redhogbill Loc: antelope, calif

I have not used lightroom yet so am not familiar at all, but from what I understand it is great for pre processing files {to a certain degree} then send to PS for more processing IF needed,
My question is,
1) can you use light room to process with out using the cataloger?
2) and is pre processing better in LR 5 than PS 2014
my concern is I will end up losing my files, I do not file by dates
or do I just dive in to learning LR 5?
facts, just the facts!!

thank you

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

While Lightroom gives you excellent tools for keeping up with your photos by date, it will keep up with them in any way you now have them. If you just dump all your photos into one folder willy-nilly now, or in folders by location or subject or whatever, you can import those photo folders into Lightroom and it will accept your decision. It won't move your photos unless you tell it to, it will just leave them where they are and bring "previews" of them into LR for you to work with. Unlike Photoshop, it doesn't "mess" with your photos. It leaves them where they are, doesn't change a single pixel, and simply adds a special file to it to keep up with your edit instructions. Therefore it is important, if you're using LR, to move photos around WITHIN Lightroom because otherwise it won't know where to look for them and a when you click on one you'll find a ? because it no longer knows where the real photo is. Its development tools are much like Camera RAW but with more options.

The main thing I use photoshop for is removing power lines or fire hydrants, and managing masking tasks in layers, everything else can be done in LR without doing any damage to my original files. If I do edit a file in Photoshop, I bring it back into Lightroom beside the original so I can see both.

A good Lightroom book and/or watching the youtube videos on the Adobe site can go a long way to helping you get the most out of this valuable tool.The Post Processing section of UHH has a lot of good tutorials and links, too.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

You can put your files in folders on your disk just like always. Lightroom "imports" them into its catalog which is just a database of your photos. You only import what you want to. The originals stay put on your disk and when you edit, you don't change the original but must "export" out to a new file. It's completely non-destructive. Once you use it, you will wonder how you did without it. Lots of info on it here under the Links and Resources forum, out on youtube (just search for "Lightroom tutorial" or at Adobe.com among many places. Go ahead, get your feet wet, lots of help here at the Hog!

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Lightroom uses the word "Import". I think that is misleading. What it really does is register the location of each of your photo files, wherever you put them. It leaves them untouched in that it only reads them. It never overwrites originals.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I think you mean the Library module. It is full of stuff you can do, but you don't have to do any of it.

The normal opening screen is the Library module. On the left is a file structure borrowed from you computer operating system and you can use it to locate your files for processing. No organization required.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

No.

If you are talking about RAW files, the software engine inside both is the same. Sliders and labels on sliders may vary a bit.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Lightroom works very differently than other systems and in its fifth version is very complex. And, Lightroom is more about your work pattern than anything else. I does not automatically produce better results.

Without a specific goal, it might not make sense to invest the time to learn it.

What is your goal?

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

It's great for "developing files" period! No need for anything else.



No. It tracks where your images are at all times because it doesn't actually change the images, it just "keeps a record" of what you want to do when you "finalize" your image.

You don't EVER have to MOVE any images if you don't want to....so it's not anything to worry about.




LR and PS are two very different animals.

Think of it this way: a pipe wrench and a hammer will both drive a nail but one will do it more elegantly than the other one will and more easily too.

LR is a "digital darkroom" for "developing" and "printing" your "digital negatives"

PS: is (and don't anyone spaz on my nomenclature...chill out) a "pixel manipulation/graphic design" program more designed for "heavy lifting" of things...like removing a car from an image...etc.

redhogbill Loc: antelope, calif

all very good information, thank you

redhogbill Loc: antelope, calif

the goal is to make my photos better!! I also do manipulation of pixels, and not so much process whole folders, this a hobby at this point in time, not even sure I want to be "pro" {ie, make money with it}, but would like to take photos like a pro!!!!

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I don't think Lightroom will make your photos better than what you can do in Photoshop, Gimp or whatever. Lightroom can streamline parts of the process and is fun to use. It has quick ways to do some editing and makes slideshows, emailing, printing, book publishing and web sharing more logical and efficient.

redhogbill Loc: antelope, calif

so it is actually more for the professional photographer, workflow ,multiple files, etc!!??

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

I do all of my file organization from within Lightroom. You can create, move, or delete folders and subfolders just as you would in Windows Explorer. The editing engine is the same one that Camera Raw uses, but I find that it's more intuitive and easier to use than ACR.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

If I could only have one paid program, it would be Lightroom and I'm just a serious amateur. I'm also a computer guy, so I COULD keep track of my photos and all of my edits myself, but why when LR does it so elegantly? Again, you don't need to use the database features if you don't want to, they just make life easier. If you have thousands of photos, you can add keywords to them as you import them and find them by your own filing system, even if you only need that one picture with a "horse" in it. I spend 95% of my time in LR for PP and most pictures don't even need my other program, Photoshop Elements. You can "rent" both Lightroom and the full blast version of Photoshop in the Cloud from Adobe for only $9.99 a month, then decide if you like one or the other or keep renting. Here's the link:

http://creative.adobe.com/plans

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I don't think it has anything to do with getting paid. For me it is a great way to see, catalog and manage my amateur efforts.