Apple Aperture 3 + Adobe Lightroom 3

Photo Management Software Review: Apple Aperture 3 + Apple Aperture 3

by Trevor Tan
05:55 AM Sep 10, 2010

WITH the number of digital images in our computers increasing daily, having photo management software that allows non-destructive adjustments has become essential. We focus on the latest offerings from Apple and Adobe. Trevor Tan

Apple Aperture 3 (AP3), $298

The new power features in AP3 are Faces and Places, transplanted from iPhoto '09.

Faces utilises face detection and recognition technologies to help you organise photos according to people, while Places allows your geo-tagged photos' locations to be recognised automatically. Faces and Places also let you assign faces and locations manually to your photos.

iPhoto '09 users will find it a breeze to make the leap to AP3. Go to Import and you'll find an option to import your iPhoto library. AP3 also makes it easy for you to split or merge libraries.

The user interface of AP3 is intuitive and user-friendly. You can dive into the controls and start using the tools without fiddling around much.

One of the tools most welcomed by photographers is the full-featured RGB Curves - you can adjust tones, contrast and colours precisely, and set black and white points with clicks and custom points on the curve.

There are 15 Quick Brush tools for performing touch-ups such as retouch, dodge, burn and contrast. Select the Quick Brushes in the Adjustment Panel and click on the desired touch-up. A mini-panel will appear, allowing you to change the size, softness and strength of the brush. To prevent your adjustments spilling into unwanted boundaries, activate Detect Edges.

If you are lazy, there are Quick Fixes under Presets that allow you to auto-enhance photos, increase or decrease the exposure and brighten highlights with just one click.

Another feature that distinguishes AP3 is its powerful yet easy-to-use coffee-table book creation tools. You have far more customisation options when laying out the book than in iPhoto '09. Plus, you have the option of an extra large 13x10-inch book size along with new plug-ins that enable you to order premium books from Couture and Leather Craftsmen.

It's also easy to upload photos to MobileMe, Facebook and Flickr.

The downside of AP3 is that it's available only for Mac.

Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 3

Apple Aperture 3: A Workflow Guide for Digital Photographers

Aperture 3 - Training (Video Tutorials)

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Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 3

Adobe Lightroom 3 (LR3), US$299

While LR3 does not have Faces and Places, it does have a more straightforward search system - just enter text and search any searchable fields. AP3's search system requires you to add filters.

LR3's smart import lets you save your preferred settings during the import of photos as a custom preset. For example, you prefer to import your photos into two folders in two hard drives simultaneously directly from the camera. The next time you hook up your camera, you can just choose this preset and click Import.

The user interface of LR3 can be improved - there are just too many panels. Although you can hide them, you need to remember which panel is the one you need when you want to un-hide it.

Nonetheless, LR3 provides a wider range of image adjustments compared with AP3. Quick Develop provides plenty of one-click changes. Or, you can make multiple local adjustments with the Adjustment Brushes. Create the desired effect by changing settings such as exposure, contrast, clarity and colour, then choose the size of your brush and apply it on the location you want the changes to be made.

With LR3, you get controlled sharpening with more natural results that retain the details at the same time. LR3 allows much latitude in reducing luminance and chromatic noise by keeping edges sharp to prevent the softness usually associated with noise reduction. If you prefer nostalgia and want more noise or grains on your photos, fret not. You can add natural, film-like grains. You can also add more natural vignetting with new options like Style and Contrast in the Post-Crop Vignetting tool.

The tone curve that worked more like a parametric curve previously is now a full curve where you can add custom points to change specific tones. However, it still lacks the RGB curves present in AP3. In addition, LR3 does not have the built-in book creation tools found in AP3.

LR3 is available for both Mac and PC.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
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