Lightroom and Nikon D3300

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks for your confirmation, Dan.

you MUST create a catalog to use LR at all.

True, but to clarify matters, one can do as I do. Once I adjust the image in Lightroom, I export the image file and remove the initially imported image from the catalog. I don't use the catalog for any purpose other than gaining access to Lightroom's image-editing tools, except as noted below, which means that I also have never learned how to use Lightroom as a catalog. (Very much like the only way my wife uses our kitchen: to walk through it as she gets from the carport to the rest of the house. )

By the way, Lightroom has a capability that Photoshop does not have -- the Book module that can be used to automatically assemble the book and send it to Blurb for printing or to create a PDF of the book. Standalone free software can be downloaded from Blurb to accomplish the same tasks, but I found Lightroom's Book module to be more powerful. That was a long time ago, so I don't remember why I felt that way. It's also possible that Blurb has improved their standalone version.

[davidedric]

it would make much better sense to simply us ACR as RAW converter and do the rest in PS.

I'm not sure. So long as you stay in ACR, you have a naturally non-destructive workflow. Once you move to PS, I think it gets rather more complicated (but I am a PS novice!)

Dave

[Clactonian]

A sensible choice Ginny. I have and still use four Nikon DSLRs of varying vintages and all my images are processed to my great satisfaction in LR with the odd foray into PS. I really would steer clear of Nikon software as others have said. It doesn't cut the mustard and isn't worth the time spent learning it. Now LR on the hand ...