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Photo

Lightroom and Elements


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14 replies to this topic

#1
meganhaderphotography

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Due to my one time luck in a contest, I won a copy of Elements 12 and Lightroom 5.  Unfortunately, I'm so lost in not only using these programs, but also knowing if I've edited my photos properly.  Does anyone know of any websites or easy to understand books on these programs?  Granted I do sit down and play with them but I have no idea if I'm making my photos worse or better.  Photography is a favorite hobby of mine but I'm starting to enjoy it less because it's making me feel incredibly stupid.  I was good at darkroom photography!  Thanks for the help!



#2
nbanjogal

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I spent two hours on lynda.com and had Lightroom pretty much figured out after that. Lynda.com is a subscription service, but I believe you can get a free trial. The courses are well structured and clearly explained. I can't tell you anything about Elements since I use the full version of PS, but I'm betting you can find that on lynda.com too.

I tried the Photoshop for Dummies book quite awhile ago and decided it didn't really work for me. I have used the "Classroom in a Book" series to learn other software (InDesign) and felt it was helpful and clear.

Lots and lots of tutorials on YouTube, of course.

#3
Merco_61

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If you can stand Kelby's humorous prose his "The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Book for Digital Photographers" is nicely structured and to the point.

Adobe's own free e-book is a good starting point, available here.

Victoria Bampton's "Adobe Lightroom 5: The Missing FAQ" describes every slider and button in detail but is perhaps not ideal for the beginner.

Peter Krogh's "Organizing Your Photos with Lightroom 5" is a very good multimedia ebook on using the software for archival purposes. You can read more about it here.



#4
Ron

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I second what Peter said about Scott Kelby's writing style. Once you get through his often comedic prose there's some good info there. I especially like his books on Photoshop Elements. Just be prepared to either laugh or roll your eyes. 

 

For Lightroom, I like Adobe's Classroom in a Book series. You might also want to subscribe to Adobe TV on YouTube. Their is a lot of good information there on the use of Lightroom. 

 

--Ron



#5
nbanjogal

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I also have appreciated Scott Kelby's instruction--it's always clear and simple. I've used his books and videos for photography instruction more than software, but I do know he really WANTS you to understand. If you want videos to watch, Kelbyone.com is excellent. He has some of the best teachers/photographers on the planet teaching for him. The only reason I don't use Kelbyone right now is that I have free access to lynda.com through the college where I teach. When I've exhausted lynda or when the college changes the contract, I will likely pay for Kelbyone.

#6
TBonz

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I think you've gotten good places to learn the software, but the other part of your question is the easy answer, so I'll address that :)!

 

As far as knowing if you have made a photo better or worse, the answer is probably yes - depending on who is viewing the photo and what changes you have made.  I do as little editing as I can to get what I believe is a good image.  Sometimes that means just a slight change to the exposure setting and probably at least a slight amount of cropping.  Sometimes it means changing things a bit more drastically.  The key to me is making the photo look like I want it to look.  There will always be someone who thinks you need more of this or less of that, and I value that input, but in the end I have to be happy with it.  If you'd like to get opinions on what you might do differently, post some photos in the Critique section and let folks tell you what they think.  Don't be afraid to do that - they are trying to hep AND it is still your photo that you need to be happy with.  Take their suggestions and see what you think - if nothing else, it will help you learn what other folks think you may need and give you a chance to see your photo with different edits.



#7
KurtCopeland

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I've always shot compressed images when using a digital camera but I am now convinced raw is the obvious way to go if I ever want to consider going professional. Along those lines, I am considering investing in a bit of software. It appears Lightroom and Photoshop are big contenders and I thought they were basically two different brands of the same type of editor, however, I am seeing videos on Lynda.com that talk about using them in conjunction with each other. Are they that different?

 

Suggestions or thoughts about these applications or other products I should consider for processing raw images?



#8
Eagles1181

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Lightroom works very well for basic spot removal, cropping and adjusting the colors in a photo (white balance, temp, exposure, ect...), but does nothing with layers.  Photoshop is used when you want to make a composite image, or do the B&W with one element in color type stuff.  I am sure both are capable of more that I am giving them credit for, but that is the basics.

 

Eagle



#9
nbanjogal

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I use LR and PS in conjunction with each other.

 

I shoot RAW and do the majority of my editing in Lightroom. Photoshop I use to add a little final polish or to add special effects or for more complicated "spot" removal (when it's more than a spot, ha ha!), but LR is getting better and better at that complicated spot removal. 

 

Adobe Camera Raw is a RAW editor that comes with Photoshop, and under the hood, Lightroom and ACR are very similar in terms of controls and basic adjustments. You could probably get by with just Photoshop because of Adobe Camera Raw, but Lightroom has this amazing cataloging capability. Additionally it is a non-destructive editing tool. You're basically storing and exporting the instructions for how you want your image edited--the actual RAW image is stored as you shot it.

 

My workflow is to import my images via Lightroom so they are catalogued there. Then in Lightroom I do most of my editing, including adjusting exposure, contrast, clarity, sharpness, etc. (BTW, I love Lightroom's brushes--you can be selective about where you make your adjustments.) I also do most of my skin work in Lightroom--spot removal, skin smoothing, etc. It's so much easier there. Anyhow, once I feel like my images are where they need to be, I export them as jpegs and then work on them in Photoshop if I need to clone anything or add a Nik filter or an effect like a film haze or something. I find that I'm spending less and less time in Photoshop these days. 

 

There are some people here who are adamantly anti-Adobe, and I can't blame them. The subscription model has ticked a lot people off. I have subscribed though, and right now I'm okay paying the $9.99 a month to have both Lightroom and Photoshop in their most updated versions.



#10
Merco_61

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They use the same raw converter, but that is where the similarities end. Lightroom is basically a DAM solution wit some basic editing tools built-in, PS is a graphic design tool.

Lightroom with the Google NIK plugins can do everything a picture editor will let you do to a photo for submission to news media. PS does everything an AD wants for advertising use.

 

Raw isn't always the right tool either, when shooting at a fast pace and/or a tight schedule jpg large/fine can be preferable because it clears the buffer faster and often needs a shorter pp time.

 

If you use a mac, Aperture is a much more flexible DAM solution, but the editing tools are even more basic than Lightroom's and you will probably need PS.



#11
KurtCopeland

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Thanks, everyone, for the information!

 

I've just been watching some interesting videos on LR and PS on Lynda.com and believe I'm going to have to subscribe.



#12
TBonz

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Only time I ever use Elements is when I need layers and that is pretty rare.  Lightroom pretty much does everything I need it to do.  I know pros who use PhotoMechanic which is great for quick review of images and possible cropping...doesn't really provide editing ability which is why some organizations require its use.  It has a number of image management capabilities that I have barely even looked at right now...

 

And I agree with Peter - RAW is great in some situations, but again, not all pros shoot in RAW...



#13
Mr_Leeman

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Scott Kelby's books are great.

 

Not used Elements myslef as I have photoshop - which I only use for major work (like editing an unwanted guest from a wedding photo).

 

Lightroom is now favorite software - it's designed for photography. It helps if you shoot in raw, rather than jpeg. The great thing about it it's non-destructive - unlike the others.

 

It has simple sliders that effect image on screen, so you can move them about until you find your happy spot. You can also catalogue your imagery very nicely too, and I use it to file my entire collection. Can't say a bad thing about lightroom.



#14
nbanjogal

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Good summary, Mr_Leeman. And then there's this.

 

 

Not used Elements myslef as I have photoshop - which I only use for major work (like editing an unwanted guest from a wedding photo).

 

 

 

I know what you meant, but I couldn't help laughing to myself a bit as I immediately imagined editing unwanted guests from about half our family gatherings. :D 



#15
KurtCopeland

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 You can also catalogue your imagery very nicely too, and I use it to file my entire collection. Can't say a bad thing about lightroom.

 

I keep hearing about this really cool cataloging system in Lightroom and I can't wait to try it, among all the other cool features it has.  :)