Many photographers often wonder whether to use Lightroom or Bridge and Photoshop for managing and editing their images. Deciding between them isn’t just about preference—it’s about efficiency, ease of use, and how you prefer to organize and edit your images.
Coming to you from William Patino, this insightful video tackles a question many photographers have: “Why choose Bridge and Photoshop over Lightroom?” Patino highlights how Bridge serves as a straightforward file viewer, offering quick and organized access to your images without the need for importing, a feature that sets it apart from Lightroom. Lightroom, on the other hand, requires you to import files, which can feel like an extra step in the process. Bridge allows you to simply navigate to your images and start viewing them instantly, which can be a time-saver, especially when working with large volumes of files.
One of the critical points Patino discusses is the difference in how edits are stored in Lightroom versus Bridge. Lightroom creates a catalog, saving edits in a central folder, which can become cumbersome, especially if you’re working across multiple computers. On the other hand, Bridge saves your edits directly in the same folder as your original files, making it easier to manage your work across different devices. This method of storing edits locally offers flexibility, particularly if you frequently switch between computers or need to share your work without transferring an entire catalog.
In the video, Patino also demonstrates how the editing capabilities of Photoshop and Camera Raw are nearly identical to those in Lightroom. For photographers who prefer a streamlined process, this similarity means you can achieve the same results without needing to switch between programs. He shows how using Bridge for file management and Photoshop for editing can simplify your workflow, especially if you’re already comfortable with Photoshop. The ease of moving from Bridge to Photoshop without the need for Lightroom is another significant advantage that Patino emphasizes, making this workflow ideal for those looking to avoid the cluttered interface of Lightroom.
The video is particularly valuable for those who may feel overwhelmed by Lightroom's extensive features or those who simply prefer a more straightforward approach to managing and editing their photos. By focusing on what works best for you, Patino encourages you to stick with a workflow that feels natural and to avoid switching between programs unnecessarily. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Patino.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan With Elia Locardi!"
Gave up on LRC and went to Bridge/PS workflow. Understand that from the Adobe heaven, LR and LRC will never be truly independent, stand alone, pieces of software. I remember Scott Kelby doing a video calling for Adobe to develop a LR PRO version that could finally stand on its own, but of course, Adobe has not obliged at all with this plea. My particular issue had to do with the interface. Granted that I don't need a database catalog for what I do, so LRC is not a must-have software. The Bridge/PS workflow had to do with the fact that when I used LRC (Interface #1) and went to PS (Interface #2), if I wanted to use LR as a filter, I was faced with ACR (Interface #3). This got old, specially because not all the editing selections are in the same place or look the same when you were digging for them. So, I decided to just simplify my life and use Bridge (which is more capable than what it gets credit for) and Photoshop, which together with ACR gives you everything you need and more. Of course, high-volume photographers who need to use those smart folders and apply the same changes to a ton of photos (among many other benefits) with one sweep will be better served with LRC. The rest of us don't need that burden on our computer resources.
So in the world of Adobe bloatware that spies on you, you need three programs to sort, edit and do more edits. What shite.