What people complain about in Lightroom
42 reported problems name Lightroom as what the person is currently using. Below is what they said was missing, and what they resorted to instead.
- Complaints
- 42
- Avg severity
- 2.9/5
- Would pay to fix
- 2
- Industries
- 3
What they wish it did
Capabilities people described needing that Lightroom does not give them, taken from the highest-scoring problems first. These are individual accounts written in each person’s own terms, so two entries may describe the same underlying gap in different words.
- AI-powered color banding removal tool for photo editing software
- Portable metadata extraction and conversion tool that eliminates vendor lock-in
- A subscription-free photo editing and management tool that is as fast and capable as Lightroom for JPG workflows
- Software that provides near-instant RAW previews without pre-rendering
- AI-based automatic image selection for faster culling
- Client communication tool that sends automatic updates and manages turnaround expectations
- Scheduling tool that accounts for limited editing time slots
- AI-powered auto-culling that selects best shots from thousands in seconds
- Batch editing with per-image smart adjustments to maintain quality
- Built-in pricing calculator for tiered editing packages
- AI-driven preset selection based on skin tone
- Automated editing workflow for on-site use
- Tool to find and manage trusted human editors who can mimic style
- Workflow to streamline editing and revision cycles
- Quality assurance system for outsourced edits
- A client-facing photo selection interface that captures structured feedback
- Automatic mapping of client selections to Lightroom filenames
- A fast RAW culling app with customizable metadata tagging and burst grouping
- A dedicated culling tool that outperforms Lightroom for large photo sessions
- Mobile app that can transfer RAW files directly from camera to phone
- One-click export tool that applies optimal settings for each social media platform
- Direct publishing from Lightroom to Instagram without intermediate devices
- Lightroom plugin that adds professional video-style color grading scopes
- Integrated color analysis tools within photo editing software
- Unified photo editing platform with both advanced editing tools and robust library management
What they do instead
The manual processes people built around the gap. A long workaround list is the strongest evidence a problem is real: someone is already paying for it in time. Where several people described the same workaround, it is marked.
- using DNG conversion in Lightroom
- relying on XMP sidecar files
- used built-in Photos app on Mac for culling/rating/cropping and slight editing
- Manually repeats her schedule and constraints to client via messaging
- Uses Lightroom for editing but manually tracks client expectations
- edits each image individually for quality but takes too long
- uses quick batch edits in Lightroom that reduce quality
- prices low to compensate for fast turnaround
- contemplates using automatic setting in Lightroom
- considers buying multiple preset variations
- might have to manually adjust each photo
- spends long time editing manually in Lightroom
- goes back and forth for days making revisions
- receives messages from Instagram photo editors but hasn't used them
- Uploads low-res files to Google Drive/Dropbox and asks clients to choose favorites
- Receives screenshots, texts like '5th one on second row', or text files with filenames
- Manually matches selections in Lightroom
- building own program to replace Lightroom
- tried Fast Raw Viewer but lacked features
- Uses Sony app to transfer only JPEG to phone
The problems themselves
Highest opportunity score first.
Green and purple stripes across all late night photos from a music festival, no fix found in Lightroom or darktable.
4HighPhotographyImage ProcessingBandAway ProPhotographers trapped in Adobe ecosystem unable to migrate because DNG and XMP metadata not portable to other software.
4HighPhotographyMetadata Compatibility & PortabilityMigrateMate PhotoHobbyist photographer needs a photo editing and management tool that is as capable as Lightroom but without a subscription model.
3MediumPhotographySoftware SelectionPhotoFlow PerpetualPhotographers need a faster, more efficient way to cull RAW photos than Adobe Lightroom provides.
3MediumPhotographyWorkflow ManagementSwiftCullPhotographer is frustrated with Adobe Lightroom's subscription model and seeks a free or one-time purchase alternative with similar editing tools and simplicity.
3MediumPhotographySoftware Feature GapLumora StudioA photographer offering free sessions feels pressured and harassed by clients demanding faster turnaround on edited photos despite clear communication about her limited editing time as a stay-at-home mom.
3MediumPhotographyClient Communication & ExperienceClientCalmThe user needs a utility that can copy images from a camera and rename them, which many Lightroom alternatives lack.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesContent ManagementPhotoFlow RenamerPhotographer needs to speed up culling and editing for wedding events without sacrificing quality, and struggles to price for additional editing time.
3MediumPhotographyWorkflow ManagementEventEdit AIPhotographer needs an efficient way to edit photos on-site during events, unsure of how to handle automatic settings or presets for different skin tones.
3MediumPhotographyColor ManagementSkinTone Adaptive Preset EnginePhotographer struggles with time-consuming photo editing, causing delays and preventing focus on other tasks, and is considering outsourcing but unsure about quality or trust.
3MediumPhotographyWorkflow ManagementStyleMatch Edit FlowA real estate photographer needs a non-subscription alternative to Lightroom for editing RAW/RAF images with advanced masking, local adjustments, perspective correction, and batch processing.
3MediumPhotographySoftware SelectionInteriorEdit ProPart-time photographer struggles to collect client photo selections efficiently, dealing with messy feedback via screenshots and texts, and then manually matching filenames in Lightroom.
4HighPhotographyClient Communication & ExperienceProofSnap SelectPhotographers need a fast RAW photo culling app with custom metadata features and better performance than Lightroom.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologyWorkflow ManagementFastCull ProA business needs to efficiently create professional product photos with white backgrounds, proper positioning, and realistic shadows without using complex photo editing software.
3MediumGeneral Business ServicesMarketing & AdvertisingProductSnap StudioA photographer struggles with image quality loss when exporting and uploading photos to Instagram from Lightroom, especially when transferring images to a phone for posting.
3MediumPhotographyImage ProcessingPixPipelineThe user cannot compare up to four RAW images simultaneously during preselection on iPad Pro using Lightroom, and seeks an app like Adobe Bridge for efficient culling.
3MediumPhotographyImage ProcessingCullPro CompareProfessional photographers and video editors need professional color grading scopes (waveform, vectorscope, skin tone line) in Lightroom for accurate color correction, but Adobe has ignored this request for 14 years despite strong user demand.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologySoftware & SaaSColorScope Pro for LightroomProfessional photo editors need a photo editing software with Lightroom's library management capabilities combined with DaVinci Resolve's advanced editing tools and flexibility.
3MediumSoftware and TechnologySoftware & SaaSResolvePhoto StudioA photographer wants to permanently crop RAW files before editing to reduce file size and ease the strain on their laptop.
3MediumPhotographyImage ProcessingRAW Crop OptimizerSports photographer needs to edit thousands of RAW photos from an SD card during an event for fast social media turnaround, but worries about card overheating and workflow bottlenecks.
3MediumPhotographyWorkflow ManagementSnapFlow
Read this fairly
These are complaints, and only complaints — nobody posts to say their software worked. A high count mostly reflects how many people use Lightroom at all, so this page is not a quality judgement and should not be read as one. What it is good for is the shape of the gaps: the specific jobs people could not get done, which are the same whether the tool is popular or not.
Folded from: Adobe Lightroom, Lightroom, lightroom