Margar Loc: Mass

After over at least 15 years with LR, And I only download pix. I never really learned the use, but I pay monthly. Adobe has been advertising Elements 2021…one time price…can I stop Lightroom keep everything I ever loaded and stop paying the monthly fee, then start using Elements and loose nothing, or does Adobe take all LR use and pix away…..
Thank you

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

Just save all your photos to local drives, then tell Adobe what to do with Lightroom. You can work your little heart out using Elements (my main editor), and accomplish almost all you could have with Lightroom. And if you add some 3rd party helpers like Nik and Antropics in the back ground, you're set for life. Good luck.

lbarnett25 Loc: Baldwinsville, NY

LR is really a simple program to use.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

What makes you think that, after 15 years and unable to learn LrC, you will be able to learn a new program such as Elements? Wouldn't it be simpler and more effective to simply learn the program you already have a bit better? You would be better off to do an online search to determine the effect that changing programs will have on you. However, if you have used LrC and done edits and want to quit using LrC then the only way to use those images is to export them as a TIFF or JPEG.

Margar Loc: Mass

Thank you… may I ask how to save them… I never have labeled any, they just automatically had a date.. sorry for my ignorance…

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Windows or Mac?

Either way, your photos are not IN Lightroom. The LR catalog has a list of where they are located on your computer. Stopping use of LR will not move the photos.

File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) should be able to find your photos. If you look at a photo on LR, it should tell you the file name. And in the Metadata panel it should tell you the folder where the photo is located.

How many photos have you collected in your 15 years?

fredpnm Loc: Corrales, NM

As one has already stated, learning LrC is not difficult! You are going to have to learn Elements 2021, and in many respects, Elements will be harder to learn than LrC. There are far too many videos on YouTube to count that teach LrC.

Reconsider!!!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

When you end your subscription LrC (Light Room Classic-the main version on the subscription) stays and continues working as a catalog of all photos imported to that time and edits done to them. But no new importing and no editing or updates. You pictures are filed on your drive in Pictures (PC) or whatever a Mac calls it. LR has the filing system linked, a thumbnail and a catalog of edits done - not the pictures themselves.

As stated if you haven't learned to use LR for editing in 15 years (What did you use or do you only have pictures as Out Of Camera?) then it is unlikely you will learn Elements 2021. Elements is a sort of combination of LR and a light version of Photo Shop. It's cataloguing is not as extensive as LR and its editing is not as extensive as PS. But you will have to learn how to use both parts to get your money's worth out of it.

I tried a version of Elements a few years ago and I was always running into things I couldn't do that I could in LR or PS.
That said, there are many people who get by just fine and do outstanding work with Elements. There are some of those people here on UHH. If they chime in pay close attention to what their advice is.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You can download a trial version of PSE and make a decision if PSE makes any more (or less) sense to your photo edit needs than LR.

Unless there's an economic reason to stop the subscription, it would make more sense so spend time with all the free video training available directly from Adobe (training your subscription pays for) and completely free via u-tube. You may find you know more than you think. Or, maybe after all this time, some things finally begin to make sense when you watch the video along with the explanation.

BTW: the subscription started roughly 2016 so you've vastly overstated the idea of 15-years of subscription. I'm not sure you even could have been using any version of LR for a full 15 years as of Aug 2021. Nevertheless, the product is the best of breed with the largest group of users in the industry. You're in the club, your best action is to stay here.

Margar Loc: Mass

Well over 1500-2000… I’ll work on this
Thank you

Bill_de Loc: US

Elements can be set to guide you step by step. Once you can easily navigate a section you can turn off that tutorial. And, you don't have to deal with a catalog if you don't want to. I can easily find my files right in Windows Explorer. Some folks don't realize it has a search function.

And, you can usually find the program for less than $100 with no need to upgrade every year.

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

What has been the obstacle(s) to learning Lightroom? It is actually very easy once you either a)invest a small amount of time to learn it, or b)have someone help you with learning it. The image processing part is simple, but the catalog is where most people get messed up because they try to use it as a file browser instead of a catalog-based file and folder management system.

Bottom line if you are you using LrC your images should be on your local computer. However, if you added your images to a catalog and did any editing those edits are in an lrcat file. But all is not lost. you can go to catalog preferences and check the box to write metadata changes to xmp - then each raw file will have a corresponding tiny .xmp file that contains your edits.

So you were a beta user in 2007? Lightroom only became available to the general public in 2008.

Jrhoffman75 Loc: Conway, New Hampshire

2000 photos in 15 years?

What camera brand are you using. There may be a free program supplied by the vendor. Canon and Nikon does.

Lightroom uses the Adobe Camera Raw processing engine, same as Photoshop, so while PSE will have reduced capability compared to Lr wouldn’t think you would find it any easier.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Several people have stated that 'Learning Lightroom is easy'. It may be that the OP, like me, has some sort of a difficultly in grasping these things. For me it's a form of Dyslexia (so the experts say).

Just because many find it easy, doesn't mean ALL find it easy. If it helps the OP, I used Elements 2012 a long time back and managed basic stuff, but was never really fluent with it. Similarly, I'm really struggling with Affinity.

For some reason Paintshop Pro SEEMS easier for ME. I know I'm not exploiting its full capabilities but I get by.

I like what I've done with AFFINITY (it's a one of payment and updates are free), I just don't understand how I've acheived what I've done. Even if I write it down. There's lots of You Tube for Affinity, not very much for Paintshop Pro. Both are available for free trial.

But look up a You-Tube tutorial first or Affinity's own Getting started as they use language differently. Nobody in our club speaks badly of it, not even me, I just find it more difficult.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Never apologize for "my ignorance". No one knows everything. Some here would argue to the contrary.