Newbie question: Do I need both Lightroom AND Elements?

[Pink Dragonfly]

This might be a dumb question but I'll ask it anyway! I need some software...I've moved beyond the editing possibilities in Microsoft Office Picture Manager. I've inherited a copy of CS2 which I'm struggling with but I have found it useful in terms of image reduction and USM. The problem is that I can only take the images in one by one, so I only use it for the very special ones. I like that with MO Picture Manager I can easily flick through all the photos and do basic editing but would like something more advanced. Can Lightroom do this for me? Do I need Elements as well? Or can I do all my editing in LR? I'm not sure exactly what they each do and if they overlap or are complimentary, ie I need both. HELP!!!

Mette

[jetrim]

I know a lot of folks here will shout the praises of Lightroom but seriously, take a look at ACDSee pro there's a free 30 day trial, just like Lightroom and having tried both (and not being a slave to the Microsoft of the graphics industry) I find as good or better than Lightroom at less than half the cost. The answer to whether 1 piece of software can do all the editing depends on the level of editing you want to do. If you want to produce 7 layer, multi gradient masked, texture mapped masterpieces, you're probably gonna need more than just Lightroom or ACDSee, but if you are doing the usual tuning up of regular shots, you'll get by with eithr of these as stand alone applications.

It doesn't hurt to explore your options.

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks, Jetrim I shall keep my options open, it's just easier to use the same as everybody else when you don't have a clue what you're doing and need to ask lots of questions..I was also contemplating evening classes...At the moment, I haven't dared venture into multiple layers yet nor RAW. Cropping, re-sizing, USM, hue/saturation and basic light/contrast is where I'm at though I have been trying to teach myself cloning lately, not entirely successfully yet Words like burn and opacity scare the living daylights out of me

Mette

[jetrim]

Words like burn and opacity scare the living daylights out of me

ROFLMAO!!
Quickest cure for that is to open a shot and start clicking on everything to find out what it does :idea: Don't worry, burn and opacity aren't nearly as painful as they sound (but beware of exclusion and luminosity, they'll sneak right up and bite)

[Medley]

If you've already got CS2, then there's really no reason to get Elements. Though there are some minor differences in how tools work, Elements is basically a watered-down version of CS2.

My honest advice would be to learn what you have in CS2 before trying to decide if you need anything more. CS2 does have both batch processing capability, and something called the Image Processor, where you can open the first file in a folder, apply needed adjustments, and then apply those same adjustments to every other folder in the file. It makes short work of resizing, sharpening, and converting file formats.

A great place to begin learning about CS2 is "Photoshop CS2 for Dummies" (no disrespect intended, lol). The Dummies guides have a way of teaching you how to use Photoshop in ways that normal people can understand. And they'll make it fun at the same time. When you're done, you'll have a basic understand of the tools and functions of Photoshop. You won't know everything there is to know, but you'll know enough that you can ask specific questions about the areas you're unsure of.

Just my thoughts.

- Joe U.

[SmartWombat]

The big difference between Lightroom and Elements is that by default your editing in Lightroom is non-destructive. It doesn't change the file itself, but stores the editing commands you used and can re-apply them.

Personally, I hate the user interface of ACDSee. I got the trial download and found it almost, but not quite, unusable. It was also about 1/3 of the speed of Lightroom when opening my .CR2 raw files.

I'm sure I am not using enough of CS2 and could get by with Elements. I barely scratch the surface of what CS2 can do.

[readingr]

If you want to browse the pictures then you should have Adobe Bridge as part of CS2 which would allow you to look at all the pics and add metadata as a group or singely and other things. Then when you select one you want to work on double click and it will open up in CS2.

Not as good as Lightroom and has no editing features but it has its uses until you figure out what you want.

Roger R.

[drg]

Mette,

CS2 is a great tool. I would not use it with the latest version of Lightroom (2.2-3) as they use different RAW conversions. Adobe Photoshop ver CS3 and later are designed to be compatible with Lightroom versions greater than 2 and there are fewer conflicts.

Bridge is probably your best low cost/free solution at this point without new investment and learning a different approach.

Lightroom is a 'complete' workflow tool. It does a lot of things with a different interface than the traditional PS user is accustomed and has a result something of a learning curve to use it most effectively.

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks, guys! I'm not sure I understand it all, but it would seem that Lightroom is what I need (I didn't inherit Bridge along with CS2, but I was looking for a library where I could also do lots of "quick fixes"). Expense apart, I do kind of miss the good old film days where all my "photo time" was spent behind the camera! Yeah, I do know and appreciate the lots of advantages of DSLR, I just sometimes get frustrated with the amount of time spent at the computer...

Regarding Lightroom, presumably I can save the changes if I like them???

Jetrim, I'll keep an eye out for exclusion and luminosity and stay well clear

Mette

[SmartWombat]

In Lightrooom you don't need to save the changes.
It keeps a history without modifying the original file.
You can save a point in the editing as a snapshot in the "Develop" window, but even then it doesn't write out a file !

The only time I use the "Export" option is when I want to have a photo printed (Jpeg, sRGB), or submit it to Fotolibra for sale (Jpeg, Adobe RGB).
Oh forgot ... I use it for upload here !

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks, Paul

Mette

[stu-52]

As another newbie, I was interested in all of the items in this thread.

I have a need for post processing software and was thinking about Lightroom. I can get it at a reduced rate using my daughter's connection as a student.

I think that it's time for me to make that investment.

thanks

[Pink Dragonfly]

Hi Stuart, welcome to the most friendly and helpful forum around

On a totally separate thread in the Sony/Minolta forum, Canuck935, (who is one of the oldtimers on this site, also taking brilliant photos) wrote on Lightroom and post editing needs:

"Lightroom satisfies probably 99% of my needs. If you have Photoshop and you need layers or something else you can't achieve in LR, you can take an image from LR and send it to Photoshop. Then, do what you need to do in Photoshope, then save and close in Photoshop, and the image shows up in LR again with all your Photoshop edits. It's brilliant really."

That was just what I needed to hear, so I think you can safely go ahead and get it

Mette