightroom with the Web.
Like all of Scott's books, this is a how-to-do-it book that offers his own take on how best to work with Lightroom, but leaves plenty of room for the reader to use his or her own creativity.
The book is far too exhaustive to go into detail here; but, I can say, as I did above, that I highly recommend it, and I am sure that, read from start to finish (which is not a requirement), the reader will come away with all the knowledge and skills needed to get the most from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Mr. Kelby writes a good book for a rookie to start learning a software package. Very informative, interesting and funny. Please keep writing books.

The book Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is an interesting read. The author explains the software features of the same name in down-to-earth, everyday language. Since the Adobe software itself carries no documentation, such an illustrated approach greatly helps with the challenge of learning a new program. The book's approach is a step-by-step method of learning each aspect of how to layout photographs, preview huge batches, print multiple photographs per page, as in a commercial venture, etc, For me, this book was a big help extending and managing the powerful Adobe Photoshop CS3 product itself.

Since Lightroom is all about workflow, I like how Kelby frames this guide around the various steps you take, from setting up the workspace, to importing images, to editing, to printing and publishing. I would actually have liked to see even more sample workflows, like he does at the back of the book.

Others have noted the "goofy" humor of the book, and I have to say that it was a distraction for me, too. If you've got an uncle who thinks he's funny, and corners you at family gatherings, it's kind of like that. I found myself wishing Kelby had a more ruthless editor.

Ultimately, though, it's a useful book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who, like me, is new to Lightroom.

I struggled before buying this book because Adobe has updated LR with two revisions since this book was released. Scott Kelby does provide an update to the 1.1 release for free, but not 1.2. Actually, the 1.2 release was minor. I've found the book to be extremely helpful as written. There are a lot of tips included that I would not have otherwise found.

Scott has a different sense of humor in his writing, but the test is easy to read and informative.

As a new Lightroom user I am quickly learning the ins and outs of this program. Laid out in an easy to read, step by step format. Can also get the 1.1 supplement on Peachpit Press, although we're at version 1.2 now.

I took a previous book from Kelby from the library: Photoshop CS book for digital photographers. That was incredible for my intro to digital image editing, and no doubt the CS3 version is just as good (I also bought that, haven't gotten a chance to read it yet). When I got Lightroom, I figured this book would be just as helpful. It is, but it just isn't that compelling a read. I read the users manual from Adobe and played with the program for a week or two and got the hang of it. By the time this book came, the introductory stuff bored me, and I only skimmed the advance stuff, as opposed to reading it cover to cover like the Photoshop CS book. No doubt this is a great book and great if you have no experience whatsoever, but if you get the hang of such an intuitive program without it, you might not need this book as much.

Scott Kelby is one of the most prolific technical writers in the business. By his own acclamation he is the world's #1 best-selling author of all computer and technology books, across all categories. That means a lot of people must like his books and buy a lot of them (either that or he's really rich and just publishes tons of them that sit in warehouses somewhere). So what's his style like? How about up-beat, jocular, full of punny side remarks and allusions intended to be humorous, forever positive, anything is possible, never boring...unless you get just a little tired of the incessant pandering to keep the reader's attention. But he knows the software and is good with tips on how to make it work, and even though he's a Mac evangelist, he takes the time to address cross-platform issues whenever they come up.

The software. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is destined to be one of the most popular imaging programs Adobe, or anyone else, has written. To a certain degree it will very likely slow sales of the full version of Photoshop, not because that is an inherently flawed program, but because Lightroom takes a more streamlined approach in often more intuitive and elegant fashion to basic and intermediate digital imaging needs. It makes a great front end for downloading files, sorting and labeling, making quick and effective adjustments, cataloging and managing the files, and purposing them for output to print, web, or slideshow. In doing all this it doesn't replace Photoshop because Lightroom omits complex targeted adjustments, compositing, or layers, so there are very good reasons to use Lightroom in concert with Photoshop for a full-fledged imaging workflow accommodating efficiency when minor adjustments are enough, and effectiveness when an image simply requires complex work.

The book. In a nutshell, Scott's books work very well for a beginning and intermediate audience. Every individual learns in a different fashion, but the trend of the time is to be simple and visual. Scott accomplishes that through design and method. Throughout the book there are lots of pictures and screenshots with explanatory text along the outside of the pages. The ratio is about 1/3 text, 2/3 pics. And the method goes right to the heart of communication by picking a subject and then taking you right through it step by step. Most of the explanations are lucid and thorough, conveying a lot of info in a short time, and lots of clever suggestions are offered along the way. The coverage is pretty thorough. Of course reading a book does not make one a software expert; that takes lots of serious study and hands-on practice. But again, if you follow all the steps all the way through the book, you should gain pretty good facility with Lightroom.

Shortcomings? Sure; several. For one, software often changes faster than books can be published about it (that's not the book's fault of course). With this one you can register with Peachpit.com (parent of the publisher New Riders) for updates, which is a strong step in the right direction. With regard to style, I could do less with some of the humorously-intended but somewhat tiresome banter, but that's just a personal preference; don't let my view get in your way if Kelby's style helps you learn. Finally, some folks really need to know not just the "what" or "how to" but also the "why;" not too much of the "why" here. On the other hand, if all the "whys" were addressed the book would be twice as long, get boring, and probably be bought and read by far fewer people.

Conclusion. A bright tome that deserves space on the bookshelves or most new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom users, especially those who learn well from a light-hearted, mostly visual presentation. Not a bad reference for advanced users either. All in all, solidly recommended.

This doesn't go into a great deal of depth. It is great for what it is, a good introduction to using Lightroom. However, don't expect to become a Lightroom pro with this. What I wanted was an introduction to Lightroom, and that's what I got, so I am happy with it.

As all other Kelby's, this one too gives you all you need to learn a Adobe Program in an incredibly fast way. If you don't like the intro's before the chapters, just don't read them. Personally, I like them to distract a little bit in between. Start up your program, open the book and a few hours later you're really on the go! Perfect!

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers,The (Voices That Matter)I found this step-by-step how-to book very helpful. It does a great job of organizaing work flow and explaining exactly what each of those dozens of sliders do to the photos. Requires a lot of time to apply, so if you are serious about using Lightroom, this is for you. I found the bits of humor enjoyable, some may not. I would like to see the screen shots a bit larger, my old eyes find 4 pt font difficult, but the text is easy and logical.

If you don't have Adobe Lightroom, I suggest you buy it ASAP. This program is absolutley AMAZING!!! And once you buy the software, get Scott's book on it! Just as all Scott's books accomplish; it takes you step by step through the whole program so you can be on your way in no time!!!

Rich Nortnik Jr.
Visualization Artist, Illustrator and Designer
The Shaw Group, Inc.

This book was just what I needed to make my experience with LR a complete success! It's a great product - and now it's manageble and makes sense! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read the FAQ's at the beginning of the book! They are hilarious!

I've read a couple other Kelby books and was put off by the dumb jokes that he spent *way* too much space on. But *this* book doesn't take up much extra space for his "humor". So 99.9% is great content, terrific tips and good workflow suggestions. He walks you through using each of the modules, using lots of images (most of which are easy to read) and a real step-by-step method. I'm a technical guy and had been using Lightroom a fair amount for the previous 2 weeks. But as soon as I started this book, I found a number of great tips, keyboard shortcuts and better ways to set my preferences.

Make sure you download the V1.1 update in PDF form from his website (link is in the book). Also on Kelby's website, download the image files that he edits in the book, so you can work alongside him in the Develop module.

*This* is the book you want and need to get the best out of Lightroom.

When converting over to Lightroom I bought the first manual out and I have to say I found it confusing and too general. Kelby's format works for me. I can find what I want fast and I like that he takes you through the process one step at a time. He also gives examples of the settings he likes instead of just explaining them all. I find I need that jumping off point. My raw processing has never ran smoother. My only wish is that it had even more info. Let's face it...Lightroom has lots of possibilites.

Terrific book for a terrific program for professionals. Love that it does not assume computer skills beyond the basic and walks you through the process from the very beginning. The program has a variety of choices for managing files (which can get very large in the pro world) and sorting images. Kelby addresses them all with the pro and cons of each and his own favorites. There is also the occasional aside about other photographic resources and general stuff. Love this book.

If you are at all familiar with Kelby's books, you'll find the same value in this one. As with his others, it is well laid out, filled with useful hands-on information, offers plenty of short-cuts, delivered in an easy going style. For myself, I find a little of Scott's humor goes a long way. About 3 chapters into it, I decided not to read the first page of each chapter. The style became more palatable.

It's a great reference source and a great read.

A very good book that take you from the start to end. Each chapter deals with one topic or function within Lightroom.

I sense that this product is one of the best things to happen to photo nuts, I HAVE ONLY JUST GOT INTO THE BOOK AND IM SURE AS I PROGRESS THE BOOK WILL GET MY 5 STAR RATING. WILL GIVE YOU ALL UPDATES. BEST, ERROL

For a program that is evolving - with it's potential beoming obvious as we incorporate it's use in our workflow, a go-to sections with the basics would be oh-so-nice. A central features section to reference is sorely missing.
Many points were glossed over because Scott did not use those features in his own personal workflow.
Learning the step-by-step process by wading through his "cute" comments was fatiguing. It was hard enough to see the details in the screenshots due to thier dark tones.
Again, keyboard shortcuts, menus, features etc. diagramed in one place for a quick reference would make this more usable. I found Scott's humor (which is not the reason I bought the book) was a total irritation and distraction.

Please, someone tell Scott to get over himself, and write something useful, not "entertaining" - because it isn't entertaining and becomes less useful.
I feel that his sucess with the PhotoShop Publications and NAPP make him think that his writing is why people are buying the books. It is because they get a jump on the other books by their close association with Adobe and in spite of his writing. Better than nothing is how I would describe it.

Very easy to understand with plenty of screenshots. Excellent print quality. There's more to Lightroom than meets the eye and this book will guide you. My only problem was that I use version 1.1 and the book was made for 1.0 so there are quite a few features that are not explained.

I found this book quite helpful, but I also found the screen shots too small and difficult to see and follow. The Kelby humor is not as bad as it is in his The Digital Photography Book. Some lame stuff and an occasional reference to being plastered when he took the photograph but says he was just kidding.
(The Digital Photography Book has humor that is off-putting. In more than one location Scott refers to beating someone to death with his tripod; kicking over another photographers tripod (who has better location to shoot from) and hearing the delightful tinkling of as his gear breaks on the rocks. This seems weird for someone who thanks "God and his son Jesus Christ" in the introduction for his life successes.)
Anyway, the Lightroom Book humor is less offensive and occasionally endearing. The workflow chapters at the end are very good. I would suggest the low budget but very helpful and affordable Luminous Landscape video tutorial in addition to this book if you get it.

An excellent learning source for Lightroom. I would recommend holding off purchasing this 1.0 version as the changes in Lightroom 1.1 are large enough to make learning with 1.0 considerably more difficult. There is a web site with the 1.1 changes but it is not nearly adequate. I image a Lightroom book using 1.1 is in the works. Scott Kelby is one of the best Photoshop teachers there is.

As usual Scotts book is filled with alot of little gems to make all this less confusing , along with his quick wit of course. There is alot this software can do and Scott walks you right through step by step. I appreciate his reasons why he does certain things a certain way and then I can decide whats best for me. Without this book I'm sure I would have floundered longer trying to learn all that this wonderful software can do. I'm still learning but, with this book right by my side.

Again Scott Kelby does an excellent job teaching users with his astute insight along with his witty humor. I am an IT educator in higher educaton so I really enjoy well written technical books that do not put you to sleep while you are trying to learn something new. Any book written by Scott Kelby would be a great addition to your technical library.

Thanks for a wonderful book Scott.

If you are the least bit computer savvy you do not need this book.
In short Kelby tries to entertain with waste of time jokes. Don't get me wrong i like to be entertained but it soon wears off when the bulk of the book is lame jokes. You have to read long paragraphs of aim less banter just to get simple information that could be said with a few lines. If your a busy person like me you will be disappointed.

The later chapters are of some use as it talks about workflow.... but i think you could be better served searching for a Lightroom forum on the net. Which is free. ;)