Any Lightroom Users Here?

[joeychitwood]

For years, I used Adobe Lightroom which I bought as a one-time only purchase to edit photos. When I bought a new computer, I found that Lightroom is now only available as a monthly subscription. It also includes cloud storage and Photoshop, none of which I want. I store my photos on peripheral drives. I’m using a stand-alone Adobe Elements program, but I miss the Lightroom features.

Does anyone know how to purchase Lightroom as a stand-alone program without all the included other features. I really dislike the idea of a monthly subscription, but if that’s the only way to get it, I guess I’ll have to do it.

[beshannon]

I use an older version of Lightroom that does not require a subscription. Not sure if you can still buy that

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by beshannon

I use an older version of Lightroom that does not require a subscription. Not sure if you can still buy that

I haven’t been able to find one, and unfortunately, I can’t find my original Lightroom disc.

[Blansky]

Not sure.

Photoshop started doing that maybe 10 years ago or more and did everything as automatic upgrades instead of buying the new version every 3 years or whatever. I think Lightroom was added to the bundle a few years later. I used to use Lightroom for cataloging and Photoshop for retouching.

Obviously these days there are lots of other retouching/cataloging programs, but you'd have to learn them which is a bit of a hassle.

I wouldn't go the bootleg route or share someones "keys" so maybe you're just better off to bite the bullet and do the subscription.

[Maleg]

I use Lightroom a lot. I bought the annual subscription bundle that includes Photoshop. It also includes a desktop app (Lightroom Classic) that runs independent of the bundle and doesn't require the cloud. (All the Lightroom features run off my home computer)

[tifosi]

You can not buy a stand alone Lightroom. Only subscription is available.

[joeychitwood]

Is there a Lightroom subscription that doesn’t include the cloud storage, Photoshop and other stuff I don’t want to pay for?

[knyshcollection]

I don't believe so unfortunately

[uscmatt99]

Joey, I was irked when Adobe moved to a subscription model but now that I've become accustomed to it I think it was the right move. Not sure what camera you're using, but older versions of Adobe may not support RAW file conversion if you shoot that way.

There are several tools available in the current version of Lightroom that make it worth the upgrade. You can do selective masking where the AI engine detects the subject or the sky, in addition to brushes and gradients. For each mask you generate, you can adjust light and color parameters. Let's say you have the classic example of a backlit subject with a dark face. Super easy to adjust now. Same with landscapes where the sky is significantly brighter than the rest of the pic. If the sky is properly exposed, you can exclude it from editing and just affect the rest of the scene with your adjustments. If both need work, just make another mask. Easier to do than to explain, and there are plenty of YouTube video tutorials.

The other thing I've come to appreciate is that you can use Lightroom Classic (the desktop version you are familiar with) in conjunction with Lightroom (separate program that seamlessly can be used with a desktop or mobile device). I download all my RAW photos to external drives in Lightroom Classic, and generate Smart Previews during the import. Then I create a collection in Lightroom Classic and drag the photos into the collection. Now I can view all these pics in low but acceptable resolution on any mobile device with Lightroom installed, and I can cull them or edit them on my iPad or iPhone as needed. Any more critical work can be done on the desktop in Lightroom Classic as always. Smart previews are tiny files that are cloud-shared to your mobile device, and all the adjustments you make sync back to Lightroom Classic. Then you can maintain these collections and always have access to them over the cloud, without actually paying any extra for cloud storage through Adobe.

For example. I downloaded a RAW to my hard drive, make a smart preview, and put it into a collection a few months ago. Now when I'm visiting my mom out of state, and she wants that one pic from the last trip of the grandkids. I can go on my phone, find it, create a high-res full size file on my phone, and email it to her or send it off to print. But she wants it in black and white. No problem, make a duplicate, print that as well, all on the phone. The only limitation is that you need your computer to be on and internet connected to sync the changes back to it from your mobile device. And honestly, even the smart file is high-res enough for mobile devices to look great for viewing.
Very handy!

[INC]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

When I bought a new computer, I found that Lightroom is now only available as a monthly subscription.

Do you have the old computer or a dump of your data from the old hard drive? If yes, then it may have a chance to transfer the sw/licence to the new computer. Not the install media is important but the S/N.

[subtona]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

For years, I used Adobe Lightroom which I bought as a one-time only purchase to edit photos. When I bought a new computer, I found that Lightroom is now only available as a monthly subscription. It also includes cloud storage and Photoshop, none of which I want. I store my photos on peripheral drives. I’m using a stand-alone Adobe Elements program, but I miss the Lightroom features.

Does anyone know how to purchase Lightroom as a stand-alone program without all the included other features. I really dislike the idea of a monthly subscription, but if that’s the only way to get it, I guess I’ll have to do it.

agree with your sentiments.

very much enjoy lightroom, using on an older computer that still has the pay one price version. it will be sad when I have to "upgrade"

the monthly subscription model has taken over and I hate it.

unless we write our own programs, I expect we will have to pay.

[joeychitwood]

Thanks for the detailed answer Matt. I’ll probably wind up buying the whole subscription package. I have a feeling that subscriptions are the wave of the future, especially when I heard that new owners of certain Porsches need to buy subscriptions to unlock all of the car’s performance features.

[JasoninDenver]

I vastly prefer Apple Photos as a photo management system but cannot stand its hampered editing features.

Has anyone here used Photoshop as an editing program in conjunction with Photos as the file management system???

[subtona]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Thanks for the detailed answer Matt. I’ll probably wind up buying the whole subscription package. I have a feeling that subscriptions are the wave of the future, especially when I heard that new owners of certain Porsches need to buy subscriptions to unlock all of the car’s performance features.

Porsche?!say it isn’t so

[uscmatt99]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

I vastly prefer Apple Photos as a photo management system but cannot stand its hampered editing features.

Has anyone here used Photoshop as an editing program in conjunction with Photos as the file management system???

Apple and Adobe are 2 sides of the same coin. Each wants to suck you into its walled garden. I’d advise not trying to get them to play together. That said, for pics I want to share with family, I export from Lightroom to Photos and share from Photos typically.

[Zartan]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

For years, I used Adobe Lightroom which I bought as a one-time only purchase to edit photos. When I bought a new computer, I found that Lightroom is now only available as a monthly subscription. It also includes cloud storage and Photoshop, none of which I want. I store my photos on peripheral drives. I’m using a stand-alone Adobe Elements program, but I miss the Lightroom features.

Does anyone know how to purchase Lightroom as a stand-alone program without all the included other features. I really dislike the idea of a monthly subscription, but if that’s the only way to get it, I guess I’ll have to do it.

Adobe probably made you register your software. Try and log back into that account and download the software again, with your saved key. That’s what I’ve done a few times now with my Lightroom purchase from like 2018. Photoshop and the entire adobe family subscription were just overkill for my needs. Also It keeps getting updated in windows for items like raw3, not Mac os unfortunately. Gimp is kinda cool too.
Cheers

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by Zartan

Adobe probably made you register your software. Try and log back into that account and download the software again, with your saved key. That’s what I’ve done a few times now with my Lightroom purchase from like 2018. Photoshop and the entire adobe family subscription were just overkill for my needs. Also It keeps getting updated in windows for items like raw3, not Mac os unfortunately. Gimp is kinda cool too.
Cheers

Thanks Casey. I tried that when I bought my new desktop, but for some reason, I couldn’t activate the new copy of LR on it. Tech support was no help. It was most as if they wanted me to buy a new product.

[JasoninDenver]

Originally Posted by uscmatt99

Apple and Adobe are 2 sides of the same coin. Each wants to suck you into its walled garden. I’d advise not trying to get them to play together. That said, for pics I want to share with family, I export from Lightroom to Photos and share from Photos typically.

I sure miss Aperture.