Steve Kelly
Prominent Member
Im considering getting Lightroom for my photo editing needs.
Im a budding noob amateur home photographer, only doing this for a hobby.
I only have a digital compact at the moment, an Olympus XZ-1, which has the ability to shoot RAW.
I have Photoshop CS3, and I just got the Nik collection. So thats ok for my JPG-editing needs (old photos).
Im quite sure, from the little Ive read so far, that to get the best out of my end product, Im best off using the RAW image for my base pics to edit.
(and since Im addressing this to Lightroom users, Ill assume that you agree with that. I dont want to get into the RAW vs JPG debate here), so going forward I plan to shoot RAW, and go from there.
Ill outline what I want to be able to do, and then you it would be great if you could let me know if LR does it all:
- Standard adjustments... RGB Levels/Balance/Curves, Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation, Shadows, Exposure (I know that it does this one! )
- Standard mouse tools... Crop, Slice, Healing tools?, Brush, and all the other things Ive never used! (but might one day, once I learn the tools)
- Filters? any effects come with LR?
- I have Nik collection, Im sure Ive read that I can use these 2 together. You can confirm this is if you like! (and tell me how wonderful they work together)
- Key requirement - I want to be able apply the adjustments to the pic as a whole, and also to specified areas/parts of the picture (I dont know how to do this in PS, but its the mainest thing Im keen to learn how to do).
So does it have a tool where you can highlight/select an object (automatically upon clicking, maybe?!), where you point in the right direction, and it auto figures out the objects outline and highlights it for you... and then from there, either make adjustments to that part(s) within the highlight, or alternatively, to everything-but, the thing that youve highlighted. Hope this makes sense.
Best/easiest example of what I mean is... you know those pics where most of the background is in black and white, but certain objects in the pic are in colour, something highlighted, like a flower, or a car, or a pair of lips!. Im sure theres a name for that type of image, but I dont know what it is.
I want to be able to do that. Not necessarily the black n white thang, but just make adjustments to certain parts of the pic.
It may be as simple as a horizontal (ish) line the whole width of the pic, to separate the sky fromthe rest, for adjustments. Or it could be everything but the sky.
Or it could be something more complex, like a person, etc.
Is this possible in LR? is it simple enough to learn/master?
- So for any edits from opening a RAW file, these are saved in a separate file, right? and then when youre done you export to JPG, I assume? and the RAW file always stays untouched? Are there any limitations here, as to how much editing you can do? layers, and such forth?
Ill leave it at that for now.
I do know that there are tutorials available, as do I know that I can get the trial version. But I thought that before I went through all that (only to potentially find disappointment at the end of it), I thought Id ask you lovely helpful people first on my main key questions.
Plus I havent got much spare time next week, so I only want to start up the trial when Ive got time to actually trial it!
Thanks folks
Sorry for the epic...
Steve.
Im a budding noob amateur home photographer, only doing this for a hobby.
I only have a digital compact at the moment, an Olympus XZ-1, which has the ability to shoot RAW.
I have Photoshop CS3, and I just got the Nik collection. So thats ok for my JPG-editing needs (old photos).
Im quite sure, from the little Ive read so far, that to get the best out of my end product, Im best off using the RAW image for my base pics to edit.
(and since Im addressing this to Lightroom users, Ill assume that you agree with that. I dont want to get into the RAW vs JPG debate here), so going forward I plan to shoot RAW, and go from there.
Ill outline what I want to be able to do, and then you it would be great if you could let me know if LR does it all:
- Standard adjustments... RGB Levels/Balance/Curves, Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation, Shadows, Exposure (I know that it does this one! )
- Standard mouse tools... Crop, Slice, Healing tools?, Brush, and all the other things Ive never used! (but might one day, once I learn the tools)
- Filters? any effects come with LR?
- I have Nik collection, Im sure Ive read that I can use these 2 together. You can confirm this is if you like! (and tell me how wonderful they work together)
- Key requirement - I want to be able apply the adjustments to the pic as a whole, and also to specified areas/parts of the picture (I dont know how to do this in PS, but its the mainest thing Im keen to learn how to do).
So does it have a tool where you can highlight/select an object (automatically upon clicking, maybe?!), where you point in the right direction, and it auto figures out the objects outline and highlights it for you... and then from there, either make adjustments to that part(s) within the highlight, or alternatively, to everything-but, the thing that youve highlighted. Hope this makes sense.
Best/easiest example of what I mean is... you know those pics where most of the background is in black and white, but certain objects in the pic are in colour, something highlighted, like a flower, or a car, or a pair of lips!. Im sure theres a name for that type of image, but I dont know what it is.
I want to be able to do that. Not necessarily the black n white thang, but just make adjustments to certain parts of the pic.
It may be as simple as a horizontal (ish) line the whole width of the pic, to separate the sky fromthe rest, for adjustments. Or it could be everything but the sky.
Or it could be something more complex, like a person, etc.
Is this possible in LR? is it simple enough to learn/master?
- So for any edits from opening a RAW file, these are saved in a separate file, right? and then when youre done you export to JPG, I assume? and the RAW file always stays untouched? Are there any limitations here, as to how much editing you can do? layers, and such forth?
Ill leave it at that for now.
I do know that there are tutorials available, as do I know that I can get the trial version. But I thought that before I went through all that (only to potentially find disappointment at the end of it), I thought Id ask you lovely helpful people first on my main key questions.
Plus I havent got much spare time next week, so I only want to start up the trial when Ive got time to actually trial it!
Thanks folks
Sorry for the epic...
Steve.