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Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Book for Digital Photographers, The
Since Lightroom 1.0 first launched, Scott’s Kelby’s The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers has been the world’s #1 bestselling Lightroom book (it has been translated into a dozen different languages), and in this latest version for Lightroom 6, Scott uses his same award-winning, step-by-step, plain-English style and layout to make learning Lightroom easy and fun. Scott doesn’t just show you which sliders do what (every Lightroom book will do that). Instead, by using the following three simple, yet brilliant, techniques that make it just an incredible learning tool, this book shows you how to create your own photography workflow using • Throughout the book, Scott shares his own personal settings and studio-tested techniques. Each year he trains thousands of Lightroom users at his live seminars and through that he’s learned what really works, what doesn’t, and he tells you flat out which techniques work best, which to avoid, and why. • The entire book is laid out in a real workflow order with everything step by step, so you can begin using Lightroom like a pro from the start. • What really sets this book apart is the last chapter. This is where Scott dramatically answers his #1 most-asked Lightroom question, which “Exactly what order am I supposed to do things in, and where does Photoshop fit in?” You’ll see Scott’s entire start-to-finish Lightroom 6 workflow and learn how to incorporate it into your own workflow. • Plus, this book includes a downloadable collection of some of the hottest Lightroom Develop module presets to give you a bunch of amazing effects with just one click! Scott knows firsthand the challenges today’s digital photographers are facing, and what they want to learn next to make their workflow faster, easier, and more fun. He has incorporated all of that into this major update for Lightroom 6. It’s the first and only book to bring the whole process together in such a clear, concise, and visual way. Plus, the book includes a special chapter on integrating Adobe Photoshop seamlessly right into your workflow, and you’ll learn some of Scott’s latest Photoshop portrait retouching techniques and special effects, which take this book to a whole new level. There is no faster, more straight to the point, or more fun way to learn Lightroom than with this groundbreaking book.
576 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2015
141 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Scott Kelby
492 books283 followersScott Kelby is an American author and publisher of periodicals dealing in Macintosh and Personal Computer software, specifically for design professionals, photographers, and artists.
Kelby is editor and publisher of Photoshop User and Layers magazines, president and co-founder of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and is president of Kelby Media Group, an Oldsmar, Florida-based software training, education, and publishing firm.
Kelby is a photographer, designer, and the award-winning author of more than 40 books.
Kelby is editor and publisher of Photoshop User and Layers magazines, president and co-founder of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and is president of Kelby Media Group, an Oldsmar, Florida-based software training, education, and publishing firm.
Kelby is a photographer, designer, and the award-winning author of more than 40 books.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 12, 2021
An excellent guide to using Lightroom. It is well written, well illustrated, and useful as both a primer and reference. I learned a great deal about using Lightroom -- and still refer back to it every time I need to know about some aspect of the program or when I need a refresher. If you are new or relatively new to Lightroom this is the guide to buy.
July 3, 2015
I picked up this book as I just decided to upgrade from a windows explorer and Bridge based workflow, so I was a complete Lightroom beginner. When it comes to software I don’t read the manual/instruction books, I just jump straight to it. This time I wanted to do it by the book and this was the book which had the most recommendations. I don’t regret picking up this book and I’ll try to explain why.
The first thing I want to praise about it is the author’s approach to explaining. This book does not contain a series of explanations about the buttons and commands of the software but instead recommends a tidy and fluid workflow (in the order you are probably or should use it) and at each step explains what to press, why and how it works. By doing this you learn the functions of the software and how to use efficiently.
The book is very well structured; the order of the chapters is the same order in which you should use Lightroom. It starts with basic housekeeping (recommended ways of storing photos and backing them up) and continues with importing photos and tip and tricks which can ease your work at this step, managing the photo library, editing, exporting and so on. I don’t think there is a single Lightroom feature that has not been covered by this book. Also the header is very interesting and handy as it’s a copy of the program header highlighting the current used module.
Usually when you are given a new toolbox filled with new tools you are overwhelmed and have no idea in which order to use or how to combine them but it's not the case here due to the succession in which everything is explained based on the above-mentioned structure.
A nice addition is the so called “Killer tips” page at the end of each chapter in which the reader is presented with some hidden gems which I am quite sure you would not discover on your own. Worth mentioning is the fact that every photo used in this book is available online.
To prove the point I made earlier about the author teaching a workflow, there is also a chapter on jumping to Photoshop, explaining how to complement Lightroom with Photoshop.
The page layout, although not perfect, is very well thought, the page is split into two columns, one for text and one for screenshots (there were some cases in which the screenshots being small more than half of the page was blank). Each text paragraph has at least one accompanying screenshot. The author took the effort of marking the point of interest in each screenshot making it a breeze to follow along.
I think this book taught me everything I might use and then some but I gave it only four stars because of the writing style. While reading the book something felt odd. After watching a video tutorial made by the author, I understood what was wrong. The book gives the impression of a transcript of a video. It’s not horribly wrong, it’s just redundant. I also feel like some aspects (like what collections are) could have been explained using just one sentence instead of a lengthy story. At the beginning of the book the author does indeed state that this book is a “jump in anywhere” book which implies some redundancy but I feel like that is not the best approach. A beginner should read the book in order, while an advance user can skip some parts thus making explanations about basic functionality in more advance chapters not very useful. An example of this is the use in every section and subsection throughout the book of “press D to enter the Develop module”.
Another argument for the non-perfect rating is the inclusion of some uncanny and strange expressions/jokes (Mr. Kelby, if you are reading this please remove from the next edition the expression regarding matter hitting the air circulation device and the not having a date to prom reference).
All in all, this book did its job, I don’t regret reading and having it in my library. I would sincerely recommend it to a friend.
The first thing I want to praise about it is the author’s approach to explaining. This book does not contain a series of explanations about the buttons and commands of the software but instead recommends a tidy and fluid workflow (in the order you are probably or should use it) and at each step explains what to press, why and how it works. By doing this you learn the functions of the software and how to use efficiently.
The book is very well structured; the order of the chapters is the same order in which you should use Lightroom. It starts with basic housekeeping (recommended ways of storing photos and backing them up) and continues with importing photos and tip and tricks which can ease your work at this step, managing the photo library, editing, exporting and so on. I don’t think there is a single Lightroom feature that has not been covered by this book. Also the header is very interesting and handy as it’s a copy of the program header highlighting the current used module.
Usually when you are given a new toolbox filled with new tools you are overwhelmed and have no idea in which order to use or how to combine them but it's not the case here due to the succession in which everything is explained based on the above-mentioned structure.
A nice addition is the so called “Killer tips” page at the end of each chapter in which the reader is presented with some hidden gems which I am quite sure you would not discover on your own. Worth mentioning is the fact that every photo used in this book is available online.
To prove the point I made earlier about the author teaching a workflow, there is also a chapter on jumping to Photoshop, explaining how to complement Lightroom with Photoshop.
The page layout, although not perfect, is very well thought, the page is split into two columns, one for text and one for screenshots (there were some cases in which the screenshots being small more than half of the page was blank). Each text paragraph has at least one accompanying screenshot. The author took the effort of marking the point of interest in each screenshot making it a breeze to follow along.
I think this book taught me everything I might use and then some but I gave it only four stars because of the writing style. While reading the book something felt odd. After watching a video tutorial made by the author, I understood what was wrong. The book gives the impression of a transcript of a video. It’s not horribly wrong, it’s just redundant. I also feel like some aspects (like what collections are) could have been explained using just one sentence instead of a lengthy story. At the beginning of the book the author does indeed state that this book is a “jump in anywhere” book which implies some redundancy but I feel like that is not the best approach. A beginner should read the book in order, while an advance user can skip some parts thus making explanations about basic functionality in more advance chapters not very useful. An example of this is the use in every section and subsection throughout the book of “press D to enter the Develop module”.
Another argument for the non-perfect rating is the inclusion of some uncanny and strange expressions/jokes (Mr. Kelby, if you are reading this please remove from the next edition the expression regarding matter hitting the air circulation device and the not having a date to prom reference).
All in all, this book did its job, I don’t regret reading and having it in my library. I would sincerely recommend it to a friend.
May 9, 2016
The instructor for my Lightroom for Photographers class recommended this book, so I decided to buy a copy and to read the entire book. (Well, almost all of it---I skipped the chapter on using Lightroom to create printed books.) It took me a while to get through the book, but I was glad that I persevered. Besides providing a good review after taking that local class, I picked up many other useful tips about Lightroom. I especially liked the chapters Making Stuff Look...Well...Special! and Fixing Common Problems. This book will be a good reference source...until the next Adobe major release.
May 14, 2017
Not helpful for me...
I did not like the structure of the book. It is setup as a series of main topics broken into sub-topics, each of which is again broken into steps to help the reader accomplish the task at hand.
For example, One of the sub-topics under the main topic of 'Customizing how to set things up your way' is 'Choosing What you see in Grid View'.
The lists of 'steps' are positioned in columns to the outermost left of the left page, the outermost right of the right page, of the open book. The center portions contains pictures to show what is being explained in the steps.
The steps are rather long paragraphs with a lot of verbiage much of which is not helpful. Within these paragraph steps it is difficult to find precise information. Occasionally there is highlighted info but usually not. In addition the 'helpful' pictures are small. Seeing details from them is very difficult.
It is also difficult to notice when new sub-topics start. There are no clear indicators ...this also decreases readability.
Within the steps explaining the topics the author frequently makes comments that are supposed to funny but usually not. If I want to read comedy, I'll get a Tina Fey book. I'm here to learn Lightroom.
It is difficult to find specific info in this book. If you (the reader) want a book to quickly find, for instance, how to brighten an image, this is probably not the book for you. Information can often be found with effort but it's bit cumbersome.
Two stars.
I did not like the structure of the book. It is setup as a series of main topics broken into sub-topics, each of which is again broken into steps to help the reader accomplish the task at hand.
For example, One of the sub-topics under the main topic of 'Customizing how to set things up your way' is 'Choosing What you see in Grid View'.
The lists of 'steps' are positioned in columns to the outermost left of the left page, the outermost right of the right page, of the open book. The center portions contains pictures to show what is being explained in the steps.
The steps are rather long paragraphs with a lot of verbiage much of which is not helpful. Within these paragraph steps it is difficult to find precise information. Occasionally there is highlighted info but usually not. In addition the 'helpful' pictures are small. Seeing details from them is very difficult.
It is also difficult to notice when new sub-topics start. There are no clear indicators ...this also decreases readability.
Within the steps explaining the topics the author frequently makes comments that are supposed to funny but usually not. If I want to read comedy, I'll get a Tina Fey book. I'm here to learn Lightroom.
It is difficult to find specific info in this book. If you (the reader) want a book to quickly find, for instance, how to brighten an image, this is probably not the book for you. Information can often be found with effort but it's bit cumbersome.
Two stars.
December 4, 2019
I didn’t read every word but I focused on the chapters I found useful and applicable and skimmed the rest (and ignored a couple).
A must for someone starting out in Lightroom; well written and easily to follow.
It is not dry as Scott includes his personality (humour/pragmatism) in his writing.
A must for someone starting out in Lightroom; well written and easily to follow.
It is not dry as Scott includes his personality (humour/pragmatism) in his writing.
October 17, 2017
Extremely helpful and easy to follow, with a wonderful narration that kept you engaged and laughing the whole time. I loved it! Great textbook that made me actually look forward to class assigned reading.
May 13, 2025
I found the workflow breakdown especially helpful—made things way less overwhelming when I first jumped into Lightroom CC lightroom premium version. The preset downloads were a nice touch too.
September 15, 2020
I marked this as couldn't finish because it's not a novel. Some of the sections I won't use. It's a great reference book!
May 16, 2016
This book WILL give you a basic understanding of Lightroom CC if you read it from beginning to end. It's not so helpful as a reference to look up specific things, and the index is not much better (as in, what does this or that particular checkbox option do in LR?). In other words, Kelby teaches you the basics in a chatty style, but is not exhaustive in explaining every tool and option you're presented with in the software.
This is a large book that could have been greatly shortened by better graphic design. Less white space and larger screenshots (seriously, why are they so tiny? I could barely read them), and less self-indulgent stand up comedy at the beginning of every chapter. I found it tedious how nearly EVERYTHING was presented in a "Steps 1-x" fashion, even things that would be better explained in a precise paragraph or sidebar. Random tips are thrown into a couple of pages at the end of each chapter with little sense of organization or context. So I'm not saying avoid this book, but it's perhaps better checked out from the library rather than purchased to keep on the shelf.
This is a large book that could have been greatly shortened by better graphic design. Less white space and larger screenshots (seriously, why are they so tiny? I could barely read them), and less self-indulgent stand up comedy at the beginning of every chapter. I found it tedious how nearly EVERYTHING was presented in a "Steps 1-x" fashion, even things that would be better explained in a precise paragraph or sidebar. Random tips are thrown into a couple of pages at the end of each chapter with little sense of organization or context. So I'm not saying avoid this book, but it's perhaps better checked out from the library rather than purchased to keep on the shelf.
June 30, 2015
I consider this book to be one of the best learning materials for Lightroom.
As the title of the book suggests, this new edition covers the current Lightroom CC (and of course Lightroom 6). A great advantage of the book is that it is suitable for both beginners and advanced users, and it's not just a simple description of what each slider does. If you are a beginner, the book takes you step by step from organizing images on a computer and importing them to the Lightroom, through editing photos to exporting them. It describes all the available modules and their features, and shows you the whole workflow (which is quite understandable from the layout of individual elements in Lightroom, just follow them down from top). But even if you are an advanced user, you will find valuable information in the book (especially in “Lightroom Killer Tips”), e.g. different keyboard shortcuts, multiple ways to accomplish the same thing, etc.
As the title of the book suggests, this new edition covers the current Lightroom CC (and of course Lightroom 6). A great advantage of the book is that it is suitable for both beginners and advanced users, and it's not just a simple description of what each slider does. If you are a beginner, the book takes you step by step from organizing images on a computer and importing them to the Lightroom, through editing photos to exporting them. It describes all the available modules and their features, and shows you the whole workflow (which is quite understandable from the layout of individual elements in Lightroom, just follow them down from top). But even if you are an advanced user, you will find valuable information in the book (especially in “Lightroom Killer Tips”), e.g. different keyboard shortcuts, multiple ways to accomplish the same thing, etc.
November 9, 2016
Reading this book was one of the best things that happened to me as an amateur photographer. I used many Photo Editors. Start with Photoshop and then Lightroom, DxO and so on. lightroom seems to be the best based on it's Option and Capabilities but it also needs a very good knowledge about them. otherwise it would be a mess!
This book gave me all I needed and with it I can implement many of my ideas in photography that I couldn't do before or even didn't know about them. I really recommend this book to any photographer that want be a pro in photo editing.
This book gave me all I needed and with it I can implement many of my ideas in photography that I couldn't do before or even didn't know about them. I really recommend this book to any photographer that want be a pro in photo editing.
November 22, 2022
This book was very helpful except for the first two chapters on importing and organization. I had learned about importing and organization from other sources and tutorials. Having images provided to follow along with the book taught me a lot about workflow and gave me the opportunity to improvise on the lessons, which helped me understand more about the various sliders. I continue to use the book as a reference for the latest version of Lightroom Classic CC.
May 20, 2019
This book is great if you want to learn how the real Lightroom workflow works, from start to finish. Scott is a great author and I look forward to read his Photoshop CC book too.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews