When it comes to image editing software, each of us has our own preferences. When it comes to Adobe’s programs, many photographers use both Lightroom and Photoshop, each to a certain extent. However, if you’re just starting out, it can be difficult to learn both programs simultaneously. And after all, do you really need to use both? In this video, Marc Newton of The School of Photography will answer this question and help you decide which of these is a better option if you must only choose one.
To illustrate his points, Marc uses a portrait and a landscape photo, both edited in Lightroom and Photoshop. He believes that you can choose only one of these programs, but if you want to make your work really stand out, you should use them both together.
In short, when editing a portrait photo in Lightroom, you can make many global adjustments: white balance, contrast, curves, exposure, cropping, etc. There are also some local adjustments you can work on. However, for some fine-tuning, retouching and more precise local adjustments, you need Photoshop. When it comes to landscape photos, you can apply the same global adjustments in Lightroom. When it comes to merging HDR, this is where you also might wanna use Lightroom rather than Photoshop, because it gives you a higher dynamic range. However, if you want to clone out some unnecessary elements from an image, this is way better to do with Photoshop. So, in summary, it turns out that you need to use both Photoshop and Lightroom. But if you really want to choose only one, Marc would go for Lightroom. It enables you a fast workflow, but there are also plenty of editing options within the Develop module that let you edit photos and achieve a professional look. Personally, I use both Lightroom and Photoshop and I wouldn’t know which one to choose. I edit my raw files in Lightroom and I love it because of the fast workflow. I don’t edit my photos too much, so I’m pleased with the results I get using only Lightroom. However, I use Photoshop for some “fine-tuning.” Also, I can’t imagine doing my job without it because I often use it to create lead images for DIYP articles. I know how to use both programs, but for beginners, I’d personally recommend learning Lightroom first because I find it much more intuitive. Of course, it’s just my two cents, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Which of these two programs do you use more? And if you had to choose only one, which one would it be? [Lightroom or Photoshop? – Why you need to use both via FStoppers]
