Adobe today announced the launch of a free public beta of Photoshop Lightroom 5 for both Mac and Windows, offering a peek at the next major version of the company's digital photo management and post-production software. The beta program runs through June 30, with the official release of Lightroom 5 planned for later this year.
Lightroom 5 Upright tool (Click for full size)
Lightroom 5 beta offers photographers and enthusiasts many new features including:
- Advanced Healing Brush allows customers to heal imperfections and remove distracting elements - Upright tool analyzes an image to automatically level horizons and straighten objects like buildings to correct a keystone effect - Radial Gradient tool creates off-center or multiple vignette effects - Smart Previews allow customers to edit images without needing the original raw file - Video slideshow enables customers to combine still images, video clips and music in a creative HD slideshow - Upgrades to the Book module enhancing the ability to create, customize and order elegant photo books using a variety of tailored templates
Lightroom 5 Radial Gradient tool (Click for full size)
Adobe's Sharad Mangalick has more on the new features in a blog post on the company's Photoshop.com Blog.
Adobe has yet to announce pricing or an exact release date for Lightroom 5, which will compete with Apple's Aperture software. Aperture 3 was released over three years ago, but Apple has continued to enhance the software with minor upgrades since that time and slashed the price to $79.99 with the launch of the Mac App Store in January 2011. Adobe responded a year later by cutting Lightroom's price in half to $149 with the launch of Lightroom 4.
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last.
Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski
The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports.
The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu.
This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...
3 Years on Aperture 3! I waited and waited, and moved to Lightroom a few months ago. Now the disparity is really becoming clear. Sure, lots of posts about Apple giving the pros the backseat - but isn't it becoming super clear? FCPX, Mac Pros with super long refresh cycles, and Aperture showing its age years ago... I love apple, but not as a professional anymore.
I don't need this. I'm a photographer who learned how to use Photoshop and do all my file management in Bridge.
I consider Lightroom and Aperture applications for the computer illiterate among us in the trade. Learn how to use your tools instead of settling for the "idiot version" people!
Wonderful that you've developed a workflow that works. For you. However, simply because other people don't use your method doesn't mean they're wrong and you're right.
What exactly are people "settling for" in their 'idiot versions'? We're using one piece of software, you're using two to do the same job? And we're the idiots?
I'd rather be a happy, friendly artist than an arrogant, grumbling technologist. But, hey, what do I know? I'm probably an idiot. ;)
3 Years on Aperture 3! I waited and waited, and moved to Lightroom a few months ago. Now the disparity is really becoming clear. Sure, lots of posts about Apple giving the pros the backseat - but isn't it becoming super clear? FCPX, Mac Pros with super long refresh cycles, and Aperture showing its age years ago... I love apple, but not as a professional anymore.
Well there are a lot of "professionals" or people who call themselves that..:rolleyes:.. that still get everything they need to get from Apple. Music and movie studios don't seem to be crying foul with Apple nor do large corporations of the arts that use Macs and Adobe certainly feels their professional software is still worth coding on Mac rather than making crap ports. I'm finding that more "Apple enthusiasts" tend to have this annoyance. Not make excuses here but to be honest about it you don't really need a Mac Pro to do any heavy work. The top iMac can handle Maya, AutoCAD and the like extremely well. I've been on Mac for well over 15 years and I know system software well enough.
I don't need this. I'm a photographer who learned how to use Photoshop and do all my file management in Bridge.
I consider Lightroom and Aperture applications for the computer illiterate among us in the trade. Learn how to use your tools instead of settling for the "idiot version" people!
I made a lot of money a few years ago, teaching dinosaurs like you how to use modern software to improve your workflow. Mostly grumpy technophobes who love nothing more than tweaking images to death, one by one, slowly, and safely.
File management and Bridge don't really go together seeing as bridge is really just a portal to your own file management. Put a folder here, etc.
'Learning' photoshop doesn't a genius make. Although it's an awesome program most of it isn't necessary to users of DAM software, where library management and batch processing is king.
Careful who you call idiots on here, please, especially when you come across as having no idea about what you so easily dismiss.
Professionals don't need to be told what software works best for their individual workflows, and most these days don't have the time to wang around on photoshop all day.
A degree of Computer illiteracy (if it were even that) is in this case preferable to not being out there being a 'professional photographer', even less so a cantankerous, old fashioned, presumptuous fool, with out of sync delusions of superiority.
