Introduction to Lightroom Classic

Before each live online session, Tech Training will provide a Zoom link for live online classes, along with any required class materials.

This class offers an option for in-classroom sessions. Participants attending an in-person class will need to adhere to the respiratory illness policies.

Adobe Lightroom Classic is a great solution for importing, organizing, and adjusting the ever-increasing number of digital images we capture.This course will cover strategies for categorizing images and creating collections/folders to better prioritize.

Program Description

Adobe Lightroom Classic is a favorite among photographers for a reason -- it's fast, intuitive, and powerful enough to handle everything from casual snapshots to professional edits. This hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop is designed to jumpstart your photo editing process using Lightroom Classic's most essential tools and techniques. In just three hours, you'll get comfortable navigating the interface, enhancing image quality, and building efficient editing workflows. Whether you're looking to make your photos pop or prepare a batch of images for a project, this course sets you up for success -- with style.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will have the opportunity to:

- Navigate Lightroom Classic's interface and understand its core editing modules
- Adjust exposure, contrast, and color to improve image quality
- Crop, straighten, and clean up images for visual impact
- Apply and customize presets to create consistent aesthetics
- Use batch editing to streamline your workflow
- Organize and manage photo libraries efficiently
- Export high-quality images for print, web, or sharing

Topic Outline

Course Modules & Topics

1. Getting Started with Lightroom Classic
- Understanding the Lightroom Classic ecosystem
- Differences between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom (cloud-based version)
- Tour of the interface: Library, Develop, and Export modules

2. Importing & Organizing Photos
- Importing images and setting up folders
- Using catalogs, collections, and keywords for organization
- Managing metadata and backups

3. Essential Editing Techniques
- Adjusting exposure, highlights, shadows, and contrast
- Color correction using white balance and HSL sliders
- Enhancing image sharpness and reducing noise

4. Creative Cropping & Spot Editing
- Straightening and cropping for better composition
- Using spot removal and healing tools
- Red-eye correction and graduated filters

5. Presets and Style Consistency
- Applying built-in and custom presets
- Creating your own presets for repeatable edits
- Syncing settings across multiple images

6. Batch Editing & Workflow Efficiency
- Selecting and editing multiple images at once
- Copying and pasting settings for speed
- Exporting images with consistent settings

7. Wrap-Up: Best Practices & Next Steps
- Saving and backing up your edits
- Export settings for print vs. digital use
- Tips for continuing your Lightroom learning journey

Prerequisites

Pre-Requisites
- Basic understanding of digital photography (file types, image quality, etc.)
- No prior editing experience required

Software Access
- Adobe Lightroom Classic installed and ready to use on your device
- Adobe Creative Cloud account set up prior to the workshop

Custom training workshops are available for this program

Technology training sessions structured around individual or group learning objectives. Learn more about custom training.

Special Group Rates

For groups of 5 or more, special rates are available. Please contact techtraining@stanford.edu for more details.

University IT Technology Training sessions are available to a wide range of participants, including Stanford University staff, faculty, students, and employees of Stanford Hospitals & Clinics, such as Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, Stanford Medicine Partners, and Stanford Medicine Children's Health.

Additionally, some of these programs are open to interested individuals not affiliated with Stanford, allowing for broader community engagement and learning opportunities.