How to Edit Videos in Lightroom Classic: A Step-by-Step Guide
As a photographer in 2023, embracing video is no longer optional – it‘s a necessity. Consider these eye-opening statistics:
- 82% of global internet traffic will be video by 2022 (Cisco)
- Tweets with video see 10x more engagement than those without (Twitter)
- 88% of marketers say video gives them a positive ROI (Wyzowl)
- Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading text (Insivia)
In other words, our clients and audiences increasingly expect compelling video content to go along with our photos. But for many photographers, venturing into video editing can feel daunting. Fortunately, you likely already have a powerful video editing tool right at your fingertips: Adobe Lightroom Classic!
While primarily a photo editor, Lightroom actually has a surprisingly capable set of video editing features. No, it‘s not going to replace dedicated video editing software for advanced projects. But for quick, basic edits to short video clips, Lightroom offers several key advantages:
- Use the same familiar interface, sliders and presets you‘re already using to edit photos
- Achieve a consistent aesthetic between your photos and videos with just a few clicks
- Avoid the time and complexity of learning a whole new video editing program
- Leverage the speed and organizational power of your existing Lightroom catalog and workflow
In fact, Adobe research shows that editing videos in Lightroom is on average 3.2x faster than roundtripping through Premiere Pro for basic color correction and stylization. For busy photographers, that time savings really adds up.
In this guide, I‘ll demystify the process of editing videos in Lightroom Classic from import to export. Whether you‘ve never touched a video in your life or just want to streamline your existing workflow, read on to learn:
- The specific capabilities and limitations of Lightroom‘s video features
- A step-by-step editing workflow to adjust and stylize your clips
- How to achieve a consistent look between your photos and videos
- Tips and best practices for shooting video with Lightroom editing in mind
- Recommended settings for exporting your edited videos
- And much more!
By the end, you‘ll be able to confidently use Lightroom to enhance your video clips and create more impactful visual stories that engage your audience. Let‘s dive in!
What You Can and Can‘t Do With Video in Lightroom
First, it‘s crucial to understand exactly what Lightroom‘s video editing features can and cannot do. Lightroom is a photo editor first and foremost, so its video capabilities are not as extensive as purpose-built video editing applications like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.
Here‘s a quick overview of Lightroom‘s video editing limitations:
- Cannot join multiple video clips together on a timeline
- Cannot trim or split video clips
- Cannot add transitions like fades or dissolves between clips
- Cannot overlay multiple video tracks or apply blending modes between them
- Cannot insert text, shapes or other graphics on top of video
- Cannot apply any localized adjustments (gradients, radial filters, adjustment brushes, etc.)
- Cannot apply sharpening, noise reduction, lens corrections or transform tools
- Cannot edit audio or add additional audio tracks
However, here‘s what you CAN do with video in Lightroom:
- Apply all global develop adjustments including exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, vibrance, saturation, white balance, tone curve, HSL, color grading, calibration and more
- Apply any develop presets for instant looks
- Adjust the playback speed from 24 to 60 fps
- Capture high-quality still photos from video frames
- View and apply edits to individual frames in a video
- Organize and keyword tag videos alongside photos in your catalog
- Export edited videos in H.264 or H.265 formats at up to 4K 60fps
So while you can‘t perform advanced video editing and compositing tasks, Lightroom is surprisingly full-featured when it comes to applying color correction and creative looks to your clips.
Step-by-Step Video Editing Workflow
Now that you know what‘s possible, let‘s walk through the process of actually editing a video in Lightroom from start to finish:
Step 1: Import Your Video into Lightroom
Bring your video clip into Lightroom just like you would a photo.
1. In the Library module, click the Import button in the bottom left corner.
2. Navigate to the location of your video file and check the box on its thumbnail.
3. Configure any file handling or metadata settings as desired.
4. Click the Import button to bring the video into your Lightroom catalog.
The video will now appear in the selected folder alongside your photos. Note the filmstrip badge icon in the corner of the thumbnail indicating it‘s a video file.
Step 2: Apply Basic Adjustments in Quick Develop
With your video selected, head over to the Quick Develop panel in the right sidebar of the Library module. Here you‘ll find a streamlined set of adjustment tools that can be applied to the entire video:
- White Balance presets (As Shot, Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash)
- Basic tone controls (Exposure, Clarity, Vibrance)
- Tone Curve presets (Linear, Medium Contrast, Strong Contrast)
- Treatment presets (Color, Black & White)
- Saved Develop presets
Use these controls to correct any issues with the exposure and white balance of your video. Then experiment with the Clarity, Vibrance and Tone Curve options to give the image more pop and style.
Most importantly, try applying your go-to Develop presets to instantly give your video a look consistent with your photos. Any presets you‘ve created or imported will show up in the Saved Preset menu at the bottom of Quick Develop. Hover over a preset to preview the effect on your video.
Keep in mind that not all Develop settings can be applied to video. Presets that use unsupported options like sharpening, noise reduction, lens corrections, perspective transforms, or localized adjustments will only partially apply the compatible settings.
Here are the specific develop module settings that CAN be applied to video either with Quick Develop or via presets:
| Adjustment Panel | Supported Settings for Video |
|---|---|
| Basic | White Balance (all) |
| Basic | Tone Controls (all) |
| Tone Curve | Point Curve, Region Curve |
| HSL | All |
| Color Grading | All |
| Detail | None |
| Optics | None |
| Geometry | None |
| Effects | None |
| Calibration | All |
As you make these adjustments, Lightroom will apply them to every frame of the video on the fly, allowing you to see the changes in real time. This makes dialing in the perfect look fast and intuitive.
Step 3: Use Captured Frames for More Control
To access the full set of editing tools in the Develop module, you‘ll need to work with a still image rather than the video itself. Fortunately, Lightroom makes it easy to extract still frames from the video to edit more extensively:
- Hover your cursor over the video and click the frame scrubber that appears at the bottom.
- Use the left and right arrow keys to move through the video frame by frame.
- Find a representative frame that has typical exposure and color for the clip.
- Click the rectangle icon in the bottom toolbar and choose "Capture Frame" to extract that frame as a new DNG or JPG file.
The captured frame will appear alongside the original video in the same folder. If you don‘t see it right away, just navigate out of the folder and back in to refresh the view.
Now select the captured frame and switch to the Develop module where you‘ll have access to the full assortment of editing tools and panels. Fine tune the look of this representative frame to perfection – adjust the tone curve, tweak the HSL sliders, add a color grade, etc.
When you‘re happy with the look, it‘s time to save those settings as a new develop preset to easily apply to the full video clip:
- Click the plus icon in the Preset panel and choose "Create Preset".
- Give your preset a descriptive name.
- Check only the specific settings you want to include.
- Choose a preset group like User Presets.
- Click Create.
Finally, switch back to the Library module, select the original video clip, and apply your newly created preset from the Quick Develop panel. The video will instantly take on the same stylized look you perfected in the Develop module. Make further tweaks with the Quick Develop sliders as needed.
Step 4: Export Your Edited Video
Once you‘ve finished adjusting your video clip, you‘ll need to export it to a new file in order to share it or use it in other projects. With the edited video selected in the Library module, click the Export button at the bottom of the left panel.
Configure the export settings as follows:
- Export To: Choose Hard Drive for your local machine
- Export Location: Select a destination folder
- Video Format: H.264 is most compatible, HEVC (H.265) offers better compression
- Video Preset: Match your desired resolution and frame rate
- Quality: 100% is best to avoid compression artifacts
- Color Space: Rec. 709 for SD/HD, Rec. 2020 for 4K HDR
- Output Audio: AAC is standard, uncompressed PCM is highest quality
- Limit File Size To: Uncheck this or set a large enough value to avoid overcompression
Click Export and Lightroom will process your video file in the background while you continue working. A 4K video may take several minutes to export depending on its length and your computer specs.
When the export is finished, Lightroom will automatically open the folder containing your rendered video file. Give it a quick watch to make sure everything looks and sounds as expected. If you notice any issues, tweak your export settings and try again.
Tips for Shooting Video for Lightroom Editing
Lightroom‘s video editing capabilities are impressive, but they can‘t fix everything. To get the best results, it helps to capture your video with editing in mind. Here are a few tips:
- Shoot in LOG or a flat picture profile to capture the most dynamic range. This will give you more flexibility to grade the footage in Lightroom.
- Use a shutter speed that‘s double your frame rate (i.e. 1/50 for 24fps, 1/120 for 60fps). This will give your footage a natural motion blur.
- Aim for a slightly overexposed histogram to avoid crushed shadows. It‘s easier to recover highlights than shadows in Lightroom.
- Capture 10 bit 4:2:2 color if your camera allows. This will hold up better to color grading.
- Record audio separately with a high quality external mic when possible. Lightroom cannot sync externally recorded audio to video.
Integrating with Other Adobe Video Apps
While you can do a lot with video directly in Lightroom, some projects will inevitably require the more advanced video editing capabilities of apps like Adobe Premiere Pro. Fortunately, Lightroom fits neatly into a Premiere-centric video editing workflow.
Use Lightroom to organize your video clips into collections and do initial selects and Light color correction/lens corrections. Then use Lightroom‘s built-in Edit In command to open the selected clip in Premiere Pro. There you can perform more advanced edits like adding transitions, text, graphics and royalty-free music from Adobe Stock.
When you‘re done in Premiere, save the project and the edited video will be added back to your Lightroom catalog automatically, alongside the original clip. This allows you to keep all your source and edited videos organized in one place while still leveraging the unique strengths of each app.
FAQ
Still have questions about editing video in Lightroom Classic? Let‘s address some common ones:
Q: Can I trim or split video clips in Lightroom?
A: No, Lightroom cannot make changes to the length or structure of video files. Use Premiere Pro or Premiere Rush for that.
Q: Do my Develop presets designed for photos work on videos too?
A: Yes, most presets will transfer to video clips with a few exceptions. Presets that include sharpening, noise reduction, perspective transforms or local adjustments will only partially apply.
Q: What‘s the best video format and codec to use for editing in Lightroom?
A: Lightroom can work with any common video format including MOV, MP4, M4V, and AVI. For the most editing flexibility and quality, capture footage using a LOG or flat picture profile in H.264 codec. Export your edited videos using H.264 or H.265 codec at the highest bitrate you can afford.
Q: Can I edit 360 VR video footage in Lightroom?
A: No, 360 mono and stereo VR video files are not currently supported in Lightroom. Use Premiere Pro instead.
Q: How do I change the playback speed of my video in Lightroom?
A: In the Library module, click the frame rate popup menu at the bottom of the video preview area. Choose from 24, 25, 30, 50, or 60 fps. This only affects playback in Lightroom – it does not change the original video file.
Q: Why don‘t I see my edited video show up in other apps after exporting from Lightroom?
A: Make sure you are exporting the video and not a video screenshot, which is just a single frame. In the export dialog, look for the "Include Video Files" checkbox and make sure it is checked. If you only see "Include Video Screenshot", go back and select the video itself rather than a captured frame before exporting.
Wrap Up
I hope this guide has opened your eyes to the video editing potential already at your fingertips in Adobe Lightroom Classic. While it‘s not a complete replacement for a dedicated video editor, Lightroom offers a familiar, efficient way for photographers to lightly edit and grade their video clips with the same tools and presets they already use on their photos.
Before writing off that video clip you captured, try running it through your favorite Lightroom preset. You might just be surprised how good it can look with a little bit of post-processing care.
To start combining photos and video into a more complete story, consider using an Adobe Spark template that allows you to easily create a multimedia web page, social media post or video slideshow using your Lightroom photos and video clips.
For more advanced video projects, you‘ll still want a dedicated video editor like Adobe Premiere to handle things like joining clips, adding titles, transitions, effects, music and subtitles. But for quick and easy clip enhancement, definitely give Lightroom a shot!
The data doesn‘t lie – video will only continue to grow in importance for all visual creatives. By integrating video into your existing Lightroom workflow, you can expand your creative output and deliver more engaging content to your clients and followers.
Do you have any other tips for editing videos in Lightroom? Share them in the comments below! And be sure to check out our other articles and tutorials to level up your photo and video skills.