DrSteve2 Loc: Londonderry, PA USA

I've been using Mac Aperture (Version 3.6) for years and really liked it. However, recently I started having issues with my iMac freezing when loading RAW files from my D500 or working with images once downloaded. I have 16G RAM and it has never been an issue in the past. Having said that, I just discovered that Mac no longer supports Aperture. So, I'm looking for recommendations on a new photo-management program preferably one that is as robust as Aperture and that I can easily move my libraries into. I've looked at Lightroom and see many plus and minus reviews which is why I am reaching out to the group.

Thanks for all your help.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

I am on the plus side for LR>Have no issues with it on my MacBook Pro and I Mac. Welcome to the forum Dr.Steve

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

I use LR CC Classic on my MacBook Pro and LR CC on my iPad Pro and have been satisfied with both. I also use On1 2018 on my MacBook.

btrlvngthruchem

I moved to Lightroom 5 after I learned Apple was not supporting Aperture several years back. I moved on to LR6 and now use Lightroom CC on my iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad and Dell PC. I've never had an issue of losing photos, tho you need to learn how photos should be moved as one of your first lessons. I didn't and although I've never lost photos, I've had hard times finding them. If I had learned how to maneuver photos from the start, I wouldn't have had to even look for them. There are tons of really good tutorials on everything Lightroom, so that should be uber helpful.

Good luck with it.

Jay

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

The Photos program that comes free with MAC OS is better than Aperture was. There are differences between the two but they are not so great that it will be a problem. Give it a try before you start handing out your money.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

What have you been smoking? I want some of it. Photos is a joke when it comes to editing, organizing and cataloging images. It’s more like a glorified iPhoto.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Apple announced the end of support for Aperture in 2014. It is amazing it has worked this long. RIP.

I loved Aperture and I used it from inception until 2014. There is really nothing I have found that is available today that has the cataloging and database power that Aperture had. But there are a lot of programs that can do retouching or editing/cataloging. Lightroom is probably the closest to what Aperture was in terms of organizational power, and the interface, but it defibnitely different. And I think Lightroom is more powerful in retouching than Aperture was. But Aperture had all those great plug-ins....

However Adobe welcomed all the Aperture people back in 2014, and unlike Apple, Adobe has a vested interest in having photographers as customers.

Most programs have demo programs. Put together a trial folder and then try out some of the programs using your trial folder. Pick the one you like best.

kenneil Loc: Jupiter, Fl, Ochlocknee, Ga, Iron Range, Mn

I was a long time Aperture user. With Apple's help I transitioned my 200,000+ library of pix to Photos. It let me keep my file system and Photos now allows most of Aperture's features plus some. Not Photoshop but works for most of what I need. I still use PS for special problems that Photos can't address but each Photos upgrade adds features. ;-)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Welcome to our forum!

There are lots of photo management programs, both free and not free.

https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-choose-asset-management-software-for-your-digital-picture-archive--cms-24356
http://www.toptenreviews.com/software/multimedia/best-photo-organizing-software/
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/10-free-photo-managing-software-you-should-at-least-know/
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/412-best-free-photo-management-software.html

And -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_organizer
http://www.toptenreviews.com/software/multimedia/best-photo-organizing-software/
Basic ideas -
http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/using-a-controlled-vocabulary-to-organize-digital-photographs--cms-23344

Lots for free -
https://www.digikam.org/
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-digital-photo-organizer.htm
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/10-free-photo-managing-software-you-should-at-least-know/
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/412-best-free-photo-management-software.html

Or not free -
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2402024,00.asp
http://photo-organizing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-best-way-to-organize-a-lifetime-of-photos-1429637857

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

You might try Luminar which was designed for a Mac but it is a bit buggy (version 1.3.2). A new update is coming out soon supposedly. Overall I like it and it offers an alternative to the $10/month for forever subscription charge from Adobe LR.

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

When is the last time you used Photos? It was weak at the beginning, but there have been many upgrades and improvements over the past 5 years.

Raven07

I am a long time Aperture user. For many years I resisted Lightroom. I didn't even use it when someone gave it to me as a present. I was very disappointed when Apple closed its Aperture department, in favor of creating something for most people, rather than pros. So I no longer had a choice and decided to switch. Lightroom is amazing and I am so happy that I converted over. It is not as difficult as Photoshop and many of the adjustments are intuitive. You will have far better results with photos in Lightroom than Aperture. In fact, I ended up going back to my favorite photos and starting from scratch with Lightroom readjustments, rather than keeping the Aperture final photos. I'm not going to tell you the transition will be easy, it will take some time to get used to it (probably 6 months to a year). But, in the end, you will never look back. My suggestions:

1. First focus on photo organization. I spent a full week watching you-tube video and reading articles on file management. Lightroom has many advantages. Unlike with Apple, where you have less control of how files are stored, you can create a designated hard drive. I set up a 4TB hard drive only for Lightroom photos (and that is back up through time machine). If I remember correctly B&H has some great instructional videos on how to download and name your files, how to use keywords, etc. I have mine all organized by date, and subject. It is so easy to find things. The only advantage that Aperture has is that it worked seamlessly with iMovie. Although I can bring photos in from Lightroom, the Aperture library was always easily available. Copying and transferring files from Lightroom is much easier. You can always see the files, even outside of Lightroom, by clicking on the hard drive. You will have so much more control.

2. Once you master downloading and organization, then start to migrate photos over. There are a lot of articles on converting from Aperture to Lightroom. Because my organization is based on date, migrating over helped me organize and get rid of and clean up my photos. There are way to migrate adjusted photos or the original photos. It is a little complicated, so make sure you back everything up before trying.

3. Watch you-tube videos on how people adjust photos in Lightroom. You can come up with a very simple checklist of adjustment. After a while you will be amazed at how much your final product improves. There is so much more depth in Lightroom than Aperture. You can limit it to just a few adjustments or you can get very creative.

There are probably other great programs out there. But from my experience Lightroom was a real winner. Good luck.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Aperture will not work with Canon's new raw. So go to the Canon program fix it a little and finish it in JPG on Aperture that is what I would do.
I won't give Aperture up. Apple mad a mistake in stopping it. I think Apple is more interested in the rest of the line than computers any more.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Glad to hear that.

I use it with my phone and iPad And I find it frustrating to use.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Get Adobe’s Photography Bundle. You get TWO versions of Lightroom (CC 2019 and CLASSIC CC 2019), plus the full Photoshop CC 2019, ACR, Bridge, and more, for $10/month. 30-day trial available online.

Serif Affinity Photo is another alternative ($50).