What is the Difference Between Lightroom and Photoshop?
There is no doubt that in the world of digital photo editing, Adobe has given us the most powerful tools to use. But many people have asked the question; what's better, Lightroom or Photoshop?
There are obvious pros and cons of each, and while there are many similarities there are also some important differences.
To give you a quick idea of how the two programs work, Adobe Photoshop functions as a digital darkroom, allowing users to adjust and alter details on any image. On the other hand, Adobe Lightroom serves as an entire photography studio, giving users access to importing, editing, and exporting of photographs.
However, even if both programs serve different primary functions, the lines between them are becoming blurred. Additionally many artists have started using Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw, two integrated programs for Adobe Photoshop, which support it to create a workflow that closely resembles Adobe Lightroom.
Because of this, there are more and more similarities between the two programs. Still, the primary purpose they serve does differ, and the two programs remain separate.
In this article, we will tackle the differences and characteristics of each program to help you decide which solution is best suited to your needs.
Adobe Photoshop
Saying that Adobe Photoshop is the most popular editing software in the world is an understatement. It has become so popular that since its release in 1988, it has become synonymous with image editing and digital art as a whole. Adobe Photoshop has set the standards in many industries, including graphic design, architecture, publishing, and photography.
Outside of the corporate world, it is also used by many pros and amateurs alike and has become a global product, available in 26 languages.
Adobe Photoshop was created for simple photo editing, but throughout the years, its use has expanded and it has found its way into studios, companies, and homes. Photoshop has become a powerful program, allowing it to be used for much more than photo editing shell, now it is being used by artists to create their art from scratch.
Photoshop has also adapted to become a pixel-level editor, letting artists get inside every detail of their digital image. But this is where we question ourselves: when is it time to use Photoshop?
When to Use Photoshop
The honest answer to that depends on your experience. It is generally advisable to use Lightroom first if you're a beginner. But if you prefer a more robust and detailed approach to your digital art needs, then Adobe Photoshop is a great tool to achieve your desired results.
If you're still not sure and would like to know more about Photoshop's uses, here's a breakdown of the areas where Photoshop outperforms Lightroom.
Composites
This allows the user to make a new image by taking apart your favorite images and putting them all into one, like a collage.
Panoramas
While this feature is also available in Lightroom, Photoshop has slightly better functionality allowing users to stitching their favorite photos together for beautiful panoramas.
HDR
This feature allows Photoshop users to pull out shadows and highlights from various exposures by blending images. However, HDR plugins for Lightroom such as Photomatix also gives users this feature, albeit with a different effect.
Advanced Retouching
This is an advanced editing tool, which allows for pixel-level control of editing photos. It can also make adjustments, such as making people taller and making waists thinner.
Advanced Healing
Photoshop also outperforms Lightroom in this aspect. While they both have this feature, only Photoshop has content-aware features which make the healing brush and patch tools more effective.
photoshop Add-ons
For aspiring photographers and professional photographers alike, Photoshop has answered their needs through the use of support programs, Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw.
Adobe Bridge is the first step in developing a workflow, where users can import their photos from a memory card, and organize them. This speeds up the process of browsing, especially if the images are under a RAW format.
This is where Adobe Camera Raw serves as a crucial addition to the Photoshop process, where you can edit every detail of your photographs. Over the years, features of the Adobe Camera Raw have become more functional than ever. It includes features such as adjustment layers, white balance, curves, exposure to lens correction, and the Magic Healing Brush tool.
Once you've made your adjustments in Adobe Camera Raw, you can then open your photos in Photoshop, where they are imported in RAW format. Using Photoshop, you can apply all the heavy-duty editing, such as using precise filters and beautiful compositions.
Using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge, and Adobe Camera Raw together provides an excellent post-production workflow that allows for a continuous and straightforward process.
For users who don't do heavy editing, then, likely, you will only need Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw to complete your images. This solution demands less on your computer compared to Lightroom, which typically eats up vast amounts of memory.
On the downside, we face a workflow that isn't able to give us everything we need in one package. Ultimately, for artists that need Photoshop often, there is a constant need to have all three programs opened at any one time to edit a photo.
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom may not be as popular, but it is still a powerful photo editor that contains a subset of Photoshop's features. These are customized to better suit photographers and their needs. As such, Lightroom pretty much covers all the tools for image manipulation that a photographer will need, rather than a digital artist in general.
However, Lightroom is capable of more than just editing photos. It can also import, manage, organize, and track your images. Effectively, Lightroom is a tool that does all your photo editing and photo management for you.
A great trademark that Lightroom has is its non-destructive capabilities, which allows for smooth and seamless editing without having to worry about the "save as" button. Lightroom doesn't have a save button at all, and as a result, all your edits are kept in the Lightroom catalog. This tool automatically records a database of edits and the history of every photo.
Because of these features, Lightroom has the edge over Photoshop when it comes to workflow. Users can move multiple images throughout the hard drive, create collections and slideshows, add keywords, and share photos on social media easily using Lightroom.
Another powerful advantage that outshines Photoshop is Lightroom's ability to sync or copy existing photo edits to multiple photos at once. You can also create your own presets in Lightroom to use and apply throughout your photos. This feature unquestionably saves time and effort for photographers who shoot plenty of raw images.
When to Use Lightroom
Essentially, Lightroom is the first stop when it comes to editing photos whether you have a little or a vast experience with editing software. Because it is much easier to use than Photoshop, it gives a user-friendly way to edit photos for users who don't need heavy-duty adjustments. It is also a simple and straightforward solution for people looking to do a last minute tweak to their photos.
To clear up the differences of Lightroom from Photoshop, here is a breakdown of its capabilities where it performs better.
Catalog
This serves as the core of Lightroom and is where images, along with its information, are stored. Here, you can create collections and folders to organize your work.
Modules
Unlike Photoshop, Lightroom makes use of modules for its user interface. These various modules work together to provide a seamless, post-production process.
Library Module
This is where you can organize your photos and videos, as well as add metadata, and rate your images. The Library module also provides a glimpse of all the images in your Lightroom catalog.
Develop Module
This is a more powerful version of Adobe Camera Raw, where you can adjust your JPEG and RAW images. You'll probably spend most of your time here to get creative with your photos.
Lightroom also has a Slideshow, Book, Web, and Print module to provide a solution for all your image publishing needs.
summary
While Photoshop offers similar results, Lightroom excels in a better workflow and gives us an all-in-one solution for everything we need, including organizing, editing, and publishing our photographs.
Lightroom is also customizable in its entirety, meaning, you can deliver your final edit and export it through the same window you started it in.
However, when it comes to creating complex edits — like a multiple-image composition, for example — you will need to edit your photos in Photoshop.
As discussed above, Lightroom can be a bit of a memory eater, depending on the specs of your machine. But as long as your PC can handle it, Lightroom is still one of the best post-production programs you can get your hands on.
So... Which One is Right for You?
There's no right or wrong answer, and it all boils down to your personal preference. The great news is that you can now use both Lightroom and Photoshop together, thanks to the Creative Cloud. For just $10 a month, you can use both programs as long as you are subscribed to Adobe's software here.
Of course, you can still buy individual versions of Photoshop and Lightroom, if you're not looking for a subscription, with the links at the end of this page.
If you're new to editing or you decide to work in the photography industry, I would suggest starting with Lightroom then ease your way into Photoshop. They are both incredible and powerful tools to channel your post-production creativity, but the key is to choose the right editing program for your photo editing needs.
To simplify the reasoning behind starting with Lightroom first, here are a few points to guide you along:
It's easier to learn Lightroom compared to Photoshop.
Lightroom is a solid basis for most of your editing needs and can handle 90% of your editing tasks alone.
Lightroom has an easy and established a workflow for photography.
Lightroom makes the process simpler and more efficient for sorting and organizing photos.
Lightroom can mass edit and apply templates throughout your photos as opposed to doing them all one-by-one.
Lightroom has a non-destructive editing process, which allows the original file to remain the same, even after editing.
Lightroom can display metadata while you edit your photos.
Lightroom is much cheaper than Photoshop.
However, if you want to take your editing to the next level, then, by all means, get a copy of Photoshop too. Photoshop will help with complex editing that you can't get out of Lightroom.
Conclusion
Lightroom offers a more simplified, organized, and quicker way around photos, editing, and publishing them for all users to enjoy. While it comes with a learning curve for first-time users, Lightroom gives an enjoyable and seamless experience at the cost of more firepower from your PC or laptop.
On the other end, Photoshop may be less organized and can clutter your workspace along with Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw, but it can prove to be a better tool at handling complex edits. It also demands less from your devices and can be used alone once the first edits are done.
All in all, each user has different needs and preferences, and the solution that will work best for you will depend on the edits that you need to make. Adobe has also provided an affordable option for those who would like to try their luck with both software, so if you're still wondering what one has over the other, then head over to these links and find out firsthand what Photoshop and Lightroom have in store.
Do you agree with our list of Photoshop and Lightroom differences? Did we miss out on anything? Don't hesitate to leave your feedback; we would love to hear from you in the comments section below.
You can buy your stand-alone copies here:
