Photo shop light room capability

[chuck]

Thanks for the recommendation for PS light room. I have a few questions regarding its capabilities:

 

1. Can LR allow me the define the precise areas in an image to dodge, burn, change color balance, etc?

 

2. Can I stack multiple images on top of each other to create a single image with extend the dynamic range?

 

3. Can I manipulate a raw image and save it back in the same format?

 

4. Does it allow me to apply in effect a graduated filter on an existing image, where areas that's been adjusted grades smoothly into the

area that hasn't?

 

5. Can I composite several images together?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p>1. Can LR allow me the define the precise areas in an image to dodge, burn, change color balance, etc?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes. It isn't called dodge and burn, it's done with the adjustment brush, the gradient tool and the radial filter. It goes way beyond dodge and burn, it allows all sorts of localized color adjustments including white balance. Noise reduction, sharpening, clarity, these are all in there. The tool is very configurable and also has an auto-mask capability.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>2. Can I stack multiple images on top of each other to create a single image with extend the dynamic range?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, there is built-in HDR capability in the most recent versions.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>3. Can I manipulate a raw image and save it back in the same format?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You can never manipulate an image and save it as raw. What LR does though is leave the original alone and store the changes in its database and also in a sidecar file if you set it up that way.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>4. Does it allow me to apply in effect a graduated filter on an existing image, where areas that's been adjusted grades smoothly into the area that hasn't?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes. The graduated filter works from edges but you can tailor it with a second graduated filter. I find the process easier than in Photoshop. The radial filter lets you do something similar with an oval/circular area. </p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>5. Can I composite several images together?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>To give a bit more information on point 3 as to the answer of Jeff: Lightroom doesn't save your edits into the file you are editing (regardless whether it is raw, or not). Instead the "steps" you take are saved in a database, and/or in a so-called sidecar file (a small text file containing the info). Lightroom updates the preview file you see in Lighroom, but the actual file on your disk remains unchanged (which is a very good thing!).<br>

Only once you export a file (to JPEG, TIFF), it writes out a file with all the edits applied to it, but by definition this file will always be a copy.</p>