Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Adobe Lightroom Q&A => Topic started by: edorm on September 14, 2011, 08:05:06 pm

Title: Aperture to Lightroom
Post by: edorm on September 14, 2011, 08:05:06 pm

I'm going from Aperture to Lightroom. Any suggestions on making this change as painless as possible? I'm thinking mostly about importing and moving files.

Title: Re: Aperture to Lightroom
Post by: john beardsworth on September 15, 2011, 01:53:38 am

First make sure that in Aperture all your photos are "referenced", not "managed", that is in normal Finder folders rather than hidden inside the Aperture library. This means using Aperture's File > Relocate Masters menu command to move the managed files from the Aperture library and into regular folders. If you want to keep your project structure, Relocate Masters has suitable options.

While Lightroom can't read Aperture adjustments, it's important to remember that it can read keywords and other IPTC data that you entered in Aperture. Use the Aperture 3 command Metadata > Write IPTC Metadata command (there's a slightly different method for Aperture 2).

You can then register or "import" the pictures into Lightroom, making sure you select "Add" in LR's Import dialog. This leaves the files where Aperture knows they are, and as a strategy I'd suggest leaving the new "ex-Aperture" folder structure (the one created by Relocate Masters) exactly as it is, and never renaming or moving any of the files or folders that are in there. Leaving things this way it's easy to go back to Aperture whenever you want to reprint one of these legacy pictures with their Aperture adjustments.

With new pictures, just put them into a new folder structure. I'd recommend simple date-based folders. So all your work would be under a couple of top-level folders - "ex-Aperture" and "Photos". You don't have to do this, but it's easier if for any reason you do want to refer back to Aperture.

Title: Re: Aperture to Lightroom
Post by: wolfnowl on September 16, 2011, 01:54:25 am

This might be of use: http://www.cultofmac.com/19659/how-to-moving-from-aperture-to-lightroom/

And once you get to Lightroom: http://www.wolfnowl.com/2010/01/photography-links-adobe-photoshop-lightroom/

Mike.

Title: Re: Aperture to Lightroom
Post by: john beardsworth on September 16, 2011, 02:35:01 am

Mike

That article was written for Aperture 2 and involves complications (all the stuff about exporting) that are no longer needed. In version 3 Apple have made it easier to abandon Aperture.

John

Title: Re: Aperture to Lightroom
Post by: wolfnowl on September 16, 2011, 02:57:17 pm

Glad to hear it!  On Windows so Aperture was never more than idle curiosity for me.

Mike.

Title: Re: Aperture to Lightroom
Post by: hjulenissen on September 17, 2011, 05:15:34 am

It would be really nice if at least coarse edits was transferable (EC, WB, ...).

-h