Lightroom mobile .dng files easy path to open in Photoshop Camera Raw?

[Steve2C]

I use Photoshop for my artwork and not so much for photography. I have my photos organized in folders on my Mac and have never used Lightroom or needed to learn it. I just signed up for Adobe's Photoshop CC 2019 Photography Plan (from Photoshop CS5).

I've recently discovered taking Raw photos on my iPhone 6S with Lightroom Mobile and am wondering what is the easiest way to get my iPhone .dng files into Camera Raw on my desktop Mac.

Now I have my photos synced to Creative Cloud, then save them to my hard drive from Lightroom Classic. I'd prefer to use Camera Raw and would like to avoid Lightroom on my Mac completely if possible.  - TIA

[99jon]

Lightroom Classic has the same tools as camera raw so it’s not clear why you wish to avoid it when it integrates with the Library module. I assume it’s due to familiarity from using cs5?

You would need to open files directly into Photoshop from the folder on your mac. You could also install Bridge from the apps tab in cc desktop.

[Steve2C]

Thanks all for your help.

Lightroom Classic has the same tools as camera raw so it’s not clear why you wish to avoid it when it integrates with the Library module. I assume it’s due to familiarity from using cs5?

You would need to open files directly into Photoshop from the folder on your mac. You could also install Bridge from the apps tab in cc desktop.

I am a retired illustrator who worked mostly in Photoshop and Illustrator and don't consider myself much of a photographer. I do want to learn more.

Photoshop can open images directly from the cloud. In the Home screen, look for 'Lightroom Photos'.

Another beginner's mistake on my day 3 of Photoshop CC: I had checked "disable the home screen" in preferences (so it would be more like my familiar CS5). I see now that my photos are there to open -- Thank you!

If you instal Lr Classic on your computer and turn on the sync with Lr CC function, all of the images in the cloud will download to your computer. This answers your question and gets the raw files on your computer, but why wouldn’t you just use Lightroom at this point to edit the photos? It sounds to me like you do have a need to learn Lightroom. But if you really are certain that you don’t want to use Lightroom on your computer, you can log into your Lightroom cloud at lightroom.adobe.com. All of you mobile images will be there. From there you can download originals to your computer to work on.

You can open your Lr photos directly in Photoshop like Johan shows, but that will send a rasterised copy of the file.

I think I have the sync with LR CC function turned on but I don't know where the images are downloaded to on my computer. I like the interface much better in Camera Raw and it looks to me like it works exactly the same as in Lightroom. Hopefully I'll learn LR in the coming months.

Thanks also for the lightroom.adobe.com link.

Thanks again all for your help.

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

Photoshop can open images directly from the cloud. In the Home screen, look for 'Lightroom Photos'.

[Theresa J]

If you instal Lr Classic on your computer and turn on the sync with Lr CC function, all of the images in the cloud will download to your computer. This answers your question and gets the raw files on your computer, but why wouldn’t you just use Lightroom at this point to edit the photos? It sounds to me like you do have a need to learn Lightroom. But if you really are certain that you don’t want to use Lightroom on your computer, you can log into your Lightroom cloud at lightroom.adobe.com. All of you mobile images will be there. From there you can download originals to your computer to work on.

You can open your Lr photos directly in Photoshop like Johan shows, but that will send a rasterised copy of the file.

[JP Hess]

To answer your question directly, if you have Photoshop and Camera Raw installed then all you have to do is download your DNG files from your iPhone and then use Photoshop and Camera Raw the way you normally use them. Yes, Lightroom has the same Camera Raw features, but if you don't want to use it then don't. Just continue using Photoshop and Camera Raw the way you have been using them. There's no special steps you need to take.

[Steve2C]

JimHess  wrote

To answer your question directly, if you have Photoshop and Camera Raw installed then all you have to do is download your DNG files from your iPhone and then use Photoshop and Camera Raw the way you normally use them. Yes, Lightroom has the same Camera Raw features, but if you don't want to use it then don't. Just continue using Photoshop and Camera Raw the way you have been using them. There's no special steps you need to take.

I did this a few times but now I can't remember how to download DNG files from my iPhone. I've been trying but all I seem to get are JPGs. - Thanks again.