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Learn the key differences between Lightroom and Photoshop! This tutorial shows how to use Lightroom for organizing, culling, and batch-editing large volumes of photos, ideal for events like weddings. Then, see how Photoshop excels at detailed, single-image edits, like adding new elements or complex retouching.
Follow along with all 30 episodes as we explore the the magic of Photoshop together!
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Image Source
- Fadhil Abhimantra
- Grégoire Hervé-Bazin
Images sourced from Unsplash.
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AFTER
BEFORE
Know The Difference
A powerful photography workflow depends on mastering both Lightroom and Photoshop. While Lightroom is ideal for managing and editing large batches of images, Photoshop offers the tools for detailed, single-image manipulation. Understanding their unique strengths and how to use them together is the key to an efficient and seamless editing process.
Organize Your Photos
1. The first step is to organize your photos in Lightroom. You can import images from your hard drive or a memory card. To import, click and drag them into the Lightroom Classic catalog.
2. For organization, you can use folders and file renaming (go to Library > Rename Photos).
3. A key feature is culling, which means selecting your best images from a shoot. Use the G key to switch to Grid View, then hold Ctrl/Cmd to select multiple images for comparison. Assign ratings (1-5 stars) or flags to your favorite images to filter them easily.
Batch Editing
Lightroom is perfect for applying the same edits to multiple photos at once.
1. Select an image and go to the Develop module to make your adjustments.
2. Once you’re satisfied with the changes, return to the Library module and select all the images you want to edit.
3. Click Sync Settings to apply your edits, such as exposure, white balance, or color grading, to the entire selection. This saves a tremendous amount of time when working with a large number of images from a single shoot.
Fine-Tune in Photoshop
When a photo needs more than basic adjustments, it’s time for Photoshop. You can send an image directly from Lightroom to Photoshop by right-clicking it and choosing Edit In > Photoshop.
The key difference is that Photoshop uses layers, which allows for non-destructive, complex edits that are not possible in Lightroom. Use Photoshop for tasks like sky replacement, object removal, or combining multiple images. For example, to add clouds to a sky, you can place a new image on a separate layer, use the Select Sky tool, and apply a layer mask to composite the new clouds into the scene.
Tomorrow is the final day of our 30-day series! We’ll put all the skills you’ve learned to the test with a fun and creative final project.
