Apple Aperture 2.1.1

I purchased this product because I was looking 4 something more than just the iphoto my Mac comes with. I can tell that I have opened the door 2 a whole new world. This product was cheaper than an Adobe Pro program & better than Photo shop Elements. I am overal happy with my purchase & I look forward 2 getting all that I can out of this.

I am an amateur at best & I took advantage of both free trial offers from Aperture 2 & LightRoom. Although LightRoom was similar, 2 me there was no comparison. I went into it with no experience & was totally objective in my opinion & found Aperture 2 be much much better. Used the same photo in both & consistently got better results in Aperture, with a more seamless flow 2 the work. One mans opinion !!

I used the trial version of Aperture & Nikon Capture NX2 back 2 back 4 about a month. Both are great programs & I believe I would be happy with either. Ultimately I choose Aperture 4 its familiar interface & believe Apple will continue 2 ensure compatibility with OSX 4 a long time 2 come. Nikon support is excellent but their new proprietary RAW format that works only with Microsoft Windows took me by surprise. Not that I am affected because so far the new RAW format is only on their point & shoot cameras, I still felt slightly betrayed & uncertain what the future relationship with Apple will be. I figure no matter what happens I will still be able 2 use the same software 2 catalog & edit my photos.

Quick access 2 photos 4 very easy modification. Much more editing, organizing, & viewing options then iphoto & is worth the $$. Iphoto was too basic plus it did not provide & option 4 use with an external editor like PT Lens. I have used Photoshop Element, ACDC & like Aperture the best.

I bought Apterture 2 help manage & provide advanced editing 2 my photos. I am also a user of Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Aperture's Pluses:
- larger database 4 photos than iphoto
- slightly enhanced editing tools
- better selection of online books 2 purchase

Aperture's Negatives:
- Overly high system requirements when not necessary
- Bloated & creates its own directory of photos (so it gets duplicates from iphotos) - what a waste of hard drive space
- editing tools are not very good
- Slow
- Overall a major disappointment

If you use iphoto, Aperture is a minor improvement. You get a larger index (where iphoto has a tendency 2 freak out at 5000 photos or so). Editing tools are only marginally better. Nothing great. If you do editing - save the $200 & use it 2 buy Photoshop CS3.

The only positive is that it has better 'photo books' that you can purchase & are custom 2 Aperture - typical of Apple's closed environment.

This product is only 2 stars at best. Major disappointment.

You can access your entire iPhoto library directly within Aperture 2, 2 import selected events, albums, or individual photos using the iPhoto Browser. Aperture 2 includes an all-in-one inspector that consolidates the Project, Metadata, & Adjustments panes & lets you switch between them simply by typing W. Quickly locate images in the innovative All Projects view with project skimming. The new Quick Preview mode provides rapid-fire photo browsing, letting you quickly compare, rate, & make image selections. Aperture also offers enhanced performance when making processor-intensive adjustments, such as Noise Reduction & Highlight & Shadows. Leveraging the next-generation RAW image processing in Mac OS X Leopard, Aperture 2 delivers images of astounding quality, offering superb color fidelity, increased shadow detail, reduced noise, & advanced highlight recovery. Aperture provides RAW support 4 the leading digital cameras & camera backs. It also supports DNGs made from the RAW files of most digital cameras. With a .Mac account, you can take advantage of new support 4 .Mac Web Gallery 2 create beautiful online portfolios even allowing clients, colleagues, or friends 2 download JPEG or RAW originals complete with embedded metadata. Aperture also lets you sync your Aperture library 2 an iPhone or iPod. Or enjoy your photos on a widescreen TV in glorious high definition using Apple TV.

Aperture 2, Apple's groundbreaking photo editing & management software, gives photographers powerful tools 2 manage massive libraries, speed through photo edits, make essential image adjustments, & deliver photos online or in print with ease. Whether you're a professional photographer or a photo enthusiast, Aperture delivers a simple, integrated workfl ow that takes photos from import 2 output with uncompromising quality every step of the way.

With more than 100 new features, Aperture 2 delivers advanced, next-generation RAW image processing, signifi cantly faster image handling, powerful new image adjustment tools, a streamlined interface, & an integrated Mac workflow, making it the ideal workflow tool 4 people who are passionate about photography.

Aperture 2, Apple's groundbreaking photo editing & management software, gives photographers powerful tools 2 manage massive libraries, speed through photo edits, make essential image adjustments, & deliver photos online or in print with ease.

The Essential Tool from Import 2 Output
Aperture 2 has been designed 2 help photographers import, manage, enhance, & deliver photos in a single, integrated workflow that dramatically streamlines every aspect of digital photography.

Import images fast--manage them professionally
Aperture starts its flexible, fast image import the moment you attach a camera or memory card 2 your Mac. It instantly displays thumbnails of every image & offers streamlined ways 2 add copyright, keywords, & other metadata during import. You can also import photos from cameras, card readers, memory cards, DVDs, & hard drives, or pull shots directly from iPhoto.

Once the images are in your library, you can organize them logically by using Aperture projects, folders, albums, & Smart Albums. Find images quickly with powerful search tools that let you search by any metadata field or image adjustment. And the flexible & open library system lets you store your images wherever & however you like--directly in Aperture, on external drives, even on a network storage device. The robust file management tools allow you 2 easily move your original photos 2 a new storage location at any time, so you'll never run out of space 4 your library as it continues 2 grow.

Find images quickly with powerful search tools that let you search by any metadata field or image adjustment.

Aperture adjustment tools help you make your best photos look even better.

Make selects quickly & easily
After adding hundreds of new photos 2 your library, Aperture provides the fastest & most efficient way 2 review them all & pick the very best. Aperture lets you edit photo shoots using tools such as Quick Preview mode 4 rapid-fire image review & Compare mode 4 easily evaluating images side by side. With Aperture, you can even zoom & pan multiple images at once 4 tight comparisons before making a pick.

You can use the stacks feature 2 automatically group images shot in a sequence, & speed through big projects using keyboard shortcuts 2 apply ratings & keywords.

The Light Table gives you a freeform space 4 grouping images visually, letting you resize, overlay, compare, & organize images into comp layouts.

Adjust & enhance images precisely
Aperture adjustment tools help you make your best photos look even better. Aperture takes you far beyond the basics of straightening, cropping, & improving exposure. Powerful toning controls let you correct exposure, fix white balance, set black point, enhance colors, & recover blown highlights & shadow detail. The soft-edged Retouch Brush removes spots, dust, & blemishes precisely. The new Vibrancy & Definition tools let you selectively enhance detail & saturation in specific areas of an image.

Copying adjustments from one image 2 another is simple using the Lift & Stamp tool, which allows you 2 batch-process adjustments on multiple images with one click. And because all adjustments are nondestructive, you don't have 2 worry about damaging your original master images. Aperture never touches them. Aperture's plug-in architecture lets you extend adjustments even further, allowing you 2 take advantage of third-party plug-ins 4 additional image editing.

Take the final steps & showcase your best work
Aperture makes it easy 2 deliver professional photos online or in print. With flexible export options & integrated online & print publishing capabilities built into Aperture, showcasing your work has never been easier.

Flexible export option
Save finished photos as JPEG, TIFF, or PSD. Output at exactly the size & resolution you want, embed ICC color profi les & metadata, & protect your photos with a watermark when you publish. Send photos 2 colleagues via Mail. Include the photos in iLife or iWork documents, taking advantage of the direct integration of Aperture with iMovie, Keynote, Pages, & other applications. Sync them directly 2 your iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV. Or use an Aperture export plug-in 2 send photos 2 Flickr, SmugMug, Gallery, Zenfolio, or Picasa.

Publish online
Aperture offers fully integrated MobileMe Gallery support, so you can publish a portfolio using your MobileMe account in minutes. Use your password-protected Gallery 2 deliver photos, letting others download JPEG or original RAW masters directly from your site. With the effortless HTML-based Web Page & Web Journal options of Aperture, photographers have the tools they need 4 instant, effective web publishing.

Professional-quality books 2 order
Aperture provides all the tools you need 2 create custom-designed books in small, medium, & large formats. You can place, resize, rotate, & mask photos, so your book looks exactly the way you want. Hardcover books include a full-bleed, wraparound dust jacket. Choose from eight elegant designed themes, adjust 2 your own specifications, then place your order--all from within Aperture.

High-quality printing
With new built-in support 4 16-bit printing, Aperture lets you produce high-quality prints with smoother gradients & better color fi delity. The new Print dialog also features print sharpening controls 4 fine-tuning sharpness 4 print. You can also order traditional lab prints directly from Aperture in a variety of sizes (wallet size 2 20 by 30 inches).

The new Quick Preview mode in Aperture is a lightning-fast way 2 speed through high-quality image previews, browse & compare photos, & make selects with virtually no lag time.

Optimized 4 Speed
With Aperture 2, virtually every photo management task across the workflow is faster, thanks 2 powerful new preview & search options, a more streamlined user interface, & a more responsive database.

The new Quick Preview mode in Aperture--combined with its unmatched compare & select tools, Loupe, multi-image zooming, & Smart Albums--provides the fastest & most efficient way 2 edit a photo shoot. Switching between projects, scrolling through thumbnails, & searching 4 images are all dramatically faster. Exporting images is now a background operation, allowing you 2 keep working as Aperture renders your finished images. In addition, Aperture significantly improves the performance of certain processor-intensive adjustment tasks such as noise reduction, & Highlights & Shadows.

Quick Preview
The new Quick Preview mode in Aperture is a lightning-fast way 2 speed through high-quality image previews, browse & compare photos, & make selects with virtually no lag time. Quick Preview simply tells Aperture 2 load only the preview of each photo when it's selected, rather than decoding & loading the full-size master image. This means photographers can scan through a shoot rapidly, make preliminary selects, & sort photos, edit metadata, & build albums faster than ever. The feature takes advantage of the embedded JPEG previews that are created in-camera by most cameras when shooting RAW images, or uses the preview that Aperture generates after import. Quick Preview is easy 2 toggle off whenever the full-resolution image is needed (to make image adjustments, 4 example).

The revamped database in Aperture 2 is the key 2 dramatically faster searching & sorting, even when working with very large libraries.

Sophisticated Aperture metadata tools make metadata tagging & editing rapid & effortless, at any stage of the workflow, even in full-screen mode.

The visual keyboard interface 4 the Command Editor makes it easy 2 modify shortcut keys or create new ones.

Faster & More Powerful Searches
Rebuilt from the ground up, the revamped database in Aperture 2 is the key 2 dramatically faster searching & sorting, even when working with very large libraries. Powerful new search features, unavailable elsewhere, include the ability 2 search 4 images by adjustment (find all black-and-white images, 4 example) & 2 perform complex searches based on any combination of metadata fields. This gives photographers incredible flexibility in sorting their libraries, allowing them 2 quickly locate any images that have had a specific filter, adjustment, or metadata tag applied 2 them.

Advanced Metadata Support
Sophisticated Aperture metadata tools make metadata tagging & editing rapid & effortless, at any stage of the workflow, even in full-screen mode. New features include the ability 2 embed IPTC metadata directly into master RAW files on export. And photographers can now precisely adjust the time & date stamps of images by a specific off set, 2 easily correct in-camera errors or 2 sync multicamera shoots.

Background Export
Aperture now exports images in the background, so photographers can continue their work uninterrupted while their final images are rendered & exported--an enormous time-saver. Clicking the Activity indicator in the Viewer toolbar opens the Activity window, which provides the status of all background operations in progress.

Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts
Aperture speeds tasks even more by letting photographers create their own keyboard shortcuts. The visual keyboard interface 4 the Command Editor makes it easy 2 modify shortcut keys or create new ones. And the ability 2 save an unlimited number of shortcut sets 4 diff erent users or tasks, & 2 easily switch between shortcut sets, means that multiple users can work in the way that's most efficient 4 them. The Command Editor can also be used 2 look up existing keyboard shortcuts.

Faster Navigation & Scrolling
Major database improvements & a revamped thumbnail browser optimized 4 speed provide dramatically improved performance across the workflow. Photographers will notice incredibly fast thumbnail browsing & scrolling, minimal load time when switching between projects, as well as performance improvements when applying certain processor-intensive adjustments such as Noise Reduction & Highlights & Shadows.

Tethered Camera Support
The new Tether command in Aperture lets users of popular Nikon & Canon digital SLRs tether their cameras 2 a Mac & capture images directly into Aperture without relying on third-party software or scripting. It's easy 2 set up & provides studio photographers with immediate, full-screen feedback while they shoot.

The Show iPhoto Library command makes it easy 2 browse your entire iPhoto library from right within Aperture, & drag selected iPhoto images--or even entire albums or projects--into Aperture projects.

Intuitive & Accessible
No other professional workflow application offers the ease & depth of Aperture photo management & editing tools, including a streamlined interface that's easy 2 navigate & puts tools where you need them. The new, all-in-one Inspector makes it easier than ever 2 work effi ciently in Full Screen mode, while the simplifi ed browser lets you scan through photos & switch between viewing modes more efficiently. The innovative All Projects view gives photographers a quick visual overview of their entire library. And 2 help Aperture newcomers get up 2 speed fast, Aperture ships with a set of useful sample projects & 50 online video tutorials.

Streamlined User Interface
The simplified user interface of Aperture is more intuitive & makes it easier 2 switch between viewing modes, so that your workspace is always optimized 4 the task at hand. A new Hide Browser option gives you maximum screen real estate 4 images, books, web pages, & light tables. You can cycle through the three remaining viewing modes--Viewer Only, Browser Only, & split Viewer/Browser--with a single keystroke 4 maximum efficiency. And the new Filmstrip view in the browser makes shuttling through thumbnails of large photo projects easier than ever.

All-in-One Inspector
The new consolidated Inspector brings together the Projects, Metadata, & Adjustments Inspectors into one tabbed panel, maximizing screen space & making it easy 2 work effi ciently in Full Screen mode. You can switch 2 the panel you need with a single keystroke & stay in Full Screen mode while you add & edit metadata, switch between projects, & apply corrections & adjustments.

Innovative Project Skimming
In the new All Projects view, each Aperture project appears as a single thumbnail image--similar 2 the Events view in iPhoto--for easy visual skimming of all the projects in your library. You can slide your mouse pointer across a project 2 quickly skim the photos inside, defi ne a Key Photo 4 each project 2 serve as the "poster" image, & double-click a thumbnail 2 instantly open a project & go directly 2 the selected image.

iPhoto Browser
Aperture also makes it easier 4 iPhoto users 2 dive in & get great results with their images. The Show iPhoto Library command makes it easy 2 browse your entire iPhoto Library from right within Aperture, & drag selected iPhoto images--or even entire albums or projects--into Aperture projects.

The simplified user interface of Aperture is more intuitive & makes it easier 2 switch between viewing modes, so that your workspace is always optimized 4 the task at hand.

Switch 2 the panel you need with a single keystroke, & stay in Full Screen mode while you add & edit metadata, switch between projects, & apply corrections & adjustments.

A true soft-edged brush tool, the new Retouch Brush removes blemishes, dust spots, or other unwanted elements with precision.

Sample Projects
Aperture ships with four complete sample projects of professional images--including full-resolution RAW files--that are perfect 4 experimentation & learning. Some of the projects include adjusted images 2 help you understand how the adjustment & enhancement tools can be used most effectively. In addition, the projects include sample books, web pages, Light Tables, albums, & Smart Albums, so you can explore your output options by experimenting with these ready-made professional examples.

Online Video Tutorials
Aperture includes a direct link 2 50 video tutorials, each focused on a specific task in the Aperture workflow--from importing photos 2 making final prints. With nearly two full hours of video content, the targeted tutorials bring newcomers up 2 speed fast & help existing Aperture users get the most out of the new features.

Aperture introduces an unparalleled level of quality 2 RAW image handling, with an all-new RAW decode engine that delivers superior images with less noise, better detail, powerful highlight recovery, & improved color rendering.

Powerful Image Processing
Aperture provides all the essential tools that photographers need 2 get the highest quality out of their images, whether shooting RAW or JPEG. The application has been built around an all-new RAW processing engine that delivers remarkable quality that can be further enhanced with an arsenal of simple but powerful adjustment tools. These new image adjustment & enhancement tools give photographers what they need 2 correct exposure, adjust tone, & refine images in more precise & powerful ways, all nondestructively. For even more control, innovative RAW fine-tuning controls let photographers perfect their renders on an image-by-image basis. Opening up even more possibilities is the new Image Editing Plug-in Architecture that makes it easy 4 photographers 2 use specialized third-party imaging software from developers like Nik Software & PictureCode, right from within Aperture.

Next-Generation RAW Image Processing
Aperture introduces an unparalleled level of quality 2 RAW image handling, with an all-new RAW decode engine that delivers superior images with less noise, better detail, powerful highlight recovery, & improved color rendering. You can selectively migrate existing images from the 1.x 2 2.0 RAW decode, so you control which images in your library are re-rendered. Aperture supports 100 different RAW formats from today's leading cameras--including Adobe's DNG format--plus JPEG, TIFF, & PSD files. And the new Baseline DNG support means that even users of cameras with RAW formats not natively supported in Mac OS X can work with their images in Aperture.

Highlight Recovery & Black Point
Powerful new tools let you correct exposure & enhance images with precision, giving you a wider range of artistic control over how your images are rendered, & rescuing previously unsalvageable highlight & shadow detail. The new Recovery slider off ers remarkably effective recovery of "blown" highlights. A new Black Point slider on the Exposure brick speeds up toning, making it easier 2 set a black point & adjust the shadow areas of an image independently from the midtones & highlights.

Vibrancy & Definition
Two new adjustments add remarkable detail & punch 2 your images. Vibrancy applies saturation selectively 2 unsaturated hues only & protects skin tones 4 more pleasing & realistic results. Definition adds superb clarity by applying local contrast 2 images 2 accentuate detail.

Vignette & Devignette
The new Vignette filter lets you apply either gamma- or exposure-based vignettes around the edges of your images 4 artistic effect. Exposure vignettes simulate lens-created vignetting by reducing exposure at the edges of an image. Gamma vignettes apply a gamma adjustment 2 pixels in the vignette area, resulting in a more pronounced effect. Devignette lets you easily correct existing vignetting problems, removing unwanted optical vignetting where dark or shadowed areas appear at the periphery of images.

Retouch Brush
A true soft-edged brush tool, the new Retouch Brush removes blemishes, dust spots, or other unwanted elements with precision. You can specify the brush softness & opacity 4 precise control over the desired effect. A Detect Edges option helps you preserve image detail when repairing spots adjacent 2 hard edges. In Clone mode, you can easily clone pixels from one portion of an image & paint them over problem areas 2 make perfect visual repairs with multiple undos.

RAW Fine-Tuning
An expanded set of RAW fine-tuning controls give photographers even more control over tuning Apple's RAW decode on an image-by-image basis. Hue Boost, which lets you control the degree 2 which hues are preserved when the default tonal response curve is applied, can be particularly useful when rendering saturated highlights such as sunsets. The Moire control reduces unwanted color fringing & patterning that can sometimes appear in RAW images due 2 a moire effect.

Highlight Hot & Cold Pixels
Highlight Hot & Cold Pixels is a new overlay option that makes it easy 2 see exactly which pixels in an image are completely white or black, so you can adjust tones & set a perfect black point. Aperture also includes out-of-range pixel overlays, which can be invoked on the fly by holding down the Command key while using the Exposure, Levels, Recovery, & Black Point tools. Photographers can choose between Color or Monochrome overlays.

Customized Default Adjustment Set
You can now specify which adjustments appear by default in the Adjustments Inspector/HUD. Include only the tools you use most frequently 2 save time setting up adjustments. This customized default adjustment set helps reduce screen clutter & makes navigating through adjustments faster & easier.

Plug-in Architecture
The open plug-in architecture in Aperture makes it easy 4 photographers 2 use specialized third-party image editing plug-ins 4 localized editing, filters & effects, noise analysis & reduction, fisheye lens correction, & more. By selecting one or more images within Aperture, you can choose from a menu of installed plug-ins & apply specialized imaging operations 2 either TIFF or RAW images. Apple is working with key developers 2 bring the most requested plug-ins 2 Aperture, such as Nik Software, PictureCode, Digital Film Tools, The Tiffen Company, dvGarage, & Image Trends.

Aperture 2.1 includes Dodge & Burn, a sample plug-in developed by Apple, that adds brush-based tools 4 dodge (lighten), burn (darken), contrast, saturation, sharpen, & blur. You can set the brush size, the softness of the effect, & the strength of the effect produced by the brush.

New integration with .Mac Web Gallery means photos can be published from Aperture 2 a password-protected photo web gallery on .Mac with just a few clicks.

Enhanced Output
This seamless integration of Aperture with the rest of the Mac platform makes it a complete output solution. With built-in support 4 16-bit printing & integrated print sharpening, Aperture produces superior-quality prints more easily than ever. Plus, the expanded book features let you design & publish one-of-a-kind, professional books with new sizes, themes, finishes, & layout tools. And Aperture gives photographers the tools they need 4 instant, effective web publishing, as well as essential access 2 their portfolios on their iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV.

Publishing 2 .Mac Web Gallery
New integration with MobileMe Gallery means photos can be published from Aperture 2 a password-protected photo gallery on MobileMe with just a few clicks. Visitors can view photos, download high-quality JPEG images or even RAW master files, & post their own images from any computer on any platform. One-click syncing makes it easy 2 keep published web albums completely up 2 date. When combined with the effortless HTML-based Web Page & Web Journal options that Aperture offers, photographers have the tools they need 4 instant, effective web publishing.

16-Bit Print Support
Aperture produces superior-quality print output more easily than ever. Built-in support 4 16-bit printer drivers from leading manufacturers means high-quality print output with smoother gradients & better color fidelity. And integrated print sharpening lets you dial in the exact amount of sharpening your printer needs, giving you sharper prints with more detail.

Custom Book Options
Aperture has expanded its photo book layout tools 2 make it easier 2 create one-of-a-kind photo books, professionally printed & bound by Apple & delivered 2 your door. Choose from eight professionally designed layout themes--two of which are new--as a starting point, but make the book your own by customizing the layout & adding your own borders 2 photo & text boxes. Books are available in three different sizes. New finishing options include foil-stamped hardcovers & dust jackets. Publishing your images as high-quality books was never easier.