Lightroom still has strong editing capabilities which may actually be enough for some photographers to create their desired effects. Lightroom also automatically gathers metadata on each image, including aperture, camera make and model, date and time and resolution, helping you single out each image with much better precision. With the opportunity to create databases of your photos and highlight, star or flag particular images, organising your workflow with Lightroom is much simpler than in Photoshop or Adobe Bridge. Photographers who take their pictures in the recommended RAW format can upload their collections straight to Lightroom and begin editing, something which isn’t possible when using Photoshop alone. These presets, available through Adobe or third-party creators can save editors huge amounts of time if the same edits need to be made to a whole collection. Lightroom users are able to apply preset edits across a range of photos all at the same time.
Lightroom has a much more basic interface in comparison to Photoshop, meaning users who already have experience with editing software may be able to get to grips with Lightroom much quicker. While both tools have extensive uses for photographers, identifying each one’s strengths and weaknesses is useful for those hesitant to commit to Adobe’s creative suite. Don't have either programme yet? Get a free trial of Creative Cloud, explore our list of the best Adobe Creative Cloud discounts at the moment and see the deals we've found below. To help make a decision on which software is right and where to start, we'll now look at Photoshop vs Lightroom.
Sure what you want? See how to download Photoshop here. Of course, there are alternatives to both, which you'll find in our list of the best photo apps and photo-editing software. Photoshop, though, is heavy-duty photo editing software (it also has an iPad app) that professional photographers use as part of their workflow. Lightroom is a lightweight, cloud-based, simple tool, which you may find easier to get the hang of. And knowing the differences between Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop is a helpful first step for aspiring image editors.īoth Lightroom and Photoshop may both be image editing tools, but they're a long way from being the same thing. If you're starting out in image editing, it's crucial to understand which software to use and when. Adobe creates brilliant, feature-packed software that gets the job done with minimal fuss. The industry has long been dominated by Adobe's editing software, and not without good reason.