Adobe Launches Lightroom 2.0. Beta Available

Already own a registered copy of Lightroom? Great! Click HERE, download and then hold on to the Lightroom 2.0 beta until August 31. Among the distinguishing new features you're probably going to notice the first time you fire Lightroom up are the dual-monitor support, localized dodge and burn tools. Best of all, Adobe has also managed to offer support for 64-bit computing on both Mac OS X and Vista. The company is, of course, answering Apple back, following the release of Aperture 2.0 just weeks ago.

"Adobe Photoshop Lightroom answers the digital photographer’s call for a workflow application that allows photographers to quickly work with raw format images," the company states on its website. "With Lightroom you can manage all of your photographs; showcase them in print, dynamic slideshows, and interactive Web galleries that are simple to produce. Lightroom’s cross platform support allows photographers to effortlessly work on projects from any Windows or Macintosh computer on-location or in the office. Lightroom—spend less time at the computer, and more time behind the lens, doing what you love."

With this release, Lightroom has also added an improved layout in the Library module, making it easier to navigate, but also a new Smart Collections feature, enabling you to find images based on matching (various) criteria.

Localized corrections enhance specific areas of an image for unsurpassed nondestructive flexibility and control reminiscent of the traditional darkroom dodge and burn experience; improved organizational tools quickly find the images you need; multiple monitor support gives you the opportunity to efficiently manage photographic workflow and presentation.

Lightroom's flexible print package functionality also offers users the ability to create custom layouts containing multiple sizes of a photograph on a single page.

Again, if you're already using Lightroom, version 2.0 is just a click away from you. Even better, you get to use it by the end of this August at no charge whatsoever. But you don't necessarily need to own a registered copy of Adobe's software in order to give it a try right now. Thus, everyone's welcome to give Lightroom a try right now.

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