Editing software

[SamiJoSchwirtz]

Hey! Merry Christmas again.
I don't know which category this would fall under so if you want to lead my post in the right direction go for it

I was wondering which editing software was better. Photoshop elements 11 or Lightroom 4. I know nothing about editing and quite frankly I suck at it! I currently have photoshop 7.. And IMO it isn't all that great.

Opinions? Suggestions? Thanks all and have a fantastic day!!!

 

[acellis]

Sami-- I use both. I do about 80% in LR4 and when i need to clone out or do some sophisticated menuvering i then edit in PSE 9. I think they are a great combination and cost effective. I do get the university discounts on most software so i take advantage. IThey both have 30 day free download trial periods so you can practice on a few "lost" images to see if you can bring them back to life. Good luck with your decision. Arthur

 

[The_Traveler]

Photoshop elements 11 or Lightroom 4. I know nothing about editing and quite frankly I suck at it! I currently have photoshop 7.. And IMO it isn't all that great.

The internet is your friend.
Use it.

software - Lightroom vs. Elements vs. Photoshop: Side-by-side comparison? - Photography

 

[KmH]

Lightroom 4 has 7 modules. Only 1 of those modules is there for editing - the Develop module.
Lightroom's main reason for being is image database management, not image editing.
Lightroom's Develop module is a parametric image editor known as Adobe Camera Raw (ACR).

Elements 11's Camera Raw has about half of the same parametric editor - ACR - that Lightroom 4's Develop module has. Elements 11 also includes an image organizer, and Element's main function is raster graphics image editing. Elements 11 includes some limited vector graphics functions/tools too.

If you want to learn how to use all 7 of Lightroom 4's modules I recommend the 667 page inexpensive and very handy reference/instruction book - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers

For a collection of Elements 11 information/tutorials get - The Photoshop Elements 11 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)

Raster graphics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vector graphics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are no parametric graphics. Parametric editors don't actually edit a photo. They just add XML line commands to a XMP file that alters the value assigned to an edit function.

 

[SamiJoSchwirtz]

Anymore opinions?

 

[table1349]

Buy CS6 and you're set. Photoshop isn't the industry standard because it "isn't that great." It performs magnificently. It's the operators that are the problem.

 

[gryffinwings]

Lightroom 4 is quite good, in my opinion it's pretty user friendly. All you need to do is dive in and see what each does and figure out what you like. In my opinion this should be easier to use.

 

[bratkinson]

Perhaps I have a screwy workflow, but it works for me. After making 'first pass' cuts using Windows Picture Viewer on the JPG and corresponding RAW files, I import the RAWs into Lightroom 4. I do most of my editing in LR 4, such as exposure, white balance, sharpening, noise reduction, perhaps some color 'touch ups' and lens correction. Then I export in JPG and use PS Elements 10 for image 'leveling', cropping, and cloning. I find those features easier to use in PSE than LR. Perhaps it's just me.

As for library management, I'm of the 'old school', and simply have separate, appropriately named folders for each shoot. Sub folders in each then separate RAW, 'from LR', 'from PS', and 'Final'. Depending on printing requirements, the cropping feature in PSE has predefined print sizes which makes cropping a breeze, thus eliminating the printer software making it's own cropping decisions. Cropped versions reside in their own sub-sub folders, depending on their cropped sizes such as 4x6, 5x7, etc.

 

[KenC]

PS will do anything you want to do. You just need to start reading/watching tutorials to learn more about it. Depending on what you will want to do with images, PS may be more than you need and perhaps Elements or LR would be enough, but since you already have PS, might as well learn how to use it. Anything you learn will carry over to the other software anyhow.

 

[KmH]

CS 6 Camera Raw and Lightroom 4's Develop module use essentially the same Adobe Camera Raw 7 (ACR 7)

ACR first appeared with Photoshop 7. CS (Photoshop 8) came after Photoshop 7, which is why CS 6 is Photoshop 13.

If you know nothing about editing, why would you be exclaiming (!) that you suck at it? Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It: Learn Step by Step How to Go from Empty Studio to Finished Image (Voices That Matter)

As it is none of the various image editing applications are necessarlly 'better', they are mostly just different.

You might also consider getting one of the open source, no charge, image editing applications like GIMP or Photoscape.

Corel also makes image editing software - $30 - PaintShop Pro X5

 

[photolisa]

I like lightroom for quick edits of adjusting colors, levels, contrast etc. For more indepth like removing something out of the image, photoshop is the way to go