4 Essential Lightroom Questions Answered

(Image captured by the talented Amanda Markham Photography LLC and edited with Reverie preset included in the Dark and Moody Millenium Preset Collection)

4 Essential Lightroom Questions Answered! 

Pretty Presets & Actions has been educating and creating presets for photographers for over 10 years!  And as one of the premier Lightroom preset companies with a very large and active Facebook community, there are several Lightroom questions that we are asked ALMOST EVERY DAY!

We know Lightroom can be confusing to new users, especially with all of the different versions available currently.  And the Lightroom version names don't help matters either!

To help clear up some of this confusion, we put together a list of the four Lightroom questions we hear most often, along with their respective answers including some additional useful tips:

Question #1:  Should I use Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, or Lightroom Mobile?

There are currently 3 different versions of Lightroom: Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, and Lightroom Mobile.  Do you know which one is best for you?

• Lightroom Classic continues to be the absolute best platform for photographers.  We highly recommend this platform when you're running a professional photography business.
• Lightroom CC and Lightroom Mobile are perfect for the hobbyist photographer who is on the run and wants to sync their images!
• If you still aren't sure which one is best suited for your needs or just want more information, check out this helpful cheat sheet to find which Lightroom version is right for you!

Bonus Tip #1:  There is a free 7-day trial through Adobe if you want to try Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC.  Lightroom mobile is already available for free on mobile devices and iPads.

Bonus Tip #2:  If you work on a desktop or laptop, we strongly recommend downloading Lightroom Classic.  This has the best interface for photographers when working from a desktop or laptop. 

Bonus Tip #3:  Did you know you can also use your Pretty Presets in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR)?  All of our preset collections come with XMP files that give you the opportunity to upload any of our presets to ACR.

Question #2:  What Version of Lightroom Am I Using & How Do I Update it?

We receive emails every day from photographers who are confused about why their brushes aren't working in Lightroom.

Our response is, "Are you currently using Lightroom CC or Lightroom Classic", because even though both are popular versions of Lightroom used for desktop and/or laptop editing, brushes can only be installed and used in the Lightroom Classic.

As you can see from the screenshot comparisons below, Lightroom Classic (top image) looks like the traditional Lightroom that you may have been using for years now.  Lightroom CC (bottom image), on the otherhand, is just a larger version of the Lightroom Mobile App. 

In the screenshots below, you can see the differences in each of the versions' menus located at both the top and right of the main images.

Make sure you stay current with the latest versions from Adobe.  Click here for the latest Lightroom updates.  They can change quickly, so stay current and make sure you review what they've updated too.

Bonus Tip #1:  To find out which Lightroom version you are using, go to "Help" and "Software Info" when Lightroom is open.  At the top, you will see something like Lightroom Classic 9.4 or Lightroom CC 3.4.

Bonus Tip #2:  Remember that Lightroom brushes cannot be installed or used in Lightroom CC but CAN BE used in Lightroom Classic.  The good thing is that both versions (CC and Classic) are included with Adobe subscriptions, so if you currently have one, you will likely have access to the other version as well.

Bonus Tip #3:  If you want to use ALL of your presets on Lightroom Mobile, you can upload your presets to Lightroom CC within your Adobe account and then sync those presets from Lightroom CC to Lightroom Mobile.  This is a fantastic option for Mobile users!

Question #3:  How Can I Customize My Lightroom Presets?

Lightroom Presets will save you time while editing and can also help you find your editing style.  However, presets aren't always a one-click edit.  They are meant to get your image to a good place.

It is impossible for a preset to account for EVERY lighting situation or different exposure options.  And presets certainly can't account for color casts that may show up on an unedited image.

However, if you are familiar with your Lightroom tools you can limit any excessive editing.

• It should be a given that you may need to adjust your exposure and white balance in Lightroom on every photo you edit.
• Get to know your camera, how to work in different lighting situations, and then find the preset that best fit your needs.

Bonus Tip #1:  We highly recommend that you learn how to shoot in manual mode.  This will help grow your photography skills tremendously!  Not only will it give you a much better starting point for applying presets, actions, and overlays.  It will also save you SO MUCH TIME in the long-run.  If you would like to learn more, we have a series blog post all about mastering manual here.

Bonus Tip #2:  We also have a great series of blog posts that will help you master Lightroom.  Within the series, we will show you how to use the various Lightroom modules and features including how to how to apply and customize your Lightroom Presets.  We think you will find this information quite valuable, so take a look!!

(Image captured by the talented Amanda Markham Photography LLC and edited with Reverie preset included in the Dark and Moody Millenium Preset Collection)

Question #4:  Should I Download & Use the Free Lightroom Mobile App?

If you haven't already downloaded the FREE Lightroom Mobile App, then let today be the day!

The Lightroom Mobile App has come a long way since it's release.  You can even do things like batch editing in Lightroom Mobile and syncing your photos across devices (click the links for a tutorials).

And as we mentioned before, you can now install presets directly on Lightroom mobile or sync them from Lightroom CC to your free mobile app.

Are you looking for some amazing new presets for Lightroom mobile? WE HAVE THEM!

The two best selling collections designed specifically for Lightroom Mobile can be found under our Mobile Presets tab.  The image above was edited with the "Reverie" preset from our popular Dark and Moody Millennium Collection for use with Lightroom Mobile!

Conclusion

It doesn't matter whether you are using Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, and/or Lightroom Mobile, Lightroom continues to be the BEST platform on the market for organizing and editing images.

We are so happy you found us here at Pretty Presets and are excited to see what you can do with Lightroom.  Don't forget to come join our Pretty Presets Facebook community for more encouragement and inspiration.

Special thanks to Amanda Markham Photography LLC for allowing us to showcase her beautiful before and after image as well as the main image at the top of the post (both edited with Reverie).

Do you have any questions or comments?  Leave us a comment below  - we would LOVE to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!