Presentation possibilities in the Slideshow module, part 2: Customizing the slideshow's appearance
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In part one of this three-part series, you learned how to get started with the Slideshow module in Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom™ and create a basic slideshow. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to customize the slideshow's appearance.
Requirements
To follow along with this article, you will need the following software:
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Prerequisite knowledge:
Presentation possibilities in the Slideshow module, part 1: Preparing and selecting your photos
Giving your show a unique look
At this point, it is worth refining how your photos display in the slideshow—give your show a graphic look. Turn the right and left panels back on, as shown in Figure 1, so you can access the tools needed for this graphic look.
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Figure 1: Click and drag images to move them.
In this module, it helps to start with the Template Browser to get an idea of possible choices you have. With practice, you will probably not need to do this. You may even set up your own, custom templates based on your slideshow needs, but that comes later.
Lightroom allows you to control how large the photo is within the display area, the background behind it, drop shadows and borders for the images, and what text is included. You can really create a very elegant looking slideshow with these tools.
The Template Browser includes five default choices (six now, if you have added the Basic template), as shown in Figure 2. As you move your cursor over each template choice, the Navigator changes, but nothing is changed on your center image until you actually click the choice. Each one offers you ideas, as well as a complete change to the look of your show:
Figure 2: The Template Browser has five default choices.
- Crop To Fill. This option enable you to fills the screen with your photo, as shown in Figure 3, cropping the image if necessary so it fits without any gaps. This is a way that you can show nothing but the photo. You can click and drag the photo to make it look its best for the crop. For horizontal photos, this may be fine and may even tighten up your composition. However, this really destroys verticals. You shot a vertical for a specific reason, so it seems to me a mistake to now turn it into a horizontal by cropping it to fit the horizontal screen. Crop To Fill can be useful if all of your photos are standard-sized horizontals, but if you include verticals, I suggest another choice.
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Figure 3: The Crop To Fill option enables you to fill the screen with your photo. - Caption and Rating. This template reduces the size of the photo to allow a gray background and image effects (this template has a drop shadow and a thin white border), plus it includes the photo’s Lightroom rating and any caption information associated with the image, as shown in Figure 4. When you first look at this (or any other template), you may see a grid of white lines. They are guides only and can be turned off in Layout by deselecting Show Guides.
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Figure 4: Caption and image rating information is included. - Default. Here you get a slightly bigger image than Caption and Rating, plus the file name is displayed below the photo and your Identity Plate (if you created one under Edit > Identity Plate Setup) at the top left. You can change either or both as desired. Default uses the same gray background, white border, and drop shadow as Caption and Rating, as shown in Figure 5.
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Figure 5: The Default template has a gray background, white border, and drop shadow. - Exif Metadata. This template changes a lot of things. First, the image is now displayed as the same size as Default, but with a black background and white border, as shown in Figure 6. Second, the image includes a lot of information. At the top left is an identity plate if you are using one, and at top right, the date the photo was shot.
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Centered below the photo is information about the photographer as it was used in the metadata, including Creator (name), Creator City, and Creator State. At the right is camera Exif data including f-stop, ISO speed rating, and focal length used. (You can change this.)
Figure 6: The image has a black background and white border. - Widescreen. The name of this option is a little misleading. It seems to imply that your photo will be full width, which would mean verticals are cropped. Actually, what you get is “full frame”—you see the whole image and it fills the screen to its full height or width without cropping either, and then a black background fills the gaps. No borders or drop shadow are used, as shown I Figure 7.
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Figure 7: The image has a black background and white border.
Making your images pop, adding backgrounds, and more
To set off your photos for the best look, you can use Lightroom to control everything around the photo, as well as the photo size and time on-screen.
These controls are in the right panel of Slideshow, as shown in Figure 8, and include the following:
Figure 8: You can find the image controls on the right panel of the Slideshow module.
- Options. Here you control how the photo fills the screen, what border the photos will have, and the type and amount of shadow behind the photo (drop shadow).
- Layout. This section lets you adjust the margins or spaces around the photo in the display area on-screen. It also has a place to turn on and off Guides.
- Overlays. In this area, you control whether you include your Identity Plate and how strongly it shows, if the image rating (from Library) shows and how big it shows, and how text overlays are applied.
- Backdrop. This important section lets you change how your background appears, including color, gradients, and even a background photo.
- Playback. Here you can change how long the slides are on the screen, the timing of transitions, and the use of music.
There is no simple workflow to using these tools. You can start at the top of the right panel and move down, and that works in many cases. However, in some slideshows, the background may be the critical issue, so you start with Backdrop. In other shows, the timing of the images might be the most important thing for you, so Playback is the place to start. Or perhaps you really want a specific look for your display so that Options, Layout, and Backdrop all need to be open and in use at once—for example, you really can’t set a drop shadow properly until you select the right background.
It is important to realize that all adjustments in Slideshow affect all photos. You cannot change individual photo settings in Slideshow.
I think the best workflow is this:
- Start with a template that you like (and perhaps one you make based on your main needs for slideshows).
- Choose if you want to show the Identity Plate or not because that visually affects the next choices.
- Choose and adjust the background (because it affects shadows and borders).
- Adjust the margins so the photo looks its best on the background and with any Identity Plate.
- Change the border and shadow so the photo looks good against the background. Set the timing of the slides to fit your needs and add music as appropriate.
Changing the background of the image display
The background around your photo strongly affects how a photo looks (it is called Backdrop in Lightroom). While you can do all sorts of interesting background effects for a simple printed image, you need to be careful what you choose here because the background is going to be the same for all photos.
You need something that complements your other images and doesn't detract from them. In Backdrop, you have several options, as shown in Figure 9. Here’s how to work them:
Figure 9: There are several different background options to choose from.
- Background Color. Normally you select this option first even though it is at the bottom of the Backdrop controls. At the right is a color options box. Click it to get a Colors dialog box for choosing background color. This little box has a number of choices that offer you different ways of choosing color based on your operating system’s approach to color. I don’t recommend getting deeply caught up in this. Slideshows, as I mentioned earlier, should be based on the group of images that make up the content of the show. Choose simple colors that don’t distract from your photos.
- Color Wash. I recommend you try this. This setting provides a nice gradient to the background instead of a flat color based on the Background Color, as shown in Figure 10. You choose a second color to blend with the first background color by clicking the color box to the right of Color Wash. You then change its strength with the Opacity slider and its direction with Angle. You can click the little circle "dial" and drag it to change the angle (the dark small circle visually shows where the gradation is starting from) or use the slider. I recommend choosing light and dark neutral colors, with a darker color at the top and lighter at the bottom, as shown here.
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Figure 10: Color wash adds a nice gradient to the background. - Background Image. Here you can add a specific photo as a background for your slideshow. You have to drag it in from the Filmstrip, so you need to include it in your grouping or add it to your group of images later so it appears there. It comes in at 100 percent, which is pretty strong and will likely overpower your slideshow. Use the Opacity slider to bring that intensity down so it truly is a background photo, as shown in Figure 11.
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Figure 11: Color wash adds a nice gradient to the background.
Working the design of the image display
Options and Layout tools let you design how the image displays in the slideshow. They offer different controls, as shown in Figure 12, but both affect how the image looks in relation to the background and the display space. These are less dramatic than a background choice, but they really add a finishing touch to your photos.
Figure 12: Lightroom offers different tools for determining how an image appears in a slideshow.
Options affects the size of the photo, the border, and the drop shadow. Here’s how to use the settings there:
- Zoom to Fill Frame. This makes your photo fill the image display area, cropping it as needed. You can click the photo and drag it around so the cropped area is more aesthetic or it gives you a better view of the subject. I don’t care much for this personally, especially if I have vertical photos. This essentially gives you the effect of the Crop To Fill template.
- Stroke Border. This puts a border around your image. You can make it black, white, gray, or any color you want. Clicking the color box at the right displays the Colors dialog box. This border can be a very important part of your photo, helping to set it apart from the background. A dark photo against a dark background might look nice, but the two will blend without a light border. I find that light gray to white borders and black borders both look quite good, the choice depending on the background. In Figure 13, I set Width wider than the default so it would show up better. The actual width you choose is a very subjective decision based on your personal taste and the photos used.
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Figure 13: The width of the border is larger so that it shows up better. - Cast Shadow. This creates a nice drop shadow for your image, also seen in Figure 13, giving the display some dimension and depth. There are four controls that go with it that affect how strong the shadow effect is, and you should vary them depending on the background. Opacity is the strength of the shadow itself — more opacity makes the shadow darker; less makes it lighter. Be wary of making this too dark (though that depends on the darkness of the background) or the shadow becomes too strong and may compete with the photo.
Offset affects the positioning of the shadow relative to the photo and changes the appearance of depth between the photo and the background. As you change Offset, you will want to change Radius, too. Radius adjusts the softness of the shadow edge—as Offset increases, usually you'll want to increase Radius as well. Also, you can change Radius at any time for a gentler effect. Angle is where the shadow appears. Most of the time, you will want the shadow to appear to the bottom and right of the photo or the bottom and left. That mimics how the sun creates shadows. For an odd, even sinister effect, you can put the shadow above and to the left or right of the photo. Click and drag the slider or the dial for Angle changes.
Slide Layout tools change the position of the photo within the display area. Here’s how to deal with these controls:
- Show Guides. Click this option on or off to reveal or hide the guides in the work area, as shown in Figure 14. Sometimes the guides distract you from seeing what the overall display looks like, and they are worth turning off. You click the guides in the center work area and drag them in or out to change the size of the photo, as shown in Figure 15.
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Figure 14: Click Show Guides to hide or reveal the guides in the work area.Figure 15: Drag the guides in the work area to change the size of a photo.
- Margins. Below Show Guides are margin controls (though they aren't labeled as such) that change the space around the photo — Left, Right, Top, and Bottom, as shown in Figure 16. Click and drag the sliders to make any adjustments (they are also connected to the guides and change if you click and drag them as well). Note the check boxes at the left side of the sliders: When checked, they turn a light gray to denote that they are active. When Link All is active, all of the sliders are also active and move in unison—change one and the others change, too. Deselect any one of them, and that one moves independent of the rest.
This can be extremely useful in positioning your images. If you want classic display proportion where the sides and top are the same, but the bottom is different, deselect Bottom and change it separately. Or maybe you have a graphic that you want on the left side of the images (maybe a logo applied through the Identity Plate); then you can deselect the left side and move it independently to gain the needed space.
Timing and music
Slideshows always have to be timed in some way in order to progress from slide to slide. Lightshow enables you to time your slides in the Playback controls shown in Figure 16. You can change how long the slides are up, how long the transition is between images, and if you use music with them.
Figure 16: You can set the slide duration in the Playback controls.
- Slide Duration. This is an important choice that is oddly placed near the bottom of this set of controls. How long do you want a slide to appear on the screen? How long should the fades—the time it takes for a slide to dissolve between the images—last? This gets tricky. You want slides on long enough for an audience to appreciate and enjoy the image, but not on so long that they get tired of it. Four seconds is a good minimum to consider—faster than that is hard for most audiences to deal with unless you want a kinetic effect that is more important than the images themselves. Ten seconds is a good maximum to consider—longer than that will seem tedious to most audiences unless there is something in the photos that they really need to study. The fades between slides need to be related to both the time the slide is on-screen and the type of show. I tend to prefer shorter fades or dissolves (dissolve is a more traditional term for blending one image to another through a slide change) of 0.5–1.0 seconds.
A very short transition makes a show lively and active, but it can also make it harsh. A long transition gives a show a poetic feeling, with a gentle pace, but it can also seem tedious. If you use music, the pace and tempo of that music strongly influences your choice of transition time. - Soundtrack. You can attach music to the show with this choice, as shown in Figure 17. When you click the Click here to choose a music folder text, you access your hard drive (or other storage media) and you can go to a folder where you keep music.
Figure 17: You can attach music to your slideshow.
- Playback Screen. This option is designed for computers that are set up with more than one screen or display. Simply select the screen that you want to use for playback.
- Random Order. It is unlikely a photographer would select this option for most slideshows. This setting at the bottom of Playback takes your carefully ordered images and mixes them up. It can be useful for slideshows that are used as backgrounds for an event (that is, they just play without people focusing on them) or for slideshows during breaks in a seminar or other long programs where, again, people don’t focus specifically on the images.
Working with text
In Slideshow, you work with text by using the ABC button below the work area, as shown in Figure 18. When you have text on or by the images, you can click ABC and two new buttons become active to the left of it: Rotate Left and Rotate Right arrows. Also, clicking text or ABC gives you an active area to the right (seen as Custom Settings in Figure 18) that allows you to control text. You can also click on any text and use the Delete key to remove it. All of these are overall text effects; that is, you do it once and it affects all photos. You cannot change text on any individual photos in the Slideshow module (though you can do it by using captions in the metadata). If you want an overall title to your program, you must create such an image in Photoshop; Lightroom is not designed for doing that.
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Figure 18: Click the ABC button to work with text in the slideshow.
I suggest being conservative in your use of text. Your photos should be the stars of your show, not clever text or special messages. But often, you will want to include some text to give your show and its images context or ownership. Here’s how you can work text for your slideshow:
- ABC button (add text). Click this button to add text to the photo, as shown in Figure 19. You get an active text box to the right of ABC called Custom Text. You can type whatever you want in that box. Nothing appears in the photo until you press Enter or Return. Click and drag the text to the position you want.
Figure 19: Click the ABC button to work with text in the slideshow.
- Edit text. Click on the text you want to change and it becomes active, as shown in Figure 20. You size the image by clicking and dragging the control boxes around the outside of the active text. Rotate it by clicking the arrows to the left of the ABC button.
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You can change the font and type variations such as bold or italic in the Text Overlays category of controls on the right panel of Slideshow. Just click the font name or face type for a drop-down menu like the one shown in Figure 21 for font choice.
Figure 20: Click on the text you want to change to make it active.
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Figure 21: Click the font name or face type to display the drop-down menu. - Defined text choices. If you click on the words to the right of ABC (it will likely say Custom Text), a drop-down menu of text options based on file names and metadata appears, as shown in Figure 22. This is mostly a rather specialized use of text, but professional photographers who are using a slideshow to present images from a shoot might need some of this specific data. The Edit choice gives even more options for automating text, as shown in Figure 23 (the Text Template Editor dialog box appears). If you want separate captions for each image, you can choose Insert Caption, then go to Metadata in Library and put in specific captions there.
Figure 22: This drop-down menu shows text options based on file names and metadata.
Figure 23: The Edit choice gives you more options for automating text.
What overlay options do you need?
Many slideshows look their best simply displayed, without a lot of extras, such as text and your Identity Plate. However, many pros want some identification for their work, especially if they produce a slideshow for promotional purposes. You do this in Overlays. Start by selecting or deselecting Identity Plate, as shown in Figure 24.
Figure 24: Use the Identity Plate to add identification to your photos.
You need to select how the Identity Plate displays (though you may change this later as you change your background). Click and drag the Scale slider to make the graphic larger or smaller; click and drag the Opacity slider to make it stronger or fainter. You change the position of the graphic by clicking on it in the work area and dragging it into place. You can also make the photo overlap this graphic by selecting Render behind image and moving the Identity Plate behind the photo.
Next, you can choose to display ratings by selecting Rating Stars. You can adjust the color of the rating by clicking the box to the right of Show Ratings, which gives you a Color Choice dialog box. And you can change the density of the rating with Opacity and the size of the rating graphic with Scale.
Making your own templates
Now that you know how to work the adjustment controls in Slideshow, you can set up a template to show off your slides any special way. Here’s how:
- Create a unique image display that you want to save. This can include text, background, photo location, drop shadow, and more—basically anything on the right side except Playback.
- Click Add in the Template Browser, as shown in Figure 25. This creates a new entry in the Template Browser, also seen in Figure 25.
Figure 25: You can add your own template designs to the Template Browser.
- Type a name for your template.
- Press Enter/Return to accept the new template.
If you make a mistake, it is really easy to correct. Delete the new template (select it and click Remove), make the changes needed to your slideshow, and then create a new template and name it.
Where to go from here
For more information about Photoshop Lightroom, see the following:
