Lightroom 2.5 and Elements 8 Catalogs

Hello. I've been using Lightroom since version 1.0 and am currently working with LR 2.5. Last week I bought myself Elements 8 which has its own Organizer and creates its own catalog. (This is the first time I have used Elements in a long, long time.)

Will I have any trouble using using both LR and the Elements 8 Organizer on the same computer? I am concerned that Elements may mess up my LR catalog or modify in some way the changes made through LR to my files. I want the LR modifications to be the default, and that any changes made through Elements apply only to a "Save As" copy of the original file.

I usually import my photographs through LR.

Thanks,
~Dom

Should be fine. Just continue organizing using LR and ignore Elements organization facilities.

I use LR for importing/cataloguing and basic raw editing, I then use Elements 8 for any final touching up/cropping etc. with no problems.

I just don't let Elements catalogue my images, I tried it when I got it but compared to Lightroom it just didn't work for me. I'm not sure how it handles large numbers of images either.

Thanks for the responses. Organizer appears to be a convenient way of browsing through or finding images when Elements is running. Victoria, do you mean not to use Organizer at all, or just not to use Organizer's tagging features etc? NineyEight, what problems did you run into when using Elements to catalogue your images?

Thanks,
~Dom

Dom,
I just found it getting very slow with lots of images (even slower than Lightroom!!) and just didn't seem to be as easy to use as Lightroom when it came to sorting and finding thigs - Probably because I'm more used to it compared to Elements.
I only got Elements as a pixel editor so the fact that it has an 'organiser' was irrelevant.

Obtong wrote in post #9018873
Organizer appears to be a convenient way of browsing through or finding images when Elements is running. Victoria, do you mean not to use Organizer at all, or just not to use Organizer's tagging features etc?

By all means use it for finding images, but not for moving or tagging, otherwise you'll have to tidy up again in LR.

I personally wouldn't use Elements organizer at all... just too much confusion, IMO. I'd just open LR, find images there, and have them opened in PSE if you need further edits. Remember edits in LR are non-destructive. Edits in PSE ARE either destructive, or you must save as a different file name. (And then if you want to see that edited file in LR, import it again.) Alot of extra work.

If you use LR, it automatically creates a copy for you when opening for edits. Then if you just save with the given filename in PSE, you see those changes immediately in LR.

Not sure about PSE8... but I know in earlier versions there was an option to skip the organizer completely and open directly in editor. (This applies to launching PSE from Start menu or shortcut icon.)

davidcrebelxt wrote in post #9020295
I personally wouldn't use Elements organizer at all... just too much confusion, IMO. I'd just open LR, find images there, and have them opened in PSE if you need further edits. Remember edits in LR are non-destructive. Edits in PSE ARE either destructive, or you must save as a different file name. (And then if you want to see that edited file in LR, import it again.) Alot of extra work.

If you use LR, it automatically creates a copy for you when opening for edits. Then if you just save with the given filename in PSE, you see those changes immediately in LR.

Not sure about PSE8... but I know in earlier versions there was an option to skip the organizer completely and open directly in editor. (This applies to launching PSE from Start menu or shortcut icon.)

Just change the shortcut or create a new shortcut to the editor launch file. Mine is as below, but the OP's may be different:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 8.0\PhotoshopElementsE​ditor.exe"

NinetyEight wrote in post #9022885
Just change the shortcut or create a new shortcut to the editor launch file. Mine is as below, but the OP's may be different:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 8.0\PhotoshopElementsE​ditor.exe"

Thanks! This works great!

~Dom