Aperture is Apple application designed for professional photographers. It not only can keep our images perfectly cataloged but also can also try adjusting different aspects such as color, exposure, etc … Many users after start in photography and learn iPhoto to Aperture make the leap, especially with its price drop to 69.99 euros. But then, when they see other photographers or seek information on the Internet are that Lightroom is practically the most used application. What now? How do I export my Aperture library to Lightroom?
When we move from iPhoto to Aperture the process is very simple. We just have to go to the menu and select Import from Aperture iPhoto library. The application does the rest and in a few minutes, depending on the number of photos, we will have everything in keeping Aperture settings, metadata …
Do the same with Lightroom is not as easy but certainly not impossible. Although we must bear in mind that there will be some details that we can not import. Here we show you how but first, as in any action involving dealing with data, you should make a backup.
This can, if you use Time Machine, do a final copy before. Thus, in case of a problem or mistake we always recover the library. If you use Time Machine not directly save the Aperture library on an external drive or duplicate it on your computer.
If you have done some research performance of both applications you have been able to notice some differences. The most striking is how management made the images. Lightroom only works with folders while Aperture can create a library that stores all the images (original and modified) or just links to the original files that have organized into folders manually.
If our choice was to keep in your Aperture library we added images now have to prepare that Lightroom library to be able to import the. To do this go to the File menu and then click Relocate Originals do. Thus, the original files will not place them where more interested to subsequent imports.
It is important when relocating these files to Aperture us indicate how to create new folders, as the name of the project to which the image or if it does according to the date of the photo. We can also create a custom format.
Then just open Lightroom and import the folders created. Aperture If we use the option of keeping the current location of the images, rather than added to the Aperture library, we can use both applications together. Since all the changes we make to the images are stored separately without affecting the original.
If we decide to forget but we definitely Aperture Lightroom carry as much information we can. To start we need to know that the settings can not be exported. Therefore, if we have made adjustments to color, exposure, etc … the only option is to export the photo with adjustments as realiazdos. That is, losing the original and staying with processing.
To do this go to File and Export Versions selecionamos there. It is important that we choose the higher quality format since the original can not be, jpeg or tiff.
If we keep keywords and other metadata can do. For this purpose, prior to the action of export versions or go directly to the original relocate Metadata menu. Here we chose to write IPTC Originals.
When libraries are not very large images not cost much through this process, and even do it manually. But if you have a considerable volume is important that we think and how well what we're doing. In some cases it is wrong to keep both applications and start from scratch with Lightroom.
So, if we need to modify or re-print any image that we do have in Aperture. If instead we are certain not to need more, a good option is to export versions with prewritten metadata in the original. Then we create a new Lightroom catalog and import.
But remember, always making a backup before so it could happen. Better safe and consume gigabytes of capacity to heal and not be able to recover the files. Do you urge one? How have you made the switch between applications?