Lightroom Classic Course for Beginners

Lesson 1 • Customizing the Workspace

Teaches panel management, screen modes, and toolbar configuration. Students adapt the interface to match their personal workflow preferences.

Lesson 2 • Setting Core Preferences

Covers the Preferences and Catalog Settings dialogs that affect performance and file handling. Proper configuration prevents common workflow problems.

Lesson 3 • Understanding the Module Layout

Introduces the seven modules and their distinct purposes within the workflow. Students gain a mental map of where tasks are performed.

Lesson 4 • Installing and Launching the Application

Guides students through system requirements, installation via Creative Cloud, and first launch. Ensures a working setup before any editing begins.

Lesson 1 • Importing Photos into the Catalog

Covers all four import methods and the Import dialog's key options. Students import images correctly without duplicating or misplacing files.

Lesson 2 • Metadata and Keywording

Teaches IPTC metadata fields, keyword hierarchies, and bulk tagging. Rich metadata makes images searchable and protects intellectual property.

Lesson 3 • Organizing with Folders and Collections

Distinguishes between folder-based and collection-based organization. Students build a flexible system that supports both file management and creative grouping.

Lesson 4 • Backing Up and Maintaining the Catalog

Addresses catalog backup, integrity checks, and optimization routines. Students protect their library against data loss and performance degradation.

Lesson 1 • Stacking and Grouping Similar Images

Explains manual and auto-stacking to reduce visual clutter in the grid. Stacks keep related exposures and HDR brackets organized together.

Lesson 2 • Filtering and Sorting the Library

Teaches the Library Filter bar, sort options, and saved filter presets. Students isolate exactly the images they need at any stage of the workflow.

Lesson 3 • Deleting and Removing Images

Distinguishes removing images from the catalog versus deleting files from disk. Students avoid accidental data loss during the culling process.

Lesson 4 • Applying Flags, Ratings, and Labels

Covers the three marking systems and when to use each. Students choose a consistent marking strategy suited to their shoot volume.

Lesson 1 • Presence Controls: Texture, Clarity, Dehaze

Explains mid-frequency detail enhancement and atmospheric haze removal. These controls add or reduce perceived sharpness without affecting fine noise.

Lesson 2 • White Balance Correction

Covers the White Balance selector, presets, and manual Temp/Tint sliders. Accurate white balance is the first step toward natural color rendition.

Lesson 3 • Understanding the Histogram

Reads the histogram to diagnose exposure, clipping, and tonal distribution. Histogram literacy guides every subsequent tonal adjustment.

Lesson 4 • Vibrance and Saturation

Distinguishes vibrance's intelligent saturation boost from global saturation. Students apply color intensity adjustments that look natural across skin tones.

Lesson 1 • Soft Proofing for Output

Covers soft proofing mode, gamut warnings, and proof copy creation. Students prepare images for accurate color reproduction in print and web output.

Lesson 2 • Color Grading Panel

Introduces shadow, midtone, and highlight color wheels plus blending and balance. Students apply cinematic color grades with precise tonal targeting.

Lesson 3 • HSL and Color Mixer Panel

Teaches hue, saturation, and luminance adjustments per color channel. Students change specific colors without affecting the rest of the image.

Lesson 4 • Tone Curve Mastery

Covers parametric and point curve modes, channel curves, and S-curve technique. The tone curve offers finer tonal control than the Basic panel sliders.

Lesson 1 • Healing and Cloning Tools

Explains the Healing Brush, Clone tool, and Content-Aware Remove for spot removal. Students eliminate distractions and blemishes non-destructively.

Lesson 2 • Introduction to Masking

Introduces the Masking panel and its AI-powered and manual selection types. Masking is the gateway to all local adjustments in Lightroom Classic.

Lesson 3 • Red Eye and Pet Eye Correction

Covers automatic and manual red eye and pet eye removal tools. These quick fixes are essential for portrait and event photographers.

Lesson 4 • Adjustment Brush Techniques

Covers brush size, feather, flow, density, and Auto Mask for precise painting. The brush enables freeform local corrections on any image area.

Lesson 1 • Noise Reduction Techniques

Covers luminance and color noise reduction sliders and AI Denoise. Students balance noise reduction against detail preservation for high-ISO images.

Lesson 2 • Lens Corrections Panel

Covers profile-based and manual lens corrections for distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration. Lens corrections establish geometric accuracy before cropping.

Lesson 3 • Sharpening in the Detail Panel

Explains Amount, Radius, Detail, and Masking sliders for output sharpening. Proper sharpening restores acuity lost in capture without amplifying noise.

Lesson 4 • Cropping and Straightening

Covers the Crop Overlay tool, aspect ratio lock, and angle straightening. Cropping is a compositional decision that should follow lens and perspective corrections.

Lesson 1 • Export Presets and Post-Processing

Teaches saving export presets and configuring post-export actions. Automated post-processing actions eliminate repetitive steps after export.

Lesson 2 • Creating and Managing Presets

Covers preset creation, partial preset options, and preset organization into folders. Presets encode repeatable looks and speed up high-volume editing.

Lesson 3 • Export Dialog and File Settings

Covers all Export dialog sections: location, file naming, format, color space, and sizing. Correct export settings ensure files meet client and platform specifications.

Lesson 4 • Virtual Copies and Snapshots

Explains virtual copies for parallel edit versions and snapshots for edit history states. Students explore creative variations without duplicating raw files.