Can we see the SOOC?

It looks like you used a large soft edged burn tool to darken the bright areas, resulting in the dark halos.
I suggest you start over, use Photoshop, Camera RAW Filter.
The shadows and highlights sliders will let you recover as much of the highlight and shadow detail as possible. adjust those and the exposure, contrast, and clarity slider to optimize the image overall.
I would add a bout a 20% darken vignette using the fx tool in Camera RAW Filter.

How old is your Mac and how much RAM do you have?
If 8GB or more, update to newest Mac OS. It's free.

Let us know if it solves your problem.
Glad to help.

Try this:

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1811?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

I think this is the Nikon SW you want:

http://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/sw/81.html

If you hate it, bite the bullet and do Photoshop CC for $10/month.

Meanwhile Update to the latest Mac OS your computer will run, and iPhoto or Photos should handle your NEF files.

Download S-NXD___-010403MF-ALLIN-ALL___.dmg.
Double-click the downloaded file to mount a S-NXD___-010403MF-ALLIN-ALL___ disk image containing a “Welcome” file.
Double-click the “Welcome” file to launch the installer.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete installation.

Just pick up a 27" IPS monitor for a few hundred bucks and drive it with your MBP.

Beware PPA insurance. They only pay depreciated value, not replacement cost!

For speed, nothing beats a good DSLR, Macro lens and a diffused flash. I also use a Beslar Negatrans carrier from a 4x5 enlarger. The Negatrans accepts unlimited lengths of 35mm film and moves frame to frame with the turn of a knob.

With your 1.6 crop factor camera, a 50mm Macro lens needs a little over three feet of working distance to cover 11"x14".
That will require a tall (expensive) copy stand.
I suggest a semi horizontal setup, with the scrapbook on an easel that is tilted back ~ 15˚. camera on tripod, pointed down same angle. Use a mirror on the easel for perpendicular alignment.

Look into EquaLight software.
You shoot a plain white surface (paper) using your copy setup, ant the program creates an algorythm to correct for all color and brightness variations introduced by lighting, camera, and lens.
The correction can then be batch applied to all photos shoe under the same conditions.

I suggest you use regular old fashion light bulbs, their warm color will help "whiten" the aged newsprint.
Polarizing filters on camera and lights, if the scrapbooks have plastic page coverings.
Use mirror lockup, f/8, lowest ISO, RAW.

I bought the A/S adapter for my Manfrotto geared head. It's great!

Using wide angle lenses for photographing flat art makes glare problems much worse.
And if the lights must be kept close like on his rig, large originals are always going to present glare problems.
Polarizing the lights and lens will help, but not completely solve the problem of the angle of incidence = angle of reflection issue with the lighting.
If the lights are positioned low enough to be out of the reflection angle for large originals, the will be so close to the art, that there will be very uneven coverage.
I'm not sure how much of that EquaLight would be able to fix.
An extension post for larger than what you can cover with a 50 or 60mm Macro might be a better option.
Or add legs with a platform just above the floor to gain shooting height, like a drop easel enlarger stand.