Lightroom or Photoshop, which is Better for Real Estate Image Editing?

Lightroom or Photoshop, which is Better for Real Estate Image Editing?

The advent of technology has given us a bounty of options to choose from. We are able to select those that we deem specifically apt for our needs and wants. More importantly, this age of technology allows us to be flexible or what most people will call modular. This means that if we need or want something, we can only get something very specific and not the entire thing. For instance, camera and equipment can be bought separately and being the tech-savvy person you are, you are allowed to choose different specifications of accessories that will ultimately create your own brand of photography.

Real estate image editing is no different from the technological flexibility we enjoy today. The real estate image editing software available on our hands is as modular as it can get as it offers different payment methods. We can select one-offs or long-term subscription packages. We can opt to use just one software to fit all our needs to combine the offerings of different editing software to produce a unique and original enhancement. Whichever the case may be, the technological nature of today’s software enables you as a photographer to assess what you need, trim the excess and unwanted parts, and work as lean as you desire.

Looking a todays available real estate image editing software are two most commonly used and available developments from Adobe; Photoshop and Lightroom. Each with their own strengths and focus, the two software bring out the best in each photographer performing real estate image editing. The arguable point though is, what are the differences, and which one is better? Or should they both be used hand in hand?

What is the difference?

When looking at both products by Adobe, it may be confusing at first as the distinctions are not as straight up obvious as you would like. Adobe Photoshop has been around for three decades, providing a household name for photo editing in general. In real estate image editing, Photoshop provides a set of tools that allow you to enhance the photo all the way to extreme lengths to make manipulations. There are enough tools to make the learning process go on for a long time, but the end result will undoubtedly be richer. Furthermore, Photoshop gives the user more control on the changes, helping the most minute changes happen with very specific tools for the job.

Lightroom, on the other hand, has a more basic set of tools to work with. It has the basics such as color correction and white balance, correction of perspectives, curves, and the likes. What is unique about Adobe Lightroom is the fact that it is built to help you organize your files. It manages your photos keeping the original ones untouched and producing an enhanced image separately, giving you a chance to go back to the raw photos for any reason you may need to.

Why use Photoshop?

There are a lot of reasons why Photoshop is still the go-to real estate image editing software. It offers a wide array of tools that allows micro adjustments as well as macro level changes.

  1. Full Scale Editing

This means that if a photo needs to be corrected for a color cast, Photoshop gets the job done and it also can retouch the smaller items such as blemishes, shadows, and removing/adding objects. Staging is also possible with all the cropping and lasso tools available through the software.

  1. Layers and Stitching

Photoshop allows you to open several images all at once. It stacks them in layers and allows editing to take place for a certain portion of a photo on any one single layer. The advantage of this is that it allows you to work on a layer independently and avoid messing up your current canvas of work. Stitching is also achievable in Photoshop with all the tools at your disposal. The stitching can be achieved seamlessly and be made to appear as if the edges are conjoined using blur tools or smudge tools.

Why use Lightroom?

Lightroom is definitely not behind when in the run for software of choice. It just has a different primary function but can also prove to give you a run for your money. Lightroom is also a beginner’s choice as a real estate image editing software due to its simpler interface. It will help the aspiring photographer-realty editor to learn the basics of photo editing without being overwhelmed because it only plays around with the foundational enhancements such as color, warmth, sharpness, and the likes. It also preserves the raw image which for beginners will be important as making mistakes is crucial in the learning process. It also facilitates the management of files which for beginners can help them build the habit of being organized to easily sort their work as well as removing the frustration of not being able to find a photo. Such management tools include tagging of photos, rating, and even searching select images through keywords.

Conclusion

If you are a beginner in real estate image editing, lightroom might be the one for you. This is because it is easier to navigate and get used to plus the organization and management provides you a facilitated method of getting everything together. It does not however, hinder you from choosing Photoshop to begin with as the intent is also to learn and to master the software. Photoshop may be the preferred real estate image editing software with its micro adjustments and complex ability to enhance a photo. The verdict? Use both for the right set of enhancement tools coupled with a great management system. Photoshop will be your go-to editing tool and will enable you to learn the tips and tricks of real estate image editing while Lightroom will organize your work to create a smooth and seamless movement of files especially when doing business. Indeed, the advent of technology has given us different tools for different purposes. Each has its own bells and whistles that may be important to use or none altogether. What is important is these are distinguishable by you as a photographer and are able to assess which ones will be of use to you and your work.

 

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