LS 31: Lightroom Updates & Workflow

Summary

In this session, I walked through some of the most important new features in versions 14.4 and 14.5. I also demonstrated real-world edits on a few recent images to show how these updates can improve speed, control, and creative possibilities—especially around noise reduction, AI-powered tools, and sharpening. Whether you’re just catching the replay or revisiting the techniques, I hope you’ll find a few tools here to help refine your own process.

Key Takeaways

• Generative Remove is better than ever Lightroom’s AI removal tool is faster and more accurate now—especially for removing distracting elements or people. You can cycle through variations or regenerate if you’re not happy with the first result.
• Custom copy/paste subsets save time You can now create and save subsets of develop settings (like crop only, or basic tone only) for syncing or pasting across multiple images. Great for batch work and consistency.
• GPU-accelerated previews improve performance Lightroom now uses your graphics card to speed up image previews when scrolling or zooming—especially helpful when reviewing large folders.
• Denoise, Super Resolution, and Raw Details are now non-destructive These features are integrated into the Detail panel with simple checkboxes—no more duplicated files. You can turn them on or off at any time and fine-tune the amount.
• New metadata filters for AI tools You can now filter or create Smart Collections for images that used tools like Denoise, Generative Remove, or AI masking. It’s a great way to track your edits and revisit images for printing.
• Updated XMP writing behavior If you use sidecar files, Lightroom now delays writing them during intensive tasks to avoid slowing down your editing flow.

Sharpening sliders explained (finally!) I broke down the often-confusing sharpening tools—especially radius and detail—and showed how to visualize and apply them for better prints. (Tip: Use the Option key!)

Questions or feedback? Please share below OR on the Academy Community!