Aperture/Lightroom vs. PS

[sepiareverb]

I like that one can have the same controls with a TIFF file that one does opening a RAW file with Lightroom. I really like the RAW adjustments in Adobe DNG Converter, and they are all right there in lightroom for any file- any time.

I used LR2 for a while, mostly with color negative scans, and have just gotten 3 today which I've not used yet. The management libraries & etc. are truly annoying and despite really trying I could never find the first batch of things I imported after I did a second import, then those were gone forever with the third import, etc. etc. Even bought a big book and tried to understand the file management without any success. I like Bridge an awful lot, even more so in CS4.

The healing tool worked well, but having the circles everywhere I used it kinda sucked. I guess that can be turned off somehow- again, couldn't figure that out. PS is pretty darn intuitive for me, and was so right off- LR was not.

 

[j j]

Bridge - peruse, select da stinkin' photo, click and it brings up ACR or PS depending on format...
ACR - if RAW file... integrates perfectly with PS. Make your "basic edits".
PS - the best image editor - by far, ever devised. Do whatever without limitation, without constraint.
Picasa 3 - view/tag images... 100% free. Thank you, Google.

Yeah, why use one piece of software when four can do the job? As you say, each to their own.

 

[user237428934]

I used LR2 for a while, mostly with color negative scans, and have just gotten 3 today which I've not used yet. The management libraries & etc. are truly annoying and despite really trying I could never find the first batch of things I imported after I did a second import, then those were gone forever with the third import, etc. etc. Even bought a big book and tried to understand the file management without any success. I like Bridge an awful lot, even more so in CS4.

The healing tool worked well, but having the circles everywhere I used it kinda sucked. I guess that can be turned off somehow- again, couldn't figure that out. PS is pretty darn intuitive for me, and was so right off- LR was not.

I don't understand the problem with the file management. You can:
a) Copy the files to the right place with the tools of your operating system and then import them in Lightroom. This is done without moving the files on the disk again (if you tell lightroom not to move the files).
b) Insert the card, Lightroom does the import and copies the files to the location you specified.

There is no magic thing like a library that sucks in your files and you don't find them anymore. Lightroom organizes the files exactly as you want it. They are there on the disk (real files, real folders).

Healing Tool: in the development pane there is a button "close" just beneath the healing-spot options. Then LR knows you are done with healing and it hides the healing-circles.

 

[sepiareverb]

I don't understand the problem with the file management.

Like I said- LR just is not at all intuitive for me. The whole notion of Import instead of Open is part of my confusion I suppose. It seems like iPhoto in that regard.

 

[gavinlg]

I think the very thing that is so good about lightroom - working from references and not original files is the thing a lot of people find it hard to wrap their head around.

Unfortunate for them though, because it's such a better way of doing it.

 

[Mcary]

Healing Tool: in the development pane there is a button "close" just beneath the healing-spot options. Then LR knows you are done with healing and it hides the healing-circles.

Or
just click the Icon a again.

Or
To use the healing tool without having the development panel visible just press "Q" then use { &} to adjust the size of the circle. To hide the circles just press "Q" again.

 

[NickTrop]

Yeah, why use one piece of software when four can do the job? As you say, each to their own.

Why use a nice component stereo system with great speakers, amp, receiver, CD player, turn table that integrates seamlessly as a system when I can run out and buy me a Sanyo "boom box"?

 

[j j]

Why use a nice component stereo system with great speakers, amp, receiver, CD player, turn table that integrates seamlessly as a system when I can run out and buy me a Sanyo "boom box"?

Both have their uses.

I was amused to read your rants, I like to hear passion, I personally do not care for LR and I would not advise people to use it unless that's what they want. But, the problems you wrote that you have with LR seemed mostly to be misunderstandings about what it does and how. Such as auto switch on when media is detected (on or off is your choice), it telling you what to do with files (you tell it what to do) and LR not doing all PS's tricks then using three programs to do LR's tricks.

The answer to your question and mine is "because you want to".

 

[Jim Domke]

You can use the FREE Picasa to sort and organize then Photoshop Elements offers some useful albums to organize images. I use Photo Mechanic instead of Bridge, it seems faster and it's purpose is editing. If you need CMYK go to PS, otherwise keep it simple and take advantage of PSElements which makes it easy to create slide shows, PhotoMail automaticallly reduces file size, etc.

 

[swoop]

I really like Lightroom 3. Currently using it on a 2yr old iMac but plan on getting Win7 desktop in a few months.

 

[NickTrop]

Like I said- LR just is not at all intuitive for me. The whole notion of Import instead of Open is part of my confusion I suppose. It seems like iPhoto in that regard.

Amen... It's funny. Lightroom reminds me of the film "Inception" that's out now... Saw it. It blows. 87% on Rotten Tomatoes or not. Don't care. I'm, once again, in the minority - and as always when I'm in the minority, its one of those cases where the minority is correct and the majority is wrong. I'm scratching my head wondering how anyone could like this insipid piece of crap. People ask me if I liked this flick, and I say it blows... I actually hate it, and they get angry. To quote Joel of MST3000 - "It's a movie. Maybe you should just relax..." It's software, which I happen to think stinks, but that's my opinion maybe we should just relax.