how do we all feel when it comes to lightroom vs. CS5?

[alexandermjoyce]

thanks for all the feedback! i have definitely realized that LR is solid for cataloging. are there major difference for LR4? i'll to try the beta. aren't small things like recovery being changed?


also, i do like elements. but not many capabilities for HDR. not that i have much experience as it is, but i have to start somewhere.

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[alexandermjoyce]

Has anyone mad ea switch from bridge to lightroom? I've just learned bridge CS5 where I do my initial looks, deletes, tagging, rating, keywords and then I usually open right in ACR and finally do any necessary final edits in PS5. I'm positive my process could be more efficient and faster, and was wondering if this is what lightroom helps with?

You'd still be doing the same things as far as deleting, tagging, rating, keywording and developing. The search or smart collection feature in Bridge is as slow as pond water compared to the search in LR.

When you are importing a shoot first and foremost use your metadata templates. For example I have a metadata template for Wrestling. Every time I am about to import a new event I edit that metadata template to reflect the date of the event, the teams that are wrestling (for a match) and if it is a match or tournament. Those keywords are automatically added. As I am processing I process each wrestler's shots all together and I then add their name as a keyword.
With a portrait shoot my keywording is done if I change the metadata to reflect the information for that shoot. I don't have to do it while I am sorting.

For deleting I don't delete individual images-that takes up time. I tag them with #6 which puts a red bar at the bottom. When I am done with the sort I then have the ratings as well as the ones to delete. I sort to only show the red tagged images, select and delete all.

Set up your ACR or Lightroom to automatically apply your basic edits. You'll find that you ALWAYS do these things-I use the same curve, same basic raw sharpening and same basic black point adjustment for each camera. Those are plugged in as my defaults. If your exposure was spot on and all you need to do is apply your basics you won't even need to open that image in ACR or develop it in LR.

You can make those defaults specific to each camera-it goes on the serial # of the camera. You can also make it specific to each ISO on each camera to reflect the proper noise removal or the different things you do at different ISO's.

Those few little things save a LOT of time!

good idea with making defaults for certain things. learningg as i go!

[alexandermjoyce]

I'm also a photography major. You definitely need CS5. If you take a workflow class (PHO250 at my college), it's all about lightroom, but for general editing you need photoshop.

i'm actually taking a LR class right, kind of boring. lots of cataloging, etc. i know how to do most. i thought there was more to it. that's what kind of made me want to start this thread, the confusion between the two programs.