Photoshop Elements 12 vs. Photoshop Lightroom (Page 3): I don't think I made my question clear enough. I use the PSE organizer (tags, photo stacks, version sets, layers, ratings, etc)...

crbuckjr Loc: Naples FL

I don't think I made my question clear enough. I use the PSE organizer (tags, photo stacks, version sets, layers, ratings, etc) to manage, edit and find my pictures.

I assumed that in using Lightroom along with PSE I'd import all my photos into Lightroom and use it to do the organizer function along with the first round of editing. And, that I'd use PSE only for some of the editing that Lightroom doesn't do.

So, if that is the case (feel free to give me a better idea) then I am wondering if Lightroom will retain, and make available, all of the work that I have already done to organize (tag, version sets, ratings, layers, etc.) my photos in PSE. Or, will that be lost? And, how difficult is it to move PSE catalogs into Lightroom?

Allen Hirsch Loc: Oakland, CA

I don't think they're compatible that way; they're each their own standalone program.

AFAIK, you can't move catalogs from LR to PSE, or vice versa.

If you already have your keyword tags and catalog setup in PSE, use it, and like it, you may not "need" LR.

OTOH, for folks just starting out and choosing, LR is much easier to use than PSE, in my personal experience, both for cataloging and editing.

crbuckjr Loc: Naples FL

thanks....I was afraid of that......makes my decision simple....unfortunately

Dave783 Loc: New Jersey

Still confused-Could someone please help me to understand how LR and Elements (or even PS) works together when editing using both as I questioned previously, Thanks

How does LR and Elements work together if you are using LR for your first edits, then want to edit in Elements? Does LR export a JPEG to elements, then you edit in elements and that is your final JPEG? Once the file leaves LR and opens in Elements you should be done all LR edits, because now your working in a JPEG? Or does Elements also use ACR and you are still editing a RAW file except it is in Elements, and then saves those changes back to the RAW file in LR, then you export as a JPEG from LR? Sorry if this is confusing, i'm still trying to grasp how the work flow happens. I'm also trying to decide to upgrade to LR and/or Elements. I'm now using Canon's DPP for RAW processing now.

Allen Hirsch Loc: Oakland, CA

Dave:

If you don't have either, I'm not sure why you'd want to try to use/learn them both at once.

If I were you, I'd try one (I'd suggest LR, because I think it's better and I think it's cheaper - or at least used to be) and see if it did what I wanted.

I had both, and once I got proficient in LR, I stopped exporting to Elements, b/c if I couldn't get what I wanted edited in LR, I found it wasn't worth the time & trouble of Elements.

indycaver Loc: Indianapolis

I use LR5 probably 90% of the time and elements the rest. One nice thing about LR is the fact it is a database saving everything one does to the image without altering the original. It saves all changes you do to an image in its catalogue. So, when you look at the original image in your pictures folder (outside LR5) it is the same as it was when you first uploaded from your camera. LR only keeps the changes you made within its database to the image without altering the original..

warrenvon Loc: Ellicott City, MD

Allen Hirsch wrote:

Dave:

If you don't have either, I'm not sure why you'd want to try to use/learn them both at once.

If I were you, I'd try one (I'd suggest LR, because I think it's better and I think it's cheaper - or at least used to be) and see if it did what I wanted.

I had both, and once I got proficient in LR, I stopped exporting to Elements, b/c if I couldn't get what I wanted edited in LR, I found it wasn't worth the time & trouble of Elements.

I agree with Dave. I use LR5 exclusively but do have plug-ins that support LR. I have both the NIK and OnOne suites and find that is all that is needed to get exhibit quality images and prints produced.

Sheila Loc: Arizona or New York

Lightroom keeps the tags and other things you do in Lightroom. To do further work in PS you would export an adjusted file to photoshop to add layers and do any other finish processing. This file would be the file available in PS but the tags etc. Lightroom adjustments stay in Lightroom. The new PS file starts with the file you exported to Lightroom.

Dave783 Loc: New Jersey

Allen Hirsch wrote:

Dave:

If you don't have either, I'm not sure why you'd want to try to use/learn them both at once.

If I were you, I'd try one (I'd suggest LR, because I think it's better and I think it's cheaper - or at least used to be) and see if it did what I wanted.

I had both, and once I got proficient in LR, I stopped exporting to Elements, b/c if I couldn't get what I wanted edited in LR, I found it wasn't worth the time & trouble of Elements.

Allen, My thought was to get and learn LR first. I do have an old verson of Elements that I sometimes use for cutting/pasting images, modifing images, making collages by bringing in various photos on different layers, etc. I was just trying to understand when and if using both programs together, how the actual work flow goes and how the files are saved (RAW or JPEG) going from LR to Elements as I explained previously. Does LR export a JPEG to Elements? or RAW? and from which program to you export your final JPEG? Are the changes made in Elements saved back to the LR file?

Dave783 Loc: New Jersey

Sheila wrote:

Lightroom keeps the tags and other things you do in Lightroom. To do further work in PS you would export an adjusted file to photoshop to add layers and do any other finish processing. This file would be the file available in PS but the tags etc. Lightroom adjustments stay in Lightroom. The new PS file starts with the file you exported to Lightroom.

The adjusted file exported to PS would be a JPEG with only the LR adjustments applied (not tags etc), correct? Then when done with PS edits (layers, etc) that saved file would be your final JPEG. The LR adjusted file (in LR) would not have the PS changes.

Allen Hirsch Loc: Oakland, CA

LR exports jpeg. You can then save the edits you make in PSE in a new jpeg, and then re-import the "new" jpeg into LR if you want.

I think that's the way to get an image back and forth between the two programs.

I would export my final jpeg from LR, but that's because I have a plug-in that "publishes" my finished jpeg by uploading into Zenfolio and puts a copy of the export jpeg in my LR export file.

Dave783 Loc: New Jersey

Allen Hirsch wrote:

LR exports jpeg. You can then save the edits you make in PSE in a new jpeg, and then re-import the "new" jpeg into LR if you want.

I think that's the way to get an image back and forth between the two programs.

I would export my final jpeg from LR, but that's because I have a plug-in that "publishes" my finished jpeg by uploading into Zenfolio and puts a copy of the export jpeg in my LR export file.

I don't necessarily need to go back again to LR, I was just trying to understand it all. What you said akes sense to me, thanks

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

Allen Hirsch wrote:

LR exports jpeg. You can then save the edits you make in PSE in a new jpeg, and then re-import the "new" jpeg into LR if you want.

This is only partially correct. LR gives the option of exporting as JPG, PSD, TIFF, DNG, or the original image format.

Once you have done as much as you wish or can do in LR, you may continue in PSE or PS, by simply right clicking the image in LR, selecting "Edit In" and a list of your other available external editors is available to select from. This is different from the export command.

I am far from a professional photog and have both LR5 and PSE11. More than 95% of my work can be done in LR. Of course I am mostly interested in improving the images I capture as opposed to adding items to them or making pictures that did not or could not exist.

For great LR training, I recommend the DVDs from Laura Shoe or the free webinars from Creative Live.

Bpace Loc: Alabama

G,
In 8.1 you can make it boot straight to the desktop like Win 7.
Lots of other tweaks, just google what you want to do.
http://www.google.com/search?q=8.1+boot+to+desktop

Classic Shell brings back the start orb.
http://www.classicshell.net/ . its free

I just built a new computer:
Asus Z87 Pro mother board
i7-4770 CPU @ 4.2 GHZ
Samsung Pro 256 GB SSD
WD 1 TB Hard drive
16 GB ram
Asus GTX660 video card......

It rocks.
Boots to desktop in 16 seconds :-D

G Brown wrote:

I had PSE11 up and running and then bought lightroom - oops my computer was too old and cranky to run it.....had to buy a new computer. 4 months later....... it works a treat now that I have a six core chip and 16mb of ram only down side is Win 8.1.(OK I over egged the PC)

moral of the story is check the computer requirements before purchasing software.

MtnMan Loc: ID

bsprague wrote:

Really?

Yes indeed I have found those who think otherwise are fairly clueless as to what the Organizer, particularly with ACR, does.