New and gonna need editing program

[pcolaheadbussa]

I just ordered a nikon d90 today off ebay and am sooo excited! I know i will need an editing software and maybe something to help keep everything organized. I have heard from different forums about people having lightroom, photoshoop, and more. After comparing some like lightroom and photoshop they seem to all kinda do the same thing to me :/ I am sure there is a reason to have them both/more but i need help understanding what you use the different progams for? Maybe some suggestion on a must have or two programs? Thanks for any help guys.

 

[ghache]

If you have never used photoshop before and want something with an easier learning curve, Have a look at lightroom,
It has a great library system where you can organize all your pictures. Lightroom does a great jobs and alot of people is using it because its a bit more user frendly than photoshop
IMO if you can get your hands on both. lightroom and photoshop. its the perfect combo.



www.lightroomkillertips.com and some other sites have really nice stuff for the software.

 

[pcolaheadbussa]

But what is the point for someone to have both lightroom and photoshop if photoshop is a more advanced lightroom? Does lightroom do something that photoshop does not? Thanks for the quick response btw. I am gonna look threw it some tonight.

 

[ghache]

I am not a photoshop "expert" but i've been using Photoshop for a long time. I say photoshop is more advanced and more complicated because:

You need to have a workflow and if your using the wrong one, it wont always work. Its using a layer system that you really need to understand. Menu and tools required alot more understanding of the software to use it and you will required a more advanced training to be able to acheive the same result you could have with lighroom.

Lightroom uses a different aproach to modifying your file since every different settings you can change in lightroom are independent to each other and are not applying on each other top and can be changed anytime , doesnt required to be in a specific order like photoshop and layers. Lighroom is made for photographers and not for the other range of professions or users that requires alot more than a photo photo enhancer program.



the point of having both is to exploit best side of both

 

[pcolaheadbussa]

ahhh thanks for the explanation sir I guess ill try out the trial for lightroom when i get my new computer and see how i like it and not worry about photoshop for a bit. thanks again

 

[KmH]

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is an incomplete editing solution because it doesn't have selection tools, a layers capability, and it has very limited masking versatility. Lightroom was designed by Adobe as a complement to Photoshop CS for professional photographers making a high volume of images (or to a lessor extent to compliment the de-featured consumer version of CS - Elements).

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom's main function is image database management. The edit rendering engine Lightroom 3 uses (ACR 6 - Adobe Camera Raw 6) is included with Photoshop CS as a plug-in called Camera Raw.

Photoshop CS also includes an image file browser called Bridge. While Bridge is a browser and not a database management tool, few amatueur photographers need the complex database management ability Lightroom offers. Almost weekly people post HELP threads because they have lost image files when using Lightroom, because file management for database management is done differently than what most people are used to, browser file management.

I recommend getting one of the Photoshop CS or Photoshop Elements versions before getting Lightroom.

You should also note that Adobe has an Education Store that offers discounts of up to 80% off their retail pricing for primary, secondary, and higher education students. Adobe.com Site Requirements

 

[Tinstafl]

If you are on an apple look at aperture 3. It is only 79 dollars and it even with LR3 for many users. There are things each does a little differently, but for the most part they work very similar and you can start with that. IF you want to do layers you will need a photoshop. I use Aperture 3 and CS 5. If you are PC based you have no choice, you should get Lightroom 3 and get either an elements program too. The DAM is what is so amazing. I took 431 shots and went through and marked the ones I liked as one star then I took those into an album seamlessly and then I started to edit them. I had to go to CS5 one time in the 431 shots that I looked through after culling it down to about 100 keepers. I can go into Aperture and ask for all shots rated 3 stars and that I published on the web somewhere. Or I can look for all shots that were published in a magazine. They are all listed that way. I am going to add a metadata slot for published and I can put in either web or print and then a keyword for the name. It is very powerful. If you want to look through your entire collection of pictures for all the grandkids you can find them in seconds.

 

[rite49]

Photoshop Elements would be great for a beginner. Why not download the free 30 trial on ALL software and have a look?

 

[pcolaheadbussa]

thanks for all the explanations guys. and yes your right rite49, i am just gonna try out each of them with the trails and see what fits me well...as soon as i find a computer.