Which Lightroom Training Format Is Right for Me?

Adobe Lightroom is a photo-editing and storage application made available through the Adobe Creative Cloud. With Lightroom, users of all skill levels, from hobbyist photographers to professional Graphic Designers, can edit photos to make sure they get the right shot and share those photos for easy collaboration and publication. Learning Lightroom can take your skills to the next level, whether you take photographs for your profession or pleasure. When comparing types of Lightroom training, there are many factors to consider. Everyone learns differently, and choosing the right training is critical to your experience.

Keep reading to find out more about the different formats of Lightroom training, how they compare to each other, and how to determine which is best for you.

What is Lightroom?

Adobe Lightroom is compact photo organizing and editing software that allows users to catalog and edit photographs from any device using the Adobe Creative Cloud. Using Lightroom, users can examine and edit photographs on the fly immediately after taking them without having to leave the site. This makes Lightroom ideal for photographers who want to create perfect photographs for advertising, social media, or personal printing, as Lightroom lets them take a photo and immediately start the process of editing. Lightroom provides tools for color correction, altering contrasts, modifying brightness, and basic editing functions such as correcting red-eye or blurring/sharpening an image. Since Lightroom is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, it is also optimized for photo sharing, letting users work with the same photo across multiple devices and including tools to help users prepare their photos for publication.

Adobe Lightroom is closely related to Adobe Photoshop. The major difference between the two programs is that Lightroom is optimized for mobile devices and on-the-fly photo editing, whereas Photoshop is optimized for desktop use and has more precise and granular editing tools. Lightroom is best suited for users who want to take a photograph and immediately begin editing it to suit their needs, particularly photographers working on-site, away from their desktop computers. Lightroom also lets users create and import preset filters and settings to help them quickly edit their photos.

Read more about what Lightroom is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Lightroom?

Adobe Lightroom is a powerful photo editing tool with a number of features that make it useful for both professional and hobbyist photographers. Whether a photographer is taking photos of models for a series of print advertisements or just taking vacation photos for their own personal social media account, the ability to edit photos quickly and efficiently will greatly improve the quality of their output. This versatility makes Lightroom an ideal choice to learn for anyone who is regularly taking photos as a part of their day-to-day life.

Lightroom lets users make on-the-fly edits to photographs, altering colors, shade, contrast, and other digital details with only a few clicks. Owing to its easy-to-use sliders and built-in/customizable presets, users can begin editing their photos within seconds, easily letting them identify the issues that need to be changed to get a perfect shot. Recent updates to Adobe Lightroom allow users to build and edit rudimentary video animations, opening a whole new world of possibilities for creative photographers.

Lightroom is also a powerful tool for archiving and publishing photos. Linked to the Adobe Creative Cloud, Lightroom lets users easily share their photos across multiple devices and programs. Users can take a picture, edit the basics of the color and contrast in Lightroom, then import that photo into Photoshop to perform more detailed photo editing. Then, they can import the newly edited photos into a program like Adobe XD in preparation for publication on a website or digital advertisement.

Training Formats for Lightroom

There are several different approaches to learning Lightroom. Some of these, like in-person or online training courses, offer professional career training at a high price point. Others, like on-demand classes or free tutorials, offer less detailed instruction but are more manageable for students not looking to quickly build a career in digital photography. Finding the proper training method will require students to self-assess what they hope to do with Lightroom in the future.

In-Person Lightroom Training

For some students seeking to learn Lightroom, in-person training options may seem appealing. These courses offer students a way to learn Lightroom while meeting fellow aspiring photographers and graphic designers. There are several points to consider when choosing to learn a skill in person and selecting an in-person learning course. In these classes, students can learn from skilled instructors who are immediately available to respond to questions and offer feedback. Most in-person training facilities provide students with the necessary tools to learn, which is appealing for Lightroom because it bypasses the need to purchase many expensive subscriptions. The drawback to these courses is that they can be far more limited than alternatives, as students will be restricted to attending the in-person courses they can physically attend. For students living outside of major cities, there isn’t even a guarantee that any in-person course will be available.

Noble Desktop helps students find the right in-person Lightroom course through their Classes Near Me tool. Noble offers their own in-person courses, teaching students Adobe Lightroom Classic. The Noble campus is located in Manhattan but is conveniently located near several public transportation hubs and welcomes students from all over the city, as well as Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Noble's in-person courses are worth checking out for students located anywhere that makes traveling to Manhattan reasonable.

Live Online Lightroom Training

Some students may find that they aren’t located near any campuses teaching Lightroom in-person or aren’t interested in commuting, but they still want to learn Lightroom. These students may wish to consider live online training. These courses replicate the experience of an in-person course by letting students engage with live instructors who are teaching in real-time. Students aren’t just watching video recordings of lectures, and they can receive in-the-moment feedback and responses to their questions. The primary drawback to these courses is that, in most cases, students will need to ensure consistent access to the technology required for experiential learning.

Noble Desktop teaches all of its courses with an option for live online instruction. These courses, including Noble’s Adobe Lightroom Classic and their Photo Retouching Certificate program, provide students with hands-on instruction in Adobe Lightroom. Unlike more traditional self-paced online courses, these classes operate like regularly scheduled in-person training seminars. Students will be expected to attend live sessions through teleconferencing software like Zoom and complete additional work outside the classroom.

Other service providers such as Ledet Training and headTrix, Inc. offer live online Lightroom training courses. Students interested in comparing the options available can explore the available live online Lightroom courses using Noble’s Classes Near Me tool.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Some students may not feel comfortable enrolling in an immersive skills training course without a background in Lightroom. Those students may wish to take advantage of some of the free introductory courses and online tutorials. Noble offers a free introductory seminar helping students understand the basic functionalities of Lightroom and how it differs from Adobe Photoshop. This seminar is an ideal way to introduce oneself to Lightroom and decide whether to learn Lightroom, Photoshop, or both.

Adobe also provides new Lightroom users with a seven-day free trial of the program. During this time, students can take advantage of the free offers available through Noble alongside the free tutorials and training videos offered by Adobe. Once students have exhausted the free tutorials available through Noble, they may consider looking at the options for free courses available through other service providers such as Udemy or Coursera, both of which offer free tutorials in the basics of Lightroom.

Read about more free Lightroom videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand Classes

One convenient option for students wishing to learn Lightroom is to enroll in an on-demand or self-paced training program. These courses allow students to build their own schedule and learn Lightroom at their own pace. Self-motivated students may find this route preferable to more structured instruction, but these classes tend to lack the one-on-one professional instruction available in live classes. Whether a student opts for live instruction or self-paced learning, these professionally designed classes are ideal places to learn how to use Lightroom.

Comparison of Lightroom Training Formats

Too often, online learning programs are viewed as being second-rate compared to in-person learning experiences. However, while there are significant differences between online and in-person training programs, it is hard to say that one is demonstrably superior to the other. Students should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both options when they are choosing a Lightroom training course.

The most significant advantage that online learning offers is accessibility and choice. Students who learn Lightroom online aren’t restricted to the courses being offered near them, and they won’t even be restricted to formal in-class instruction, as they can opt for self-paced or on-demand classes. This gives students a great deal of freedom to design their own learning environment, which can be very helpful for students who feel they benefit from having more control over their learning outcomes.

Another advantage offered by online classes is the convenience of learning a new skill from one’s own home on the device that you are most likely to use that application in the future. Since Lightroom runs on so many platforms, having access to the desktop or mobile device you’ll be using to edit photos can greatly help new learners become more comfortable with the program. However, this does come with a drawback. Since students won’t be in-person, they won’t have access to a service provider’s license for Lightroom, meaning they will need their own Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Most users would have access to the program anyway, but it is worth considering as an additional cost of taking an online course.

Another possible drawback to online courses, particularly those that are self-paced or on-demand, will likely require students to be slightly more self-motivated than in-person classes. The lack of a commute and in-person engagement with students and instructors can be problematic for some students, particularly those who require more guided instruction. Many live online courses still meet regularly and still offer students the chance to work with other students and instructors in a small group or one-on-one contexts. Still, if a student feels that they would benefit from that instruction, they should consider live online classes rather than other online alternatives.

Is it Possible to Teach Yourself Lightroom?

Since it has such a generous learning curve, it is possible to self-teach Lightroom for hobbyist users. There are many free tutorials available, both through Adobe and training services like Noble, to familiarize oneself with the program and get a good enough grasp on it to begin experimenting. However, this self-instruction can only take a student so far, as professional training will be required for anyone hoping to use Lightroom for professional purposes.

In addition, while there is a lot of free content available, like most free content available on the internet, it can be difficult, especially for a novice, to know what is and isn’t worth using. Just typing “free Lightroom tutorials” into Google will yield results, but new users probably won’t know if it is yielding good results. This shouldn’t discourage users from taking advantage of these free resources, but they should do their research before blindly picking a free tutorial channel on YouTube.

How to Decide the Best Way to Learn Lightroom

As with most Adobe Creative Cloud applications, the best way to learn Lightroom will depend on the student's capacity to use the program. Hobbyists who want to use Lightroom to touch up photos for their personal Instagram accounts may only require a bit of training. In contrast, professional photographers and aspiring graphic designers will need a lot more training. This lets students decide for themselves the best way to approach their Lightroom training.

There are many free tutorial options for beginners who want an overview of the field without breaking the bank. Adobe offers a seven-day free trial of Lightroom, and because the program is so beginner-friendly, this is an ideal timeframe to start experimenting. Noble Desktop offers a free introductory seminar in Lightroom and Photoshop that students may wish to consider viewing.

For students interested in learning more about Lightroom in a professional capacity or who want to improve their existing skills, Noble teaches an Adobe Lightroom Classic that will provide students with hands-on experience utilizing the program. This course is ideal for creatives who need to edit photos professionally, and this class will teach them how to use Lightroom to store and archive photos and prepare them for publication or alteration in another program.

Noble also teaches a Photo Retouching Certificate program for photographers looking to go from hobbyists to professionals. This program will teach students how to alter and prep their photos using both Lightroom and Photoshop. The curriculum includes instruction on advanced color correction techniques, skin smoothing tools, and improving color accuracy. Students will also learn best practices for storing and sharing their images with Lightroom

None of these courses expect students to have significant experience using any of the programs, and both the Adobe Lightroom Classic course and Photo Retouching Certificate program offer students a free retake within one year of the original course. This opportunity can help participants gain additional practice and provide them with additional projects for their digital portfolios.

Learn Lightroom with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a wide range of Lightroom courses designed to fit the practical and professional needs of all students. Participants can take these courses both at Noble’s Manhattan location in-person, or they are available through live, online instruction. Even if taken online, these courses boast small classes taught by experienced instructors who can respond to student needs in real-time. Taking a class online through Noble provides students with the same high-quality instruction and professional skills training as the in-person courses, with the advantage of being available to students from all over the country. Noble’s courses offer a free retake option within one year, allowing students to hone their skills at no cost.

Noble’s Adobe Lightroom Classic course gives students hands-on experience using Lightroom to edit, share, and publish photographs. Students will practice manipulating photos and learn strategies to optimize these photos for different purposes, such as social media advertising, web design, and physical printing. Students will also learn how to utilize the Adobe Creative Cloud integration to share, publish, and archive their photos safely and effectively. This course will provide students with the experience they need to use Lightroom Classic for professional and personal purposes.

Noble also offers Lightroom instruction as part of its Photo Retouching Certificate program. This training program teaches students the skills that they need to take and edit their own high-quality digital photos for professional use. Students will learn the best ways to take a digital photo and then be taught how to edit those photos using both Lightroom and Photoshop. Students will learn how to optimize their photographs by taking advantage of Lightroom’s editing and sharing capabilities alongside learning how to make more advanced and complex manipulations in Photoshop. Completing the course provides students with an industry recognized certificate of completion, and participants are also eligible for a free retake within one year to continue honing their retouching skills.