The Battle of the Titans: Lightroom vs. Photoshop
What are Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop?
Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop are two of the most popular image-editing software programs on the market. They have been around since 1982 and have been the most dominant software of this genre.
I am often asked my opinion of various competing software. My philosophy is that less is best.
Unless some feature has a sharp advantage, I’d rather stick with what I’ve already got—software designed to work together without requiring additional financial and training resources.
Whatever new bells and whistles Lightroom or Photoshop might not have at the moment, they will soon add.
Both programs offer a wide range of features but are designed for different purposes. Although they solve different needs, I suggest beginning with Lightroom Classic if you are starting out.
Lightroom is more intuitive after you learn how the program works, which can be confusing.
Lightroom Classic
Lightroom Classic is great for photographers who want to manage and process their photos. Think of the difference between the library card catalogs and searching with Google.
It offers a non-destructive editing workflow, which means you can change your photos without affecting the original files. This is very important if you are starting out and don’t know what you're doing.
It is very intuitive to learn to edit, and its power is expanding monthly. It also has flexible batch editing that is rivaled by few.
Although it is quick to pick up, learning how the program works and thinks is critical.
I would highly suggest watching a few basic video courses, which would get you up and running quicker than you think.
Photoshop
Photoshop is a more powerful image editing program that is designed for more complex tasks. It offers a wide range of tools for retouching, compositing, and creating graphics. Your creativity and skill set primarily limits the power of Photoshop.
This program is very complex, making it difficult to learn. There are endless YouTube and online courses.
If you are tackling this behemoth, then it is important to learn the basics, such as the tools, layers, masks, and blending modes.
Once you have these down, you can start learning specific edits you want to do through the online videos.
Don’t worry about learning anything except what you want to do. You’ll forget it all for a long time. Just keep watching those videos until it sinks in.
If you are a photographer who wants to manage and process your photos, then Lightroom Classic is a great choice. It is easy to use and offers a number of tools for adjusting your photos.
If you need to do more complex editing tasks, then Photoshop is a better choice. It offers a wider range of tools and is more powerful.
The best option would be to create a workflow where your images start in Lightroom, where you cull, organize, keyword, and do as much processing as possible. And for those best images, move them over to Photoshop if they need something tricky.
I hope this has helped you consider some options. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
About the Author: Colby McLemore
Colby McLemore is the owner and visual storyteller of Colby’s Photos & Videos. He is a full-time professional whose work revolves around advertising photography and videography for companies and individuals. He is known for his caring, fun, and easy-going demeanor and for being professional, customer-oriented, and detailed-oriented. His work is often described as creative, clean, and fresh.
He has received many accolades, including the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Readers Choice award as Best Photographer and Cityview’s Best of the Best Photographer, for years in a row. He is most proud of the awards given to him by his professional peers, including being inducted into the Tennessee Photographers Hall of Fame and being in Tennessee’s Top Ten Professional Photographers numerous years in a row.
Colby is known for his selfless giving to the entire photographic community, doing presentations and workshops for enthusiast groups and professional photography organizations throughout the US and, more recently, internationally. He was an instructor at UT’s Photography Certificate program for over seven years.
To learn more about Colby and to see examples of his work, visit his website at www.colbysphotosvideos.com.
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