Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 introduces RAW shooting in-app and more

While the mobile photo world has long been focused on firing off quick shots and slapping a filter on them, largely to help to mask the questionable image quality often associated with smartphones, the reality is that in the last couple years, smartphone camera quality has improved exponentially.

Last year, Adobe introduced Lightroom for Android with the goal to allow photographers on Android to manipulate their Lightroom library on the go. That functionality remains and, naturally, has seen a number of enhancements in this 2.0 update. But as you can see from the full list of what's new for Lightroom 2.0, the main focus is the addition of an in-app camera.

An in-app camera, supporting the capture of images in DNG raw format

Shoot-through presets, also available within the in-app camera, enabling previewing and capturing images with a series of built-in presets providing non-destructive editing

Dehaze tool to adjust haze and fog in an image

Split Toning enhancement, enabling the addition of a color cast to the highlights and shadows of an image, creating a uniquely stylized color image or replicating the look and feel of a traditional toned black and white image

Target Adjustment Tool functionality in the Color/B&W editing tool, providing direct, on-image editing controls

Point mode in Curve tool providing complete control over the tonality and contrast of an image

Enhanced sharing with one-tap access to Adobe Premiere Clip for crafting video stories.

It's an important shift in thinking for Lightroom. While photographers aren't going to be giving up their DSLRs or mirrorless cameras anytime soon, the reality is that quality photography can be achieved entirely on a smartphone, and the old adage that "the best camera is the one that's with you" is as true as ever.

Take a look at the before and after images below for an idea of the results possible with the new Lightroom app. These images were captured by photographer Colby Brown on a Nexus 6P. The app is free, so if you like what you see, hit the Via link below to download.

Source: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 introduces RAW shooting in-app and more