Aperture 2.1 for Mac, I find it to be more logical to me. I felt Lightroom was to restrictive when I was using it (for example limiting what changes can be done in what mode)
What Software do you use?
- Thread starter dvleemin
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danclem
Contributor
You need to check out version 2.1 of LightRoom. It will solve 90% or so of you digital editing and work flow requirements. For high end processing Aperture is not in the ball park. Photoshop CS3 is still a great product, but it is really geared for designers, where LightRoom is specifically designed for photographers. It is also relatively inexpensive.
You might also want to check out PhotoMechanic. It is a super tool for quickly viewing/ranking photos. This program reads embedded jpg pictures in RAW files and loads really rapidly: it puts Bridge to shame. My workflow is now PhotoMechanic to LightRoom, and then Photoshop if I need specific editing beyond LightRoom. This is getting rarer and rarer. In LightRoom all edits are non-destructive and performed on RAW files. A history of all edits is retained and can be changed.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
Dan
You might also want to check out PhotoMechanic. It is a super tool for quickly viewing/ranking photos. This program reads embedded jpg pictures in RAW files and loads really rapidly: it puts Bridge to shame. My workflow is now PhotoMechanic to LightRoom, and then Photoshop if I need specific editing beyond LightRoom. This is getting rarer and rarer. In LightRoom all edits are non-destructive and performed on RAW files. A history of all edits is retained and can be changed.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
Dan
OP
dvleemin
Contributor
Don't know where you fall on the amateur - prosumer - professional scale, but as a plain amateur I can't see spending more on my software than my entire camera rig is worth, so full-blown Photoshop is out of the question for me!
However, at less than $100, Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 works fine. My camera doesn't shoot raw, only jpeg, so that's not an issue like it is for you - it may not be able to handle raw, which would obviously be a dealbreaker in your case. The integration between the new PSE7 and the Photoshop.com website where I share my photos is great, makes it so easy to edit & post for friends and family, which is all an amateur like me is really interested in.
All depends on what you're doing with your pics.
>*< Fritz
However, at less than $100, Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 works fine. My camera doesn't shoot raw, only jpeg, so that's not an issue like it is for you - it may not be able to handle raw, which would obviously be a dealbreaker in your case. The integration between the new PSE7 and the Photoshop.com website where I share my photos is great, makes it so easy to edit & post for friends and family, which is all an amateur like me is really interested in.
All depends on what you're doing with your pics.
>*< Fritz
paradicio
Contributor
Basically Lightroom handles changes as a set of instructions that it applies to an image. It keeps a log of all your changes (just to the left, very easy to see and manipulate) and at any point you can click back on a previous instruction and it will go back to that point. You do not "save" a picture in Lightroom, you "export" a copy of your photo with changes (after you've completed your edits). It retains the original RAW file sans changes.
Still using RawShooter Essentials and finishing up on PS7. Tried the original lightroom, but I couldn't figure out the Import/Export stuff and still had to use PS. The new LR seems much more intuitive.
Eskasi
Contributor
I am a fan of Lightroom....however, it simply does not convert Nikon RAW (NEF) files all that well....the colors are wayyyy off, as are all the other settings. Its a pity that Nikon does not share it's RAW conversion settings with Adobe.
As such, I use Capture NX2. Its incredibly powerful but resource hogging and slow. The results are fantastic though. After basic conversion, touch ups and saving to Tiff, I then import to Lightroom for further work and cataloging. Finally, before conversion to jpeg, I edit in CS3 for fine work and framing if needed.
Its a long process but well worth the trouble for the keepers I have...
As such, I use Capture NX2. Its incredibly powerful but resource hogging and slow. The results are fantastic though. After basic conversion, touch ups and saving to Tiff, I then import to Lightroom for further work and cataloging. Finally, before conversion to jpeg, I edit in CS3 for fine work and framing if needed.
Its a long process but well worth the trouble for the keepers I have...
paradicio
Contributor
Interesting point Eskasi!
I use a Nikon for my surface shooting, but I'll be honest and say my post processing on surface shoots is pretty much limited to crops and artistic changes (i.e. switching a color photo to black and white). I've never really done any heavy color correction on shots I've taken with my Nikon so I couldn't say one way or another on that one. I use a Canon under water and Lightroom has been great with Canon's RAW files...
I use a Nikon for my surface shooting, but I'll be honest and say my post processing on surface shoots is pretty much limited to crops and artistic changes (i.e. switching a color photo to black and white). I've never really done any heavy color correction on shots I've taken with my Nikon so I couldn't say one way or another on that one. I use a Canon under water and Lightroom has been great with Canon's RAW files...
Ooo, Lightroom is dreamy for black & white conversions ... I can't remember the last time I messed with CS3 to deal with black & white!
Ive tried and bought just about all of the packages discussed above, but I use Aperture almost exclusively now since I can publish the galleries and worked up photos to my website easily.
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