# Can you go from Photoshop CC to Lightroom?



## Hector1970 (Jun 9, 2015)

Hi 
This might be a very basic question but it puzzles me.
I can open a photo in Lightroom and then edit it in Photoshop CC.
Can I open a photograph in Photoshop and then edit it in Lightroom (say to use a filter or something) through Photoshop CC menus?
I can't see how I can do this


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## Coldhands (Jun 9, 2015)

Not sure about opening the image in LR without importing it into your library, but since you're on Photoshop CC you have the camera raw filter, which has the same capabilities.

It's described pretty well here: http://digital-photography-school.com/adobe-camera-raw-acr-photoshop-filter/

Hope this helps.


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## Hector1970 (Jun 9, 2015)

Thanks for the reply -. Yes I'm using the Camera Raw Filter quite a bit but sometimes I'd like to use the graduated filter in lightroom or the local adjustment brush. I can save and reimport but I was wondering if there was a direct route to Lightroom from Photoshop (like there would for any plugin and like there is from Lightroom to Photoshop).


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## Coldhands (Jun 9, 2015)

Huh. Didn't realise the camera raw filter lacked those features. I wonder why.

It's possible to achieve the same results using adjustment layers and layer masks, but I can see why you'd want the ease-of-use of the lightroom interface for some situations.


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## Hector1970 (Jun 9, 2015)

Yes you can with a bit more effort do it all in Photoshop but the filters and good in lightroom (flexible / easy to use).
Nice Flickr account by the way. Lovely UK landscapes. You seem to be fit enough to climb to the top of mountains. There is a much better view there. Not enough of us do that. We spend too much time debating dynamic range and not enough taking great photos.


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## keithfullermusic (Jun 9, 2015)

can't you just add the file into your lightroom library through the import dialogue? also. make the layer a smart object, that way you can edit the camera raw filter if you want.


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## Coldhands (Jun 9, 2015)

Hector1970 said:


> Yes you can with a bit more effort do it all in Photoshop but the filters and good in lightroom (flexible / easy to use).
> Nice Flickr account by the way. Lovely UK landscapes. You seem to be fit enough to climb to the top of mountains. There is a much better view there. Not enough of us do that. We spend too much time debating dynamic range and not enough taking great photos.



Thanks. I see you've got some excellent work yourself.


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## privatebydesign (Jun 9, 2015)

Hector1970 said:


> Thanks for the reply -. Yes I'm using the Camera Raw Filter quite a bit but sometimes I'd like to use the graduated filter in lightroom or the local adjustment brush. I can save and reimport but I was wondering if there was a direct route to Lightroom from Photoshop (like there would for any plugin and like there is from Lightroom to Photoshop).


Both the graduated filter and local adjustment brush are in the ACR filter in PS. In fact almost everything that is in Lightroom is in the PS ACR filter.

Watch this from Adobe, it also explains why you should not use the filter without making the layer a Smart Object.
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/how-to/camera-raw-filter.html


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## YuengLinger (Jun 9, 2015)

You can, but only if you make a connection in Albuquerque. 

(Ok, this joke really dates me.)


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## jeffa4444 (Jun 9, 2015)

I always import my shots into LR library and do all my key adjustments in LR CC first before editing in Photoshop CC (mainly cropping and fine tuning) and then saving to files as JPEGs for Flickr or my camera club uploader. 
Coming from Aperture I dont find Adobe intuitive at all and constantly go onto the Web to learn how to use it which means Im sure I could do some things better. 
The big software companies over complicate products and Adobe is no exception if Capture One had have been a little bit more rounded I would have gone that route as its simple to use.


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## privatebydesign (Jun 9, 2015)

jeffa4444 said:


> I always import my shots into LR library and do all my key adjustments in LR CC first before editing in Photoshop CC (mainly cropping and fine tuning) and then saving to files as JPEGs for Flickr or my camera club uploader.
> Coming from Aperture I dont find Adobe intuitive at all and constantly go onto the Web to learn how to use it which means Im sure I could do some things better.
> The big software companies over complicate products and Adobe is no exception if Capture One had have been a little bit more rounded I would have gone that route as its simple to use.



It is just what you are used to. I started in Aperture but moved to LR at 1.1, if you have used LR for any amount of time it is intuitive but I can understand coming into it with a fresh eye it not seeming so. Though I suspect bloat is not far off!

As an aside in the rare occasions I go back to Aperture I don't find that intuitive, like I say, it is just what you are used to.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jun 9, 2015)

Lightroom will recognize that Photoshop is installed (compatible versions). Then right click on the image in Lightroom and click edit in: and select Photoshop or the other editor that you may have setup in the preferences. You will get choices (with LR Edits, original, file format, etc.) pick the one you want.

Do your edits in Photoshop, close the image and save the changes. It will then send the image back to Lightroom in your specified file format, and you can make more changes if needed.

As long as you start out in Lightroom, it should work out fine. Your final image will be tiff or dng.


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## Marsu42 (Jun 9, 2015)

privatebydesign said:


> Both the graduated filter and local adjustment brush are in the ACR filter in PS. In fact almost everything that is in Lightroom is in the PS ACR filter.



*Almost* everything? What isn't (or was the almost just there to cover your read )? I never use PS, but I thought the ACR feature set is identical in both apps except for the different front end?


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jun 10, 2015)

Marsu42 said:


> I never use PS, but I thought the ACR feature set is identical in both apps except for the different front end?



That's my understanding as well, They share the same engine.

http://blog.subhendusen.com/bridge-acr-vs-lightroom/


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## privatebydesign (Jun 10, 2015)

Marsu42 said:


> privatebydesign said:
> 
> 
> > Both the graduated filter and local adjustment brush are in the ACR filter in PS. In fact almost everything that is in Lightroom is in the PS ACR filter.
> ...





Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Marsu42 said:
> 
> 
> > I never use PS, but I thought the ACR feature set is identical in both apps except for the different front end?
> ...



Yes the processing engines are the same in LR, ACR and ACR filter in PS, but the PS filter omits some ACR and LR functionality. Things like camera and lens profiles, crop and straighten, rotate, are not there so need to be done prior to opening in PS unless you open your image as a Smart Object, and a few others that don't make any sense to be there, save ACR as smart object (it already is one), snapshots, workflow options and preferences. 

The ACR as a filter is very powerful though, for instance you can apply it to several layers at once which is very good for blended and layered images, and if you start to nest Smart Objects it saves some nesting requirements. You can also use blending modes to the ACR filter and opacity settings, you also get a Smart Filter mask, effectively a second mask, which can be very useful sometimes.


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## Hector1970 (Jun 10, 2015)

Thank for all the advice.
I use Camera Raw quite a bit but I didn't realise I could do the graduated filters in Camera Raw.
(I know you can do it in elsewhere Photoshop but I find it unintuitive).
I must look a little bit closer.
I must look more closely too when I go from Lightroom first to Photoshop and make adjustments that it goes back to lightroom when I close. I've seen it doing that but I'm not sure it does it all the time (I guess it should and possible does). I tend to have too many things open at once.


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## Denisb (Jun 10, 2015)

I'm looking at my calendar, no, we aren't the April first!

El Captain, this is ridiculous. What next : "Big M'ma".


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## privatebydesign (Jun 10, 2015)

Here are the differences between the tool and menu options in ACR for PS6 and the Photoshop CC Camera Raw Filter.

But as I said, if you open your image as a Smart Object you actually get the full ACR with all the options, not the ACR Filter version.


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## Ozarker (Jun 29, 2015)

YuengLinger said:


> You can, but only if you make a connection in Albuquerque.
> 
> (Ok, this joke really dates me.)



HA!


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