photoshop worth it?

[t5Nitro]

Hey beerguy,

What are the main tools you use in LR before switching the image to PS?
I'm getting PS, and I've used LR. I'd agree 100% it's way different, but during my free trial I didn't get a chance to really explore the program. I'm looking to buy both depending on your answer.

 

[BlueCorn]

I do virtually all of my "developing" in LR. WB, any exposure or color correction, dust removal, setting the black and white point.

The only thing that I use PS for, anymore, is dodging/burning (with a custom action, not the PS dodge/burn tools) and selective sharpening using smart sharpen and edge masks.

 

[xtm]

The only time I use PS is when I desperately need to remove an unwanted or distracting objects from my photos, but this in itself takes time, and time is money! so I'd rather compose properly to begin with rather than fixing the stuff in post.

Sometimes I also use PS's panorama tool (Automate -> Photomerge) But this is very rare, and the tool isn't perfect. It's better to just shoot with an ultrawide glass.

In the past, wedding shooters (for example) had to go through Adobe Bridge ->ACR -> Photoshop -> Macromedia Flash/Fireworks to create web-based galleries for clients...........

Lightroom does that in about 3 clicks.

 

[Maxxumless]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15543478#post15543478 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by beerguy
Sorry - but that's still not true. Sure there's crossover but it's not really a skill thing in as much a time issue. The only thing LR uses from PS is Abode Camera RAW, only it's embedded and not a standalone application.

If I go out and shoot 500 images with a dusty sensor, I can fix all of them 500 in about 10 seconds. (Same thing for white balance.) Try that in PS.

Open an image in PS, make a bunch of edits and close the file. What just happened to your history? It's gone. If you're not using layers there's no way to go back to a previous state. LR history is always available. I can see, and reverse, every edit made to any image. Yes, you can do that with layers but in LR it doesn't take up any additional space.

The web and printing modules are also significantly better than what's available in PS. Don't get me wrong, I still use PS because there are a few things that it does better, primarily selective sharpening, but LR can stand on it's own for most folks.

Cheers

Time yes, but I still know PS can run circles around LR for more 'professional' applications. For instance, using slices, PS can develop and deploy far more professional web pages than LR can.

I'm not sure what you mean that PS cannot save history (states?) without layers. PS can remember as many history states that are set in your preferences. Not to be confused with Undo - Step Backward and Step Forward can go forward or backward in the history of an image. In PS you can actually jump to any stage of your history and undo or redo. Can you do that in LR? Also, you can save your history to scripts (with each file or group of files) and access them for a later date. If you are speaking about non-destructive RAW edits, that is available in Camera RAW. It's a nice feature.

Sensor dust can be handled in several ways. LR is good at work flows - which is what it was created for. It makes things easy for the photographer this way. However, with a simple Action, dust can be removed by PS and batched out. In fact, it can work better than LR because you have more control than in LR. With Actions you can use different types of techniques. Also, if you can afford and us LR or PS you probably have a camera that can detect dust as well.

I personally use Aperture + Photoshop and I could not deal without either, but if I 'had' to choose, Photoshop still gets my vote. I went years without LR/Aperture and I could again, but I wouldn't like it

 

[BlueCorn]

1. You're making my point for me so I don't have to say much.

2. You're operating under the premise that the two products compete against each other; they don't. They're different tools that are complementary. PS is a digital graphics swiss army knife. LR is a tool that is specifically targeted at photographers.

Regarding history states. LR saves the history of the image from the time that you import it to the day that you erase it; using no additional disk space. There isn't any need to save a script because it's default behavior. With PS, once you close the image those history states are gone. Yes, you can log them to a script but you can't truly undo them.

Regarding Aperture, it's actually a very similar product to LR. I own both but can't accept the loss of image quality that using Aperture brings. It's just not as good at RAW conversion at LR or PS.

Last fall I had an Apple VP, from one of their educational divisions, in a workshop. He gets Apple software, and most of his hardware, for free. Wanna guess which one he used?

 

[BlueCorn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15547245#post15547245 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Maxxumless
Sensor dust can be handled in several ways. LR is good at work flows - which is what it was created for. It makes things easy for the photographer this way. However, with a simple Action, dust can be removed by PS and batched out. In fact, it can work better than LR because you have more control than in LR. [/B]

500 images. How long will your batch job in PS take to run? 2 hours? 3?

I can do it in under 10 seconds and still be able to undo or tweak the fix on any image because it's a non-destructive edit. You made your case that PS is better "for the professional." If you're making money selling images (and I do) which is more important.

Cheers

 

[Maxxumless]

Oh, I never said PS could replace LR or was even better than it in all respects. What I said, is if I HAD to choose between the two PS would be far better as there are methods, Actions and techniques to get by (which LR was designed to do). In other words, PS can do (for the most part) what LR can but LR cannot do what PS can (time & skill aside). That simple, that straight forward. LR is for workflows while PS is for design and creation.

Now, I am a photographer for two papers as well as a school district (which I'm a professional IT at) and take thousands of photos so I know the benefits of LR and Aperture. However, before they came out I managed, but it's far easier to do it now

 

[Hookup]

A person once asked me if I liked cake or pie better. They continued to ask other people that I knew until eventually two sides were formed. An enormous battle was organized to finally determine which was in fact the superior product, cake or pie. After 2 hours of gruling battles, no one was left standing, and therefore we could not determine the truth.

This is a true story.