SteveR Loc: Michigan

I thought PSE10 would be my next logical purchase until a friend recently bought Lightroom 3. Not knowing what Lightroom 3's capabilities are other than standard editing, please enlighten me as to which one would be the better purchase for my first editing software. Thanks.

arphot Loc: Massachusetts

Lightroom is considered more for darkroom-type processes and global versus local editing (patch healing, cloning, etc) whereas Elements has more to do with cataloging and image editing like saturation, exposure and a lot use it for digital scrapbooking! It lets you do selective edits, work with layers, add text, etc.

See:
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/mark-galer/adobe-photoshop-lightroom.html

&

http://mansurovs.com/photoshop-vs-lightroom

From the Adobe site -
Photoshop is ideal for:

Video professionals
Cross-media designers
Web designers
Interactive designers

&

Lightroom is deal for:
Professional and amateur photographers

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Thanks!

arphot Loc: Massachusetts

U bet!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I think this is just a way for Adobe to make more money, especially with their annual updates. It seems that Lightroom and PSE overlap in so many areas that they should make one product. They could call it Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Elements - a name that falls trippingly from the tongue.

They are probably working on another new program that does some of what these two programs do but is slightly different. Then we can buy all three and keep them updated.

travlnman46 Loc: Yakima WA

Hi SteveR: I actually have both, they more or less compliment one another, although either one is a stand alone program. I must admit I am still learning both programs. I find light room more for processing in batch quanities as well as files and use elements 10 more for touch up and layers etc.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm in the same boat. Still learning those two plus Photoshop and a few others. Since I'm not getting much exercise sitting at this computer all day, I might as well keep my brain active.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I googled Adobe. Their descrption of Lightroom was, that while it had its own stand alone editing capabilities, its main purpose was for organizing large numbers of photos, pretty much automatically.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Well the acronym works: APLE.

[quote=jerryc411] It seems that Lightroom and PSE overlap in so many areas that they should make one product. They could call it Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Elements - a name that falls trippingly from the tongue.
[quote]

MtnMan Loc: ID

Many get confused on Elements. It is actually three linked programs:

Organizer
Editor
Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)

Most discussions focus on the Editor. The Organizer is quite powerful in its own right...but I have the sense due to preference by professional photographers that Lightroom is better suited to very large number of images...tens to hundreds of thousands. I haven't tried it so I can't compare it's editing capabilities.

It might also be worth mentioning that all three of the Elements programs have their own editing capability. You can do simple edits (like Picasa) right in the Organizer or in ACR.

A professional photo journalist said in a talk I attended last month that Lightroom was too slow for their industrial strength needs. There are five of them taking up to 800 images per day.

Flash Falasca Loc: Beverly Hills, Florida

Just get lightroom

guy145 Loc: Norridge IL

I use
lightroom 3
elements 9
cs4

Each one has its special functions. If I were to pick just one It would be lightroom.

Patw28 Loc: PORT JERVIS, NY

Yes, Steve, that is the essence of LR. It's first distinction from PSE is that it is a more powerful organizer. In that respect, it strikes me as intended for the professional who is shooting some 1000+ images a month.

PSE also has a cataloging system but is intended for the photographer who shoots maybe 100 photos per month.

BUT . . . . the biggest difference to us doffers is the fact that LR emphasizing editing on the global level. That is, you only make changes to the entire image. Very powerfully, but that same capability exists in PSE and at a very powerful level.

Where PSE shines is in the fact that it can make changes to just parts of the image: dodge and burn with a brush whose size and power you set,
cloning (moving or swapping a selected portion on the image), and lots more <local> effects.

The almost unbelievable feature is its <lyers> capability, wherein you move something to a separate layer, select that layer, and anything you do effects the contents of that layer only. Its kinda of like laying a piece of clear acetate over a painting and painting on that acetate, except that once you have painted, you can change what you did. Books have been written on this.

You can go to Adobe and check the features of both programs, of course, but be prepared for a tedious adventure. I would suggest viewing a few of their free tutorials to get a better taste for what's there.

Personally -- IMO --< IMO> !! -- I don't see any advantage to LR over PSE for the novice or serious amateur. (NO, I will not respond any further in this thread.)

MtnMan Loc: ID

I agree with the post below but would like to add: do not underestimate the power of the Organizer program of Elements. It is little reported on. It is a very powerful program in its own right.

It has the tagging and Album capabilites of Lightroom plus in Elements 10 it has a visual simularity search function that is amazing.

It has its own editing capabilities equivalent to a program like Picasa. It has capability to easily upload your images to social media. And more.

BOB Loc: Texas