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How to Edit Photos in Lightroom: A Complete Guide

Last updated: March 25, 2024 - 28 min read
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Adobe is the industry leader in image processing software. And Adobe Lightroom is the best program for photo organization editing on the market.

Lightroom is used by photographers of all levels, from enthusiasts to professionals. It has every tool you need to maximize the potential of your photography. Today we are looking at everything Lightroom, providing you links to every feature in detail!

Effortless Editing with Lightroom
Effortless Editing with Lightroom
Transform your editing process with this comprehensive video course and take your photos to the next level.

The Ultimate Lightroom Tutorial

If you need help getting started with Adobe Lightroom, ExpertPhotography is here to help. We’ve got the ultimate guide on how to use Lightroom.

This article is packed full of tips and tricks. And there are some excellent Lightroom tutorials. Click on the title links for full articles.

If you want to see our full review of the latest Adobe Lightroom, click here

Here is a list of topics we cover in this article. Click the link to transport to these sections: 

What Is Adobe Lightroom?

You may be asking, what is Adobe Lightroom? Adobe Lightroom is a photo editing and file management software. It is an excellent tool for organizing photos into folders and collections.

It’s also the leading program for digital photo editing. And you can export your photos of any size.

When it comes to photography post-processing, Lightroom has everything you need. You can adjust brightness and contrast. And you can enhance color and sharpness.

These can be sweeping edits that change the whole photo. Or you can perform local edits in specific areas of your images.

The interface is clean and uncluttered. There are plenty of tools that can take some getting used to. But one of the main advantages of Lightroom is the presets.

You can create personal Lightroom presets to make the adjustments you want with only a few clicks. And you can repeat the process and add the same edits to many photos.

You don’t need to repeat the same editing procedures each time. So presets are game-changing for busy photographers.

Read our full Adobe Lightroom review here

Adobe Lightroom on a laptop computer

How to Buy Adobe Lightroom

Now lets look at how you can buy Adobe Lightroom. Adobe uses a subscription-based payment model for its software products. You sign up for one of their packages, and you pay a set amount each month.

By subscribing, you avoid large up-front costs. The monthly payments are easy to manage and incorporate into your monthly budget.

And the software is updated regularly. So you don’t need to pay more for the newest version.

The best value option for Lightroom is the Adobe photography package. This payment plan includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop.

You can subscribe to Lightroom on its own. But the bundle gives you more value for your money.

Adobe offers a 30-day free trial on all their software packages. So you can give them a test drive before handing over your cash.

Adobe Photography subscription bundle screenshot

Navigating the Interface

Before getting immersed with the ins and outs of editing, there are a few things you need to know about importing and organizing your photos. Implement these practical tips from the very beginning.

Importing Photos

Uploading photos into Lightroom is slightly different than you might imagine. Rather than adding your photos to the software, you tell Lightroom where it can find the files in your storage.

You can import photos into Lightroom in a few different ways. So we’ll give you the main tips here. Or you can click on the link above for the full tutorial.

First, there is File > Import Photos and Video from the top menu. Or Shortcut keys Ctrl or Command+Shift+I. Both take you to the import page, where you add the photos to your catalog.

This isn’t the only way to import your images into Lightroom. So read the full article for more.

screenshot of importing process in lightroom

Organizing Your Photos

After you’ve imported your images into Lightroom, you’ll need to organize them. The clear and concise catalog system will help you keep all your photos in order.

Organizing your photos will save you a lot of time and energy. By taking the time in the beginning, you can set up some great practices.

These will be the templates for dealing with your photos and sessions. The last thing you want to do is spend long periods searching for that one image you need.

You can create different catalogs within one master catalog. This will cut down on rummaging time. And you can use keywords and labels to help you find the photos you want.

Here are the top 10 tips on organizing your photos in Lightroom.

screenshot of organising images inside lightroom

Understanding the Lightroom Catalog System

The Lightroom catalog system might seem complicated at first. You might find it hard to navigate and find the images you need.

But it’s actually simple to use. And there are ways to speed up the navigation process.

The Lightroom catalog works like a virtual library. You can search for file or folder names if you know them.

But you can also organize your photos with tags, keywords, and labels. And adding these to your files makes them easier to find later.

You can create separate catalogs. You can create one catalog for work photos and another for family photos.

This strategy is fine. But you don’t want too many catalogs. It’s better to have fewer larger catalogs than many smaller ones.

Read our full article on understanding the Lightroom catalog here.

Lightroom catalog screenshot

Mastering Your Workflow

Time is money for professional photographers. So we’ve broken down Lightroom into seven sections to speed up your workflow.

Looking at Lightroom in this way streamlines the editing process, saving you time and money.

The seven Lightroom sections are Library, Develop, Map, Book, Slideshow, Print, and Web. Working in these separate sections will help you achieve your photography goals faster.

Lightroom catalog options screenshot

Exporting Photos

When working with Adobe Lightroom, you “export” rather than “save” your images. This creates a new file, so you still have your original RAW image. Lightroom lets you export your files as JPEGs and other media file options.

For the full Lightroom tutorial on exporting photos, click the link here. We also have an article on the best settings to use when exporting in Lightroom.

screenshot of exporting interface in lightroom

Back Up Your Lightroom Catalog

There’s nothing worse than losing your data. There is software for retrieving lost data. But the best thing you can do is back up your Lightroom catalog.

Our full article is a must-read if you’re worried about data loss. It has the best solutions for backing up your Lightroom catalog.

Lightroom catalog screenshot

Moving Catalog To A New Computer

Moving your Lightroom profile and data might seem like a difficult process. But it’s easier than you think. And our step-by-step guide makes it even easier. Check out our method of moving Lightroom to a new computer here.

Lightroom on a new computer control panel

Helpful Tips & Techniques 

The Lightroom Develop module is the area where most of the post-processing magic happens. It’s in this module where you can make small, local adjustments such as increasing exposure or correcting the light balance. Or you can do something a little heavier, like applying masks to increase the hue of a specific area.

Here, we’ll go through some of the main procedures in the Develop module so you can start editing today.

Batch Editing

Batch editing is one of the benefits of using Adobe Lightroom. The array of tools is excellent. But the batch editing abilities are truly life-changing. You can give a whole portfolio a touch-up in a matter of moments.

Batch editing allows you to edit multiple photos at the same time. It’s a huge time-saver. And it helps you apply a uniform look to a large group of photos.

It’s best to use this feature when working with similar photos. If they’re from the same shoot, you shouldn’t have any problems. But you might encounter problems if the images are very different.

Check out our full post on batch editing if you’re short on time. It gives you an easy step-by-step guide.

screenshot of settings you can copy in adobe lightroom

Reading the Histogram

Histograms are crucial to digital photo editing. A histogram is a statistical chart that displays a photographs tonal range in a digestible way. A experienced photographer can look at a histogram and decide what elements need to be changed in editing to produce a image with a ideal tonal range. 

A histogram can also help alert us to what is the issue with our photograph. Therefore, every photographer should become familiar with a histogram. You can see a histogram change while adjusting tonal elements in Lightroom. Take a look at our How To Use the Lightroom Histogram to learn more. 

screenshot of histogram in adobe lightroom

Resizing an Image

Resizing is one of the most common processes in Lightroom. You need to know this one. And thankfully, we’re here to help you with it. Click here to learn different methods to resize an image in Lightroom.

We like to take pictures with the highest resolution possible. And modern camera sensors have a large number of megapixels. The more megapixels your camera sensor has, the higher the image quality.

But high megapixel counts make for large file sizes. These large image sizes aren’t great for social media sharing. And they take up a lot of memory on your device. Lightroom lets you resize your images, making them smaller and easy to share.

A photo print and a smartphone against a light pink background

Crop and Straighten Your Images

Cropping images can help with your composition. Making your image smaller removes the distracting areas of your photos.

You can access the Crop tool in the “basic” area of the Develop module or by pressing “R.” This tool is also great for straightening photos that might have been photographed unevenly.

This is a handy tool and one you will find yourself using again and again. Learn how to crop and straighten in Lightroom here.

Cropping an image in lightroom screenshot

Rotating or Flipping an Image

Before applying adjustments that change the atmosphere and colors of the image, you should try rotating, flipping, or straightening the photo. This way, you might get a new perspective and decide what fits the photo the best.

You can even flip and rotate multiple images if you’re batch editing.

Lightroom has several methods for rotating and flipping your images. You can find the one to fit your workflow in our how to rotate or flip an image article here.

Rotate process in adobe lightroom screenshot

Changing Aspect Ratio

An aspect ratio is the proportion of the photograph’s width and height. Digital cameras use a default aspect ratio of 3:2. However, there might be times when you aim to print and frame your photos, and you want to change the ratio.

Luckily, Lightroom offers an easy way to change the aspect ratio while cropping an image. You can choose from different ratios or create your own custom one.

To learn more, take a look at our full article here.

Aspect ratio adjustment in Lightroom

Master Exposure and Tonal Range

Correct Exposure

You should always try and get the correct exposure when you’re shooting. But sometimes, that’s not possible. Other times, we may simply make mistakes. In those moments of need, Lightroom is here to save the day.

You can correct the exposure of a whole photo. Or you can adjust the exposure in specific areas of the shot. You can bring out more detail in sections that are too light or too dark.

Lightroom has an “Auto” button in the Basic panel in the Develop module. This might adjust a few other things, such as Contrast and Whites.

You can also move the Exposure slider by clicking and dragging it left or right until you’re happy with the result.

Learn how to correct exposure in Lightroom here.

screenshot of adobe lightroom showing an image before and after editing the exposure

Contrast and Tonal Controls

Under the Develop module, you will find the Tone sliders on the right-hand side.

This is the Local Adjustment panel. It’s one of the tools you’ll use the most when editing in Lightroom.

The standard tone sliders are Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks. Using the sliders takes some practice. But they’re incredible tools once you get the hang of them.

For an in-depth account of these tonal local adjustments, check out the full article here. It’ll help you get the most out of your photography in Lightroom.

Contrast and Tone sliders in adobe lightroom screenshot

Shadows and Blacks

Shadows can be some of the trickiest areas to deal with in digital photography. And absolute blacks can cause some serious problems. If you’re having trouble with the dark areas, check out our full Lightroom tutorial.

The shadowy areas don’t have to be black holes with zero detail. Lightroom can help you bring out the details in these dark areas, adding more interest to your photos.

The “blacks” filter deals with the darkest areas of the photograph. But it’s more powerful than the shadow slider, so be careful.

an image of a pink flower against a black background

Working With Color

If you want to get a better look at how color adjustments work in Lightroom, take a look at our color editing article here

Color Temperature and Presence

When you photograph a subject, your camera sensor processes everything in RGB—Reds, Greens, and Blues.

This concerns the light reflected from your subject. These colors have dramatic effects on the final color of your image.

You might find that you will have to tweak the white balance. After all, you want the white areas to look natural and real.

Also, you might find that the color of the photographed objects is either a little too colorful or not colorful enough.

These things can be changed by using the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) sliders or the Vibrance part of the editing panel. Check out the full Lightroom tutorial here for more on this subject.

screenshot of adobe lightroom demonstrating

Color Correction

Even when you get everything right with the camera, the colors can still be off. This is an inevitable part of photography. But Lightroom is the perfect program for color correction. Read here for a full Lightroom tutorial on color correction.

There are several tools in Lightroom that allow you to apply color corrections to your image. The Temperature and Tint sliders allow you to correct white balance. You can also use the Color Tone Curves to edit the range of tones in your photo.

screenshot of color correction in lightroom

Using the Tone Curve to Correct Colors

The tone curve represents the tonal range in your photograph. The bottom left corner deals with shadows, and the top right corner deals with highlights. This leaves the midtones in the middle.

These midtones are split further into light and dark areas. These are easy to adjust. You just need to know what you want to change.

For example, if you want to make the mid-tones darker, just click on the middle portion of the Tone Curve. Gently drag it downwards. You will see the image change as you do so.

Read more about how to use the tone curve here for more tips and guidelines for using this tool.

screenshot of adobe lightroom showing tone curve adjustments

HSL Sliders

Using the HSL sliders is another excellent way to change and correct colors in Lightroom. The initials stand for hue, saturation, and luminosity. Each color has a set of HSL sliders you can adjust independently.

Click on the link above to see the full tutorial on using the HSL sliders in Lightroom.

screenshot of editing HSL in adobe lightroom

Color Grading

Color Grading in Lightroom is excellent. Color Grading allows us to pick a color cast to go over our images. Lightroom split this up between three spectrums”: Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows. 

Color Grading is the best way to change the overall feel of a photograph. Professionals use this tool to convey emotion or ideas through the colors as well as the content of an image. Read our article here to learn these methods

photograph edited in adobe lightroom with color grading

Vibrance and Saturation

Adjusting vibrance and saturation is an easy way to make the colours in our images pop. On the other hand, reducing these factors can mute our images, making them seem more dull and lacking contrast. 

In this article, we explore each of these adjustments and highlight exactly what they do to our images. We also suggest the genres that benefit most from these adjustments. 

example of editing the vibrance and saturation in adobe lightroom

Creating Effects in Lightroom

Lightroom has some brilliant effects that we can add to our photographs. These effects help us replicate visual effects found in other faucets of photography that may not be achievable in digital photography. 

To see our in-depth look at how these effects look on the same image, read our article here

Vignette

The vignette effect is an excellent way of emphasizing subjects in your photos. It brings the focus to the center of your image, reducing distractions around the edges.

But lens vignetting is also a problem you might want to correct. Lightroom has the tools for both procedures. You can intentionally add a vignette or remove unwanted lens vignetting.

We’ve made it easy with our step-by-step guide here.

adding a vignette to a photograph in adobe lightroom

Clarity

The Clarity tool is a slider that allows us to increase or reduce the visibility of finer details. This is particularly useful for emphasizing finer details when editing smaller images for social media. 

Take a look at our How To Use the Clarity Tool in Lightroom article for more information. 

screenshot of a photo of a door in lightroom

Dehaze

The Lightroom Dehaze tool can remove or add atmospheric haze to your images. If your images are foggy and unclear, just move the slider to reduce the haze. If you want a hazier image, move the slider the other way.

For all the details on using the Dehaze tool in Lightroom, read our guide here.

Hazy cliff and coastline

Texture Control Slider

You can use the Texture Control tool in Lightroom to make whole-photo edits. Or you can use the Adjustment brush and slider for localized textural updates.

Adjusting the texture of your photo changes the pixel intensity. You can reduce texture for a smooth finish. Or you can add texture for a grainier image.

Read our full tutorial here to master texture control in Lightroom.

a photograph of a costal town edited in lightroom

Brushes and Filters In Lightroom 

Using brushes and filters in Lightroom is the best way to have full control over you image and your edits. Learning these tools will take your digital photo editing skills to the next level. 

If you want to know how each of these tools work on the same image, read our article here

Adjustment Brush Tool

The Lightroom Adjustment Brush is a tool that allows you to make localized adjustments to any part of the image. By clicking on the brush and painting over the picture, you select the area where you want to apply the adjustments.

You can make several adjustments with the same brush. And it’s also possible to add as many brushes as you want. You might need different brushes for different parts of the picture.

You can find the Brush tool in the Develop module under the histogram. If you activate the mask overlay, you will see the area where the mask is applied. You can erase parts of the already painted area anytime and even move the brush if necessary.

Brush mask made in lightroom

Clone Tool 

The Clone Tool is a brilliant way to clean up our image. It allows us to directly copy one section of our photograph and paste it somewhere else. This is helpful for both removing unwanted objects and also duplicating certain objects.

Read our in-depth article on the Clone Tool here

Example of a clone tool being used in Adobe Lightroom

Graduated Filters

Graduated filters are a staple mark in a landscapes photographers kit. Luckily, we are now able to create and control the same effect inside Lightroom! 

Read our article here to learn how to use a graduated filter in Lightroom

graduated mask over a landscape image in lightroom

Radial Filter

The radial filter is one of Lightroom’s local adjustments. It allows you to apply changes to only a circular part of the image. You can adjust the size, rotation, and position of this area.

By changing the feather of the filter, you can blend the changes to create a seamless effect. You can also choose to adjust the area outside the circle.

Click here for the full radial filter masterclass.

Radial filter in Lightroom on a laptop

Split Toning

Split toning is a tool that lets you add a color tone to the shadows and highlights of the picture without adjusting the whole image.

It is an excellent tool for creating unique effects, such as a sepia or vintage atmosphere. By learning split toning, you can bring the most out of your photos with the creative use of colors.

Check out our split toning Lightroom tutorial for all the details.

split toning sepia in adobe lightroom

Correcting Problems in Lightroom

Using Lightroom isn’t just about enhancing and changing things. You can use the fabulous editing tools to solve the problems that plague every photographer. In the section below, we’ll give you the list of our guides and tutorials for correcting problems in Lightroom.

Spot Removal

Keeping your lens clean is basic for a photographer. But no matter how clean your lens is, some dust spots still appear. You might not notice it on your camera screen. But they’re unavoidable when you enlarge them on a bigger screen.

It can be caused by particles in the air or dust on the sensor. But no matter how they got there, Lightroom is the software you need to clean your images.

Lightroom has a specialized spot removal tool that identifies dust spots on your image. And with our easy step-by-step guide, you can remove them in just a few minutes.

dust spot removal tool in Lightroom

Correcting Lens Distortion

Lens distortion is a common problem in photography, even when using high-quality lenses. Wide-angle lenses are especially prone to distortion. But our Lightroom tutorial will teach you how to correct this problem.

Lightroom has a tool that removes lens distortion. You’ll find it in the Develop module on the right-hand panel. It’s easy to use and works well. Click here if you want to learn how to correct lens distortion

examples of two different types of distortion you can correct in lightroom

Removing Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration is another type of lens distortion that affects many photographers. It’s when the lens creates purple or green halos around subjects in the image.
The Lens Correction panel in Lightroom gives you a simple solution to this problem.

Read our article in the link to learn more about Chromatic aberration, and how to adjust it in Lightroom

crop of a photograph showing chromatic abberation

Reduce Noise

Noise can be a constant problem with digital photography. It’s the grainy texture you see when working in low-light conditions. Modern cameras are getting better at dealing with it. But noise is still a problem when working with high ISO settings.

If you encounter a lot of noise in your images, you need to read our Lightroom guide. It gives you a detailed step-by-step guide on reducing noise in Lightroom.

crop of a photograph with denoise from lightroom

Create Smooth Skin

The most important part of retouching portraits is smoothing the skin. This is especially true in fashion and editorial photos, where you want to deliver the idea of perfection.

There are several tools you can use in Lightroom to smooth the skin. There are special spot removal tools and brushes for smoothing skin texture. Click here for the full tutorial for smoothing skin in Lightroom.

before and after of skin smoothing in adobe lightroom

Sharpen Images

Even when the focus is exactly right, your images can appear slightly soft. This can make details look less interesting and might even mute some colors. But you can use Lightroom to bring sharpness back to your photos.

We have a full step-by-step guide on how to sharpen images in Lightroom

example of adjusting sharpness in adobe lightroom

Special Techniques and Processes

Now we’re going to discuss the tutorials for special techniques and processes in Lightroom. Check out the full articles for the detailed Lightroom guides.

Create a Contact Sheet

One of the problems with digital photography is you lose all the aspects that film photography has, like stepping into a dark room, the smell of chemicals, and waiting eagerly for a print to develop. You also miss those interesting contact sheets that Magnum was famous for showing.

Luckily for you, there is a way to replicate this in Lightroom. When printed, they offer you a great preview before you print the images in a larger size. Click here to learn how to create a contact sheet in Lightroom.

contact sheet made in lightroom

Lightroom Mobile on Your Smartphone

Lightroom Mobile allows you to edit your photos from your smartphone. It’s a stripped-down version of the full software. But it has everything you need to edit your photos on the go.

Smartphone photography is becoming more and more popular. And you want to be able to edit your phone photos, so they look professional. Lightroom Mobile makes this easy. And it’s even easier when you read our guide on how to use Lightroom Mobile.

Screenshot of lightroom mobile

Smart Previews

Smart previews are virtual copies of your RAW files stored in Lightroom. The software uses these to avoid dealing with huge RAW files during the editing process.

When working on your photo in the Develop module, you alter these smart previews, not the original RAW file. This means that you will keep your RAW images while making changes to the compressed version of each photo.

Read how to use Smart Previews in Lightroom here.

Lightroom screenshot with flower photo loaded

Create a HDR

A High Dynamic Range (HDR) image is the result of merging three or more photos. You combine three photos of the same scene, each with a different exposure. This gives you a final image with a high dynamic range.

To see how to create an HDR image in Lightroom, check out our tutorial here.

HDR created in Adobe Lightroom

Advanced Techniques 

Now let’s look at some advanced techniques that Lightroom allows us to perform. Some of these techniques are unique to Lightroom and save us from downloading alternate software. Keeping all these techniques in the same digital editing software cleans up our computers. We can also trust these techniques to work well as they are all managed by Adobe. 

Click our link here to see how each of these advanced techniques work, or read each article below. 

Merge

Lightroom provides its users with a built-in merge function. This allows us to create a single image from multiple images. Lightroom specifically gives us HDR and Panorama merge functionality. Both of these photo stitching tools produce brilliant results. Of course, we don’t expect anything less from Adobe. 

Click on this highlight to learn how to photo merge.

Panorama created in lightroom

Masks

One of the best features in Lightroom is its new masking tools. Lightroom now harness the power of AI to create accurate masks in seconds. This process could take almost hours previously! 

Read out in-depth article on the different masks here

masking in lightroom

Blur Photo Background

Blurring backgrounds can be a very important process. If the background distracts attention from the subject, this is the article to read.

The Adjustment Brush in the Develop module is where you will start. The idea is that you paint the area you want to be affected. Then you reduce the “sharpness” and “clarity” sliders to achieve the desired effect.

photo of three men with the background blurred in lightroom

Stack

Stacking images in Lightroom is a simple and quick way to clean up your workspace. Simple features like this often get overlooked. But, stacking images is a great way to make your workflow faster and neater. 

Here is A Beginners Guide to Stacking Photos in Lightroom.

screenshot of a stack in lightroom

Collage

Want to present your images in an interesting layout? Or do you want to create a advert for your photography? Presenting your images in a collage is a great way to do this! Lightroom allows us to move around our images on a document ready for direct printing or to save as a single image. 

Click here to learn How to Make a Lightroom Collage.

screenshot of a collage made in lightroom

Slideshow

Lightroom has your back if you need to present images in public. Whether you are showing to friends or a professional crowd, Lightroom allows you to create a custom slideshow with your edited images. You will also find a wide range of customisation options, including a timer so your images will cycle for you. 

Learn How To Create a Cool Lightroom Slideshow here.

screenshot of a slideshow in lightroom

Photobook

Lightroom has partnered with Blurb to create a bookmaking feature inside the digital editing software. This feature allows you to design an entire photobook with your edited images and then send it directly to Blurb to print. If you do not want to use this service, you can always save it as a PDF to print elsewhere. 

Read this article to learn How To Create A Photo Book with Lightroom Book.

screenshot of the photobook section in lightroom

Lightroom Presets

The presets play a massive role in making Lightroom one of the most popular editing programs in the world. They save you hours of work and help you develop your style of photography.

These are Expert Photography’s top tutorials and guides for using Lightroom presets. They’re the best resource for mastering Lightroom presets.

How to Use Presets

We have a full guide that covers everything to do with presets in Lightroom. This ranges from using and creating presets, to importing your favorite presets! Click here to read the ultimate guide to Lightroom presets. 

Creating your own Lightroom presets is one of the best ways to develop a unique style of photography. All professionals have personal Lightroom presets they apply to their work. And you can do the same.

an image of trees by a river with a lightroom preset applied

Best Free Lightroom Presets

If you want some fabulous presets, this article is for you. It contains free Lightroom presets you can access and install on your device. Every major style of photography, from landscape to street, is covered.

screenshot showing import presets in lightroom

Make and Sell Your Own Presets

If you’re a Lightroom preset maker, you can use your skills to make money. And if you’re looking for a little extra money in your pocket, you have to read this article. We’ve got all the information you need to make and sell your own Lightroom presets.

Lightroom presets screenshot

Tips for Specific Genres of Photography

Lightroom is great for many photography niches. No matter what type of photography you’re into, every genre can be improved with a few tweaks in Lightroom. However, there are very specific tips for each genres for the best individual results.

Portraits

Lightroom is a brilliant program to use if you want to get the most out of your portraits. They provide the best platform for editing portraits in todays digital photo editing software. This is thanks to the AI masking abilities. 

To learn how to use Lightroom when editing portraits, click here.

portrait of woman edited in lightroom

Street

Are you a street photographer who prefers to spend time taking photos? Lightroom provides features that allow you to spend less time on the computer and more time on the streets. 

Take a look at our in-depth article here to find out more

portrait of man edited in lightroom

Macro 

If your interested in macro photography then make sure to check out our tips for macro photography in Lightroom. In this article we cover everything from crop to sharpening to help you get the most out of your photographs. 

macro image being cropped in Adobe Lightroom

Alternatives to Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop is a sister product from Adobe. While Lightroom is geared towards photo editing, Photoshop has a graphic design and image manipulation toolset. But there is a good deal of overlap. You can take a look at our Photoshop tutorials for a more in-depth comparison.

As Lightroom and Photoshop are both Adobe products, you can buy them as part of a package. They compliment each other well. And the price for both isn’t much more than paying for them individually.

Photoshop landing page screenshot

Luminar Neo

Luminar Neo is the latest photo editing software from Skylum. Based on our recent Luminar Neo review, we think it’s their best software release to date. It doesn’t have quite the toolset of Lightroom. But it’s software beginners and professionals can enjoy.

It’s an AI-powered program, so it provides many one-click solutions. It’ll remove dust spots and power lines in seconds. And the portrait bokeh and sky replacement tools are excellent too.

Luminar Neo has a series of presets that come as standard. Upload your photo and Neo will recommend some presets that match the type of photo. Luminar Neo is one of the best programs for quick image editing. The AI does the hard work, so you don’t have to.

Luminar Neo Banner Picture

To know more about how Lightroom compares to other software, you can read our in-depth reviews below:

Conclusion: The Ultimate Lightroom Tutorial

Adobe Lightroom sits at the top of the photo editing mountain. It’s the industry leader in photo editing software. And millions of photographers use the program worldwide.

Lightroom has plenty of tools you can use to edit and enhance your photos. It can seem daunting at first. But ExpertPhotography can help you with every step of your Lightroom journey.

We encourage you to bookmark this article. It is resource full of Lightroom tutorials and guides you can come back to again and again to perfect your Lightroom 

Effortless Editing with Lightroom
Effortless Editing with Lightroom
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