Most of us have fallen for a common Lightroom myth or misconception at some point in time - myself included! For me, it was assuming that Lightroom wasn't for hobbyists and that I really need to use Photoshop if I wanted to get images like the "pros", when nothing could be further from the truth!

Let's break down 5 Lightroom myths that you might believe that is stopping you from making the most of this amazing program....

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(psst - before you get stuck in, If you haveLightroom Classic, and are feeling a little overwhelmed, that’s exactly why we created this FREE Lightroom Classic Starter Kit!

In it, you’ll get a guide to importing, a step by step editing checklist, and an exporting cheat sheet….all for free! Go grab it now:

#1 - It's only good for "global" editing - I need to use Photoshop for local adjustments.

I know many, many people that only use Lightroom for big global adjustments, such as changing white balance or exposure, and then take their images into Photoshop for any local or targeted adjustments.

However, you can do a wealth of local adjustments right inside Lightroom using the adjustment brush! It's much quicker, and you don't have to spend time creating layers and stuff. (plus it saves you the time just spent switching between the programs!)

With the adjustment brush you can paint on colour, or saturation, brighten eyes, dodge and burn areas, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

#2 - You can't get creative in Lightroom, you need Photoshop.

You absolutely can get creative in Lightroom!

There is SO much you can do in the program that you might not know about - or example, you can create stunning black and whites, add colour toning to your images to give a vintage feel, a film look, a soft buttery look (and so on!), you can change individual colours, you can paint on colour, you can create toned or natural vignettes, add sun glows, and so, so much more.

If you are only using Lightroom to change white balance and exposure, then you are only scratching the tip of the iceberg :)

(You can see some examples of images edited using just Lightroom here)

In my Edit Like A Pro in Lightroom Classic course, we go over pretty much everything you can do in Lightroom, from the "big" adjustments like reducing noise or getting the right white balance, right down to how to create sun glows or blur the background or create a matte effect. That way you can do just about everything in Lightroom, which helps save you time, but most importantly, helps ensure you get gorgeously edited images!

#3 - It's only for wedding or other professional photographers.

No, no, no, no, no.

And again, no.

I used to believe that too - but it was truly only due to the fact I didn't really understand how to use the program. Now, I would be lost without it!

I use Lightroom to keep track of my ever-expanding image collection, edit my photos, create different versions of the same image virtually, upload them to my photo sharing site, manage backups, create my yearly photo books, and so much more.

If you are a hobbyist who thinks Lightroom isn't for you, check this post out with 8 reasons why should will love Lightroom even if you aren't in business.

In short, I think Lightroom is an absolute necessity for time starved hobbyists as well as professional photographers.

#4 - You can't edit portraits in Lightroom.

You can use Lightroom to enhance eyes, remove blemishes, soften the skin, whiten the teeth, add highlights to the hair, create depth and dimension to the facial features, change or enhance eye colour - in fact, pretty much anything you would ever want to do to a portrait (apart from alter the facial features) you can do in Lightroom!

In my Edit Like A Pro in Lightroom Classic program we teach you how to do all of that!

#5 - Lightroom is only for RAW photos

Nope, you can edit both JPEG and RAW photos alike in Lightroom. So if you are a JPEG shooter, you can absolutely still use Lightroom.

That said, I would still encourage you to shoot in RAW because it will give you so much more leeway when editing. (Not sure why exactly? Read this: 5 Reasons why you should make the switch to RAW)

Don’t forget you can also watch that free Lightroom training we have for you! Just click on the image below to learn more and sign up. I did mention it’s totally free, right?!