6 days ago
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Adobe Lightroom Classic still scares people off in 2026, mostly because the first 10 minutes feel like a wall of buttons and empty panels. If you shoot a lot, you need a setup that keeps files predictable and edits reversible, not a messy pile of “final_final_2” exports.
Coming to you from Gareth Evans with Park Cameras, this practical video walks through Adobe Lightroom Classic from a true blank start, beginning with the decision that quietly controls everything: your catalog. Evans explains what a catalog really is, why most people only need one, and how to get back to the “new catalog” moment even if Lightroom Classic already has history on the machine. He also clears up the naming confusion between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom, which matters when you’re deciding whether edits live locally or lean on the cloud. If you’ve ever installed both and wondered why they feel similar but behave differently, this section will save time.
The next chunk is less about sliders and more about file hygiene, and that’s where a lot of headaches begin. Evans shows a simple on-computer folder structure that keeps unedited images separate from exports, and he’s blunt about the tradeoff: Lightroom Classic doesn’t “hold” your files, it points to them. He brings in both JPEG and raw examples to show what changes and what doesn’t, then uses the Library tab like a sorting table instead of a gallery. You’ll see how quick it is to move through a set with the keyboard, flag the frames worth editing, and filter the view down so the keepers stop getting buried.
Once you jump into the Develop tab, the video shifts to editing without pretending there’s one correct look. Evans breaks down global sliders in plain terms, including the way exposure, highlights, shadows, clarity, and vibrance tend to behave on real photos, not test charts. He also leans on a point people forget: Lightroom Classic editing is non-destructive, so experimenting isn’t a gamble, and the Reset button is always there when you push too far. You get a peek at presets as a starting nudge, plus the before/after shortcuts that make it easier to judge whether you improved the photo or just changed it.
Where it starts getting interesting is the newer toolset that didn’t feel this capable a few years ago. Evans demonstrates the Remove tool with Generative Remove, powered by Adobe Firefly, and you can see the difference between a basic cleanup and a smarter fill on a textured area. He then moves into masking, including sky and subject selections, and hints at more advanced moves like intersecting masks so an adjustment hits only the part of the sky you intend, not the dog or the horizon line. He also shows how to mark progress so “picked,” “edited,” and “exported” don’t blur together, using flags, color labels, and star ratings in a way that stays readable months later.
Check out the video above for the full rundown from Evans.
English (US) ·