Tag: WordPress

Export Web Optimized Images Directly from Adobe Lightroom to WordPress

I'm lazy. I try to automate routine, repetitive tasks. One task I performed repeatedly for photo blogging was exporting images to upload to WordPress. My workflow used to export sized images to disk, upload each image to WordPress, optimise the image with a WordPress plugin, and then edit the image caption for use later in a post. It was tedious.

I simplified my workflow a few years ago using Jeffrey Friedl's Metadata Wrangler Export Filter plug-in and Automattic's WordPress plug-in for Adobe Lightroom. This post is a combination of two posts, Export directly from Adobe Lightroom to WordPress and Set WordPress Image Caption with Jeffrey Friedl's Metadata Wrangler Export Filter with the addition of information about the use of JPEG mini Pro. You can also consider this an update of the Export directly from Adobe Lightroom to WordPress post that includes all the information from Set WordPress Image Caption with Jeffrey Friedl's Metadata Wrangler Export Filter that provides information about how I use JPEG mini Pro to optimise images.

Requirements

To make this work, you'll need Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Automattic' WordPress plugin, Jeffrey Friedl's "Metadata Wrangler" Export Filter, and JPEGmini Pro Suite. The requirements assume you're running macOS Mojave. I don't use Windows. For me, Linux is a server OS. I also think all the required software is installed already, including Jeffrey Friedl's filters and presets, JPEGmini Pro Suite, and Adobe Lightroom. Jeffrey Friedl has excellent instructions on installing and using his "Metadata Wrangler" Export Filter on his website. You'll need WordPress.com or self-hosted WordPress with Jetpack installed.

Configuration

The setup for the JPEGmini Pro plugin is complete once it's installed. There are no settings. Automattic's WordPress plugin configuration can be found in my earlier post. JetPack is a requirement for this to work. I don't think it's necessary to repeat all the steps here. Setup and configuration for the "Metadata Wrangler" Export Filter are the same as in my earlier post on the topic.

Screenshot of Adobe Lightroom CC export with Metadata Wrangler
Screenshot of Adobe Lightroom CC export with Metadata Wrangler

From the "export preset" window, add the JPEGmini and Meta Wrangler post-process actions to the export preset.

The export template that I am currently using is as follows:

{Title?{Title} —} {CameraName?{CameraName }} {CameraMake?+ {CameraMake}} {Lens?{Lens}}  — ({FocalLengthMM? {FocalLengthMM}}, {Aperture?{Aperture}}, {ISO?ISO{ISO}})

I set the image's title in Adobe Lightroom before I exported the image. The template sets the image caption upon export by appending the title and image-specific information.

Example.

Upper Buttermilk Falls along the Gorge Trail, Ithaca, New York — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR — (16 mm, f/16, ISO200)

Other notes

Screenshot of Adobe Lightroom CC export with JPEGmini Pro

While I use the specific setup for WordPress, if I used Jekyll or Hugo or some other static site generator, my image file export to disk workflow could work for that purpose. It's similar to the preset mentioned above, except the images are exported to the disk where Jekyll resides. I would still need to edit the content file and insert links to the pictures manually. Exporting images from my Adobe Lightroom catalogue to disk, WordPress, Instagram, email, etc., is done with variations of this export preset. The only thing that changes is the export destination.

Summary

Using this Lightroom export preset, I name, size, caption, optimise, and export my image files directly to WordPress. It's one step - right-click, then select the export preset.

As of the beginning of 2020, LR/Instagram is no longer a viable way to post directly to Instagram. The developer's note on their website says, "Service Note: Instagram has updated their protocol, and currently plugin does not work. We are investigating the issue, and the plugin will be updated when a fix is available."

Modified SemPress

Were one to exist, I could enter myself into a WordPress theme switcher contest, and I would win easily. Support for IndieWeb technology, namely microformats 2, is sorely lacking in all major theme houses that I have tried. The few themes that do support IndieWeb tech are aesthetically challenged. I have tried them all. The latest one I am trying out is SemPress, mostly because it is minimalist and I was able to modify it to meet some of my needs. SemPress was written by Matthias Pfefferle.

I wanted my images to display larger than the narrow 670px of the default SemPress. Most of my photography is landscapes and cityscapes. These are scenes which I think show best when displayed as large as possible. There are few art galleries displaying landscapes as framed 4x6" prints. The larger the better. I wanted my landscapes to appear as wide as they can on a 10.5" iPad Pro.

After hours of trial and error -- I have limited understanding of CSS -- I have something that works for me. I modified the CSS as follows.

#primary {
        float: left;
        width: 960px;
}

#page {
 display: block;
 margin: 0 auto;
 position: relative;
 width: 960px;
}

@media (min-width: 960px) {
 .single-column #page { width:960px }
}

There is a weird interaction with the JetPack image CDN. When enabled, all images are displayed no larger than 670px wide. I turned off the feature.

2018-12-15 08.52.03

Blog Engines and Indieweb Controlling Upstream by Brad Brad (ramblinggit.com)

All this WordPress 5.0 Gutenberg stuff got me thinking.  With WordPress it seems like the Indieweb starts making serious and cool progress and the WordPress people come along and knock the game board and pieces off the table.  And it sounds like the disruption from WordPress is going to continue ..

I think WordPress has strayed from its roots as a blogging platform. Automattic seems interested in building a content management system to compete with Medium and Wix. I've used WordPress since 2003. I have an intense dislike of Gutenberg. Hopefully, I will have time this weekend to learn more about ClassicPress.