Apple Announces Aperture 3

When I bought my first mac back in 2007, Aperture had already been out for almost a year and a half. I had just started playing around with Lightroom on my PC before the switch since I have been a long time Photoshop user but decided to use a trial version of Aperture to give it a shot. In all honesty, I couldn’t figure it out. Maybe it was my familiarity with Photoshop but Lightroom just made sense. I was able to navigate intuitively around Lightroom and with little searching, was able to find what I needed to edit my photos. Of course, a long the way, my workflow has developed into something far more complicated and advanced compared to how I previously used the software but I never really gave Aperture a chance after that. Over the years, I’ve opened it up occasionally, imported a photo and fooled around but I never really did much after that. That may change now…

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Sara Collaton - February 16, 2010 - 6:26 am

Good point Sean and thanks for elaborating a bit more on the brushes. Your website has always been a great resource for Lightroom information.

Sean - February 15, 2010 - 2:39 am

Hi Sara,
I have to interject on the Adjustment brush comment. What you’re saying is not entirely accurate.

Yes, there are far more options for the mask that Lightroom, and of course there are the blending modes options, which I think are really cool. Lightroom has more options for what can be done in each brush in terms of content, and in terms of effect balance. It also has an auto mask, which is an edge detection feature.

On balance, I don’t think either one is a winner. The Masking options for Aperture are better, but the settings controls for Lightroom are better.

Now if only the trial would quit crashing the whole time.

Sara Collaton - February 12, 2010 - 7:02 pm

Michael – yes, faces does not fit my workflow at all. Places is great – geotagging with a map function in lightroom would be an amazing addition. For the pros, I think lightroom still looks more professional. I personally don’t like how aperture changed their look to fit more to the consumer level product (iphoto) than keeping it’s professional look. For anyone wanting to get into photo management that has a V-DSLR and is not at a pro level (FCP), I could see Aperture as a great way to get into it for photos and video work.

Philip – for you, especially with the amount of cameras you own, the tiny ones being able to do video as well I could see aperture working for ya.

Josh – LR2 has a plugin for Flickr integration and the LR3 beta has direct connections with their flickr accounts as well.

David – from what I hear with Aperture users, A2 to A3 has massive improvements so if that’s your application and have been using it for ages, it’s an amazing upgrade. I’ve played around with aperture a bit more and I still find it impressive. The two things I hope LR3 includes in their official release is geotagging and something similar to brushes (which I find is close to masking with layers in Photoshop. Extremely powerful). There are a few things that throw me off with Aperture 3:
- I’ve never seen before in a product, consumer level features put into a pro level application (thinking of iPhoto faces and places). While Places is a great feature for anyone with a large collection of photos, I don’t see the point of faces in a pro tool. I’d much rather use keywords/tags. Even in iPhoto, I rarely tag every photo with faces.
- I find the actual look of the application a bit simple looking. Maybe it’s the faces/places mixed with the iPhone style icons for facebook and flickr integration but to me, it takes away from that professional slick look a lot of other (pro) applications have, and I don’t necessarily mean Lightroom. I know this has nothing to do with how your photos will turn out after processing them, it’s just another observation.
- I myself, rarely go into Photoshop for photography editing. There’s very little that can’t be done (with some work) in applications like Aperture (or Lightroom). I do agree, if there’s one application you need and you’re just thinking about Photographs, skip the pricey cost of PS and go for something powerful and affordable.

David Pringle - February 11, 2010 - 11:25 am

Sara,

I am a long-time Aperture user and felt the upgrade was such an improvement that I had to order the day it was released. Many of these features (brushes and video slideshow) make Aperture a ‘one-stop shop’ for my editing. I already use Lift and Stamp on a regular basis while doing weddings… The ability to brush in adjustments… and layer them (you could only make one overall adjustment before) makes this an amazing application. If you could only afford one app, most people could forego PhotoShop now if they had Aperture 3. I see myself rarely using PS now that this has been upgraded, even as a professional. The time-savings that it gave me before have now been multiplied.

Thanks for giving me review from a LightRoom user’s perspective.

David

Andrew Howe - February 10, 2010 - 8:07 am

I do like the look of the new brushes and presets. Now Aperture has Places and Faces, hopefully I can combine the rather clunky arrangement I had to keep both iPhoto and Aperture 2 in sync and standardise on Aperture.

I did see a little bit in one of the videos about new ways of controlling the location of photos. I am hoping this will make it easier to keep back up copies of the photos too.

Joshua Lindsey - February 9, 2010 - 11:09 pm

Excellent review on Aperture. I love how you just touch on the features that stand out the most. You could really make great use of the Flickr integration that Aperture 3 has couldn’t you? Keep rockin’ the blog as always.

Josh

Philip Bloom - February 9, 2010 - 9:01 pm

great blog.

i never got into lightroom, this looks like the app for me.

Michael - February 9, 2010 - 8:55 pm

THX SARA for your thoughts!

well i’m not a Aperture 2 power user (because i’m more a video & audio guy) so i could be wrong … but i think the Adjustment Panel (with Presets and stuff), Brushes and Advanced Slideshows are really great new/enhanced features … seems like i can do now more stuff in Aperture 3 i’ve did in photoshop before … ;)

… so a really nice & sophisticated update!

BTW: Faces&Places is a nice toy/tool but my workflow doesn’t need that at all (so far)

The Dark Side of Timelapses

Well, I’m in Chicago for another two days and while I don’t have any photos to share (yet), here’s a video that was made yesterday. Jon & Cristina thought it’d be a fun idea to spoof Phil re: the amount of timelapses that have begun showing up in his videos. Posted below is the results and you can read more about it on their site.

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Sara Collaton - March 10, 2010 - 4:12 pm

thanks Tom! a bit behind recently but I’m trying to have some posts on a weekly basis moving forward…

Tom Guilmette - March 6, 2010 - 9:48 pm

blog looks great sara! i have you bookmarked…

kevin baird - February 16, 2010 - 1:00 am

I forgot that funniest things to her are what she can relate to:
http://twitter.com/mekisa/status/9102532808

kevin baird - February 13, 2010 - 9:06 pm

That was hilarious!

(I don’t think my wife will find it as funny as I did.)

Adam Mokhtar - February 5, 2010 - 10:35 pm

Phillip is terrific and so as the crazy casts. I laughed my @#@ off haha..two thumbs up. He should show this during intermission as his ’serious’ presentation for fstop academy. :*)

Tom Lowe - February 1, 2010 - 1:17 pm

Hilarious! You guys are awesome.

Michael - February 1, 2010 - 12:37 pm

this is so much fun … very unexpected … a few seconds i was really worried about philip ;) … nice work, great idea! i like the “click-sound” the most

Michael James - February 1, 2010 - 11:49 am

That was so funny!!!!! And so well done. Congrats to all. Hilarious :)

C.T.Daniel - February 1, 2010 - 10:09 am

an unexpected end … so… is true? :P :) )

Toronto Meet Up/Farewell • Sunday February 7th

Well it’s a month before I leave Canada, or Canadia as one sarcastic Brit likes to call it and he’ll actually be in town next weekend. It’s jam packed already trying to see some of the city as well as meet friends & family before I move but we’ve found time to schedule in a meet up-slash-farewell get together on Sunday February 7th. To all my Toronto friends (and friends outside of the city), it’s my last weekend that I’ll actually be in town so if you can make it out, that’d be great as there may not be another chance until I come back to visit.

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Kimberlee - February 2, 2010 - 10:31 am

Hey hun!

Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it on Sunday *tear* – I wish you all the best in your new adventure and hope that our paths cross again in the near future! Thanks for all your help and of course your AMAZING talent!

All the best,
Kimberlee

Jordan Thistlewood - January 31, 2010 - 1:44 pm

Hello Sara.

Hope to come by and say fare well to you and hello to Phillip.

Jordan

Sunil - January 28, 2010 - 5:17 pm

Hey Sara: Will definitely try to be there. Can’t wait to catch up and meet your “Blighty” bloke!

AF Siddiqui - January 28, 2010 - 3:00 pm

I would like to RSVP for Phil Bloom.

Jeremiah - January 28, 2010 - 2:34 pm

Ooooohhh I want to come!
Can you guys have a special meet greet and move across the world party in st. Louis??

Weeeell anyhow. Best of luck

Laura B. - January 28, 2010 - 1:22 pm

Sara, noooo don’t leave! I don’t think I can make this, BUT I will be back on the 21st for Joey Joe’s bday extravaganza. Can you still make it?

Sara Collaton - January 28, 2010 - 11:31 am

respond to the RSVP link Phil, and you may be included! ;)

philip - January 28, 2010 - 11:19 am

I hope to come…

Jeff Hammond - January 28, 2010 - 10:52 am

Just saying hello and that I would like to come out and meet up with Phil Bloom in Toronto. Love his work.. and yours Sarah! I actually used to hang out with Laura Borelli back in my University days.. I see we are both facebook friends with her.. small world.
Hope to meet you guys in T.O.
Jeff

[...] window between 12pm and 2pm on the Sunday the 7th. Love to see you there. If you are interested click here and send Sara an email to let you know you are [...]

Timbaland @ Sound Academy

Photography is a constant learning experience. I have spoken to people who have been doing it for 20+ years and they have said if anyone says they have nothing more to learn then they are lying. I have shot at the same venues countless of times but my recent gig for Timbaland threw me a curve ball with some incredible intense strobe lighting.

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Rob Imbs - January 28, 2010 - 9:58 am

I really like the last picture in the collection. And I know what you mean about strobes, I had to adjust my shutter last weekend when we were shooting with a strobe in a dark basement.

Sara Collaton - January 28, 2010 - 9:34 am

Agreed – manual is the way to go. Thanks very much Ronald. The Red is actually from the lights. Did not manipulate colours too much.

Ronald Vonk - January 28, 2010 - 9:10 am

All manual for me too. I’m a control freak ;)
Nice article and shots. Top photo is my favourite. Nice light and colors! Where did that red light on his teeth come from?

Philip Bloom - January 28, 2010 - 3:01 am

Great photos and info…

i definitely prefer shooting manual as the metering can be fooled so often that it ruins shots.

Tegan and Sara @ the Kool Haus

Please click on expand to be taken to a link of the show’s review by Bryson Parks for Blare Magazine.

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