PSE 2018 and Lightroom CC Classic

[hbarrison]

This concerns my investigation into an decision to move on to Lightroom CC Classic and I have studied the technical differences beyond merely using the PSE Catalog when I install Lightroom.  I only use JPEG aware of the benefits of RAW but my style is better served by JPEG.  For this I prefer the Organizer inn PSE but I am very interest in using Lightrrom's editor and have even seen videos on what it can do to a JPEG - really great.

However, there are nuances that I would like to use through the PSE Organizer, e.g. uploading from my median changing the file name to "Custom Text, Date of Capture, sequential number" and after editing just modifying the Custom Text with a better identifying description.  I also add detailed descriptions in PSE that I would like to carry over into the Lightroom database.

So bottom line, can the Organizer act as the first upload and then carry it over to Lightroom, seamlessly, leaving the original photo in the original folder.  I  currently "Save As" for each edit and remove from the catalog but not the computer the originally upoloaded media.  This prevents degrading the next iteration of the image.

OR, can the Lightroom Editor be the External Editor when using PSE 2018

Message was edited by: Harvey Barrison

[MichelBParis · Accepted solution]

hbarrison  wrote

So bottom line, can the Organizer act as the first upload and then carry it over to Lightroom, seamlessly, leaving the original photo in the original folder.  I  currently "Save As" for each edit and remove from the catalog but not the computer the originally upoloaded media.  This prevents degrading the next iteration of the image.

OR, can the Lightroom Editor be the External Editor when using PSE 2018

No, Lightroom editor can't be the external editor for the PSE organizer.

The PSE editor may be an excellent complementary bitmap editor for media files organization in Lightroom.

It relies on using its own database to store both the the organization data as well as the parametric editing settings of each image.

That means you are required to import all your files in the LR catalog first (library module) before you can start to edit. That means you must manage your files twice.

Start to think about the real advantages of Lightroom as a parametric editor. Did you notice that the same advantages apply to the ACR converter in Photoshop or Elements? LR and ACR do use the same parametric and non destructive editing algorithms, with a different interface.

I understand that you did not consider the Elements ACR for a (partly) good reason: you are shooting jpeg only.

That's partly a good reason because the Elements ACR version is a limited one (less features, but the essential ones).

That's partly a good reason because the organizer (which you like for good reasons like me) can't open your jpegs directly in ACR.

But those limitations don't weigh much when you know that you can edit your jpegs in ACR and take advantage of extremely useful advantages like the ability to edit batches of files at the same time as well as the parametric editing. You can apply the same settings to a batch of files, re-use a 'recipe' from and old edit to a new one for instance.

Elements is a combo of three powerful parts: bitmap editor - organizer - ACR converter.

How can you take advantage of the three modules like I am doing happily?

First, you can open jpegs in the ACR module from the editor. You can open a batch of files at the same time. While in the batch is opened in ACR, you can apply any effect on a single file, on all or on a selection; without quitting, you can adjust selectively white balance, non-destructive cropping, straightening, sharpening, denoising etc. Finally you select all files in the filmstrip and click either 'Done' to save the edits like in Lighroom, or 'Open' to open all the files in the bitmap editor to further edit, save in any format, export or print. For me it's a huge worflow advantage. Let's face it: the interest of Adobe is not to highlight this feature to let Elements compete with Lightroom.

Then, what about the limitation of the organizer not to be able to open directly jpegs in ACR? Not going to happen soon for the same reason. But if you are happy with using ACR to edit jpegs from the editor, you have to keep in mind that once a jpeg file has been edited in ACR, from the organizer, now, it will be opened directly in the ACR module. So, you may adapt your workflow to edit your jpegs by batches first (any slight edit like sharpening will mark the files as already edited in ACR).

The fact is that now I find the organizer and ACR the top features of Elements, the bitmap editor coming next.

Don't hesitate to ask for more tips...

[hbarrison]

Thank you -