‘Lightroom Dashboard’ Browser App Helps Identify Your Photography Habits

Ever get curious about what your most-used camera settings actually are?  Ever wonder what focal length you rely on the most?

Lightroom Dashboard is a free online tool developed by Cheyne Wallace to provide an answer to all your burning Lightroom statistics questions by helping you “visualize your catalog data.”  Well, THAT rocks.  As Cheyne says, “I built this tool so I could better understand my photography habits and possibly justify to my self purchasing that new f/2.8 lens (as it turns out, I can’t).”  Well, maybe next time, brother…

For those who worry about just sending your sensitive information out into the Interwebs for only God-knows-who to access, fear not.  According to the site (and, frankly, I believe everything I read online), while your Lightroom catalog is analyzed in your browser, none of your data is actually uploaded.

And, the process is fairly simple…just upload your Lightroom catalog (although, it’s recommended that you use a backup of your catalog vs. the actual file), and a team of oompa loompas on the other end does all the heavy lifting.

What It Analyses

• Monthly Photo Volume – See a visual representation of when you’re actually shooting the most throughout the year.
• Camera Statistics – Which cameras do you use most frequently?  How many different cameras are represented in your library?  What ISO ranges do you images fall into, and what is your favorite ISO?
• Lens Statistics – What lens do you use the most?  What are your most frequently-used aperture settings?  Which focal lengths are you actually using?
• File Statistics – Get a good overview of how many files (and what file types) comprise your library, along with their respective resolutions.

Now the one major drawback for those who are obsessive about their camera data is that certain analytics won’t be available for images shot using old gear.  For instance, I use some old Pentax lenses on my cameras, partly for nostalgia, partly for creative purposes, and partly because they’re simple great lenses.  Since they are completely manual and the cameras do not recognize them, this data isn’t picked up by the analytics.  But, that’s really not a deal-breaker.

So, give it a shot (it’s free, after all), and see whether you can justify buying that new lens.  Chances are, you can probably still make do with the one you have.

[via Reddit]