Lightroom 3

[Berlee]

Question: For those of you that use Lightroom 3 and another software (Photoshop, Elements, GIMP etc) what are the things that you do in the other editing programs that you just cannot do in Lightroom 3?

I have GIMP but as I have no previous experience it is VERY difficult to really grasp it and learn what I'm doing. I have a basic understanding of the "layers" concept, but as a new photographer I am having a hard time figuring out what it is that I would really ever need GIMP for that I can't do with LR3. Cloning something undesirable out of a photo and maybe enhancing eyes or having a B&W with a color area are about the only things I can think of that I would really want to be able to do at this point that I assume I can't do in Lightroom 3.

Anything else? Do you use Lightroom more or less than other software? Do you find that Lightroom is better for changing lighting, tones, etc? Or prefer another program? I'm particularly interested in opinions on Lightroom 3 as it seems that 3 has a lot of things previous versions did not, but still would like to hear opinions on LR in general.

Thanks in advance!

[dlambert]

If I need to do something at a pixel-by-pixel basis or something that you'd do w/ layers & masks, I'll use PS-Express, but it's really very, very rare that I'm out of Lightroom.

[ravncat]

I leave lightroom 3 when I need to get complex with layers, or when I need to build or use custom filters. I also leave lightroom 3 when I want to get into anything that uses more than one image (Panorama, HDR, Montage, Collage). I also don't treat JPG images in Lightroom (though im not sure why)

see forests of athus, journeys and physics for examples
Ravncat's deviantART Gallery

You can do some cloning in Lightroom - check out the adjustment brushes in Lightroom. It`s absolutely possible to do BW with a color area in Lightroom. Though color with BW is something I prefer to do in layers - and complex manipulations involving complex cloning, are something I would leave Lightroom for (I find layers more convenient.)

I do use lightroom 3 more than other software. Perhaps because I shoot entirely in RAW, and I like what I can do in lightroom - it's much more convenient than using camera raw in photoshop, I think. I didn't really move to raw until I tried lightroom 1. I had wanted to but didn't like the plugin for photoshop back then nor the manufacturers software. I don't think lightroom is better for changing lighting and tones, but that's really because it's just ACR. (adobe camera raw). Lightroom is far above Adobe bridge in my opinion, and Lightroom just fits really well with my regular workflow - especially with the camera profiling tools available. Lightroom 3's noise handling is much better than LR2.

I haven't used aperture (being without a Mac I turned to LR first) So I would hesitate to say that LR is better than everything else out there, because there are many programs I have not used. I assume you've downloaded the 30 day trial. If you haven't try it for awhile.

[Berlee]

Nope, I went jumped in the deep end and bought it. Honestly, I did so because after asking around it seemed everyone said they had LR and used it and then had _____ software as well, and with it being the least expensive (other than free GIMP) I figured I'd go for it. I I've spent the day looking around online and checking out tutorials and the more I learn, the more happy I am I bought it. It was worth the $60.

I'm no where near ready for HDR and want to concentrate on taking good solid creative photos before learning how to manipulate a photo into something better than it was when I took it. That said, I realize I'm going to have to get this clone thing down at some point as sometimes you just mind find a piece of trash in your photo that you didn't see when you took it.

I feel like unless I'm needing to do some major manipulations, I can probably do just about everything in LR3, yes?

[Ett]

Originally Posted by Berlee

. It was worth the $60.

Where'd you get Lightroom for $60?

[Berlee]

To be honest, I don't remember lol. I have a knack for finding things incredibly cheap. I found a downloadable version somewhere online and they were having a special that day or something? I don't remember... I can see if I can find it again but I bought it like a month ago.

[Berlee]

softsupreme.net // Search results

Althooooouuuuughhhh.... I'm going to do some digging and make sure that I didn't dl some crazy version that is going to hack into my pc. I have yet to have a single problem with it in the last month though, and today I clicked on the "upgrade" option from within LR and it took me to Adobe's website and allowed me to upgrade to 3.4 with no problems.

[Berlee]

Crap.

Ok, so I wouldn't recommend going there. I think I may be in some trouble:-( I didn't realize until today just how much LR3 was because the link for this place was one of the first to pop up. Now I'm going to have to have some computer geek check my computer for garbage AND tell my sister to get a new credit card and check all of her stuff as I had to use her card when I bought it because mine was lost. Great. She will love that.

....... aaaaaaaannnnnnddddd lesson learned.

[Ett]

Yup. These sites that sell software for really cheap are not legitimate. So you've paid 60 bucks for nothing Sorry dude

[lrivetz]

If you are a student, you can get it for $89.