Photoshop Elements 2021

[John_SD]

I use Lightroom as my RAW processor and editor. I never really felt like I needed Photoshop or even PSE. In LR, I can clean most stuff up and can generally edit/adjust my photos to my liking before exporting them. However, I see that Adobe is running a 40 percent off Black Friday sale on PSE 2021 right now. For $59.99, I am tempted. For you guys who use LR or any other solid RAW processor extensively, do you also use PSE? If so, how do you like it? Does it really make a difference? FYI, I am not interested in using PSE to sprinkle my photos with hearts, flowers, rainbows, fireworks or any other doodads LOL. Thanks. 

[Waddizzle]

Do not mix full blown PS/LR with PSE on the same machine, or the same Adobe account.

[jrhoffman75]

Just to clarify - are you using LR 6.14 or earlier?

[John_SD]

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@jrhoffman75 wrote:

Just to clarify - are you using LR 6.14 or earlier?

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Hey John, I'm actually using Lightroom CC v4.0  (Adobe Cloud version), not Lightroom Classic. That is one thing I hate about the various LR versions -- there is often built-in confusion when one says they use "Lightroom." 

[jrhoffman75]

Thanks John. I wasn't familiar wtih an Adobe plan that didn't have Ps.

I am not a user, but from what I have read PSE, especially with the Elements+ added product, is very capable, especially since your primary editor will be Lr.

[Waddizzle]

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@John_SD wrote:

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@jrhoffman75 wrote:

Just to clarify - are you using LR 6.14 or earlier?

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Hey John, I'm actually using Lightroom CC v4.0  (Adobe Cloud version), not Lightroom Classic. That is one thing I hate about the various LR versions -- there is often built-in confusion when one says they use "Lightroom." 

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My above advice still applies.  I would not mix the two on the same machine, or even the same Adobe account.  

One or the other is likely to be wiped, and replaced with the lowest common denominator.  That is what happened to me when I purchased PSE 2018, and installed it on a different machine from one running with PS CS6 and LR6 under the same account name.  Adobe isn't smart enough to recognize that you're running on different machines.  At least, it wasn't a couple of years ago.

[Waddizzle]

There was a short time frame after Adobe began the subscription model when you could purchase with the LR subscription, or LR with a perpetual license.  I purchased the perpetual license for my son.  

He loved it.  He asked about Photoshop, so I purchased PSE because PS was no longer available with a perpetual license, even the LR was available.  He had his own account, and installed the Adobe app manager software.  This was a mistake, because it upgraded LR to a cloud version, and hobbled the ACR that runs with PSE.

Moral of the story is this.  Make sure PS and LR running on the same machine are from the some release time frame, especially when you are dealing with the new cloud model.  You have no choice but to sign up for the cloud, if you want any updates to the apps.

[John_SD]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

There was a short time frame after Adobe began the subscription model when you could purchase with the LR subscription, or LR with a perpetual license.  I purchased the perpetual license for my son.  

He loved it.  He asked about Photoshop, so I purchased PSE because PS was no longer available with a perpetual license, even the LR was available.  He had his own account, and installed the Adobe app manager software.  This was a mistake, because it upgraded LR to a cloud version, and hobbled the ACR that runs with PSE.

Moral of the story is this.  Make sure PS and LR running on the same machine are from the some release time frame, especially when you are dealing with the new cloud model.  You have no choice but to sign up for the cloud, if you want any updates to the apps.

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Waddizzle, thanks for the tips on this. I appreciate it. It is enough to give me pause, and so I likely won't be taking the PSE plunge at this time. I may look at some alternatives for now. I know that PSE has some useful tools available, but is so chockful of gimmicky stuff that would mostly appeal to old ladies. Adorning photos with the kittens, the hearts and flowers, the unicorns, the rainbows, the dopey quotations, etc. I find all of it tacky to the nth degree. So despite having some useful tools available that you can dig out of the product, I don't relish running the risk of a clobbered implementation or messing up my LR to put this software on my machine. WIll continue looking at other editors.