Why VERSIONS is an Underrated Photo-Editing Tool (VIDEO)
We’re always on the lookout for obscure or overlooked post-processing tools that pack lot of punch for both beginners and experienced users alike. Today’s episode from photographer Brian Matiash fits the bill by demystifying Lightroom’s underrated Versions tool.
Matiash is a Photoshop and Lightroom expert who posts weekly tutorials that facilitate editing images on your computer, tablet or phone. He kicks off today’s episode by insisting that Lightroom’s Versions tool should be considered a must-have component of your everyday workflow.
You’ll learn why Matiash claims that Versions is Lightroom’s most underrated feature and how to put it to work. You can think of this tool as a sibling to Virtual Copies, but Matiash demonstrates why Versions “are so much more powerful.” One reason is that when you save an edit it’s available on every device you use.
Matiash illustrates all the basics with four practical examples of applying Versions to a moody seascape photograph. For those of you who want to take a deeper dive into Versions for Lightroom Desktop, Mobile, and Web, there’s a link at the end to a more lengthy and comprehensive lesson.
In his first scenario Matiash explores how to preserve whatever editing state you want, whether it’s the straight-out-of-the camera original image or any of the subsequent Versions that you create. And here it’s very important to use clear descriptors for each of the various files.
Use Case #2 involves creating a baseline by making a few further adjustments, like modifying White Balance, eliminating dusts spots, boosting Vibrance and adjusting the Adobe Profile. By using and saving these enhancements you now have a great starting point that enables you to experiment with other editing treatments without the necessity of starting from scratch.
Matiash concludes the episode with two more practical examples of using Versions to advantage, and they’re equally easy and effective to accomplish. So check it out and we bet you’ll want to add Versions to your Lightroom bag of tricks. And don’t forget to watch the comprehensive tutorial mentioned above if you’re intrigued and want to know more.
We also suggest watching the Lightroom tutorial we featured a few days ago that demonstrates a trouble-free method for importing photographs in Lightroom so you keep files organized and don’t waste a lot of time.
