Lightroom Coach [beta]

Your AI teaching assistant in Adobe Lightroom

Lightroom Coach is a plugin that helps you learn photo editing while you work. Instead of applying automatic filters that hide the process, it explains why each adjustment was made to improve your image.

Download Lightroom Coach

The plugin uses Google's Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro AI models to analyze your photos and answer technical questions.

When Lightroom Coach makes edits, every change appears in your History panel. You can step through each adjustment to see exactly which sliders moved and understand the reasoning behind them.

How it works

Visual analysis and coaching

Click "Analyze & Coach" and the AI evaluates your selected photo. You'll get specific feedback on composition, exposure, and color, along with a proposed editing strategy tailored to that image.

Lightroom Coach interface showing analysis and coaching

Natural language prompts

Ask questions or offer direction as you edit:

  • "How do I use the Tone Curve to fade the blacks?"
  • "What is the difference between Texture and Clarity?"
  • "Give the image a more cinematic David Fincher vibe."

Transparent learning

When the Coach adjusts your photo — brightening shadows, warming white balance, or refining contrast — it documents each step in Lightroom's History panel. You can rewind through the edits to see which parameters changed and replicate the technique on future photos.

Lightroom History panel showing Coach adjustments

Installation

What you need

  • Adobe Lightroom Classic (v12.0 or later)
  • Google Gemini API key with Pay-as-you-go billing (free tier keys don't work)
    Typical costs: ~$0.005 per edit request, ~$0.016 per photo analysis. Most users spend under $1/month with regular use.

Get your API key

  1. Go to Google AI Studio
  2. Set up billing and select the Pay-as-you-go plan
  3. Create a new API key in your paid project

Install the plugin

  1. Download the LightroomCoach.lrplugin.zip file and unzip it
  2. Open Adobe Lightroom Classic
  3. Go to File > Plug-in Manager
  4. Click Add in the bottom left
  5. Select the LightroomCoach.lrplugin file
Lightroom Plug-in Manager with Add button highlighted

Configure your key

  1. In the Plug-in Manager, select Lightroom Coach from the left panel
  2. Find the Gemini API Key field on the right
  3. Paste your API key

Start using it

  1. Select a photo in the Develop module
  2. Go to File > Plug-in Extras > Lightroom Coach
  3. Ask questions or click "Analyze & Coach" to begin

About the Author

Burton Rast is a photographer, a designer, and a public speaker who loves to make things.

Download Lightroom Coach

Beta software offered as-is. No support or updates guaranteed.