Photoshop or Lightroom 3

[ChasDennis]

I am new to digital photography only been taking pics for about 8 months. All my pics have been jpeg and all I have to do to enhance them was just click on the auto adjust. Now I want to start playing around with raw. For someone new to this I am looking for advice on this matter. Please explain why you like one product over the other. Sould I get Photoshop or Lightroom 3.

Thanks for all your help

Charlie

[RichardTaylor]

I use both.

Light room for initial evaluation, cataloguing, cropping and exposure adjustment.
Sometimes that all is it is needed. So I will publish from Lightroom.

For pics that need more work I use Photoshop (CS4).
It is capable of doing almost anything (sometimes with the addition of plug ins), however what I like about it most is the ability to use layers.

You may find Lightroom meets all your needs for some time..

[nickbedford]

I actually never use Photoshop really. Lightroom does everything I need, including some decent post processing beyond the basics. That being said, I haven't had to, say, replace a background behind a model or anything.

[MattG]

Initially Lightroom. I use Gimp (free and powerful image editing software in the mold of Photoshop for specific layer based work) or Photoshop Elements if need be for anything beyond Lightroom's capabilities.

[zona5101]

its not liking one over the other - they are different animals and are designed for different purposes even though they have some similar tools. If i couldn't buy both, I'd buy LR and use a free editor such as gimp until I could get PS CS5.

LR strengths are cataloging, workflow and most image correction/enhancement
PS strength is it editing power.

[fire-eyes]

Frequently you will use both.

Lightroom3 is certainly the way to go when shooting raw. Many people find its interface and ways of doing things strange, but like anything else you'll get it with practice. To get the most out of it, be sure to keyword everything you do. Be sure to back up your catalog file! Critical.

I also use photoshop (CS4) in my workflow, but the main thing I am doing there is addon filters such as nik software sharpener pro, and occasionally minor layer work. Sharpener pro is nice -- But overkill for a lot of folks. Compared to the sharpening in lightroom 2, it was very obviously better and worth using for that reason alone. Compared to lightroom 3, things are a LOT closer. Unless you are a pixel peeper, the sharpening within lightroom 3 is going to suit you fine. Additionally, the noise removal options in lightroom 3 are extremely powerful.

[NicoleScraps]

I use both....really, I know that is not too helpful but they are both fantastic in different ways.

[Henry Wilt]

You say you "want to start playing around with RAW" so my suggestion would be to start with Lightroom 3 and learn that 1st.
Then, if / when you want to start playing with layers etc. then look at buying Photoshop or downloading GIMP for free.

This way you will be learning pp in stages, exposure, wb, noise, cropping, curves etc. etc. with LR3 before you go onto the really complicated stuff with PS or GIMP. (That's the way I'm doing it, although I might just be a slow learner )

Just my $0.02

[douglas]

I started with Gimp and Ufraw, but now use Lightroom for most of the time. I also have Elements9, this combination is fine, and I don't need PS Cs5 A lot depends on what you want to do.,but I think you will like Lightroom

[Saralonde]

I have both also, but I am one of the few that prefer PS CS5 over LR. It might be because I started with Photoshop and I'm comfortable with it. I get frustrated by the things LR can't do. But the reality is, LR is cheaper and does most of the things you need to do as a photographer. So, despite the fact I am a PS girl, I thinke LR (and possibly PS Elements or gimp) are all you need.