buckscop Loc: Bucks County PA

Mid-level hobbyist here, looking for UHH Lightroom users opinions. Landscapes and youth sports are my main shoots. I have been using photo editing software a good while. Started way back with Microsoft 06, and have been thru Elements 11, 15, 18, and 19. After seeing videos on some editing by LR that I could not seem to duplicate on PSE, I decided to try the 7 day trial, which ends this week. So far, my own opinion is that LR outweighs PSE on the 'fix-it' color/light/sharpen editing side, but PS doesnt seem all that advanced over PSE for the other features. Maybe because I have used it for years, PSE seemed easier to use over PS, especially if LR already did the hard part of making a photo better via 'fix-it' color/light/sharpen areas.

I took some photos from my files that were edited with PSE and used LR to improve them still. Was pretty impressed with the lighting and sharpening improvements.

Do the UHH'ers think the LR side is good enough by itself to keep the whole script package based off of your own experiences? If they were still separate software packages, are there UHH'ers that would buy LR and use a lesser priced software for the other non LR features?

Thanks in advance.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

It all depends upon what you want to do with your images?
I use LR and PS to post process my images, sometimes just LR

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I find LR much easier to use than PS / PSE. Lightroom was built to be more efficient with Adobe's self-stated observation that most images / photographer's do not need the complexity and power of PS / PSE. Your PSE skills will transition to PS when you do have an image 'issue' that needs the power / complexity of editing in layers to resolve.

For your last question, I still use the standalone LR6, because I can. I have cameras that are supported by LR6 RAW processing. If I were to upgrade the cameras, something I'm trying to hold off for still a few more years, I would move to the subscription. Alas, LR6 is not available for sale from Adobe and I'd be hesitant to obtain from a third-party source. I have my old PSE-10 as a plug-in from LR6 as well as some of the older Topaz modules, that now too are no longer for sale / supported.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I'd recommend LR/PS. You'll find there are a lot of useful features in LR that you hadn't uncovered in your trial period. And, PS us the gold standard for photo editing.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

I've used LR and PS together for about eight years. I highly recommend both programs. I've processed about 10,000 images using LR and it will do about 95% of what I need done on most images. I use PS for very specific things, not for processing in general. I'd recommend going with the Adobe plan as you get the benefit of all of the updates plus both programs and a couple of other programs that are useful, as well as access to hundreds of fonts.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Me also. The plan keeps the programs up to date. Just remember you want LR CLASSIC not LR CC

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

I use Photoshop but have Lightroom since they come as a package for 10 bucks a month. Lightroom does not do the pixel level things that I frequently want to do so I just stick with PS.
I prefer to file and catalog my own programs so don't use Lightroom for that. I move files around a lot and LR gets all flamoxed if you dare touch a file it's ever laid hands on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I use PS a lot on videos also.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I read that for most photographers, LR is the primary app and PS is used like a plug-in for only a few tools. Examples might be object removal or background replacement. But, don't abandon PSE either. There may be times that an easy "guided" edit is helpful.

Then there are the other things you get with the subscription that have significant value!

PaulBa Loc: Cardiff, Wales

For what it’s worth the opinion of a keen enthusiast.

I used a stand-alone version of Lightroom for five years until the file format for a new camera was not supported. I believe there was a workaround but to be honest I just “couldn’t be asked” so I now have the LR/PS subscription. I would probably be happily using Lightroom alone if I had not bought the new camera.

Still used LR 95% of the time but have enjoyed a couple of, YouTube led, PS projects. No regrets taking out the subscription the benefits of which I’m sure others will detail.

Bill P

There are many things that LR can't do that can be done in PS, while as best as I can see, aside from digital asset management, there's nothing in LR that is unique. I gave LR a spin with V.2 and my take was that if I was starting from scratch I would consider LR seriously, but with 6 to 8 years under my belt with PS, all the change would mean would be a long painful learning curve.

PSE is a good intro to PS but it is stripped down a lot., so it's not a fair comparison to anything.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

PS is a bit complicated, but once you wrap your head around it you'll find it more capable than PSE. Also, it isn't that hard to set up scripts to do repetitive typing. And PS offers far more finesse in the things you felt LR improved upon. LR is in a class of its own, and if you are processing raw files it will be a lot better than PSE. The cost of LR/PS is only slightly higher than replacing PSE every year.

If you purchase LR 6, the latest iteration of perpetual-license versions, you will be buying into a dead end product, and it won't offer as nice an experience as what you had with LR Classic CC.

I use LR on 100% of my images, and PS on 95% of them - after making global edits in LR. I find the local editing capabilities of LR lacking - much preferring Capture One, DXO PhotoLab 2 or On1 Raw if I am just going to stop editing after raw conversion. But I rarely stop after raw - I can almost always find something that needs addressing in my images that requires some additional adjustments in PS.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Actually PS is way easier to use than PSE, and PS is waaaaaayyyyyy more advanced than PSE (PSE can maybe do 2% of what PS can do! And yes, LR is an excellent program, although I do not use it, as I really have no use for it, because I use Bridge, which comes with PS!

Bill P

I too use PS/Bridge, in fact for over 20 years. I considered LR when I got a free version with a camera, but I realized it was really just an asset management program that was built to emulate on a PC everything a Mac does. For me it emulated all the things a Mac does that I hate.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I personally do not use Bridge I prefer LR Classic. In fact I have not down loaded Bridge

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Everytime someone says LR is just a library manager, you show you don't know anything about Lightroom. You can use whatever software you want. But making misinformed claims about something you don't use, just shows your ignorance ....