Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Assuming it is only a matter of time before a Mac OS update renders Aperture inoperable, I've been watching videos about other editing programs. Several mention the high probability that Aperture will indeed become inoperable and simply mention moving the Aperture library to a new application. Is the following assumption correct: because you will not be able to open Aperture to export your library, the new editor will have an Import function, your Aperture library will still be wherever it resides now, so you simply choose Import, navigate to your library, and import your images? I know this might seem like a very elementary question, but it is one I cannot afford to be wrong about.

If I am wrong, how would you be able to transfer your library if Aperture is inoperable?

Thanks for your patience on this!

blackest Loc: Ireland

You do not have to lose your current operating system when you upgrade, I wanted El Capitan for a new version of iBooks Author but didn't really want the problems it would bring me with some software that I use that i knew would break.

So I cloned my hard drive with super duper i think it was downloaded the upgrade and then booted from the external drive and upgraded that to el capitan another handy thing is that drive can boot my other macs as well. There is little difference in speed it is in a firewire 800 enclosure. Another option might be to dual boot your mac if you have a large enough hdd or perhaps a virtual machine. It really is your choice as too which version of osx you run.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Perhaps if you have an active iCloud account and if the files were also there, you could import to, say, Lightroom and edit further or just export to a specified location(s). Just 'point' Lightroom to wherever the files are.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

I wouldn't bet on your assumption. Other software companies have no responsibility in making the data transfer work for you. Plus, they'd need to coordinate with Apple to understand Aperture's data file structure.

Don't know the direction you want to go, but Adobe has coordinated with Apple and they provide for free a utility to migrate your Aperture images to their Lightroom product.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Bruce, I'm wary of Lightroom for two reasons: the monthly subscription which over time will add up to a lot of money, and the steep learning curve. I think going to LR means either depending on YouTube tutorials, or paying more money for a LR course. Any thoughts?

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

To the extent that your worries are about something that has a significant probability of coming true, my suggestion would be to export all those images FROM aperture to some storage medium and in original form. I don't have a copy of Aperture but I know iPhoto and Photo store the original as it was and they can thus be found in Finder. There is probably a way to export them, too.

Be prepared.

btw, this is one of my reasons for not wanting to use catalog software.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

You can purchase a free-standing version of Lightroom 6.xx from Amazon or, I believe, from B&H Photo - no subscription is, at the moment, required. I currently use Lightroom 5.7x and with On1 Photo Raw. /Ralph

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Use Photos for macOS. It's not as bad as you may think and you can use Luminar as an extension.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Yes. When I started digital photography, I knew I'd want a good way to catalog my images. I initially looked at Photo Mechanic, and while it worked reliably, I wanted to be able to do more with my image management. I tried the LR trial, and while I knew there was much more to it than I found in those 30 days, I committed to it and shelled out over $900 for a LR 3.0 and CS5 bundle from B&H. The annual updates was about $200.00, but by then, I was really committed to the tools.

I bought the book Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classroom in a Book. I started at page one and worked completely through the book, during which time I developed a personal workflow around the tools I had. That workflow has worked great for me. I got LR set up and running in no time, and have never experienced the first problem with it. The key element of the book was "training with structure", instead of the hit-or-miss of YouTube.

Considering the investment I had in the software, the subscription service was manna from heaven. So cheap for so much! And, for premier graphic editing tools.

I'm committed to it because with knowledge of the software, and the power of the software, it just works.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Lots of good food for thought, Bruce. Thanks so much for such a helpful response!

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Although I'm not a Lightroom user - I have it, just haven't invested the time and use other things - the time invested to learn a system is worth a lot. LR/PS CC at $10 a month is a good deal. Good software usually costs money and free software frequently goes away. What does one do then? Even if you are retired your time isn't free, and learning a new system can be a pain even if things transfer smoothly.

If only everybody appreciated the value of knowledge and support from an informed community.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Well stated!

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I'd have no idea about Transferring, Importing, or exporting my images. But if your Ap is soon to be obsolete and inoperative, you may want to convert all your images to a standard and nearly universal lossless image file format like TIF (TIFF). Any serious program should be able to read and write those. How are you handling (archiving) your Original Camera JPGs or RAW files now?

Linckinn Loc: Okatie, SC and Edgartown, MA

Just open your Aperture library in Photos. It will create a Photos library which will still open in Aperture. Try using Photos. The organization is fantastic, and it has all the basic editing tools.

If you don't like Photos, other software like Lightroom and Capture One will convert your Aperture library. Worst case, you could export all your pictures from Photos and import them to any other software.