Lightroom/Photoshop VS. Photo Elements (Page 3): Chief, I subscribe to Adobe CC and process all my RAW files with LR. And while I get PS and access to a bunch of the other programs, I...

scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

ChiefEW wrote:

I have the Adobe package that I pay a monthly fee for. The only program I use is Photoshop. I am shooting RAW images and open them in Photoshop. I don't think I take enough pictures to justify paying the monthly fee for the Adobe package. Would I be better off to purchase the newest version of Photo Elements? Thank you. Earl

Chief, I subscribe to Adobe CC and process all my RAW files with LR. And while I get PS and access to a bunch of the other programs, I do most of my editing in PSE, all the basic stuff is just easier to do in PSE. I especially like being able to add a copyright watermark to all my edited photos at once. For me LR is worth the cost of the subscription.

So, this question is for the more experienced PS users here. I quickly found out that while a 16 bit tiff file can be loaded into PSE, a lot of the tools were grayed out. When I began my subscription I looked forward to editing 16 bit in PS. However when I opened my first 16 bit tiff in PS, I discovered that a bunch of the tools were once again grayed out, did I miss something?

jwm1944 Loc: Maryland

YES!

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

petercbrandt wrote:

Elements is limited but good. E.I. It will not have brush so you can lighten a face, only lighten the photo overall. Thats just one example, but look at the overall cost comparison.

It still can be done with Elements using a combination of available brushes with trial and error opacity slider settings. Don't ask me how, I just ran across a tutorial in an issue of Practical Photography, tried it and it worked, but never revisited it.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

petercbrandt wrote:

Elements is limited but good. E.I. It will not have brush so you can lighten a face, only lighten the photo overall. Thats just one example, but look at the overall cost comparison.

I'm afraid it's a poor example.
To be certain I wasn't dreaming, I just tried it out: You can very definitely lighten a face by using the dodge tool.
First click on the sponge in the column of tools on the left, under the heading of "Enhance"
If it is not there, click on the icon that looks like a magnifying glass, to the right of the "waterdrop"
Next, in the strip along the bottom of the photo, select that "magnifying glass" - it is the dodge tool -
you can lighten a face as little or as much as you want (in both quantity and quality).
Want to burn instead? select the tool that looks like hand with index finger and thumb making a circle.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

petercbrandt wrote:

Elements is limited but good. E.I. It will not have brush so you can lighten a face, only lighten the photo overall. Thats just one example, but look at the overall cost comparison.

And I'm afraid, a poor example at that.
From the toolbar on the left of your PSE screen, select the sponge (under 'Enhance')
In the bar below your photo, you will now have three tools: Sponge, dodge and burn.
Dodge to lighten, burn to darken: a whole face, or only part of it.
Play with them and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Question: Can you open raw files from a recently released new camera in Photoshop Elements? This would be a game changer as it usually takes a subscription service from PS CC or a DNG converter to do that from a new camera.

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

Duplicate

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

ChiefEW wrote:

I have the Adobe package that I pay a monthly fee for. The only program I use is Photoshop. I am shooting RAW images and open them in Photoshop. I don't think I take enough pictures to justify paying the monthly fee for the Adobe package. Would I be better off to purchase the newest version of Photo Elements? Thank you. Earl

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It would depend on what all you do in Photoshop. If you don't use the advanced features, Elements will probably work well for you. If you want the more advanced capabilities but not the monthly fee Affinity Photo would be a good way to go and it is only around $50. Also check out "ON1 Photo RAW 2019" which would cover both Lightroom and Photoshop for about the same price as Elements.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

Bill_de wrote:

I was surprised to 'hear' you say that about the brushes. But as I read further I was reminded that I had spent $12 and added Elements + to my Elements 15.

https://elementsplus.net/

According to the product information it doesn't add features. It opens Photoshop features that Adobe hid rather than remove from Elements. It is version specific and still $12.

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Elementsplus gives you a lot of features $12 investment. I have it for all the different versions of Elements that I have had. I's well worth it.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Fotoartist wrote:

Question: Can you open raw files from a recently released new camera in Photoshop Elements? This would be a game changer as it usually takes a subscription service from PS CC or a DNG converter to do that from a new camera.

Yes. Photoshop Elements comes with a version of "Adobe Camera Raw". It has most of the tools but not all. https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/processing-camera-raw-image-files.html

Every fall there is a new version of Photoshop Elements. For the following year it receives the ACR updates on the same schedual that the real Photoshop and Lightroom get.

(Oddly, so does the Premiere Elements video editor that can come as a bundle with Photoshop Elements. You can make slide shows with RAW image files.)

The catch might be that if you buy a new camera the year after you buy your perpetual Photoshop Elements license, you would probably have to buy it again

FWIW, Photoshop Elements falls to the $60 range right after release in the holiday pricing specials.

lrjames Loc: Lacey Washington

I have elements 15 and it will not support RAW from my D850 so I went to PSCC

tropics68 Loc: Georgia

ChiefEW wrote:

I have the Adobe package that I pay a monthly fee for. The only program I use is Photoshop. I am shooting RAW images and open them in Photoshop. I don't think I take enough pictures to justify paying the monthly fee for the Adobe package. Would I be better off to purchase the newest version of Photo Elements? Thank you. Earl

I have been a Photoshop CC user for three years. I do not use LR at all but I do use Bridge a lot. I have two older versions of PSE 11 & 14 which I got started on before PS CC. There is no doubt that full Photoshop is superior to PSE but it is considerably more expensive. You gets what you pay for.

As PSE gets more and more features that I use, I move closer and closer to dropping PS CC. In fact this may be my last year for it. I more than likely will return to PSE (I sure will miss Bridge) and hone up my skills with Paintshop Pro.

If I could buy Photoshop on a DVD like PSE, without subscriptions, I would pay double what they charge for PSE. Somehow though, I feel that is highly unlikely to happen.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"...... (I sure will miss Bridge)...."
Now you won't.

Adobe gives away Bridge to anyone who takes the trouble to find the installation file. What I don't know is how Bridge will work with RAW files if you don't have the ACR from the subscription.

https://www.adobe.com/products/bridge.html

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

petercbrandt wrote:

Elements is limited but good. E.I. It will not have brush so you can lighten a face, only lighten the photo overall. Thats just one example, but look at the overall cost comparison.

You can do this, it is just a little more work. Just select the face and lighten the selection. It is the same with many features that PS has that are not in PSE.

Tinkwmobile

Solve your issues, ON1. It's robust, fairly easy to use, fully capable and regularly updated.

Reasonable price. They don't subscribe to the subscription model.