Comparing Your Photos Side by Side

Comparing your photos side by side is often a required part of your Lightroom workflow as wildlife and nature photographers.  This is due, in some respect, to the modern-day cameras that take several frames per second, so we end up with several hundred photographs when we eventually import our photographs into Lightroom.

After the initial cull of the blurry, rear views, or birds half in or out of the frame photos, very often we end up with a selection where we have two or three or several similar photographs you’d like to compare, side by side.  Lightroom CC features a ‘Compare’ view for doing exactly this.

The easiest way once inside Lightroom is to simply press ‘C’ on the keyboard, this will then enable the ‘Compare’ View, the main display area switches to the ‘Compare’ view.

1. Firstly click in your filmstrip at the bottom of your screen, ensuring you click the first photo (Select) you want to compare. This will add it to the left pane in the ‘Compare’ view, click a second photo (Candidate) to add it to the right pane. (see the female Green Winged Pytilla photo below)
2. If you would like to hide the side panel groups quickly, so that your photos can be displayed even larger size in the Compare view, press the ‘Tab’ key on your keyboard.
3. Now you will see the two views side by side; Select and Candidate.  ‘Select’ being your current choice and ‘Candidate’ being the photo you are comparing.
4. Use the left and right arrow keys to move through your ‘Candidate’ images.  Use the Down arrow to swap the Select and Candidate and the Up arrow to promote the ‘Select’ to ‘Candidate’ or use the icons in the toolbar as shown.
   
5. When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Done’ at the right end of the toolbar. The ‘Select’ image appears in the Loupe view.
6. Press the Tab key on your keyboard to show the side panel groups.

Don’t forget to check out other interesting blog posts,  bird migration to Sub-Saharan Africa in 3 parts.

Tony Sparkes Wildlife & Photo Safaris are leaders of photo safaris, wildlife safaris and birding tours in South & Southern Africa and other international destinations. Contact us for all your requirements, including custom safaris and tours.  Specialist guide for all your Kruger Park Safaris in South Africa