Select a photo

LightPhotos has two views of the same folder. The grid is for deciding which photos matter; the Loupe is for working on one of them. Double-click a thumbnail to open it in the Loupe, and click the arrow at the left of the title bar to go back. Nothing is lost going back and forth — the grid and the Loupe are two windows onto one set of files.

• The rest of the folder stays in reach. A filmstrip runs along the bottom of the Loupe, so you can move through a burst at full size without going back to the grid.
• Fit to judge, 1:1 to check. A photo opens fitted to the window, which is how you judge composition and color. Focus and noise only show at 100%, so zoom in before you decide a frame is sharp. Scroll over the photo to zoom at the pointer, or use the zoom control in the bar beneath it.
• Compare against the original. View → Before / After splits the photo into the original and your edit, side by side — the quickest way to see if you have gone too far.

When several frames are nearly the same, open them together instead: compare them. Once you have the photo you want, the panel on the right is where you adjust the settings.