Editing in Lightroom

I have been wanting to post about my newest editing software, Adobe Lightroom 5. Oh. My. Goodness. This is a powerhouse of a program, I tell ya! I used to use Photoshop Elements, but when our computer died on us I lost it and for a while I used some free online editing sites. (my favorites are Ipiccy and Picmonkey, by the way. I love them!) I have been debating on whether or not I should buy the newest version of Photoshop Elements, go all out and get the full version of Photoshop, or check out Lightroom. After EXTENSIVE research, cuz that's how I roll - it's a blessing and a curse - I decided to go with Lightroom.
I really feel I made the right choice. If I decide to really get into wedding portraiture I will probably get full Photoshop at some point, but for now Lightroom does everything I need it to. Here are some beginner tips to start learning and having fun editing in LR:

1. Shoot in RAW. This is the best way to be able to have the most data as possible available for editing. You will be able to do a lot more to a photo shot in RAW photo as opposed to a Jpeg.
2. Download some awesome presets. You can find a lot of great FREE presets out there! My favorite places to get presets so far is Two Blooms Lightroom Presets and Cole's Classroom. I love the collections I have purchased from them as well, but start with the freebies. Two Blooms is great at teaching how to install presets and brushes.
3. Watch video tutorials on editing with LR. WARNING: it's very addictive! I would almost rather sit down and watch a bunch of editing tutorials than a movie. True story! I just love a good transformation and seeing someone create something beautiful. Just go to Youtube and search Lightroom 5 video tutorials.

Here are a couple examples of photos I edited in LR:

This is straight out of camera. It's a good shot, nicely backlit, but I want more warmth and to show off the great "golden hour" lighting.

Here it is all doctored up in LR! I made some adjustments to the white balance and tweaked a couple other little things and I love how it just brightened right up!

 Have you tried Lightroom? Do you love it? Do you want to see more posts about it? Thanks for reading!!