RahulKhosla wrote:
I have subscribed to Adobe’s plans and have Lightroom (LR) and Lightroom Classic ( LRC). I currently import new photos to Lightroom and post process there. Lightroom Classic is unused at the moment. I also have a SmugMug subscription. A few questions :
1. Is there any advantage to keeping both LR and LRC? I find LR very flexible, easy to use and the ability to sync across devices is awesome. Are there some capabilities in LRC that are ‘better’? Should I be using both ?
2. I am seeking recommendations on implementing an optimal workflow that allows me to
- import photos and post process them
- have them accessible across devices
- have the ability to select some photos and post them on SmugMug to share with friends and family.
At the moment. - I’m unsure what role LRC should / could play. Nor am I sure how to keep LR and LRC in sync. Lastly, I’m also not sure what’s the easiest way to post into Smug Mug from LR or LRC.
Grateful for suggestions.
I have subscribed to Adobe’s plans and have Lightr... (
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I can address the question of workflow for you, but as far as Smug Mug, you will need to get that part from someone else.
Some time ago, I wrote this article that describes my workflow with Adobe Creative Cloud. I very seldom use Lightroom, but I always use Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop when necessary. I have two 27" iMacs that are cabled together so I always have LR on the left screen and PS on the right. So I hope this helps:
I have been using Photoshop since it was a DOS program. I now subscribe to the Adobe Photography suite of programs that includes Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic CC, Bridge, Camera Raw, Premiere Rush and XD for $10.00 a month (I pay the annual rate). This is the gold standard editing software that is used by the majority of professional photographers and serious amateurs alike.
Photoshop is the most flexible editing program you will find. When combined with Lightroom Classic it becomes the most powerful tool available today and in the past. For the beginner and professional user, Adobe offers free videos and online written tutorials on every editing solution imaginable. Additionally, Adobe CC subscribers get automatic updates to all the programs on the day they are released.
Adobe Photoshop (PS) along with Adobe Lightroom (LR) can complement each other and can be used in combination or as stand alone programs as I will explain.
LR allows you to view a group of photographs and filter them so you can pick your best images and concentrate your editing time on the best ones. LR is also a non-destructive program. Rather than making physical changes to your original images, if lists the changes made to your photographs in each picture’s metadata file. When you exit LR, it saves your edited picture with a different file extension than your original. That means that your original unedited file is never actually altered. LR also allow you to preform a large variety of editing functions although it does not have more advanced features such as layers and localized editing for which PS is required.
PS, on the other hand, has a different purpose than LR although many functions can be performed by both programs. Among other things, PS allows you to layer your pictures and merge pictures into composite. For example, you can take a photograph with a grey sky and replace only the sky with a beautiful sky from another photograph. It also allows you to isolate small areas of your photographs and perform localized edits. For example, adjusting the skin tone of a person’s face, removing wrinkles and blemishes, etc.
I don’t want to scare you away because Photoshop is actually an easy program for a beginner like yourself to learn and it is highly unlikely you will ever outgrow it. As I said before, using the two programs together results in a very powerful tool and can be used to produce a quick and efficient workflow. You will probably never need this type of sophisticated workflow, however this will give you an idea of some, but not all, of these program’s capabilities. Here is the workflow that I use:
1. RAW images are copied from the camera’s CF or SD memory card to a folder on the desktop of my main 27″ iMac labeled with the date and title in the format YYYYMMDD-Tittle, This allows them to automatically appear in date order for quick recall.
2. Lightroom CC is opened and the RAW photos are imported where they appear in a gallery view
3 The photos are quickly flagged as accept or reject
4. Using Lightroom’s filters, all the accepted photos are retained and editing in LR proceeds; the photographs that were not flagged are removed from the screen, but are viewable by removing the filters
a) Copyright information is added to the metadata of each photograpy
b) LR edit are performed as necessary
c) Photographs that require further editing are exported as PSD files from LR to Photoshop on the second linked computer screen
5. In PS as each photograph starts being edited, a duplicate layer is made so that the original PSD file is not altered
a) Each photo receives additional edits and is saved back to LR without removing them from PS
b) The photos are resized according to the required outputs and using the Save As command are saved in the required formats such as JEPG, TIFF, etc.
6. The completed files are white flagged and the originals have the flags removed. That way if they are needed again, I can pull them up again in LR and turn on the white flag filter and isolate the edited photos
7. The final step is to backup the entire file that contains everything onto a two external hard dives and a five hard drive Drobo RAID system. One of the two backup drives (there are actually three) are exchanged with a drive in my safe deposit box in the bank for offsite storage in case of a fire or natural disaster.