Adobe announced several Lightroom and Lightroom Classic updates that users have been wanting for a long time. For instance, finally providing the ability to edit videos and have even more customization control. These updates start rolling out today and "will be available to everyone by the end of the week." Some abilities already available on the desktop version will also be rolling out to the mobile version. Here's everything new for Lightroom and Lightroom Classic.

The big thing: Editing abilities now work with videos!

Lightroom has always been one of the best photo editing apps out there, but things just got even better with the Lightroom June 2022 release. Now, all of the editing tools that have already been in Lightroom can be used to edit imported videos. To be clear, Lightroom did have the ability to import videos before, but editing tools could not be used on them. This means that you can now do things like add vignettes, color grading, Preset filters, and more to your video imports. Lightroom's AI also works to suggest the best Presets that will work with your videos.

Note that this does not add timeline editing, though you can trim the beginning or end of your video. You'll need to use Adobe Premiere or Adobe Rush for more intensive movie edits.

So much Preset news!

Several of the Lighroom updates for June 2022 center around Presets. So here's a round-up of all of them.

One of the best new things to arrive with this update is undoubtedly the Preset Amount Slider. This allows users to change the intensity of a Preset by simply moving the slider that appears on the side. That way you can get any image to look the way you want it to without overdoing it.

This update introduces a whole new type of Presets that rely on Lightroom AI. This allows the program to identify an area of the image and make fast changes with just the touch of a button. For instance, Adaptive: Sky quickly identifies the sky and creates a mask layer for it so that only that area gets changed. You then can choose between several options like making the sky clear blue, sunset, stormy, and more. There are also Adaptive Presets for identifying the subject of your images whether that's an object or a person and creating fast effects for them as well. This will really help your images stand out while saving you time.

The last update surrounding Presets involves a group of brand new premium packs.

• Portraits: Black & White — 12 black and white presets for you to choose from.
• Portraits: Edgy — 12 presets that will give color and emphasis to your portraits.
• Portraits: Group — Eight presets specifically designed for images with more than one person in them.
• Subject: Concerts — 11 presets to help make your concert images pop.
• Video: Creative — 12 presets that are specifically designed to work well with videos.

The ability to edit videos and use the new Preset Amount Slider is also available with Lightroom mobile. Now you can easily make edits to your favorite iPhone or iPad captures and get them looking just the way you like.

Red Eye Removal finally comes to Lightroom with AI

I know, I know, it's taken quite a long time for red eye removal to finally make its way to Lightroom. But now if you're touching up older pictures or using older flash photography equipment that's prone to producing red eye in images, you'll be able to easily tone down those red hues to make people's gaze look more natural.

You can choose to manually remove red eye if you'd like, but Lightroom's AI can detect all of the eyes on the screen and fix the problem for you with just one click so you don't have to waste time on such a simple problem.

Lightroom Discover More social and interactive

Lightroom Discover is a service built right into the software that allows users to share their work with each other and view the edits people went through to make the final image. Several updates are coming to both the desktop and mobile versions of Discover for an even better social experience.

Last fall, a new option called Remix was added to the desktop version of Lightroom Discover, but now it's coming to mobile as well.

Remix allows other users to make edits to your original image so that everyone can come up with different final products. It's also a way for you to show off your editing skills on others' images. Whenever you upload an image, you get to determine whether or not other users can use Remix on your photo.

It's now easier than ever to find inspiring work from others on Lightroom Discover using the updated search tools. Use specific keywords and categories to find images that interest you. You can even choose to search by whether or not they can be Remixed, if they're Featured, or if they use a Preset that's available to you.

Finally compare your images side by side

With the click of a button, you can now view two images at a time to help you select which one will be better for any given project.

Additional improvements

To wrap things up, here are a number of additional changes coming to Lightroom that should make the editing process a whole lot easier.

• Batch Copy/Paste of AI Masks: With just the click of a button, the Lightroom AI can batch process your photos with masks for a similar effect, like changing the skies in each picture to clear blue.
• Mask Group Invert: Invert a mask group to work with the other areas in an image without having to take the time to select it separately.
• Forward/Back Buttons: Lightroom is now easier to traverse than ever with the brand new forward and backward buttons, which function similarly to those on a web browser.
• Local Storage Management: Use Lightroom to determine where your images are stored and delete the cache to make more room for your projects.

At last... I see the light

With so many impressive updates and additions, Lightroom and Lightroom Classic are both looking better than ever. Whether you want to improve the look of your images or quickly make video adjustments, Adobe has you covered. Since these updates are coming to both desktop and mobile versions of the software, you can make these customizations from just about anywhere, whether it's on your favorite Mac or your best iPhone.

What you need to know

• Adobe has updated Lightroom to include support for Apple silicon.

Adobe yesterday updated Lightroom for Mac to include native support for Apple silicon. The update, version 4.1, also brings with it added support for new cameras and lenses, the release notes confirm.

Adobe also says that we can look forward to bug fixes as part of this update, but the Mac App Store entry doesn't go into details as to what they might be.

By including support for Apple silicon, Adobe has unleashed the power of Apple's current M1 chip that runs in the Mac mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air. Previously, Lightroom ran via Rosetta 2 under x86 emulation and while still speedy, running as a native Apple silicon Mac on Apple's hardware is undoubtedly the way to go.

Those who use Adobe Lightroom can download the update from the Mac App Store right now. It's a free download, but you'll need a Creative Cloud subscription if you want to use it beyond the initial one-week free trial.

What you need to know

• Adobe has released a slew of new updates.
• Mac, iPad, and iPhone all get Lightroom updates.
• New file support and improved Learn and Discover sections are included.

Adobe has today released a few new updates for its Lightroom suite of apps, with Mac, iPhone, and iPad all getting some love. Adobe says that the updates are based on customer feedback as well as requests for new features.

As part of these new updates Lightroom for Mac gains support for DNG exporting, bringing feature parity with iPhone. Previously Mac users were only able to export in either TIFF or JPEG format. The Mac version also now has improvements to shared albums, with users given the option to include or omit metadata when adding photos to those albums.

Lightroom for iPad now supports split screen, allowing two apps to run side-by-side for the first time. Adobe uses an example of Lightroom in one pane and Safari in another, but if you're someone working on a large project you could have a reference item available alongside Lightroom instead.

Both iPhone and iPad now have redesigned Learn and Discover sections, with a new two-column view available.

You can read all about what Adobe has changed in this round of updates as well as getting a feel for what is in store for the rest of 2020 over on the company blog.

If you love taking photos on a standalone camera, like a DSLR or mirrorless camera, rather than on your iPhone, one of the major frustration points has always been getting the photos from your camera onto a device for editing and storage. This could be particularly annoying if you're trying to do this with an iOS device like an iPad, where you'll need one of a couple of adapters to even get started.

Unlike the 2018 iPad Pro models, previous versions of the iPad, both standard and Pro, mostly utilize Apple's proprietary Lightning port, so other devices can't just transfer data to them out of the box. The good news is that the adapters will also work with your iPhone because they just connect to the Lightning port on either device.

If you have a 2018 iPad Pro, you guide to transferring photos from your standalone camera is right here.

How to upload and edit DSLR photos on your iPad Pro (2018)

The world of Lightning adapters

Of Apple's two primary adapters for working with cameras on your iOS devices, the first is my favorite, just for simplicity's sake. With the Lightning-to-SD Card Camera Reader, you just plug the adapter into your iPad, plug your SD card into your adapter, and you're good to go. The import process works the same as it has for a while (more on that below).

You can also connect your camera to your iPad without taking your SD card out of your camera. For that, you'll need one of two adapters that Apple offers. The first is the simple Lightning-to-USB Adapter, which adds a USB-A port to your iPad, and allows you to connect standard USB cables to your tablet. Apple's other, larger adapter does something similar, just faster. The Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter also adds a USB-A port to your iPad, but it also has a Lightning port, letting you charge your iPad as you upload photos to it. Powering the adapter also lets you connect devices like USB hubs, ethernet adapters, and audio/MIDI interfaces.

Direct connection?

Unfortunately, unlike the 2018 iPad Pro, you cannot connect your camera to your Lightning-equipped iPad sans adapter. I've actually tried with using Apple's Lightning-to-USB-C cable, with the USB-C end plugged into my camera, and the Lightning connector plugged into my older iPad's Lightning port — it's a no-go.

How to import photos from your DSLR to your iPad Pro

Once you've connected your camera or SD card to your iPad, the process for importing photos is the same as it's always been.

1. Connect your camera or SD card to your iPad. Photos should automatically launch into the Import tab.
2. Tap on the images that you want to import if you only want to import some of the images. If you want to import all of them, tap Import All right away.
3. Tap Import.
4. Tap Import Selected. The selected photos will be imported.

How to edit photos from your DSLR on your iPad

Even without the power of the A12X of the new iPad Pro, you still have a lot of options when it comes to editing photos on your iPad. The last couple of years has seen several apps emerge that boast powerful editing for RAW photos. No matter which iPad I'm using, my first step is always to import my photos into Lightroom CC on my iPad to make initial adjustments, profile corrections, and preset applications. From there, you can send the photo to other applications directly from Lightroom by using the Open In function in Lightroom's share menu.

I'm going to recommend that you get Affinity Photo or Pixelmator Photo, especially if you have an iPad or iPad Pro from the past few years. Affinity Photo has all of the tools you'd expect to find in a desktop photo editor, such as layering, repair, smart object selection, all in an interface built for your iPad. It has Apple Pencil support and a full suite of exporting options. Pixelmator Photo is the other image editor I've spent a lot of time with, and while it's not as robust as Affinity Photo, it has all of the features that I need on a day-to-day basis for my work at iMore, as well as a number of machine learning-enabled features that I find useful from time to time.

As far as I'm concerned, these are the iPadOS photo editors you should from if you want maximum functionality. However, Photoshop CC for iPad is finally available from Adobe, and may one day grow to give both Affinity and Pixelmator Photo a run for their money.

You can grab Lightroom CC, Pixelmator Photo, and Affinity Photo on the App Store right now.

• Lightroom CC - Free with Creative Cloud subscription
• Affinity Photo - $20
• Pixelmator Photo - $5

iPadOS 13

With the release of iPadOS 13, apps gained the ability to import photos directly from an external source, such as a hard drive or SD card, so long as developers used Apple's latest tools to support these features. Apps like Lightroom CC and Pixelmator Photo now support direct import, allowing you to add photos from your standalone camera directly to these apps without having to add them to your Photo Library first.

The previous steps for uploading photos from a DSLR or other external camera are still the best if you want to store them in your iCloud Photo Library. But if you want to import them from an external source like an SD card, then you'll need to follow steps like the ones in the following example, in which we'll use Lightroom CC to demonstrate.

1. Use an adapter to connect your camera, SD card, or other drive to your iPad Pro.
2. Open Lightroom on your iPad.
3. Tap the Add Photos button in the bottom-right corner.
4. Tap From Camera Device. Note that some apps will just have you import from an interface for the Files app.

5. Tap on the photos you want to import to select them.
6. Tap Import. Lightroom will then import the photos.
7. Tap either Keep or Delete. Tapping keep will keep the image you imported on the external device, while Delete will erase it from the device.

How do you do it?

If you use a standalone DSLR or mirrorless camera, do you have a particular workflow that you use to import and edit your photos? Tell us about it in the comments.

January 2020: Updated with info about iOS 13's new direct import feature for apps.

If you love taking photos on a standalone camera, like a DSLR or mirrorless camera, rather than on your iPhone, one of the major frustration points has always been getting the photos from your camera onto a device for editing and storage. This could be particularly annoying if you're trying to do so with an iOS device like an iPad, where you've needed one of two adapters, either Apple's Lightning SD card reader or the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter.

This has changed with the arrival of Apple's latest generations of iPad Pro. The 11-inch and 12.9-inch models released in late 2018 feature a USB-C port instead of Lightning. This change allows you newfound freedom when importing your photos onto these new iPads, including the use of third-party SD card readers, as well as direct camera-to-iPad connections, sans adapter.

USB-C and adapters

Like the Mac lineup before it, the iPad Pro now uses USB-C. Among other things, USB-C gives the iPad Pro the ability to use accessories that haven't been certified by Apple. While some risks come along with this, it does give you freedom and price flexibility.

For instance, Apple's USB-C SD card reader is priced around $40, while this card reader from SanDisk, which, like Apple's, support UHS-II transfer speeds, costs about $26. Personally, I use a card reader from Anker that, while not UHS-II, still transfers photos from my SD card to my iPad reasonably quickly. That card reader costs around $14.

All three of those card readers perform the same task. The difference being that the SanDisk and Anker readers each do so at a price noticeably lower than Apple's reader, though neither of them are MFi certified.

Direct connection

One of the other consequences of moving from Lightning to USB-C is that you'll no longer need Apple's camera adapter to physically connect your camera to your iPad. While Apple made a USB-C version of the camera adapter, which basically adds a USB-A port to your iPad, it's likely that you won't need it. Instead, the only thing you'll need to attach your iPad Pro and camera is a USB-C-to-whatever-connector-your-camera-has cable.

A lot of cameras use Micro-USB for their data connections, so you'll need a Micro-USB-to-USB-C cable. But more recent cameras, including new mirrorless full-frame cameras from Canon, Nikon, and Sony, utilize USB-C, like the iPad Pro itself. What's great about this is that you don't need to buy an additional cable. If you have the camera and the iPad, you're all set, because your iPad already comes with a USB-C-to-USB-C cable, the one that connects to its charger. You can use this cable for data transfers as well as charging, so you're good to go.

How to import photos from your DSLR to your iPad Pro

Once you've connected your camera or SD card to your iPad Pro, the process for importing photos is the same as it's always been.

1. Connect your camera or SD card to your iPad Pro. Photos should automatically launch into the Import tab.
2. Tap on the images that you want to import if you only want to import some of the images. If you want to import all of them, tap Import All right away.
3. Tap Import.
4. Tap Import Selected. The selected photos will be imported.

How to edit photos from your DSLR on your iPad

Even without the power of the A12X of the new iPad Pro, you still have a lot of options when it comes to editing photos on your iPad. The last couple of years has seen several apps emerge that boast powerful editing for RAW photos. No matter which iPad I'm using, my first step is always to import my photos into Lightroom CC on my iPad to make initial adjustments, profile corrections, and preset applications. From there, you can send the photo to other applications directly from Lightroom by using the Open In function in Lightroom's share menu.

Especially if you have an iPad or iPad Pro from the past few years, I'm going to recommend that you get Affinity Photo or Pixelmator Photo. Affinity Photo has all of the tools you'd expect to find in a desktop photo editor, such as layering, repair, smart object selection, all in an interface built for your iPad. It has Apple Pencil support and a full suite of exporting options. Pixelmator Photo is the other image editor I've spent a lot of time with, and while it's not as robust as Affinity Photo, it has all of the features that I need on a day-to-day basis for my work at iMore, as well as a number of machine learning-enabled features that I find useful from time to time.

As far as I'm concerned, these are the the iPadOS photo editors you should from if you want maximum functionality, though Photoshop CC for iPad, finally available from Adobe, may one day grow to get both of these a run for their money.

You can grab Lightroom CC, Pixelmator Photo, and Affinity Photo on the App Store right now.

• Lightroom CC - Free with Creative Cloud subscription
• Affinity Photo - $19.99
• Pixelmator Photo - $4.99

iPadOS 13

In iPadOS 13, apps gained the ability to import photos directly from an external source, such as a hard drive or SD card, so long as developers supported it. Apps like Lightroom and Pixelmator Photo now support this feature, allowing you to add photos from your standalone camera directly to these apps without having to add them to your Photo Library first.

The previous steps for uploading photos from a DSLR or other external camera are still the best if you want to store them in your iCloud Photo Library. But if you want to import them from an external source like an SD card, then you'll need to follow steps like the ones in the following example, in which we'll use Lightroom CC to demonstrate.

1. Connect your camera, SD card, or other drive to your 2018 iPad Pro.
2. Open Lightroom on your iPad.
3. Tap the Add Photos button in the bottom-right corner.
4. Tap From Camera Device. Note that some apps will just have you import from an interface for the Files app.

5. Tap on the photos you want to import to select them.
6. Tap Import. Lightroom will then import the photos.
7. Tap either Keep or Delete. Tapping keep will keep the image you imported on the external device, while Delete will erase it from the device.

How do you do it?

If you use a standalone DSLR or mirrorless camera, do you have a particular workflow that you use to import and edit your photos? Tell us about it in the comments.

Updated January 2020: Updated for iPadOS 13.

What you need to know

• Lightroom now supports direct photo import.
• Photos don't need to be imported via Files or Photos anymore.
• The feature was first announced in June.

Adobe's December Photography Releases are here and as part of that Lightroom for iPhone and iPad finally supports direct photo import (via 9to5Mac).

That means that anyone wanting to import photos into Lightroom from a camera or external storage device no longer has to import them into Files or Photos first. Now, it's all handled via the app without images having to be duplicated first. Adobe says that RAW import is supported and the new mechanism should also make imports more speedy as well.

Adobe says that the feature is rolling out to users now.

What you need to know

• Adobe has shared a video previewing its new import feature for Lightroom on iPad.
• The update will allow users to import photos to Lightroom directly from their camera or memory card.
• It will reportedly be available in an update this year.

Adobe has released a video previewing a brand new import feature for Lightroom on iPad, which will allow users to import photos into Lightroom straight from their camera or a memory card.

A video posted to YouTube November 13 features Lightroom's Tom Hogarty previewing the new camera-to-tablet workflow, which will allow users to directly import photos from a camera or a memory into the app, beginning with iOS 13.2.

Not only that, the update will allow users to import RAW photos, and delete them on the device after import. The news is a huge breakthrough for users who have been requesting the feature, which will replace the infuriating process of importing images to Photos in iOS, before adding them to Lightroom, creating a plethora of duplicate images.

The video description states that the update is "coming soon", and 9to5Mac reports that the update may be released before the end of the year. Check out the video below!

Adobe is now offering Lightroom, it's photo management application, on the Mac App Store. This version is also known as Lightroom CC, and it's the newer edition of the app that resembles Lightroom Mobile, with Lightroom Classic still only available directly through Adobe.

Lightroom is free to download and use for seven days, after which time, you can subscribe to keep using the app, either for $9.99 per month, or $118.99 per year. This is as opposed to subscribing to the app directly through Adobe, which offers the app as a standalone product, as well as part of its photography package with Photoshop and it's overall Creative Cloud suite.

Lightroom was previously offered on the Mac App Store back before Adobe committed to its Creative Cloud subscription model in earnest. It's interesting that the company is allowing customers to subscribe directly through Apple, though it probably figures that it's better to have some of your money than none of it.

If you already subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud and use Lightroom CC as a part of that, there's really no reason to download the App Store version other than pure curiosity. The app has come a long way since it originally launched a couple of years ago, but as a Lightroom CC Classic user, the modern version of Lightroom as a ways to go before it can replace Lightroom Classic.

Adobe Lightroom is available on the Mac App Store right now.

Free with in-app purchase - Download Now

Whether you're a beginner just dipping your toe into the photography world or a hardcore hobbyist looking to go pro, choosing the right photo editor for the work you do is important. It can help you better streamline your workflow, organize your files, and create the best images possible for your projects.

Though there are many non-Adobe photo editing applications out there, Photoshop and Lightroom are considered by many to be industry standards. The question is, which program is right for you?

Do you shoot in RAW?

Many photographers choose to shoot in the RAW format — that is, the most minimally processed format that uses all information gathered by the camera's sensors — because it offers the highest level of image quality. When I personally take photos, I always shoot in RAW, as it gives me more room to make edits. If you're also a photographer who prefers the RAW format, there are a few things you need to know about both Lightroom and Photoshop.

Unfortunately, Adobe Photoshop doesn't allow you to open RAW images directly into the program without converting them to a different file type. In order to open RAW images in Photoshop, you're going to need to first open them using the Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) plugin. ACR offers a lot of editing options in and of itself, like white balance and curves, so you can touch up your RAW images before you open them in Photoshop.

On the other hand, if you use Lightroom, no plugin is required! With Lightroom, you can import RAW images straight from your camera with no interruptions or application switching, allowing for a more intuitive workflow.

Are you just looking to do some basic editing?

If you're new to the whole photo editing thing and just want to perform some basic edits on your snapshots, you may end up leaning more toward Lightroom than Photoshop. Because Photoshop has so many editing tools, it's got a greater learning curve, which might slow you down if you're just looking to adjust a few things. That doesn't necessarily mean Lightroom isn't robust tool-wise, though! With Lightroom, you can do the following (and more!):

• Perform basic retouching (blemish removal, teeth whitening, et cetera) with the Healing Brush
• Adjust curves
• Adjust white balance
• Adjust exposure and contrast
• Adjust hue and saturation
• Crop, straighten, and rotate
• Add gradients
• Dodge and burn
• Blur and sharpen
• Add vignette

You can also create and utilize what Adobe calls Presets, which allow you to thread multiple adjustments and effects together in a file and save it to apply to later photos. You can even download Presets other photographers and editors have created to achieve the artistic vibes you desire.

Do you need pixel-level control over your edits?

On the flip side, if you need extremely granular control over your edits and serious retouching abilities, Photoshop may be the way to go.

With Photoshop, you can alter each individual pixel if you want to, retouching your photos at their most basic level.

If you're the type of person that wants to remove whole objects from the background of an image or add elements of graphic design or digital art to your work, Photoshop is definitely your jam. In addition to all the adjustments and editing tools Lightroom has, Photoshop offers the following and more:

• Vector image creation tools
• A powerful layer system that allows for the separation of individual image elements, masking, and use of blending modes
• Blur and shake reduction for individuals like me who have perpetually unsteady hands
• Content-aware filling and patching for removing objects and improving composition
• The ability to stitch photos together automatically to create panoramas
• Filters that can change the overall look of your images (or of individual layers)
• Painting and drawing tools
• Rasterization tools
• 3D tools

Photoshop also has a feature similar to Lightroom's Presets called Actions, which also allows you to string together a sequence of edits and save them to be used again at a later time. However, Photoshop Actions can incorporate more detailed editing elements because there are simply more options to choose from.

Do you require meticulous photo organization and management tools?

So the coolest part of Lightroom — in my opinion, anyway — is that it's essentially an end-to-end post-production studio. That means that not only does it allow you to edit images, it allows you to import them, organize and manage them, and export them as well. If you prefer to keep things categorized and tidy, you'll love Lightroom's organizational features.

After importing photos directly from your camera, you can do things like sort them into collections, select and modify multiple images at once, rearrange image files on your hard drive, add keywords for later searching and sorting, and more. Once you're done editing, you can get straight to using and publishing your photos by designing books, calendars, and other paper goods, creating slideshows, and sharing your photos directly to the social media site of your choice — all without having to leave the program.

To perform any comparable feats in Photoshop, you need to install Adobe Bridge, which will allow you to import photos from your memory card, organize them, and view them. Again, it's not a huge difference to people who don't mind using multiple programs in tandem, but if that seems stressful to you, choosing Lightroom could make all the difference in the world.

Who should use Lightroom?

If you're new to photography or just looking for an all-in-one solution to organizing, simple editing, and publishing your photographs, Lightroom is probably the choice for you. It offers a really streamlined workflow that makes it easy to use throughout the whole post-production process, and you don't need a great deal of experience to start getting the hang of the editing tools and user interface. It's also great for those interested in creating books, calendars, and slideshows using their photos, Essentially, if you're looking to get your edits done quickly with minimal fuss and you aren't bothered by not having precise, pixel-level control, you'll want to go with Lightroom.

• Download Lightroom CC ($20.99/month)

Who should use Photoshop?

If you're familiar with editing programs in general and you'd like to have all-encompassing control over the editing of your images, you'll probably want to use Photoshop. It is a bit more difficult to use, but that's just because there's more you can accomplish. If you'd prefer your editing experience to be more like adding an Instagram filter and calling it quits, steer clear, but if you really want to get in there and incorporate graphics or painterly elements, remove and rearrange subject matter, work with discrete layers, or do some intense retouching, Photoshop is definitely the program for you.

• Download Photoshop CC ($20.99/month)

Who should use — gasp! — both?

I know, I know: "Tory, I came here to figure out whether I should use one or the other!" I understand! The attractiveness of sticking to and familiarizing yourself with a single program so you don't have to worry about juggling two is difficult to overcome.

However, it's extremely common for many photographers to use both programs in their post-production workflow, deciding which is best to use on a situational basis. Both contain elements that are hugely valuable to a photographer's process, and while Photoshop may work well for more experimental work, Lightroom is great for editing large batches of photos like those from a wedding or graduation.

What's more, choosing both is actually the more cost-effective option. Adobe actually offers a photography-centric Creative Cloud bundle that gives you access to both programs for half the monthly subscription fee of using one individually. That way, you can try using them both to figure out which you personally gel with. And, if you decide your project would benefit more from the other program, you can always switch it up, as the two integrate very well.

• Download the Photography bundle ($9.99/month)

Questions? Thoughts?

Which program do you prefer and why? Share in the comments below!

Lightroom, the free photo editing app from Adobe, has been updated for the iPhone and iPad. The new 1.3 version includes some features that Adobe says will make editing images faster, along with a quicker way to find photos.

Here's a break down of what's been added and what's been fixed in this 1.3 update:

New Features:

• Edit images faster by copying image adjustments and pasting them onto another photo
• Easily find your favorite images ! The new Segmented view in Collections gives you a different way to view and engage with your photos.
• Want to pass your device around the family to look at your photos? With Presentation Mode, you can do that without worrying about your flags, ratings and adjustments being accidentally changed.

Bug fixes:

• Abnormal exit that occurred when downloading images for offline use and account token expires
• Issues creating collections after initial login
• Abnormal exit when editing account settings
• When opening an image in other applications, Lr mobile incorrectly provided an .ig file instead of a jpeg file. This only occurred with Dropbox and Adobe Reader.
• Unable to open smart previews from certain Fuji RAF raw files

Lightroom is just one of many great photo editing apps for the iPhone that you can check out now.

• Free - Download now

Last week Apple announced plans to nix both iPhoto and Aperture{.nofollow} in favor of a new application called Photos, which we saw briefly on stage at WWDC in June. That announcement has created a lot of uncertainty for Aperture users, who wonder what they should do about their digital photography workflow. Let's look at the options.

Option 1: Do nothing

The fact is that Aperture isn't going away — it's just not going to be developed any further. Apple is committed to keeping Aperture working through OS X Yosemite, which won't be out until this fall.

Apple committed to an annual upgrade cycle for OS X, so it won't be until late 2015 before you may need to jump ship to something else. Assuming you upgrade when OS X 10.11 is released, and assuming that 10.11 will break or deprecate technology that Aperture needs.

So if you're currently using Aperture, nothing's going to stop you from continuing to use Aperture for the time being. You're probably not going to want to upgrade to Yosemite right away anyway. Let other people fall on the early adoption sword and suffer the inevitable problems that happen when a new operating system is released.

Waiting has another practical benefit, too. Which brings me to my next point.

Option 2: Wait for Photos and see how it compares

The fact that Photos is being pitched as a replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture is cause for concern for pro photographers and serious hobbyists, because they doubt that a consumer-grade app will fit the bill for what they need to do.

No one I've spoken to thinks that Photos is going to be a direct replacement for Aperture, at least not for heavy-duty Aperture users. "Jack of all trades, master of none" is the expression that comes to mind, and any app that's being positioned as a replacement for both a consumer-grade app like iPhoto and a professional-grade app like Aperture is bound to lose something in the transition.

Having said that, Apple recently told Ars Technica that Photos will sport some of what makes Aperture really useful, including "image search, editing, effects, and most notably, third-party extensibility."

Although some Aperture users will be lost in the transition here, it's clear that Apple is positioning Photos to fill the needs of many photographers who currently use Aperture.

Photos isn't due out until early 2015. Once it's available we'll be able to take a look at it and judge whether it's truly an Aperture replacement or if it's just a gussied up iPhoto, which is what some of us fear.

Regardless, some of Aperture's users will be left wanting. And for them, there's little choice but to follow my next recommendation.

Option 3: Use something else

There are certainly other options besides Aperture, like Adobe's own Lightroom application. Lightroom offers advanced cataloging and non-destructive editing functions just like Aperture, and it's well-integrated with Photoshop, which is likely already part of your workflow.

You can certainly buy a copy of Lightroom 5 ($149 retail, less than that on Amazon) and get started on learning how to transition away from Aperture right now, but you don't have to fork out that kind of cash just to give it a try. Adobe offers a time-limited demo.

Lightroom 5 is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription service, either as part of the entire Creative Cloud suite — priced at $49.99 per month — or as part of their $9.99 per month "Photography" collection, which includes Photoshop and Lightroom (both for desktop and mobile).

Lightroom certainly isn't the only option, either. ACDSee Pro 7 is another software tool that combines digital asset management and non-destructive editing. Corel's AfterShot Pro (originally Bibble) is another option. There's Phase One's Capture One Pro 7. There are more, too.

What do you plan to do?

I have no overwhelming desire to toss out Aperture simply because Apple's moving in a different direction. I've used it for years and it does what I need it to do quite nicely. I've dabbled with Lightroom and continue to use it, but Aperture remains my photo management and non-destructive editing tool of choice. I'm waiting to see how close Photos will fit the bill when it finally gets released before I decide my next step with any certainty.

How about you? Did Apple's recent announcement force your hand? Or are you taking a wait and see approach? Let me know in the comments.

In April Adobe blessed with us with a dedicated Lightroom application for the iPad which has now been followed up by a companion version for the iPhone. Neither are the first Adobe photo editing products for iOS, but Lightroom is a serious product for serious editing.

With the iPad release, Adobe had designed a pretty full on Lightroom experience designed for the touchscreen experience and none of that has been lost in moving to the smaller screen.

How different is Lightroom for iPhone from the iPad version?

Whether you're using an iPad or an iPhone the experience is basically identical, so if you missed out on our first look at Lightroom Mobile on the iPad, then definitely give it a look now. Operationally and visually things are the same. The same single column interface displaying your collections, the way you choose and use editing tools, the way you import photos. It's all the same.

That's not to say any of this is bad, far from it. Familiarity across the different screen sizes is a good thing to have, and with the iPhone version now in our hands we'd go so far as to say that perhaps the iPad app could make better use of the added screen real estate. But it's a great app to use on an iPad, and that's the same on the iPhone.

• Adobe Lightroom Mobile for iPad - First Look

Who can use it?

As before, Lightroom Mobile is available completely free of charge to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers. Sorry to anyone who isn't, but that's just what we're left with. But as with the iPad app we should approach this more as an added value item to the Creative Cloud subscription than something just after your wallet. Whichever way you look at it you'll be paying a minimum of $9.99 a month if you're using this.

The mobile app can be kept in sync with your Lightroom desktop – collections, edits and such – so you can access all your pictures on the go. Perhaps better still – especially now with iPhone support – is that you can remotely sync your iPhone photos into Lightroom on the desktop. If you're happy enough to enable Auto Import in Lightroom Mobile then you don't even need to worry about curating the photos. Just snap away and deal with it later.

What can you do with it?

Quite a lot, as it happens. All of the same great features from the iPad version come to the iPhone, including being able to edit RAW files through Adobe's Smart Previews. The full list of editing features is much too long to list here, but you can view metadata and histograms on top of all the editing features you'd expect; color temperature, white balance, highlights, shadows, effects, filters and much, much more.

The mobile app can be kept in sync with your Lightroom desktop – collections, edits and such – so you can access all your pictures on the go. Perhaps better still – especially now with iPhone support – is that you can remotely sync your iPhone photos into Lightroom on the desktop. If you're happy enough to enable Auto Import in Lightroom Mobile then you don't even need to worry about curating the photos. Just snap away and deal with it later. The iPhone has a great camera and Lightroom Mobile can plug that right into your Photography workflow.

As with the iPad, syncing isn't the quickest process in the world, but the important point is that it happens. Setting things up on the desktop end is simple and the desktop app does a great job of walking you through it. Essentially it requires signing in with your Creative Cloud credentials and pointing collections on the desktop to be synced to mobile. The other direction requires even less input and if you enable Auto Import everything you take on your iPhone will automatically go in the mobile collection to be synced back to your desktop.

Lightroom Mobile is one of the most feature packed editing apps you can get on iOS, of that there's no doubt. Adobe offering this as part of the Creative Cloud gives a clear indication that this is to add to your existing workflow, not act as a standalone product. And it absolutely can be.

The Adobe Creative Cloud app

As part of a host of changes to Creative Cloud for 2014, Adobe launched a dedicated Creative Cloud app, too. Though what it is is merely a link to your Adobe provided cloud storage. For while Lightroom Mobile will sync and import your photos between mobile and desktop, the Creative Cloud app will let you upload all your iPhone photos to use outside of Lightroom. Indeed, on the Mac – and presumably Windows, too – you get a Creative Cloud folder as you would something like Dropbox or OneDrive and files uploaded from mobile will find their way here.

And that's pretty much it. Like Dropbox, but for your Photos. And Adobe gives you 20GB for nothing as part of your subscription.

• Free - Download Now

The bottom line

The bottom line is much the same as our thoughts when we first saw Lightroom Mobile on the iPad. If you're a Creative Cloud subscriber there's absolutely no reason not to use it and it might actually provide you a missing link in getting your mobile photography into your workflow. But don't get a Creative Cloud subscription for this. Get the subscription for everything else you get on top of this.

• Free (with Creative Cloud subscription) - Download Now