Mark Hamburg, founder of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and former architect of Photoshop is leaving Adobe for a post at Microsoft. Mark, who was the second engineer hired to work on Photoshop after Thomas Knoll, has been at Adobe for over 17 years. He joined Adobe in the fall of 1990–the year Photoshop 1.0 shipped.

He left the Photoshop team after Photoshop 7 shipped and spent time in Adobe’s Advanced Technology Group (ATG) where he worked on a “sandbox project” originally called PixelToy which was later renamed Shadowland. Adobe changed that name to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom when it was released as a public beta in January, 2006. See the PSN story The Shadowland/Lightroom Development Story for more info.

Since Mark has been a good friend and co-conspirator over the years, I decided to use some miles and fly out for his going away party at Adobe last week. Mark’s last day at Adobe was Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

Adobe has released updates to the Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in to correct for issues found in Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4. The Lightroom and Camera Raw teams apologize for any inconveniences caused by the issues presented in the initial updates.

The Lightroom 1.4.1 and Camera Raw 1.4.1 updates are available immediately as free downloads at http://www.adobe.com/downloads. Senior Photoshop Lightroom Product Manager, Tom Hogarty, has included a complete list of the corrections on his blog at http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal.

Press Relsease: SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 2, 2008 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta, a public preview of new and improved functionality to be delivered in the next major release. Lightroom is the professional photographer’s essential toolbox, providing one application for managing, adjusting, presenting large volumes of digital photographs. Lightroom 2.0 beta will feature enhancements such as dual-monitor support, localized dodge and burn correction and will be the first Adobe application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Intel Macs and Microsoft Vista 64-bit operating systems.

The Lightroom 1.4 update for Mac and Windows has been temporarily removed from the Adobe.com web site. Those Lightroom users who have installed Lightroom 1.4 should uninstall the update and install Lightroom 1.3.1.(Mac, Win) until a further update can be provided.

For those not in immediate need of the updated camera support available in Camera Raw 4.4 or the DNG 4.4 Converter, it’s recommended that you also continue working with the 4.3.1 versions. (Mac, Win) This decision is based on the following errors that have been discovered with the recent update:

The Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 updates have been posted to the following locations: Lightroom(Mac, Win), Camera Raw(Mac, Win). The updates include support for the following new camera models:

PSN posted a story earlier today noting that CNET has posted a poll about Poll: Which is better, Aperture or Lightroom?

Well, so far the poll results as of 5:45PM Central have Apple’s Aperture out ahead by a whopping 63.4% to Lightroom’s 36.6%. Could it be that people are really that more impressed with Aperture than Lightroom?

I suppose it could be…but since this is the season of politics and polls, I though I would look into this a little bit.

Source: CNET
Posted by Stephen Shankland

The good news is that there’s some competition again for software to edit and catalog raw images, the detailed and flexible file formats from higher-end cameras. The bad news is that anybody buying the software has a harder choice to make.

With the new Aperture now available and Lightroom just celebrating its first birthday, I thought it opportune to survey readers. What would you buy? What would you advise somebody else?

Read entire story and vote in the poll

Adobe has launched the new Lightroom community help system, which provides core Adobe documentation for Lightroom as well as links to additional learning content from around the web.

The new site takes the current online help—LiveDocs—and makes it more useful and interactive. You can still navigate to topics using links the left side of the browser.

But now, when you click a topic to read about it, you’ll find a Basics panel with Adobe documentation as well as a Learn More panel that offers links to tutorials, white papers, technical articles, and other instructional content.

This site is administered by Adobe, moderated by community experts, and developed with the assistance of a panel of Lightroom Learning Advisors. So you’ll also find links to the moderators’ and advisors’ favorite Lightroom sites, plus links to troubleshooting sites and a page that lists third-party presets, galleries, and extensions.

Source: CNET
Written by Stephen Shankman

Good news for photo enthusiasts who wish they could they could use Photoshop Lightroom for high dynamic range photography and panorama stitching: support is on Adobe Systems’ radar screen, if not necessarily its roadmap.

There has been confirmation of an issue with the most recent version of Camera Raw (4.3) and Lightroom version 1.3 when processing Nikon D100 raw captures(additional cameras that use compressed NEFs are also effected including; D1H, D1Hs, and D1X) when the camera is set to compress the NEF file. The results are incorrect color casts. The suggested work around is to either:

1. Set the camera to use uncompressed NEF files. (The bug is limited to compressed files.)
or
2. Use the DNG Converter version 4.2 (not 4.3) to convert the compressed NEF files to DNG, and then use them with Camera Raw 4.3 or Lightroom 1.3.

Indication are that there is going to be a Camera Raw 4.3.1 interim update to address this issue in the very near future. It’s expected that a minor update to Lightroom will also be released. No exact time table has been indicated other than “soon”.

The Lightroom User to User forum had a post outlining the issue with confirming posts by Thomas Knoll regarding the problem. See: v1.3 and Nikon D100 NEF files - Not so good!

Since the release of a slew of updates late Thursday night, November 15th, 2007, many users have downloaded updates for Photoshop CS3, Bridge CS3, Camera Raw 4.3 and Lightroom 1.3. However, many people seem unable to get to the product updates because regional servers have been slow to get updated URLS.

Usually, going to the New Downloads urls will allow users access to all the recently uploaded updates for all of Adobe’s products. However, many users from outside of the US and Canada are reporting that when they attempt to access the same download links, they are getting “not found” errors.

The problem is thought to be a failure of mirrored servers getting properly updated urls throughout Adobe’s extensive network. While some people in northern Europe like Sweden don’t seem to have a problem, users in the UK can not seem to get to the same download pages.

In the meantime, if your Adobe Updater can’t seem to find the updates or your locale’s local country servers haven’t been updated, you should still be able to access Adobe’s public FTP servers. The main public FTP is ftp://adobe.com.

To access Photoshop updates (including Camera Raw) go to: ftp://adobe.com/pub/adobe/photoshop.

To access Bridge updates, go to: ftp://adobe.com/pub/adobe/bridge.

To access Lightroom updates, go to: ftp://adobe.com/pub/adobe/lightroom.

Adobe has posted the first Lightroom SDK on Adobe Labs.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.3 Export SDK

Camera Raw 4.3 Update has been released (it may take a bit before the update shows up on Adobe Updater). The Camera Raw 4.3 update is suggested by all users of Camera Raw under Photoshop CS3, Elements 5 & 6 for Windows or Elements 4.01 for Mac. Adobe DNG Converter has also been updated to version 4.3.

Lightroom 1.3 has also been released for Mac and Windows. Both updates offer new camera compatibilities as well as bug fixes and in the case of Lightroom 1.3, certain new functionality.

Source: Photoshop Insider

It must be some kind of record–over 1,300 people attending a one day Photoshop CS3 workshop, but that’s how many people were in attendance to Scott’s Photoshop CS3 Power Tour stop in New York City yesterday. The last stop of the year for Scott’s tour will be in Washington DC later this month.

Apple has posted a TechNote for users of OS X 10.5 Leopard with Time Machine and Aperture. By extension, it also applies to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom users as well.

Source: Macworld
Written by Rick LePage

As Leopard gets out into both the developer and user communities, we’re seeing a few cautionary notes from developers regarding compatibility and performance. Recently, Apple and Adobe issued advisories regarding their respective image management and catalog applications, Aperture and Photoshop Lightroom…

Read entire article

From Lightroom-News.com

Lightroom Product Manager Tom Hogarty has announced that there be an update to Lightroom in mid-November. This will bring Lightroom to full Leopard compatibility.

Adobe has posted a PDF outlining Adobe application compatibility for Creative Suite 3 apps as well as a host of other Adobe applications. The six page, 120KB PDF can be downloaded here.

First weekend reports around the net indicate most Adobe apps such as Photoshop CS3 and Bridge are working with no significant issues. Issues have been reported for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom version 1.2 which will be addressed in an upcoming update.

Also due for compatibility updates are Premiere Pro CS3 and Soundbooth CS3. Earlier versions such as Creative Suite 2 and former Macromedia apps are listed as being “Not Designed for OS X Leopard” and users are warned that these versions are “likely to encounter issues for which there is no resolution”.

Apple only made the final GM shipping versions of Leopard available to ADC members late last week so all sorts of software developers are scrambling to double check Leopard compatibilities this week.

This one was too good to pass up (even though I’m on the road). John Nack posted some info on the results of a recent InfoTrend survey regarding what raw processor pro photographers are using; Aperture, Lightroom or good old Camera Raw….the results aren’t terribly surprising. I won’t spoil John’s fun by telling you but here’s a clue, I just wrote a book about it :~)

Check out John’s blog post: Aperture vs. Lightroom: What do the pros use?

Adobe has posted updates to Photoshop® Lightroom™ and the Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in, both available immediately for download on Adobe.com. The updates provide raw file support for 14 additional camera models and camera backs within Lightroom and Camera Raw, including the popular Canon EOS 40D.

Last week I stopped by Scott Kelby’s Lightroom LIVE Tour as he blew through the Windy City (that’s Chicago for you folks from away). I grabbed a few shots while visiting. Warning, no particularly important editorial content (but funny shots) included.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.1 is now available as a free upgrade for existing users, with added functionality and support for Windows Vista. Lightroom 1.1 adds a flexible image management system for multi-computer workflows, improved noise reduction and sharpening, and raw file support for 13 additional digital cameras from leading manufacturers including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Phase One.

Tom Fors, the author of the AcrCalibrator script has released his final 1.0 version. It is available for download now from his web site chromoholics, oh, yeah, and it’s still free.

AcrCalibrator is a Javascript that can be loaded in Photoshop CS2 and CS3 to automate the process of determining the optimal camera calibration settings of your particular camera.

When Adobe Photoshop Lightroom was announced last January, Adobe offered Lightroom for special introductory pricing of US $199. That special pricing is due to expire midnite, April 30th, 2007.

Which means, if you wish to get Lightroom, get it within the next week or it’ll cost you US $100 more.

If you are a student (or an instructor) you can buy Lightroom for the educational pricing of only US$99-and that discount does not expire.

To check to see if you meet the qualifications to receive educational pricing, check this Adobe informational page. Educational pricing also applies to Photoshop CS3 upgrades and full version purchases.

Photoshop Soup2Nuts is going to Boston to be a part of Photoshop World to show off the new baby–Lightroom.

If you are already going to Photoshop World in Boston (hope you already registered as Photoshop World is now sold out) and you are interested in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom you owe it to yourself to attend the Conference Pre-con event, Photoshop Soup2Nuts with Thomas Knoll, Mark Hamburg and George Jardine and others. Proceeds of Soup2Nuts 2007 will honor the memory of Bruce Fraser.