The 30-day Bridge challenge: Free yourself from Lightroom
I know that so many of you are out there, using Lightroom because you were told it’s what photographers use.
You’re patiently tolerating the useless clipping warnings, stoically turning on soft-proofing every time, bravely navigating the complicated filing system, and naively flicking back and forth between multiple editing programs; because you were told it’s what photographers do.
There is another way, and it’s simpler than you have ever dreamed. I urge you to try it for yourself.
It’s Adobe Bridge. It comes with Photoshop, and it’s fabulous. Install it today if you haven’t already done so. (Instructions for installation are here in the first free module of the Bridge Class.)
Then watch this video. After that, watch this one.
Then commence the 30 Day Challenge. Any new sets of photos you take, don’t let them into Lightroom’s clutches. Instead, manage them with Bridge, and process them in ACR (Adobe Camera Raw). Revel in the sweet simplicity of accurate colour space and perfect control over your files.
Note: If you’ve never used ACR before, do this check.
As with any new software, it will feel unfamiliar and awkward to you at first. That’s perfectly natural. But you will be astonished at how quickly you acclimatise to the new workflow. Why? Because it’s not a new workflow at all. It’s the same workflow you’ve been using your whole digital life, for all your other files. Last time you typed a document in Microsoft Word, for example, you simply saved it onto your hard drive. You knew where it was, because you put it there. If you wanted to open it again, you went to the folder where you’d saved it. It’s logical. Now, for possibly the first time, you’ll be enjoying the same logic with your digital photos.
During the 30 Day Challenge, don’t move any of your existing photos out of Lightroom. That is unnecessarily complicated at first. Just process new photos with the new workflow.
At the end of the 30 Day Challenge, you can decide – stick to the new workflow, or return to Lightroom? It’s entirely up to you, I don’t mind. All I wanted is for you to try the alternative, and you have done so. Thank you.
- If you return to Lightroom, simply import the 30 days’ worth of photos into your LR library as normal.
- If you love Bridge, make sure you have this turned on, so you can commence working with your old files in your new software.
This will be thirty days well spent, I promise.
Happy challengers:
"I have seen the light! I was never comfortable with the whole importing thing with Lightroom but never had the time or confidence to change packages. I've finally taken up Damien's 30 day challenge and on day three I have been won over by Bridge. I'm now sat here thinking of all the time I have wasted stressing over catalogues and missing links."
- Lucy, UK.
"I doubt I will ever use LR again. What strikes me immediately is the simple method of accessing my libraries. Being unyoked from the tyranny of having to do do everything within LR - import, move, export - is very liberating."
- Sara, Massachusetts.
"I've done the bridge challenge and haven’t looked back. So so easy to cull photos, bring them to acr and boom - editing easy and quick."
- Fran, United Kingdom.
"I'm just a couple of days into the '30 Day Challenge' and am already chomping at the bit to get rid of Lightroom. Lightroom seemed like the way to go, I thought everyone used and understood it. In reality, I didn't really know what was going on. Bridge is logical, beautiful, and feature filled."
- Steve, New York.
"I'm about 5 days in on the 30-day Adobe Bridge Challenge and I already love it. Still figuring out some of the finer ins and outs, but this is a very useful tool for me that I'd have never given a thought of without seeing Damien suggest it to someone. THANK YOU!"
- Tom, Idaho.
"I confess - I officially love Bridge. I've used LR for about two years, and after doing a trial with Bridge... it just seems simpler and more intuitive. Not going back."
- Jamie, USA.
"I don't miss it one bit!"
- Sadie, Indiana.
"So, I use to tune out when you would slam LR because I thought how much different could it really be...(you see where this is going?) I recently just did a few tests and I love the difference PS ACR makes. My deepest apologies for doubting..."
- Julie, Hawaii.
"I just got bridge last week and I've been having an out of body experience. Soooooo easy! I could never figure out Lightroom and was using organizer with my PSE."
- Lauren, Virginia.
"I was a LR user for way longer than I want to admit. Editing in LR is a joke compared to ACR. Much easier for me to manage files in Bridge. This coming from someone that was duped many years ago into LR and was a firm believer in it."
- Steve, Minnesota.
"Using bridge, acr and PS literally makes my workflow stress free compared to LR."
- Tasha, Indiana.
"I was one of the main detractors to Damien's post for Lightroom users to try Bridge for 30 days. I argued and whined, but, kicking and screaming, I went ahead with the challenge. I haven't used Lightroom since then. My photos are better (the photographer I second shoot for also noticed a difference), the workflow is better, and I am converted!"
- Katie, Western Australia.
"I am currently in day 3 of the 30-day Bridge challenge, and I am quickly loving Bridge, It has just about all the features I use in Lightroom, and is soooooo much faster!"
- Tim, Mississippi.
"I did this and have not gone back."
- Beth, USA.