Today’s Question: I was reading a tutorial about editing raw images from Lightroom Classic in Camera Raw by selecting the Edit menu and selecting Photoshop. There is supposed to be a screen that comes up allowing me to choose if I want to use Camera Raw to perform the edits which is supposed to provide easier to understand and use options.
Tim’s Quick Answer: The screen that asks about editing the image in Photoshop only appears for non-raw image files, not raw captures. It also only relates to Photoshop rather than Camera Raw, though you could use Camera Raw as a filter once the image is opened in Photoshop.
More Detail: When you send a raw capture from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop using the Edit > Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop command, you will not be prompted about how you want to process the image. Instead, the raw image will be processed based on any adjustments applied in the Develop module and then saved as a TIFF or PSD file based on the settings established on the External Editing tab of the Preferences dialog in Lightroom Classic.
If you send a non-raw image (such as a PSD, TIFF, or JPEG image) you’ll be prompted about whether you want to create a new derivative copy of the image or simply edit the source (original) file you’ve selected.
However, in both cases the image will not open directly in Camera Raw before opening in Photoshop. That’s because the Develop module in Lightroom Classic is the equivalent of Camera Raw, and therefore Camera Raw is not needed to process the image. If it is a raw capture, for example, the raw will be processed to a TIFF or PSD file and therefore Camera Raw isn’t needed.
If, however, you want to use the Camera Raw interface to apply adjustments to an image that you’re working on in Photoshop (regardless of whether it was sent from Lightroom Classic or opened directly) you can use the Camera Raw filter by choosing Filter > Camera Raw Filter from the menu.
