Tech Shout!

On Wednesday, Adobe rolled out Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta, which is a general preview of the latest and more enhanced functionality to be delivered in the next major launch. Lightroom is the professional photographer’s vital toolbox, offering one application for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. The all-new Lightroom 2.0 beta version will include improvements 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.

Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Photoshop Lightroom and Camera Raw said, “Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta provides early access to requested improvements over version 1.3 and continues our ongoing dialogue and open communication with the photography community.” Hogarty added, “We’re excited not only for our existing customers, but also for the general public who will have an opportunity to take Lightroom 2.0 beta on a test run.”

An advanced layout in the Library module of Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta enables a more intuitive approach to image organization by easing the location of the features required to find and filter photographs. A new introduced feature dubbed Smart Collections automatically updates collections with images that meet the required criteria such as star-rating, keyword or other metadata. Another interesting feature is the Suggested Keywords feature, which simplifies the job of keywording by making recommendations based upon keyword associations across a catalog along with the use of keywords in neighboring images.

Lightroom 2.0 beta incorporates an enhanced memory handling through 64-bit support for OS X 10.5 Intel Macs and Vista 64-bit operating systems. In addition, the latest version includes support for a dual monitor configuration that maximizes a photographer’s workspace and can be easily adjusted to meet a particular workflow. Furthermore, the Develop module has been updated to offer the capability to rectify specific parts of an image without affecting other areas. Essential photographic techniques such as dodge and burn can be now performed using the same non-destructive approach, enabling extraordinary control within the Lightroom program.

Users can get the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta as a 30-day trial for free download on Macintosh and Windows platforms at http://www.labs.adobe.com/downloads. Current Lightroom 1.0 users will be able to test the beta for an extended period until Aug. 31 and can also invite friends to participate in this trial period.