What's new in the Lightroom Classic 13 update?

Friday 13 October 2023, 15:30 by Nando Harmsen | 4,021 views | 5 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

During Adobe MAX 2023, Adobe released a new version of Lightroom Classic. Besides a number of small changes, it includes three major new features.

Although Lightroom Classic looks no different at first glance, you'll immediately notice a new panel in the Develop module. This is the Lens Blur option.

The Lens Blur option, which is fully functional despite still being in development, lets you simulate a shallow depth of field. Using a depth map of your photo, you can blur the background.

You can change the amount of blur and the position of what should be in focus. There are a number of useful tools available for this. You also have several options for changing the quality of the blur, or bokeh.

The second change concerns the HSL/Colour panel. You'll notice that it has disappeared. In reality, it has been moved to the new Colour Mixer panel.

You still have access to the HSL/colour sliders. The Point Colour option has been added. This lets you sample colours in your photo and adjust them. Colour adjustments are now much more precise and flexible.

You'll find the final major change in the Basic panel. The HDR option has been added there. This isn't for creating an HDR photo, but for editing a photo for an HDR monitor or TV.

Do you have an HDR monitor, or are you editing a photo for HDR display? You can now edit specifically for this purpose. Alongside HDR editing, there is also an SDR option, for standard dynamic range.

The exact use of this final option still requires some further investigation. In the video below, I explain more about the three new options and show you how to use them.

You can probably guess what this means. Soon it will be time to update the courses on the Develop module at Photofacts Academy again. If you're not a member yet, take out a trial subscription and see what Photofacts Academy can do for you.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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5 comments

Henk wrote on Sunday 15 October 2023 at 10:55 | reply
Good that Adobe keeps developing. The problem is that after updating Lightroom Classic I can no longer start the program. Each time the message 'Lightroom Classic quit unexpectedly' appears. Does anyone know how I can get LR working again?
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Sunday 15 October 2023 at 11:40 | reply
That is unfortunate.
You can completely remove LrC from your computer, restart it and reinstall LrC and open your catalog again.
If that still doesn't work, contact Adobe's helpdesk via the Creative Cloud app.
They will undoubtedly be able to help you.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 17 October 2023 at 10:36 | reply
All the new options in Lightroom are also available to those who use Photoshop via Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). This option can also be found in ACR.
It is often forgotten to mention that.
Translated from Dutch.

Hans van sterkenburg wrote on Thursday 19 October 2023 at 13:35 | reply
Donald / Nando,

An important point to pay attention to!
Thanks for that.

Regards,
Hans.
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Thursday 19 October 2023 at 14:43 | reply
Hello Hans, normally the functions of Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw always correspond. Only the layout can sometimes differ somewhat. Whether you use Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw makes no difference.
I do always check, just to be sure, whether the changes in Lightroom have also been included in ACR. However, it is a good thing when a video is made about the changes in Lightroom that it is also indicated that the changes also apply to ACR.
Translated from Dutch.

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