I’m getting so many questions these days I might be posting more than one on a Wednesday. Here are a few great questions about Lightroom:

Q. After trying PS Elements and not really loving it, not even a little bit, I have been trying Lightroom as per your suggestion to another reader last week (or was it the week before) when asking about what editing program to use. I am still learning tons, but I have a few questions:

Can I download actions in Lightroom (I guess they are called Presets) the way they can be downloaded into Photoshop?

A. No. Presets for LR are a totally different file type than PS. And MUCH easier to install. You can download some free ones here to try out you just install them easily from within LR (no need to go searching for the folders in your hard drive) like this:

Q. Is there a way to select just one area to work on like, highlighting the eyes or sparkling up the water or making one element look more vibrant?

A. Yes it’s called the adjustment brush. There’s a tutorial of me using it here.

Q. Is Lightroom intended to be an editing program that can stand alone or is it intended to be used in conjunction with Photoshop? It looks as though it has many awesome elements, but not even close to the number of possibilities of Photoshop.

A. Lightroom is a deeply layered program. You have to take time to get to know it – there are soooo many more possibilities than meets the eye. I read some excellent posts on DPS that helped me discover just how stand-alone Lightroom actually is. They are:

• 10 Objects you Didn’t Know could be Dragged, Clicked or Opened in Lightroom
• 8 Steps to Crafting Images in Lightroom

The best way to use this blog as well as sites like DPS as a storehouse for information you’re after is to use the search bar. Both our sites have a search bar where you can type any keywords you’re after. Type ‘lightroom’ in my search bar and you can see everything I’ve ever posted about LR. Alternatively, you can just browse the categories in my menu bar.

Thanks for your questions everyone and keep ‘em coming to eh@elizabethhalford.com.