Editing interior photos can be a really time-consuming process, so if there are some simple ways to be more efficient with our time, why not?! 

If you're not using keyboard shortcuts for your editing, you are ignoring a simple way to cut a bit of your editing time. For this Field Note, we'll focus on Lightroom and Photoshop and look at critical keyboard shortcuts to save you time. These time-saving combinations of keystrokes can significantly expedite your editing process, allowing you to focus more on unleashing your creativity. 

Adobe Lightroom:

1. Importing and Organizing:
- Import Photos: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I
- Create a New Folder: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N
- Move to the Library Module: Ctrl/Cmd + 1
- Move to the Develop Module: Ctrl/Cmd + 2
- Activate Survey View: N (Library Module)
- Hide/Show all panels: Shift + Tab

2. Image Navigation and Rating:
- Next Photo: Right Arrow
- Previous Photo: Left Arrow
- Increase/Decrease Rating: 1-5 (Library Module)
- Pick/Reject Flag: P/X (Library Module)
- Quick Develop: Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + Shift + [ or ] (Library Module)

3. Editing in Develop Module:
- Show Before and After: \ (backslash)
- Copy Settings from Previous Photo: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C
- Paste Settings to Selected Photo: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V
- Toggle Crop Overlay: R
- Reset Develop Settings: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R
- Gradient Filter: M
- Adjustment Brush: K

4. Exporting:
- Export Photos: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E
- Add to Quick Collection: B (Library Module)

Adobe Photoshop:

1. Essential Tools:
- Move Tool: V
- Crop Tool: C
- Brush Tool: B
- Clone Stamp Tool: S
- Healing Brush/Patch Tool: J

2. Working with Layers:
- Create a New Layer: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N
- Merge Visible Layers: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E
- Select Next Layer: Alt/Opt + ]
- Select Previous Layer: Alt/Opt + [

3. Image Navigation and Zooming:
- Zoom In: Ctrl/Cmd + +
- Zoom Out: Ctrl/Cmd + -
- Fit to Screen: Ctrl/Cmd + 0
- Toggle Full-Screen Mode: F

4. Editing and Transformations:
- Undo: Ctrl/Cmd + Z
- Redo: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z
- Free Transform: Ctrl/Cmd + T
- Transform Selection: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + T
- Marquee Tool: M
- Lasso Tool: L

5. Color and Adjustments:
- Adjust Opacity: 0-9 (0 for 100%, 1 for 10%, etc.)
- Create a New Adjustment Layer: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Alt + N
- Swap color swatches: X

6. Saving and Exporting:
- Save: Ctrl/Cmd + S
- Save As: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + S
- Export As: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Alt + W

Cross-Platform Shortcuts:

1. Copy and Paste:
- Copy: Ctrl/Cmd + C
- Paste: Ctrl/Cmd + V

2. Undo and Redo:
- Undo: Ctrl/Cmd + Z
- Redo: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z

3. Close Current Window:
- Close: Ctrl/Cmd + W

Find the full list of keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop on THIS PAGE and the full list for Lightroom on THIS PAGE. 

Conclusion

As an interior photographer, every second saved in the post-processing stage counts, and by incorporating these time-saving shortcuts into your editing process, you'll be able to deliver your breathtaking images even more efficiently.

Do you have additional keyboard shortcuts that you like to use? We'd love to hear it! Click below to email us and share your faves that didn't make the list. Happy editing!