Lightroom vs Bridge

[fralexis]

I know this must have been asked before and hotly debated. But, I just can't figure it out. I like Bridge and I really like to do PP in Photoshop. I just don't get Lightroom 3 and it really is confusing for me. It seems clumsy and hard to keep organized. Is it just me, or do others prefer Bridge? I want to do it right, but my own limitations get in the way. Thanks.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by fralexis

I know this must have been asked before and hotly debated. But, I just can't figure it out. I like Bridge and I really like to do PP in Photoshop. I just don't get Lightroom 3 and it really is confusing for me. It seems clumsy and hard to keep organized. Is it just me, or do others prefer Bridge? I want to do it right, but my own limitations get in the way. Thanks.

Perhaps at first, but with a little time behind the wheel you will get to know and love lightroom. At first I was hesitant and told my brother who had been using LR, that I didn't see how it was any better than what I was already doing with PS... all it seemed to do was add more to my workflow. Ya, not so much any more. LR is a boon to my workflow. I spend a lot less time in PS, and a lot less time over all. Importing and managing images is easy. The filters, keys, & metadata make finding stuff a breeze. Any way I know what you saying because I felt similarily at first. Oh and with PS &LR, you'll still have Bridge!
Good luck in which ever tools you choose.

[Samanax]

Originally Posted by fralexis

I know this must have been asked before and hotly debated. But, I just can't figure it out. I like Bridge and I really like to do PP in Photoshop. I just don't get Lightroom 3 and it really is confusing for me. It seems clumsy and hard to keep organized. Is it just me, or do others prefer Bridge? I want to do it right, but my own limitations get in the way.

I think you have to use what you feel is best for your own workflow. If LR3 doesn't do it for you, just keep using Bridge and Photoshop. It's your workflow and no one else can tell you what works best for you.

[rediguana]

I use LR for 90-95% of photo management and editing, and only need to export to PS for panoramas. The odd occasion I've accidently opened Bridge I shut it down quickly

Don't forget that LR integrates quite nicely with PS - as you'd expect, so it is only a couple of clicks to open an image in the LR library to edit in PS.

[fralexis]

Ok, I'll keep trying with LR. Another related question.
Do most of you use Lightroom to download from a camera card? If so, how do you manage workflow? Do you download to a generic folder and then go through that folder redirecting the photo to a spciafic foler such as "family", portraits" or "landscape" and the like? Since LR is really a cataloging sort of thing, do you use LR to sort and move photos from place to place on the hard disk? Am I confusing catalogues and collections? Thanks!

Alexis

[rediguana]

A brief overview of my workflow...
* I have a LR catalogue for each calendar year, this is to speed up performance - note that the year catalogues are only working catalogues, once photos have been fully processed I (will) put them in a keepers catalogue.
* Images are imported from card directly into the latest catalogue e.g. now I'm importing straight into the 2010 catalogue.
* I manage things like people, landscapes, birds etc vie keywords rather than folders, makes it far easier for searching in future. This sort of info is much better managed and maintained with keywords, and then create smart collections based on keywords to select all photos. Photos can generally only exist in one folder, but with keywords and smart collections they can easily exist in multiple collections without duplicating the image file
* You can manage files and folders directly in LR. In the working cats, e.g. 2010, the folders are tied to where a photo lies in my workflow. This way I can leave photos in any folder in the workflow, and the folder will tell me what I have and haven't done to the images in that folder. This is great for coming in and just working through a few photos and not losing track of where they are in the workflow. Once I get the keepers catalogue organised I will probably just have a folder for each year and rely on image metadata (which are some of my steps in the workflow).

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by fralexis

Ok, I'll keep trying with LR. Another related question.
Do most of you use Lightroom to download from a camera card? If so, how do you manage workflow? Do you download to a generic folder and then go through that folder redirecting the photo to a spciafic foler such as "family", portraits" or "landscape" and the like? Since LR is really a cataloging sort of thing, do you use LR to sort and move photos from place to place on the hard disk? Am I confusing catalogues and collections? Thanks!

Alexis

I do use LR to import off the card. I keep every thing in one folder then a subfolder names with a concatenation of the date and the event or description of the pics. Use metadata to label your pictures and add the tags such as "family", portraits" or "landscape" as well as anything else you want. You can add the metadata tags on import if everything will be taged the same or later when you are reviewing, editing & pruning your shots.
btw, There isn't a good reason I name my subfolders with a date as LR will have all that data and more as part of the import exif info.

There's tons of info on LR on the internet. One of my favorites is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Killer Tips - the video tips are all short and easy to digest.
Also you can subscribe to LR Killer Tips through iTunes and watch them when ever you want.

[Samanax]

Originally Posted by fralexis

Ok, I'll keep trying with LR.

One of the main reasons to use Lightroom is because it helps to simplify your workflow by letting you do a lot of your photo management work from one program. It's like having Bridge and ACR in one package. You can manage your catalog of images and the Develop area of Lightroom is basically the same as ACR...you can work on your RAW files from one application instead of several. And if you need to do more complicated adjustments or edits to an image, Lightroom lets you open that image right into Photoshop.

I found Mark Fitzgerald's "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom & Photoshop Workflow Bible" to be very helpful in helping me set up my own RAW workflow.

[fralexis]

Thanks so much for some great information. If you don't mind, I have one more question about this. I understand how LR acts as a catalogue, but how does this relate to the actual location of the file on the hard drive? In other words, LR searches for keywords and categories, but how does one file away photographs in folders on the hard drive...or are they all thrown into one large pictures folder? If they are filed according to year, or project, does this take place as you import from the card into LR? Thanks for your patience!

Alexis

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by fralexis

Thanks so much for some great information. If you don't mind, I have one more question about this. I understand how LR acts as a catalogue, but how does this relate to the actual location of the file on the hard drive? In other words, LR searches for keywords and categories, but how does one file away photographs in folders on the hard drive...or are they all thrown into one large pictures folder? If they are filed according to year, or project, does this take place as you import from the card into LR? Thanks for your patience!

Alexis

LR will index your images however you have the folder structure set up. You can have 1 big folder or any kind of nested folders or even folders on separate drives - Doesn't matter, LR will remember where you have the images stored and show that tree structure.
You can import and create new folders at the same time. These will be "real" folders that you could find the folder using windows explorer. If you move images around, rename folders, delete folders anything you could do using windows explorer, you can sync the changes back up with LR and it will be all good, one with the universe and all that.