Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: I watched one of your lessons that covered the Oil Paint filter in Photoshop, and the effect looked nice. But when I apply the filter to my own images the effect is so small it looks like a basic canvas texture rather than an oil painting. Is there something I’m missing?

Tim’s Quick Answer: In my experience you get the best results with the Oil Paint filter in Photoshop by first resizing the image to around 2,000 pixels or so on the long edge.

More Detail: The Oil Paint filter in Photoshop stands out to me as one of the most impressive creative filters, in large part because many of the other creative filters are very simplistic and outdated. The key to getting the best results with the Oil Paint filter is to apply the effect to an image that has been resized to around 2,000 pixels on the long side.

Reducing the pixel dimensions is obviously reducing the total amount of information in the image, and so it is important to create a copy of the original image for this purpose. For example, after opening the image you want to apply the effect to you can choose Image > Duplicate from the menu. In the Duplicate Image checkbox I recommend turning on the “Duplicate Merged Layers Only” checkbox so the duplicate image will be flattened, while preserving any layers in the original file.

Next, choose Image > Image Size from the menu, make sure the Resample checkbox is turned on, and with the popups for Width and Height set to Pixels enter the desired value for the larger dimension. Be sure to keep the lock feature enabled using the button with the chain link icon to the left of the Width and Height fields so the aspect ratio won’t be altered. Click OK to resize the image.

You can then apply the Oil Paint filter. If you want to have greater flexibility you can apply the filter as a Smart Filter, which means choosing Filter > Convert for Smart Filters from the menu to convert the Background image layer to a Smart Object first. Then choose Filter > Stylize > Oil Paint from the menu, and adjust the settings for the filter to create an oil paint effect with your preferred look.

Today’s Question: When I go to export an edited image, Lightroom Classic used to export it to the same folder as the last export. Now it goes to some other folder (same one each time, but nothing to do with the images I am editing). Where to I reset this to go to the same folder as the previous export?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you want to export photos from Lightroom Classic to a specific folder, I recommend creating a preset for that purpose in the Export dialog.

More Detail: By default, when you export photos from Lightroom Classic the initial settings in the export dialog will be the same as those used for the previous export. However, this often does not reflect the intended export settings, including the destination folder. I therefore recommend creating a preset that represents you preferred baseline settings for export, along with presets for other specific scenarios you may want to use somewhat frequently when exporting.

Once you’ve selected the images you want to export and clicked the Export button at the bottom of the left panel in the Library module, you can establish all the settings you want to use for the export, including the specific location you want the exported images saved in with the options in the Export Location section of the Export dialog.

After configuring all the settings, click the Add button at the bottom of the Preset section on the left side of the Export dialog. In the New Preset dialog that appears, enter a meaningful name for the preset, such as something that describes the purpose for exporting represented by the preset. You can also create or select a folder for the preset to keep them organized. Click the Create button to create the new preset.

Moving forward, anytime you want to export images based on a saved preset, you can select that preset in the Export dialog and click the Export button, and the images you had selected before bringing up the Export dialog will be exported based on the settings for that preset. Alternatively, you can select multiple photos in Lightroom Classic and then right-click on one of the selected photos and from the popup menu choose Export followed by the preset you want to use for exporting the selected photos.

By using a preset for exporting images, you can ensure that the same preferred settings are always used for the export, including being able to specify different export preferences for different scenarios by creating multiple presets.

Today’s Question: After my computer switched off due to a power outage Adobe Bridge will no longer export my images. I have uninstalled and reinstalled, but Bridge still gives me an error message. Can you please suggest how I can overcome this issue?

Tim’s Quick Answer: This is the type of issue that would most likely be solved by resetting Preferences for Adobe Bridge. If you chose the option to keep settings when you uninstalled Bridge the Preferences would not have been reset.

More Detail: One of the common issues with Bridge and other Adobe applications is that the Preferences files can get corrupted, leading to erratic behavior or crashes. The way I think of it, anytime there is a behavior that doesn’t seem to make sense, there’s a reasonable chance that resetting Preferences will resolve the issue.

In the case of Adobe Bridge you reset Preferences by holding the Ctrl+Alt+Shift keys on Windows or the Command+Option+Shift keys on Macintosh while launching Bridge. Depending on how you launch the application, you may need to not hold the keys while initiating the launch, and then immediately press and hold the keys after doing so.

Continue holding the keys on the keyboard until you see the Reset Settings dialog. Turn on the “Reset Preferences” checkbox and click the OK button. When Bridge finishes loading, you will more than likely find that Bridge is behaving properly again.

Today’s Question: I have Lightroom Classic on two computers (Mac and Windows). I do all the rating, color label, flags and some editing on Mac and save the metadata to file before I switch to the Windows computer. Then I read the metadata from file to bring back all the metadata I updated but none of the updates come through. What did I miss here?

Tim’s Quick Answer: While it is possible to save metadata updates to the file in one Lightroom Classic catalog and then import the metadata changes in another catalog, I recommend that you instead move the catalog along with the photos between the two computers.

More Detail: When you save metadata directly to the source image files, that metadata can be accessed by other applications, including another instance of Lightroom Classic on another computer. However, there are two problems with depending on this approach to update metadata for two catalogs.

First, saving metadata to the source images (such as by using the Metadata > Save Metadata to Files command) does not preserve all updates in Lightroom Classic. For example, if you add images to a collection or create a virtual copy, those updates will not be preserved with this approach. Furthermore, if you don’t ensure that metadata was saved to the source images before moving the files to another computer, some metadata updates may not make it to the destination catalog.

Instead, in this type of scenario I recommend moving the Lightroom Classic catalog to an external hard drive along with the photos. You can then open the catalog from either computer by moving the hard drive between the computers. Just make sure that the volume label (Macintosh) or drive letter (Windows) remains consistent, so that Lightroom Classic will be able to locate the drive with your photos on both computers.

You can learn how to move a Lightroom Classic catalog to a different storage location in the article on the Ask Tim Grey blog here:

https://asktimgrey.com/2026/04/13/move-and-rename-catalog

Today’s Question: Do you have a recommendation for the location for a new Lightroom Classic catalog?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you only need to work with Lightroom Classic on one computer, I recommend putting the catalog on the internal hard drive for performance and convenience. If you need to access your catalog from more than one computer I recommend putting the catalog on an external hard drive along with your photos.

More Detail: Generally speaking, I recommend keeping the Lightroom Classic catalog on the internal hard drive of your computer. This helps optimize performance, since an internal hard drive is generally going to be faster than an external hard drive (though not always!).

In addition, having the catalog on the internal hard drive ensures it is always available, so you can open the catalog and review photos and update metadata and more even if the source files aren’t available. For example, if you keep your photos on an external hard drive, you don’t even need to have that drive connected to the computer to work with many features in Lightroom Classic, provided the catalog is on the internal drive.

The primary reason I recommend putting the catalog on an external hard drive is if you want to be able to switch between more than one computer with that catalog. In that case I recommend keeping the catalog and photos together on the same external hard drive. That way you can simply move the hard drive between computers and open the catalog from that drive in Lightroom Classic. You just need to be sure that on both computers the hard drive is assigned the same drive letter (Windows) or volume label (Macintosh) so Lightroom Classic will find the drive and therefore the photos in the expected location on both computers.

Today’s Question: I’d like, for simplicity, to move my Lightroom Classic catalog to a new folder and rename it. Can you provide guidance on this?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can rename the catalog easily within Lightroom Classic using the Rename Catalog command. You can then quit Lightroom Classic and move the folder containing the catalog files to your preferred location.

More Detail: Adobe recently added a Rename Catalog command, making it very easy to rename the Lightroom Classic catalog and all associated helper files. Simply open Lightroom Classic with the catalog you want to rename and then choose File > Rename Catalog from the menu.

In the Rename Catalog dialog, enter your preferred name for the catalog. If you’re certain that there aren’t any photos within the folder structure that contains the catalog, you can also turn on the “Rename parent folder” checkbox if you want the folder containing the catalog to have the same name as the catalog. Click the Rename button to apply the change, which will also cause Lightroom Classic to restart.

To move the folder containing the catalog files, you first need to know exactly where that folder is. If you’re not sure, in Lightroom Classic choose “Catalog Settings” from the Edit menu on Windows or the Lightroom Classic menu on Macintosh. Go to the General tab and click the Show button toward the top-right of the dialog. That will open a window in your operating system with the folder containing the catalog highlighted.

Be sure to quit Lightroom Classic before moving the folder containing the catalog. If you don’t have a full backup of the catalog, it is a good idea to copy the folder to the new location, then rename the folder in the original location to indicate it is now a backup copy.

You can then open the catalog folder in the new location and double-click the primary catalog file that has a filename extension of “.lrcat”. I also recommend going to the General tab of the Preferences dialog and selecting the renamed catalog in the new location from the Default Catalog popup. That will ensure that this catalog will always be opened by default whenever you launch Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: Can you apply more than one preset to an image in the Develop module in Lightroom Classic, or would applying a second preset cancel out the first preset?

Tim’s Quick Answer: This depends on which adjustments were saved as part of each of the presets. If there is no overlap between the presets, then you’ll get the full effect from both. If the second preset includes some of the same adjustments as the first, those adjustments from the second preset will replace the same adjustment settings from the first.

More Detail: When you save a preset in the Develop module in Lightroom Classic you can choose which adjustments are included for that preset. You could, for example, include all Develop adjustments in a preset, or you could include only a single adjustment in the preset.

If both presets include all adjustments, the second preset will completely replace the adjustments for the first preset. For example, let’s assume that the first preset converts the image to black and white along with a variety of other adjustments included. If the second preset includes the Treatment adjustment that is set to color rather than black and white, applying that preset will convert the image back to color.

If, on the other hand, each preset includes only a small number of different adjustments, you could apply both presets to the image without losing any of the effects from the first adjustment. For example, if the first preset only includes the Clarity and Dehaze adjustment, and the second preset only includes a Post-Crop Vignette adjustment, applying both presets would cause all three effects to be applied without losing the effect of either preset.

Of course, the challenge is knowing which adjustments the preset includes to begin with. That’s why it is important to use meaningful names when creating a preset. For example, when I create a preset that only includes a small number of adjustments, I’ll use a name that reflects that the preset is limited in scope.

For example, if I create a preset that only includes the Post-Crop Vignette adjustment with a dramatic frame effect, I might save it with a name like “Strong Framing Vignette ONLY” with the “ONLY” on the end indicating that this preset only includes the vignette effect.

Today’s Question: I have several folders in Lightroom Classic that show zero photos. Is it safe to simply right-click these folders and choose “Remove” from the popup menu?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend first confirming that the folder is truly empty, but if it is then it is indeed safe to remove the folder using the Remove command in Lightroom Classic.

More Detail: While it is safe to remove a folder that Lightroom Classic shows doesn’t contain any photos, I recommend first checking if there are any files (including photos) in that folder on the hard drive that aren’t reflected in the Lightroom Classic catalog.

If you use the Remove command on a folder that is truly empty, the folder will be removed from Lightroom Classic and also removed from the hard drive. If the folder is not empty the Remove command will remove the folder from Lightroom Classic but will leave the folder and its contents on the hard drive.

To check the contents of the folder first right-click on the folder in the Folders list on the left panel in the Library module in Lightroom Classic. From the popup menu choose “Show in Finder” (Macintosh) or “Show in Explorer” (Windows). This will bring up a window in the operating system with the applicable folder highlighted. Double-click that folder and review the contents.

If there are files in the folder, you have several options. You can leave the folder where it is and remove it from Lightroom Classic as noted above. You could also move the folder to a more appropriate location on your hard drive, such as to keep it separate from your photo storage. You could also delete the contents of the folder, and then remove it from Lightroom Classic.

If the folder contains photos that you want to include in your Lightroom Classic catalog, you could use the Synchronize Folder command to import those photos. Back in Lightroom Classic right-click on the folder and choose “Synchronize Folder”. Wait for the Synchronize Folder dialog to update reflecting the number of photos that are not in the catalog, which will be shown to the right of the “Import new photos” checkbox. Also turn on the “Show import dialog before importing” checkbox is turned on. Then make sure that checkbox is turned on, and that the “Remove missing photos from catalog” and “Check for metadata updates” checkboxes are both turned off. Then click the Synchronize button.

In the Import dialog configure the settings as desired to import the photos. In most cases I recommend not applying any changes at this stage, meaning you should not apply a Develop or metadata preset, for example. Then click the Import to add the applicable images to the Lightroom Classic catalog.

Today’s Question: Is the new Assisted Culling feature in Lightroom Classic suitable for bird and wildlife photography? Your comments have referred to using it for people photography, but wouldn’t it then work well for animals?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The Assisted Culling feature in Lightroom Classic is not currently a good option if you want to use the eye detection features for birds or wildlife, but it is still usable when it comes to evaluating whether the subject is in focus.

More Detail: The Assisted Culling feature in Lightroom Classic provides a tool for evaluating images to help you more quickly identify favorite versus outtake photos. The options for evaluating whether the eye is in focus and that the eyes are open, however, are specifically intended for photos of people in the current iteration.

At the moment, Assisted Culling is mostly focused on evaluating photos of people, not birds or animals. But that mostly relates to the two options for evaluating the eyes. The Subject Focus feature will work for photos that do not contain a person but that contain a key subject that stands out clearly or a wider scene where there is distinct sharpness and detail.

Over time, I am confident that Adobe will update the Assisted Culling feature so it is more useful across a broad range of photographic subjects. It has already proven quite helpful when it comes to evaluating a large number of portraits, for example, so you can more quickly narrow the photos to those you are most likely to consider favorites. I’m sure the image analysis will continue to improve, and to expand to be useful to a wider range of photographers.

Today’s Question: In what situations would you convert from 16-bit to 8-bit?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Only when necessary. I recommend keeping your primary image file in 16-bit per channel mode, and only converting to 8-bit per channel when creating an image for sharing, such as when saving a JPEG derivative image to share online.

More Detail: When you process a raw capture, such as with Camera Raw in Photoshop, I recommend converting to a 16-bit per channel image rather than 8-bit per channel to maximize potential detail and fidelity, and to minimize the risk of any posterization (the loss of smooth gradations of tone and color). I only recommend converting to 8-bit per channel mode when it is necessary, such as when saving a derivative image in a format such as JPEG that doesn’t support (or require) a higher bit depth.

If you’re completely finished applying adjustments to an image that had been saved in the 16-bit per channel mode, and you want to reduce the bit depth to reduce overall file size, the risks are not too great as long as you only do so for a color (not black and white) image and you make sure to flatten the image first (assuming the use of layers in Photoshop).

For black and white images, I would never convert the master image file to 8-bit per channel because doing so carries considerable risk of posterization in the image, leading to potential banding and other problematic visual artifacts.

But overall, I recommend keeping the master image in the 16-bit per channel mode, and only using 8-bit per channel mode for derivative images created for sharing. Even in those cases, it isn’t generally necessary to use the explicit step of converting to 8-bit per channel mode, such as by using the Image > Mode > 8 Bits/Channel command in Photoshop. For example in Photoshop you can simply use the “Save a Copy” command to save as a JPEG in 8-bit per channel mode because 16-bit per channel is not supported in that case.