Photo How To

If you’re new to Lightroom, and feel somewhat bewildered by the myriad of options available, take a deep breathe, watch this quick tutorial, and you’ll have the basics down in no time. In just eight minutes, you’ll learn a simplified method for uploading your images and editing them without frustration.

Swedish photographer Micael Widell designed this Lightroom workflow with what he says are “the five best tips for beginners,” but even more experienced users may pick up a trick or two. In fact, even though Widell is a pro, he often uses the method described here—especially when he’s in a hurry or importing a multitude of images at once.

Among the tricks Widell describes is what he calls a “one button wireless import,” that automatically uploads images from your camera to the computer, imports them into Lightroom, and creates previews of each file. Just press a single button, sit back, and watch the magic happen.

Widell also explains an easy trick for quickly culling a large selection of images, an editing technique he calls “Hell Yeah or No,” and a few other tricks. We guarantee that once you watch this tutorial, Lightroom will no longer seem so intimidating.

You can find more helpful tips on Widell’s YouTube channel, and be sure to look at his earlier story with the six photo accessories he says he can’t live without.