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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Photoshop vs Lightroom
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10/05/2020 08:39:41 AM · #1
So I use Lightroom which has not as many options as Photoshop. Personally, my computer is to slow to run photoshop :( but I should be getting a new computer in February, so should I start using Photoshop, or stick to lightroom.
10/05/2020 09:26:08 AM · #2
Lightroom has grown very sophisticated over the last few years. It's essentially Adobe Camera Raw combined with the catalog features you get from Adobe Bridge, which is what most people used with Photoshop in the days that they were separate, purchasable products.

You can do a lot of editing in just Lightroom for what would correlate to basic darkroom techniques. Where Photoshop excels is in the ability to apply selective adjustments to only certain areas of an image (which can be done sometimes using the brush or radial adjustment tools in Lightroom), and especially when you're trying to remove unwanted objects from the shot.

If you're fairly new to it I'd recommend getting good with Lightroom as those techniques will still play when you add Photoshop down the road. As you work through your edits and run into things you want to do but can't then you'll know you may need to add Photoshop.
10/05/2020 09:53:01 AM · #3
Good advice from Jake, I would add that I have given up on using Photoshop for most editing as I am much faster with Lightroom. I only use Photoshop for composites as Lightroom does not support layers. I would recommend Luminar plugin for Lightroom, it has some very useful features and even layers! And it is much easier to use than Photoshop.
10/05/2020 10:16:33 AM · #4
Thanks
10/05/2020 02:19:56 PM · #5
I've never used Luminar, but if you've got the Adobe photography bundle already you may want to try it before spending more on other software.
10/05/2020 03:29:31 PM · #6
Originally posted by photoboy19:

...but I should be getting a new computer in February, so should I start using Photoshop, or stick to lightroom.


Use Photoshop where you have to, and Lr otherwise. There is a *lot* you can do with Lightroom, as you likely already know. Personally, 95% of my editing is done in Lr, and the only time I go to Ps is for work requiring layers or extended local editing. For me, this normally applies to stitched panoramas, focus stacks, astro stuff, and a few other specialty areas.
One huge benefit of Lr is that you are always working non-destructively, and with the RAW data, so quality is maximized. Workflow can also be simplified. Example: need a high-quality print file, and both intermediate-resolution and low-resolution web files for a shoot? Three quick exports from Lr and you are done. No tedious re-saving of multiple images.
You'll probably want to learn Ps, but when you do start, remember to emphasize working non-destructively. An example of destructive editing would be cloning out a distraction. Make a mistake, and you could wind up repeating a bunch of work. But if you clone to a new layer, it's much easier to roll back to a pre-mistake state.
10/05/2020 08:29:54 PM · #7
Don't know how old your computer is, but you could try downloading an older, and free version of photoshop (CS2) that may work on your current computer. Learn on that version and you could get an idea if you want to invest on the current version when you get your new computer.

Photoshop CS2 download
Don't forget to copy down the serial number as you'll need it to activate once installed.
10/06/2020 12:29:59 AM · #8
Originally posted by Olyuzi:

Don't know how old your computer is, but you could try downloading an older, and free version of photoshop (CS2) that may work on your current computer. Learn on that version and you could get an idea if you want to invest on the current version when you get your new computer.

Photoshop CS2 download
Don't forget to copy down the serial number as you'll need it to activate once installed.


CS2 is from 2005 ....
I will never go back to this version once you get used to more recent versions
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