When you are trying to match the appearance of two photos in Lightroom, it sure would be nice to be able to see them side by side as you work on one or both.  In my last post, I talked about Compare View — but it is in the Library module, not the Develop module.   You can see before and after side by side quite easily in Develop, but how can you see two different pictures next to each other?

Here’s the secret:

  • Select your two photos, using the filmstrip.  (Click on the first, Ctl/Cmd-click on the second).
  • Open up a second Lightroom window, by clicking on the [2] symbol circled in green below:

Lightroom secondary screen button

 

  • This secondary screen is meant for a second monitor, but it will suit our purpose with one monitor.  It is limited in functionality, but it has Compare View!   Click on Compare where circled in green below, and size your secondary window to cover up all but your right-hand Develop panel:
Using Lightroom Compare View to Develop Images Side by Side

 

  • Notice that there is a white frame around my left-hand image.  This is the active image — if I start enhancing, it will be this one that is affected.  To affect the right-hand one, click on it to make it active.
  • Switch back and forth between the images as needed.
  • To work on both at the same time, turn on Auto Sync.  It’s the little switch to the left of the Sync Button (circled in red above).  Don’t forget to turn it off when you’re done.
  • Notice also that this Compare View window has the same zoom functionality that I talked about in my last post.  Use it to zoom in on one or both of the photos.
Want to see more than two?  Use Survey instead of Compare.  Of course the more photos you have selected, the slower it will be, as Lightroom needs to refresh each after every Develop move.

 

In case you didn’t read it a few months ago, here’s another Lightroom secret revealed: how to put one spot removal fix on top of another.


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