Tech Desk
Sep 15, 2024
To do various tasks related to editing, there are two programs developed particularly with photographers in mind — Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.
These two editing software may display redundancy, as they’re both designed to edit photographers of all kinds.
But the true reason behind it is that each program is developed with a different purpose in mind, and each provides a distinct post-production photography workflow.
Photoshop vs Lightroom
Adobe Photoshop is a digital darkroom, where you can make detailed adjustments and changes to any picture. Meanwhile, Adobe Lightroom is closer to an entire photography studio, as it imports, organises, edits, and exports images.
The difference between the two programs is further blurred because of the Adobe Camera Raw and Adobe Bridge — two integrated programs of Adobe Photoshop — combined with Adobe Photoshop, creating a workflow relatable to that of Adobe Lightroom.
However, the underlying differences remain the same.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is the gold standard in the world of photo editing, utilised by amateurs and pros alike worldwide. It has come a long way since its launch in the early ’90s, and recently it has become more useful than ever for photographers, because of the addition of Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw.
Together, these three programs offer a similar experience to Adobe Lightroom, albeit more classified.
The benefits of using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge, and Adobe Camera Raw together as a post-production workflow rely on the capability to create the process as simple as required.
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If you don’t do a lot of heavy edits, Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw might be all you require for most pictures, and such a solution is far less resource-intensive on your computer than Lightroom.
The disadvantage of such a workflow is the inability to do everything you require within a single program.
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom gives relatable results in a different form factor. Unlike the Photoshop workflow, Lightroom provides an all-in-one solution to organising, editing, and publishing your images.
The main part of Lightroom is a catalogue. In essence, a catalogue is the brain behind the operation. It’s where all of your images and their respective information are stored.
Through each catalogue, you can make folders, collections, and other file directories to organise your work exactly how you see fit.
Pricing of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
Adobe gives a couple of affordable subscription plans that offer you both Photoshop and Lightroom. This lets you use whichever is best for your current project.
The basic photography plan arrives with both applications and 20GB of storage for $10 per month. If you’d like more cloud storage, you can view the upgraded plan with both applications and 1TB of storage for $20 per month.
Moreover, you receive the same features with each application, the difference only being the amount of storage.
Ultimately, the Lightroom solution has a slightly steeper learning curve. However, once its initial quirks are overcome, it offers a more seamless experience, albeit at the cost of more computer power.
Meanwhile, the Photoshop workflow is comparatively less organised, while can prove more lightweight and simpler.
