Elements vs lightroom

[jwc7]

It seems like most articles I read nowadays makes reference to either Lightroom of the full version of Photoshop.  I have looked at Lightroom and don't see it as being anywhere near as powerful as Elements.  This makes me think that perhaps Adobe is looking to discontinue Elements and force everyone to either Lightroom or Photoshop.  Anyone else out there have any thoughts on the matter?

[Deleted]

Hi jwc7,

Welcome to PSE&M!

I can see why you would think that way, but I tend to disagree. A lot of what you can do in Elements can also be done in Lightroom, admittedly there is a lot that cannot be done in Lightroom. I don't see Adobe moving away from Elements yet. They know that this is the entry level software for many people who want to start off with photo editing and to get rid of this would push those folks to the free editing software programs out there, rather than reeling them in, and hope that eventually they become proficient enough to consider Lightroom or Photoshop. Currently I don't think this would make business sense to Adobe (famous last words!).

Lightroom in my opinion is much better at organizing than PSE, plus, any edits you make to your photos are non destructive. Whilst you can achieve the same non-destructive editing in PSE by always copying your background layer, I find Lightroom quicker to use for all my basic editing needs.

[angelag]

I tend to agree with Simone. It could be that JWC7 looked at an older version of Lightroom. There have been so many recent additions to its editing capabilities that it's rare that I have to move beyond it for basic editing. As for organisation, I think it's the best--I'm always able to locate even images taken years ago with no trouble.
agg

[Sepiana]

Hi jwc7, welcome to PSE&M!

First of all, I sincerely doubt that Adobe will discontinue Elements in the near future. On the contrary, they seem to have long-term plans for this program as they continue to add features to it making it behave more and more like its big brother, Photoshop. Secondly, I believe it is not a matter of Lightroom vs Elements, i.e., use either program or use both. It all boils down to your needs and interests; they will determine if you can get by with Lightroom alone or if you will need to keep Elements nearby.

In a nutshell, . . .

Lightroom is designed to target professional photographers. It offers advanced workflow management along with the ability for mass-image editing as well as printing and publishing.

Elements is designed to target beginner and amateur photographers as well as graphic artists. It offers basic workflow management along with some of the editing tools from Lightroom (and Photoshop), albeit ones with limited functionality.

[jwc7]

Has Adobe given layers to Lightroom? What about layer masks, or adjustment layers? How about making selections? Unless Lightroom has come a loooooong way, I don't see it. I can understand talking about Photoshop, but I still don't fully understand why people use Lightroom. It just seems so limiting to me. Are there "important" manipulation(s) that can only be done in Lightroom and not in Elements?

And insofar as organization is concerned, I have been organizing my photos into folders on my hard drive, by subject, location, and date, for many years. Maybe if I were a professional and took thousands of photos each year, I might need something more.

And Sepiana, I have to ask what is meant by, "...advanced workflow management..." and how is it better in Lightroom than Elements? If we are talking about mass-image editing, I can understand that. But again, I am not a professional photographer and I may have 4 or 5 photos that could be mass-edited. However, for the most part, if I take several images that are that close together, more often than not I will only choose one to print.

I apologize if the tone of my missives sounds a little harsh, I'm just trying to understand...

Thanks again for all of the replies,
jwc7

[Sydney]

I find myself using Lightroom more and more as my 'go to' editor over Photoshop Elements unless I need to employ effects which LR doesn't have. There are numerous youtube tutorials on how to use it effectively. Here is one of them: link

[Madame]

For me it's Lightroom AND Elements.
Lightroom for advanced "basic" editing, keywording, collections. 80% of my pictures are processed in Lightroom (old fashioned darkroom)
I shoot in raw, and that requires some sort of raw converter. Lightroom is my first choise.

Elements for those pictures that needs layers, masks, spot removal and artistic approach.

[Madame]

Lightroom can generate smart previews.
That means your pictures can live on an external disk, and you can still edit your pictures without them taking space on your PC.

[angelag]

There's no accounting for individual tastes/preferences. Those who don't want to use LR, don't have to. It's that simple.
agg

[Andy]

There is no "right" product, and it all depends on what you want to do.
If you are shooting RAW, shooting a lot of photos, and looking only to start with basic editing (exposure, white balance, etc.) then Lightroom is pretty masterful. It allows you to do a lot of editing fast, with batch edits and built-in and custom presets.

If you want to get really creative, or want the power of Layers, then PSE provides that. It also provides better tools for fixing issues (it offers content-aware fill and better cloning capability). It also allows you to add things (drawing) that you can't do in Lightroom. If you are working on a small number of photos, PSE does a fine job. It just takes a little more time.

If PSE doesn't give you enough, then there is Photoshop.

You can seamlessly work between LR and either PSE (which I do) or Photoshop.

[bnk1953]

And to throw a wrench into it - I use Lightroom, Elements, and Photo Suite. Each has their pluses and minuses - and I try to take and use the pluses from each of them
~bruce.

[jwc7]

Thanks, everyone, I really appreciate the feedback. I think I finally have my answer.