Lightroom 3 is one of the best things that ever happened to my life. It’s better than sliced bread.
It’s almost better than chocolate chip peanut butter cookies but you can’t really compare cookies and software.
Cookies will always win.
I use Lighroom 3 multiple times per day for editing my photos.
More info about What Is Lightroom, here.
Like a Vita-Mix, it’s worth every penny, you get what you pay for, it’s 100% worth it, and you will look back and wonder why you didn’t find a way to buy it sooner.
If you’re a student, there are ways to get it for about $79 and if you’re not a student, it’s generally between $199 and $299 depending on time of year, promotions, coupons, and various internet specials. I paid about $170 from Buy.com about one year ago.
Adobe is coming out with a new version, Lightroom 4, and there’s a free download to trial the new Beta Version of Lightroom 4
It expires March 31, 2012 but for those of you on the fence about popping for Lightroom, not only do you get to play with Lighroom for free for a couple months, you get to try the newest version.
As I have posted about many, many times, I love LR 3 and it’s been worth it’s weight in gold and then some.
Here are a few posts from my Photography Page about Lightroom:
Examples of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 images
Lightroom 3 Examples & Samples of Editing
Photo Editing: Before & After, Truths & Trickery
Amanda recently wrote a fabulous post on Why Lightroom May Be the Only Photo Editor You Need and had a plethora of amazing photography-related resources and tutorials on her site.
Here are some before and after shots because a picture does speak a million words:
SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
After Lightroom 3 edits
SOOC Ritz-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cups
After Lightroom 3 edits
SOOC Baked Savory Cream Cheese & Herb Donuts
After Lightroom 3 edits
And one of my favorite desserts of 2011…
SOOC Marshmallow Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Pillowtop Bars
After Lightroom 3 edits
In general, I try to use editing to bring out the beauty of the food so that when it’s viewed on a computer screen, it looks like it did when it was on my countertop or table with the same detail, vibrancy, lightness, brightness, and the overall characteristics it had.
The camera can strip away the details we see with our eyes in real life, and make things things look lackluster, flat, or just blah. I try to un-blah the images with editing.
Because I shoot in RAW format, I also need to use editing tools to put those details back in.
With my food photography editing, I do not remove things that were there or add things that weren’t. For example, I have no idea how to make a new chocolate chip appear on top of a bar that didn’t have one or place a perfect M & M on top of a cookie. Conversely, if there was an ugly crumb on a donut or I hated a streak in the frosting I made, I don’t remove those things. I either live with them, or find a new photo without ugly crumbs or streaks.
Do you edit your photos? If so, with what?
Do you have specific thoughts on photo editing?
I wrote this post with my thoughts on everything from editing food photos to editing photos of Hollywood celebrities.
I think that it’s fundamental that the images coming SOOC are as good as you can possibly make them and that you don’t try to use editing software to fix mistakes that should have been addressed when shooting such as poor photo composition, or food staging issues if you’re shooting food.
That said, sometimes it’s cloudy, sometimes you have to shoot food after the lighting is ideal and no matter what you do, you can’t get a fabulous SOOC image and that’s where the little slider dial on LR that turns up brightness, exposure, or fill light is invaluable.
Tip for those of you thinking of making a lightbox (i.e. a cardboard box you put food in and put lights around it and shoot the food that way): Don’t.
If that’s what you’re resorting to in order to get better lighting, you’d do better with just editing the crap out of your photos in post-processing. My opinion only, of course.
I have Photoshop on my computer but need to google away and teach myself how to use it but I become overwhelmed by it and quickly shut the program down as fast as I open it. Lightroom was easy for me to get started with compared to Photoshop.
Before Lightroom, I used iPhoto that came on my Mac, and for free software that is easy to learn and get started with, it was fine but I outgrew it.
I know there are many free programs out there such as Picnik and more that many people are fond of.
The type of camera and lens I use is all linked in my photography section and one other point to mention on this and I have said it many times in the past is that a fancy camera and lens will not make you a better photographer.
A fancy camera and lens will only capture everything (the good, the bad, and the ugly) in higher resolution and detail. Think about food styling and staging and composing your shot rather than the kind of camera or lens you’re using and that way when you do upgrade to a fancier camera, you’ll be a pro at making your food look great because you know how to shoot, stage, and set up your shots.
And when all else fails, edit.
With a free trial. I have compared version 3 and 4 very quickly and although there are a few things here and there that are different, the changes made after my very cursory glance don’t appear to be too major.
Note: All thoughts expressed are my own opinions and I am not being compensated in any way to plug this; I wanted to pass on what I believe is a great download.
Lightroom has seriously changed my blogging life. I SO agree with you! Your pictures before Lightroom are fantastic, you don’t even need it :)
Thanks for the compliments and glad to know you’re LR fan, too! Your pics are always so pretty!
I just use my basic mac editing that comes with i-photo. I really want to learn more about photo editing and maybe even invest in a great photo editing program. They definitely make a difference with photos!
I was thinking about some of my best investments the other day and decided that LR3 is nearly at the top of the list. The happiness and fun it has provided me is invaluable, I agree. Can’t say enough great things about it and the fact that its SO easy to get used to was the best part.
I tell everyone, possibly even you? can’t recall? to buy it…and glad it makes the list of top investments.
This is why I need to get my own computer! I currently use my work computer for everything because I don’t have my own personal one and therefore I’m limited in what I can download. I would LOVE to try out LR4. As you know, I just recently discovered the free software to edit RAW images that came with my camera so I’m just using that right now and it’s incredibly basic. I don’t mind it yet, but I can see myself growing out of it or just wanting something a little more user friendly. Amanda’s post last week was amazing. Definitely made me want to try it out even more.
Girl first, you NEED your own computer. 100% priority with all your photography! Second, you need LR3. Read from some people in these comments who say it was the best investment they’ve made in ages, etc…I would not lie to you. It will change your life based on where you’re at photographically-speaking.
I am currently trying to decide between Lr or Ps. I have used both and like Lr 10x more than Ps – probably because it is easier to use and I am no pro. Between the two would you choose Lr? I am thinking yes from this post, but thought I should ask! LOL
Based on what I wrote in the post, I am a dunce when it comes to PS and I wouldnt call myself an expert with LR, but I know my way around. And I love it.
Read thru the comments others have left about their glowing praise of it, too, on this post.
Thank you Averie! :)
Thanks for passing along this info. I’d much rather try it out before making the investment.
Whoa, seriously your pictures are so amazing! Great post – it’s always nice to hear some tips from an expert like yourself! Editing really does make all the difference!
Thanks, Erika. I don’t consider myself an expert; just a work in progress, but like to pass on things I’ve learned & hopefully they may help others.
Thanks for the tip!!!
Averie, I am like a drone reading this over and over again. I have such trouble with my lighting in editing my photos because clearly I am no photographer so this is excellent. I love that you shared your personal experience using it because I hate buying product that has mixed ratings or ratings from people I don’t know or trust. thanks!!!!
Per the comment I left on your site; you already are very clued in to photography, hello FG accepts! So LR will just help you enhance what you’ve already got going on.
oh i love you even more for this! free trial?! I am thrilled. Love the tips avery!
You’ll love it!
Thanks for sharing. I wasn’t sure what it was. We used to have photoshop until I killed the laptop a few years ago. Now I am stuck using picasa’s free editing. Not ideal at all quite frankly. I know I should probably go ahead and invest in something at this point. I think it would have paid off already.
It would have paid off but if you don’t care and it’s not your thing, then it’s not a biggie :)
I’m totes gonna download that free version!
Well wait, what do you use now? Email me!
I think we’ve talked about this before? :D I don’t edit, other than to crop! any “editing” I do is what can be done with iPhoto. I have two paid photography jobs coming up soon, and was thinking about looking into editing software for those, but for what I do on the blog, nope. I may try this beta trial, though, because LR is one I was considering.
Hold.the.phone.
You don’t make ANY adjustments, enhancements, color balance, etc…with anything other than iphoto? So you just crop in iphoto and that’s it? Or you do what you can do in iphoto with brightness, sharpening, etc and that’s where you end things? That’s what I was doing until about a year ago when it became clear I needed more. Girl…you will love love love LR. It will feel like driving a ferrari after driving a honda civic :)
And congrats on your photography jobs!!! Would love to hear more!
I have never edited my photos … I don’t really know how, and I have trouble taking the time to learn new things on the computer.
If it’s not your thing, then it’s not a biggie and your time is better spent…just about anywhere else then :)
I agree with you Lightroom is a fantastic program. I can’t wait to check out Lightroom 4’s new features.
I’d love to hear more about your editing process; if you use LR and then put things into PS, too? Or just only use LR? As I said in the post, I am 100% clueless about PS but I do love me some LR :)
I do all of my editing in Photoshop… I”m too lazy to use LR3, lol. PS has most of the same options, so I don’t bother opening up LR. I guess I’m just used to PS being I have used it for a decade. Gah. Old. lol