Adobe recently released a slew of new and highly awaited features for its Lightroom app on all Apple and Android mobile devices.
These additions will bring the Lightroom app for Apple to version 2.4 while Android counterparts will be upgraded to version 2.1. As evident in the numbers and pretty much how each individual platform provides access to functions (for developers) — in this case, the smartphone's camera utilities — iOS and Android handsets will be receiving different sets of upgrades.
Consumers, on the other hand, will find that their Lightroom app is now better equipped to handle professional photo-editing tasks, previously bounded to the confines of a work area, i.e. on mountain tops, landscapes and other picturesque environments.
"Our goal with Lightroom for mobile is to make it an indispensable part of your photography workflow, providing the tools that you're familiar with and the quality you expect in a product that can be with you, no matter when inspiration strikes," writes Adobe.
Apple
For users on the iOS platform, iPad and iPhone, the Lightroom app now carries full support for raw image handling, granting users access to the original and uncompressed photo data. Professionals and hobbyists alike can further optimize their images that were previously only limited to JPEG file formats on these devices; Lightroom for Apple now supports all raw formats that Lightroom on desktop and Adobe Camera Raw can.
Furthermore, users now have access to additional photo-editing tools, Linear and Radial selections, that enables localized adjustments to specific parts of a photo. Bringing attention to a subject in the photo or limiting image adjustments to one portion are some of the new techniques users can employ to fully reflect the image they see in the real word.
Consumers do not have to worry about importing and exporting files to their desktop or web versions too, because Lightroom automatically syncs revised images with these applications wherever an internet connection is available; star rating and flags are included.
Android
As for Android users, Lightroom on Android now enables users to capture raw images on their smartphones and create DNG file formats through a newly added Pro mode.
The Pro features of the app include manually adjustable settings such as ISO, shutter speed, depth of focus and white balance depending on the device's camera utilities. Users may choose to launch the Lightroom camera directly without opening the core app itself by using its handy widget.
In addition, Lightroom on Android can now export full-resolution images which complements its support for raw image handling.
"If the files are available somewhere within the Lightroom ecosystem, Lightroom for Android will now download the full resolution version and enable you to export them," Adobe adds.
Lightroom for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play Store while iOS users may visit the respective iTunes sites for iPhone and iPad versions. It is important to note that Apple features are only accessible to accounts with a current subscription to the Adobe creative cloud service unless of course, you're using its free trial version.
