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03/19/2013 10:21:41 AM · #1 |
So,
I previously used Lightroom 4 until our Laptop was stolen before xmas.
I had nothing against LR except that I wanted to be able to insert/delete certin parts of images, and LR didn't allow me to do that. It pretty much just helped with sharpening, colour saturation, and noise reduction.
I have only ever used PS once (on a mate's computer) and it just seemed far too complicated. However, I got a special offer email yesterday for PS Elements and made the impulse buy.
I'm pretty excited to get home and have a play around with it... but as with most impulse buys... I'm slightly regretting buying something that I have no idea about.
Can anyone tell me what it's like generally? Limitations/strengths? And how it compares against the full blown PS.
Bear in mind that I'm a noobie when it comes to photo editing, and my main use will simply be for sumbissions to DPChallenge.
Thanks in advance all.
Al |
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03/19/2013 10:46:45 AM · #2 |
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03/19/2013 10:57:56 AM · #3 |
I use photoshop elements and find you can do most things you can do in CS most things require a little creativity though to work around what you can't do. The biggest complaints I have is the limited curves adjustment and every once and awhile for an expert editing challenge I would like to distort the image and PSE is very limited in what you can do.
It sounds like you are a beginner with editing anyway so PSE should provide you with anything you might need and then some.
Here are a few things you should take the time to learn:
1. How to use an adjustment layer
2. How to mask and reveal on your new layers
3. How to use the clone and healing brush
4. How to use levels
5. How to use the dodge and burn tool
6 How to make selections
The most important thing that photoshop will allow you do do that lightroom wont is the ability to make a new layer and adjust parts of it separately from the rest. For instance if you want just the eyes sharp in an image and everything else soft then you can make a new layer adjust the sharpness on the eyes and mask everything else out. |
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03/19/2013 11:38:25 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by sjhuls:
For instance if you want just the eyes sharp in an image and everything else soft then you can make a new layer adjust the sharpness on the eyes and mask everything else out. |
you can do that in lightroom with the brushes. the brushes basically paint masks and you can adjust certain aspects of those masks.
this allows you to adjust selectively things like saturation, clarity, exposure, sharpness, etc.
ETA the only limitation I really see with lightroom in my normal workflow is major skin retouching and cloning. i do lots of portraits and the skin smoothing tool doesn't cut it it for closeup facial shots.
Message edited by author 2013-03-19 11:41:12. |
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03/19/2013 11:42:07 AM · #5 |
Great advice Jennifer! I too think that Elements will do what you want it to do. Lr is not the tool for extensive spot editing, that's for sure. What Lr does it does very well though. If you shoot a lot and shoot in RAW it can be an indispensable tool for rapid culling, develpoment, organization, publication...
If you lost Lr due to the disappearance of the laptop, you can probably recover it. If you downloaded it from Adobe, they have a record of your purchase and your license key. Log into your Adobe ID, and you should be able to find the information. Failing that, call their customer support. |
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03/19/2013 11:50:37 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
Originally posted by sjhuls:
For instance if you want just the eyes sharp in an image and everything else soft then you can make a new layer adjust the sharpness on the eyes and mask everything else out. |
you can do that in lightroom with the brushes. the brushes basically paint masks and you can adjust certain aspects of those masks.
this allows you to adjust selectively things like saturation, clarity, exposure, sharpness, etc.
ETA the only limitation I really see with lightroom in my normal workflow is major skin retouching and cloning. i do lots of portraits and the skin smoothing tool doesn't cut it it for closeup facial shots. |
I don't have a lot of experience with lightroom did the free trial twice and just couldn't figure out how to use it, plus I know photoshop so well I didn't see the need to figure it out. One thing I am curious about is the use of plugins with lightroom. I use an SEP adjustment layer on nearly every one of my shots also about half of my images have a topaz layer on them with parts masked out. Does lightroom have this ability? |
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03/19/2013 12:07:58 PM · #7 |
I have full blown CS6 extended.... and Elements 8... now the learing curve on full blown PS may drive u CRAZY... and I've found after the big ol chunk of change that if I had purchased a few add one software programs like , Niks adjust, Topaz Remask, and I kinda like topaz denoise over niks sorta kinda.... but all those add in programs will fit into Elements and you can gain the control you might feel you have lost in elements,. Nik color adjust (probaly calling that wrong since I don't have it open,) has an EXCELLENT curves adjustment in it!! I like em both for different reasons, but would probaly pick NIK if I could only pick one, even their denoise is excellent, I've just workd more with topaz denoise and you know how it goes what u use is what u like...
The one tool I missed in elements BUT it may be in the updated ones is the bandaid tool... OMG I use that soo much to take little poopy spots and hairs outta stuff,,,, yes you could use the clone tool, but this sucka is a one touch click content aware... I thought I had sensor spots in a shot the other day, and ended up clicking out a bunch of birds in the sky... ROFLMAO
Duhh I needed a brain transplant I put that I had CS5 before elements.. doof.... Hey BTW you can do batch editing in Elements which so far I can't find to do in CS5... Ie if you've got a bunch of shots from one location you can set the contrast and brightness etc... to apply to all, Excellent for mas shots like Rodeo events, horse shows ... bla bla bla....
Message edited by author 2013-03-19 12:11:03. |
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03/19/2013 12:08:29 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by sjhuls:
One thing I am curious about is the use of plugins with lightroom. |
Lightroom was designed to leave space for third party filters. I do most of my plugins in PS, but I know that Nik and Topaz plug ins work in Lightroom, but you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks.
Message edited by author 2013-03-19 12:09:46. |
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03/19/2013 12:13:38 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by littlemav:
The one tool I missed in elements BUT it may be in the updated ones is the bandaid tool... OMG I use that soo much to take little poopy spots and hairs outta stuff,,,, yes you could use the clone tool, but this sucka is a one touch click content aware... I thought I had sensor spots in a shot the other day, and ended up clicking out a bunch of birds in the sky... ROFLMAO |
They have had that in element for quite some time, I use it all the time you can use it two different ways. The first way is sort of more automatic it chooses stuff from the surroundings and then uses it to heal spots. Or the second way (the way I usually use it) is you get to chose the area you want it to use by alt/clicking and then you use it to spot heal from that source. |
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03/19/2013 12:21:48 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Originally posted by sjhuls:
One thing I am curious about is the use of plugins with lightroom. |
Lightroom was designed to leave space for third party filters. I do most of my plugins in PS, but I know that Nik and Topaz plug ins work in Lightroom, but you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. |
topaz is stand alone now isn't it? no need for a base software? |
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03/19/2013 12:24:21 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Originally posted by sjhuls:
One thing I am curious about is the use of plugins with lightroom. |
Lightroom was designed to leave space for third party filters. I do most of my plugins in PS, but I know that Nik and Topaz plug ins work in Lightroom, but you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. |
topaz is stand alone now isn't it? no need for a base software? |
I suppose if you want to use it that way. I prefer to use photoshop as my base software. |
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03/19/2013 12:30:47 PM · #12 |
I'm an Elements 9 user and I do like it. For a not so experienced photographer/post-processor it really is a good start to learn the basics of post processing. When I bought the program, I also bought a book with lots of tricks and tips. It's from Scott kelby and Matt Kloskowski and its title is: The Photoshop Elements 9 bookm for digital photographers. I'm quite sure they have an update for elements 10 or 11 as well. Recommended!
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03/19/2013 12:40:29 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
topaz is stand alone now isn't it? no need for a base software? |
No, Topaz software is not available as a stand alone. Topaz software are plug-ins only and must be used with a compatible image editing host program.
Frankly since Elements does 90% of what PS does (including run Topaz) it is the better learning tool. PS is larded with redundant ways to do the same thing, because they found a better way, but kept the old one too. It is confusing and has a horrible learning curve. The only things you can't find some hack or workaround to have Elements emulate Photoshop are the latest tools like puppet warp and smart fill and some really fine tuning of color channels and the like.
Message edited by author 2013-03-19 12:48:57. |
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03/19/2013 12:55:30 PM · #14 |
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03/19/2013 01:29:56 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
No, Topaz software is not available as a stand alone. Topaz software are plug-ins only and must be used with a compatible image editing host program.
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That's why i asked, i thought they came out with (or were) a standalone version. |
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03/19/2013 01:32:02 PM · #16 |
yes, this is great, when i n lightroom, the "edit in ..." option is great. it open the base file , allows you to edit and when you save, go back into lightroom and your LR edits are still applied. |
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03/19/2013 02:52:08 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
yes, this is great, when i n lightroom, the "edit in ..." option is great. it open the base file , allows you to edit and when you save, go back into lightroom and your LR edits are still applied. |
I actually don't use the "edit in" feature at all. Lr is where I develop my "film." Photoshop is where I manipulate the print. My edited files reside in different places than my "originals' library.
Message edited by author 2013-03-19 14:52:24. |
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03/19/2013 03:01:02 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by mike_311:
yes, this is great, when i n lightroom, the "edit in ..." option is great. it open the base file , allows you to edit and when you save, go back into lightroom and your LR edits are still applied. |
I actually don't use the "edit in" feature at all. Lr is where I develop my "film." Photoshop is where I manipulate the print. My edited files reside in different places than my "originals' library. |
i like the way that sounds but don't you like to go back into the file in LR and make adjustments. what do you do when it come time to export to prints? do you use Photoshop for all that?
i prefer to use light room to edit, since it much much easier. but often i need to Photoshop to make someone look good and fix up the picture. generally i don't realize that until i get into the editing.
i really wish i could use one program, Photoshop is maddeningly inefficient at processing multiple images and lightroom is just lacking in too many aspects of my workflow. but light room is essential to my workflow and organization.
i love hearing how other works, so i can learn new tricks.
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