Adobe Lightroom Alternative

[Drake]

Just found out Photoshop Elements offers everything I need and much more (some Photoshop CS features). At the price of $99 it seems to be pretty good value for money too. I am going to give it a try and then who knows, maybe buy it?

 

[usayit]

try it out.. .the free equivalent is gimp.

 

[inTempus]

Lightroom and Photoshop (including Elements) are two totally different products. If you want a free Photoshop type tool, Google Gimp.

 

[Drake]

Lightroom and Photoshop (including Elements) are two totally different products.

That's what I thought, but the last Elements version I used was 2 or 3. I just had no idea how it has changed. Version 8 has got a library and a quick edit module (similar to develop module in LR) - all I need from Lightroom, plus the full edit module, featuring some tools from the Photoshop CS series.

 

[inTempus]

If you've downloaded the free trial of Elements and it does everything you need, the $99 would be well spent in registering it.

 

[DScience]

 

[usayit]

Don't!

 

[KmH]

Elements comes with ACR (Adobe Camera RAW) which is what the image editing part of Lightroom is.

When Adobe designed Lightroom, it's main intent was to provide photographers a full featured database managing tool that also had an somewhat expanded version of ACR so basic image editing functions could be performed before the image was moved to Photoshop to be finished.

The version of ACR that you get with Elements will be missing some of the features you have been using in Lightroom, but it will be familiar none the less.

You weren't utilizing Lightroom's main feature, the database management, anyway so........

With Elements you gain layers and text but it will be difficult to edit non-destructively.

You may want to also consider a version of Corel's Paint Shop Pro, which for the price of Elements is very similar to the Photoshop CS4.

 

[usayit]

You wouldn't happen be using a mac?

Aperture 3 is $199 which slots it in between Elements and Lightroom price wise.

 

[Mulewings~]

I use PSE 5. When I don't want to mess with the original file, of course I rename the edited version.
I can also save everything in layers to work on later.

 

[Drake]

Turns out I was wrong. I've just downloaded the 1gb big trial of Adobe Photoshop 8 just to find out, it does not allow non-destructive edits. So it's no use for me after all.

@usayit: I am using Windows. Macs are not really that popular here.

 

[usayit]

Non destructive edits is one of the major selling points of lightroom... you may have to prioritize your wants and decide what you can live without.

 

[eric-holmes]

My idea, although probably illegal, find a student in the US who you trust. Paypal them some money and have them buy it for $100 and ship it to you.

May I add, what is a nondestructive edit?

 

[KmH]

Non destructive means the original pixels are not changed.

If some one has Elements (or CS4 for that matter), to make sure none of the original pixels get changed, all they need to do is make a duplicate of the original and edit that.

Making a duplicate of the original to edit, is pretty basic image editing 101 anyway.

Also in Elements non-destructive editing can be done using ACR and adjustment layers for editing.

 

[KmH]

My idea, although probably illegal, find a student in the US who you trust. Paypal them some money and have them buy it for $100 and ship it to you.

Nothing like advocating involving a person you trust, in perpetrating a fraud, in print.

Of course, registering the purloined copy would be problematic.

It's probably best to leave petty theft schemes up the the experts, who have the benefit of personal experience from their failed attempts and have subsequently attended and completed their advanced studies, at public expense mind, at one of the public criminal college's (jails) our criminal-justice system maintains.