# Apeture vs Lightroom with Pixelmator



## andreayoung (Apr 2, 2013)

I'm going to be the proud new owner of a 27" iMac in the very near future. I'm planning on Pixelmator as my editor, but I'm not sure if Lightroom or Apeture would offer a better workflow. Any thoughts or comments would be most helpful.

Thanks!


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## ann (Apr 2, 2013)

I have one on order, and am looking forward to the learning curve when changing systems.  

Am not familar with Pixelmator, what do you feel are it's strengths and weakness?

As if I need more software


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## 2WheelPhoto (Apr 2, 2013)

andreayoung said:


> I'm going to be the proud new owner of a 27" iMac in the very near future. I'm planning on Pixelmator as my editor, but I'm not sure if Lightroom or Apeture would offer a better workflow. Any thoughts or comments would be most helpful.
> 
> Thanks!



Love my 27" iMac with Lightroom/PS/Portraitprofessional and other silly plug-ins


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## Light Guru (Apr 2, 2013)

andreayoung said:


> I'm planning on Pixelmator as my editor, but I'm not sure if Lightroom or Apeture would offer a better workflow.



Aperature and light room are photo library organizers with editing capabilities.  Pixelmater or photoshop for that matter are strictly photo editors with NO library organization.  

In my opinion you want BOTH a organizer and advanced editor.  

I have Pixelmator and ended up doing the $20 monthly subscription to photoshop because here are simply  LOT of things that photoshop can do or will do better then pixelmator.


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## DarkShadow (Apr 2, 2013)

I have a macbook Pro i7 processor with 16 gigs of ram I love it. After 15 years on windows I converted to OS X and Love it.Just a side note for new OS X user,be sure to go in your system preference under security and turn on your firewall as apple has it off by default,not a good move on apples part.It's Like leaving your front door unlocked so to speak.

I like to know what aperture is like as well since apple got cheap and pulled the trial AFAIK real nice of them.Ah magic off google search,I just found Aperture trial on Dpreview with a trial key.:hail:


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## andreayoung (Apr 2, 2013)

Light Guru said:


> andreayoung said:
> 
> 
> > I'm planning on Pixelmator as my editor, but I'm not sure if Lightroom or Apeture would offer a better workflow.
> ...




Perhaps I wasn't clear with my wording. I plan on getting Pixelmator for editing. I'm inquiring whether Aperture or Lightroom would be a better companion for organizing.


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## andreayoung (Apr 2, 2013)

ann said:


> I have one on order, and am looking forward to the learning curve when changing systems.
> 
> Am not familar with Pixelmator, what do you feel are it's strengths and weakness?
> 
> As if I need more software




I'll be switching from PC as well. It's my understanding Pixelmator is a Mac-only version of Photoshop Elements, with slightly different features. The biggest difference is price: PSE-$99, Pixelmator-$15.


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## KmH (Apr 2, 2013)

Light Guru said:


> photoshop for that matter are strictly photo editors with NO library organization.


That is utter nonsense.

Elements includes an image organizer and Photoshop includes Bridge, which has some pretty nifty image library organizing features.

Lightroom and Aperture are designed mainly as image database management applications that also have a parametric Raw Converter for editing.


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## Light Guru (Apr 2, 2013)

KmH said:


> Light Guru said:
> 
> 
> > photoshop for that matter are strictly photo editors with NO library organization.
> ...



Good point. I forgot that bridge comes with photoshop, as I do not use it in my photography work flow.


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## ann (Apr 2, 2013)

DarkShadow said:


> I have a macbook Pro i7 processor with 16 gigs of ram I love it. After 15 years on windows I converted to OS X and Love it.Just a side note for new OS X user,be sure to go in your system preference under security and turn on your firewall as apple has it off by default,not a good move on apples part.It's Like leaving your front door unlocked so to speak.
> 
> I like to know what aperture is like as well since apple got cheap and pulled the trial AFAIK real nice of them.Ah magic off google search,I just found Aperture trial on Dpreview with a trial key.:hail:




Thanks for the tip, I am busy making a list of question to call tech support about when it arrives and I begin to get set up.


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## KmH (Apr 2, 2013)

andreayoung said:


> ....It's my understanding Pixelmator is a Mac-only version of Photoshop Elements.....
> 
> ...Perhaps I wasn't clear with my wording. I plan on getting Pixelmator for editing. I'm inquiring whether Aperture or Lightroom would be a better companion for organizing.


Pixelmator may be _similar_ to Adobe Photoshop Elements, but I'm pretty sure Pixelmator is not Adobe software. 

Your computer uses a file and folder management system. You are likely familiar with how it works.

Aperture and Lightroom are database managers, an entirely different type of application.
I have no experience with Aperture or Pixelmator.

One of Adobe Lightroom's strengths is it is tightly integrated with Adobe Photoshop. Lightroom's Raw converter, the Develop module, uses the same Raw edit rendering engine Photoshop Elements 11 and Photoshop CS 6 use - Adobe Camera Raw 7 (ACR 7), making switching among them relatively seamless.
Does Pixelmator have a Raw converter?

A key part of effective use of a database manager is naming and keywording your image files at image ingestion, and understanding that your image files may not actually *in* the database application.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend you learn more about *Digital Asset Management* - The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers


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## andreayoung (Apr 3, 2013)

KmH said:


> Pixelmator may be _similar_ to Adobe Photoshop Elements, but I'm pretty sure Pixelmator is not Adobe software.
> 
> One of Adobe Lightroom's strengths is it is tightly integrated with Adobe Photoshop. Lightroom's Raw converter, the Develop module, uses the same Raw edit rendering engine Photoshop Elements 11 and Photoshop CS 6 use - Adobe Camera Raw 7 (ACR 7), making switching among them relatively seamless.
> Does Pixelmator have a Raw converter?



Again with my terrible wording.. Yes, Pixelmator has _similar _functions to PSE, but unlike PSE it is designed (by a third party) solely for Mac users.

The integration you talk about between Lightroom & PSE/CS6 is what I'm asking about. I want Pixelmator to do any pixel editing/layers that may come up, but my main focus is the non-destructive qualities of Aperature & Lightroom in addition to the database. My question is whether Aperture (because it's a Mac based program) is better integrated with Pixelmator than Lightroom. Has anyone used either of these side by side with Pixelmator?

I'll try to sum this up as clear as I can: I am buying Pixelmator. Should I but Lightroom or Aperature as it's companion?

That came off really witchy. :neutral: I'm just struggling with trying to convey my point via keyboard.


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## Light Guru (Apr 3, 2013)

andreayoung said:


> My question is whether Aperture (because it's a Mac based program) is better integrated with Pixelmator than Lightroom.



Nether Aperture to Lightroom will have integration with Pixelmator. 

Lightroom and photoshop have tight integration because they are both made by the same company. Pixelmator is not made by ether Apple or Adobe. 

Why are you so set on Pixelmator, photoshop is a MUCH better program.


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## andreayoung (Apr 3, 2013)

Light Guru said:


> Why are you so set on Pixelmator, photoshop is a MUCH better program.



...because I'm shelling out for a new 27" iMac and Pixelmator is less than 1/4 of the price of PSE. I want layer ability for the handful of images that may need extra tweaking. Why do you dislike Pixelmator so much? What does PSE (because there is no way I would get CS6) offer than Pixelmator does not?


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## KmH (Apr 3, 2013)

PsE 11 offers that tight integration with Lightroom, lots of online tutorials, videos etc, and books galore.
Check out http://tv.adobe.com/, and Adobe has online tutorials you can access right from PsE 11.

Save $30 on PsE 11 - Adobe Photoshop Elements 11

There are *anti-Adobe* members here that have a very narrow mindset when it comes to Adobe products too.
Adobe's Photoshop products are the industry standard for many reasons.

You get to decide what you buy.


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## Derrel (Apr 3, 2013)

Andrea, you will seldom get many good answers on this board when it comes to either the value of the Macintosh or non-Adobe software products. We have a number of very vocal *anti-Mac* and *pro-Adobe Photoshop* members here who have a very narrow mind set when it comes to both the Macintosh platform, and to non-Photoshop-centric approaches.


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## andreayoung (Apr 3, 2013)

KmH said:


> PsE offers that tight integration with Lightroom.



I guess Lightroom it is, so in the event I want to upgrade to PSE I'll have the integration.

Thanks, everyone, for the help!


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## Light Guru (Apr 3, 2013)

andreayoung said:


> Why do you dislike Pixelmator so much? What does PSE (because there is no way I would get CS6) offer than Pixelmator does not?



I don't dislike Pixelmator I just fund that I could not do the things I could using photoshop. 

Why not download the free trial of Pixelmator, photoshop express and photoshop  and learn the differences yourself. 

I ended up going with the $20 monthly subscription to photoshop myself.


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## DarkShadow (Apr 3, 2013)

ann said:


> DarkShadow said:
> 
> 
> > I have a macbook Pro i7 processor with 16 gigs of ram I love it. After 15 years on windows I converted to OS X and Love it.Just a side note for new OS X user,be sure to go in your system preference under security and turn on your firewall as apple has it off by default,not a good move on apples part.It's Like leaving your front door unlocked so to speak.
> ...


Your welcome.


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