Does Anyone Use Adobe Camera Raw or Adobe Bridge?

hark

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I use them all the time for NEF. Although I have Lightroom, my computer tends to be very slow with it, and I don't use its organizer. So I use Camera RAW for editing. Sometimes I will simply open Bridge and do my editing then close it without going to PCC.

If I've done editing in Camera RAW then head to PCC, there are times when I go back to Camera RAW for a few touch ups. Even Scott Kelby has done that in his videos.
 

sonicbuffalo_RIP

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I use them all the time for NEF. Although I have Lightroom, my computer tends to be very slow with it, and I don't use its organizer. So I use Camera RAW for editing. Sometimes I will simply open Bridge and do my editing then close it without going to PCC.

If I've done editing in Camera RAW then head to PCC, there are times when I go back to Camera RAW for a few touch ups. Even Scott Kelby has done that in his videos.
Thanks Cindy....I am trying to see why to go to either of these when you can do the same things with PSCC? Thanks for your take!
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Thanks Cindy....I am trying to see why to go to either of these when you can do the same things with PSCC? Thanks for your take!
Okay well now this is a different question...

Personally I use Bridge as a file viewer, for culling (in Review mode) and ranking shots. To cull I rate shots either 5-Star (Winners!), No Stars (Mediocre but Worthy) or Reject (Really Bad). Once they're all rated, I mass delete the rejects and start processing the 5-Star photos; the mediocre-but-save-worthy shots get archived. From Bridge I can directly open one, some or all of my 5-Star photos in Adobe Camera Raw.

Once within ACR the real workflow begins: Tone, Color and Artistic Effects. That's my 'flow in a nutshell and it starts with ACR.

In ACR I straighten (if necessary) adjust white balance, work with the five exposure sliders and apply a lens profile to correct distortion and remove chromatic aberration. Some of that I could in PS, but the specific tools ACR makes these corrections fast and easy. Things like the lens profiles can't be done in PS to my knowledge. I also like that I can use the camera presets in ACR (Landscape, Vivid, Portrait, etc.) and/or use the WB Presets for Daylight, Shade, Fluorescent, etc. Another thing I really like in ACR is the "Visualize Spots" function (most every shot at least gets checked using it) and the "Adjustment Brush"; again because these are simple tool that work quickly. Lastly, in ACR the color gets generally corrected so when I move into Photoshop I'm working with what amounts to a "clean slate" for applying artistic effects.
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Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
[MENTION=13090]Horoscope Fish[/MENTION], Paul....it seems most of what you said can be done in Lightroom....agree?
I absolutely agree. From a purely editing standpoint the Develop module of Lightroom is, for all intents and purposes, Camera Raw with a modified user interface. There are a few things LR can do, such as presets, that can not be done in ACR. To my way of thinking there are much bigger differences between Lightroom and Photoshop than there are between Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.

In my mind there are two basic paths with Adobe: The Path of Lightroom or the Path of Bridge/ACR/Photoshop. I would be more inclined to use the Lightroom Path if I was editing a LOT of images ALL the time; it strikes me more as a production sort of workflow. The Bridge/ACR/Photoshop workflow, to me anyway, feels like a more artistic sort of flow where you're working on fewer images but doing more with each one individually, such as retouching. That's not to say those who are artistically inclined can't have a LR-based workflow, or that production minded photographers can't use a Bridge/ACR/Photoshop workflow, however. That's just how the two different workflows have felt to me when I used them. I know a few professionals who integrate ALL of these applications (Bridge, Lightroom, ACR, Photoshop) and other applications as well (such as Illustrator or InDesign) into their workflow, but they're Masters of their Craft in my eye's.
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sonicbuffalo_RIP

Senior Member
[MENTION=13090]Horoscope Fish[/MENTION] thanks for the feedback. You confirmed and added to what I was thinking. I have a better understanding now since your post. Thanks again!
 

sonicbuffalo_RIP

Senior Member
and not everyone uses Lightroom neither. I don't because I use PS and ACR :D
Hey Vixen...thanks for chiming in. My intention was not to slam PS and/or ACR. I have both too, but am trying to decide on what the upside is for using ACR and LR., I just didn't want to complicate things by using ACR when I already understand most of LR. I just didn't want to duplicate and waste time in my workflow. I had never really understood PS, etc. until I watched about 12 hours worth of videos on it this past week. I am a lot more comfortable using PS now after understanding layers and masks much better. My goal is to be able to use PS and either ACR or Lightroom (in which I watched another 10-12 hours on to get even more acquainted with that program) in my workflow.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hey Vixen...thanks for chiming in. My intention was not to slam PS and/or ACR. I have both too, but am trying to decide on what the upside is for using ACR and LR., I just didn't want to complicate things by using ACR when I already understand most of LR. I just didn't want to duplicate and waste time in my workflow. I had never really understood PS, etc. until I watched about 12 hours worth of videos on it this past week. I am a lot more comfortable using PS now after understanding layers and masks much better. My goal is to be able to use PS and either ACR or Lightroom (in which I watched another 10-12 hours on to get even more acquainted with that program) in my workflow.
I would say that your knowledge of LR is going to severely flatten the learning curve of ACR. If you choose to use one, the other or both is up to you of course but I'd say knowing LR as you do will be a huge benefit either way. I think the details of your workflow will work themselves out as you become more accustomed to using ACR/Photoshop.

Also, in my opinion, it's pretty much all downhill in Photoshop once you have a good understanding of three things: Layers, Masks and Selections. That's your foundation. I would advise you to look into learning how to use a Curves adjustment layer when you feel ready to learn something new and assuming you haven't already. Curves are easy to learn and huuuugely powerful for working with both Tone AND Color. I was originally intimidated by them but now, I have no idea why... They're definitely one of my favorite tools in Photoshop and I wish I had learned them so much sooner.

Then of course there's Blend Modes (OMG!!!) and Luminosity Masking...
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sonicbuffalo_RIP

Senior Member
[MENTION=13090]Horoscope Fish[/MENTION]......looks like as always I will have a hill or two to climb as the learning curves (pun intended) get steeper. That's what I love about photography.....always something new to learn....thanks for the encouragement...
 

STM

Senior Member
Bridge does a great job of producing proof sheets which is what I use it for. Are you referring to PS Camera Raw? It has quite an extensive suite of routines to work with RAW images. I have tried NX2 and to be honest, I have found PS Raw to be more extensive and I don't have to use 2 programs to get the same results
 

sonicbuffalo_RIP

Senior Member
Bridge does a great job of producing proof sheets which is what I use it for. Are you referring to PS Camera Raw? It has quite an extensive suite of routines to work with RAW images. I have tried NX2 and to be honest, I have found PS Raw to be more extensive and I don't have to use 2 programs to get the same results
yes....that is exactl what I was referring to!
 

SkvLTD

Senior Member
Bridge and PS are my go-to's mainly, like others pointed out, it being an excellent sorting/renaming/batch-whatever tool and ACR is just as excellent GUI for pretty much all "quick" raw adjustments you might ever need. And then easily in batches as well.
 
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