[ Postcard from Caledonia ]

After sitting quiet with Aperture for months, Apple have been pushing updates out in quick succession these past few weeks.

Having made the switch from Aperture over to Lightroom just a few weeks ago myself, I can’t help but look at these updates without a slight hint of concern that I may have perhaps jumped too soon.

The latest 2.1 update has certainly pushed Aperture firmly back into the game with the addition of their new plug-in architecture which I tried out for the first time last night.

My initial thoughts when I read Apple’s press release were FAIL. This just creates a new TIFF file and loads up another image editor on top. It’s no different than the existing round-trip “Edit in Photoshop” capability. Any subsequent edits simply create more versions of the file in TIFF format causing the library to bloat big-style.

Well my assumptions (which I think many share) were wrong.

Apple have solved this round-trip bloatware problem not only for the plug-in architecture - but also for the Photoshop integration. This is superb.

What seems to happen is that any edits in Aperture are handled as if in three distinct, but separate editing groups.

Group 1 - RAW Edits in Aperture

First is the non-destructive RAW editing phase which Aperture handles as per normal. If you then edit via a plug-in OR Photoshop - Aperture then converts this RAW file to a TIFF and burns in the RAW edits up to that point.

For all intents and purposes once you decide to edit externally or via a plug-in Group 1 edits are now locked-off from further editing. (N.B. It creates a new “version” of your file at this point so your RAW file is still available if you wanted to go back.)

Group 2 - Plug-in or External Editing

Aperture 2.1. includes a new Dodge and Burn plug-in which is nice and easy to use. Additional plug-ins are promised from a number of vendors and no doubt we will hear about these in the coming weeks.

So for group 2 editing (which is now on the TIFF file) I do some dodging and burning in the new plug in or do some work in Photoshop.

Group 3 - further edits in Aperture

Lastly, if I so wish, I can still do further edits in Aperture - although the RAW controls have of course now disappeared as I am now working on a TIFF file.

Group 2 and 3 are separate edit “slices”

Now here is where it gets interesting. In the past if I made further edits in Aperture and had to go back to my Photoshop edit, Aperture would create yet another TIFF and open that new file. Not now. Aperture will resume working on the single TIFF file you created at the Group 2 stage.

Even better, Group 2 edits are kept separate. For example, suppose you had done some editing in the group 3 stage on Aperture - perhaps altering the cropping or converting to monochrome - and then realised you wanted to revisit the Group 2 edits. Let’s say I realised I should have ran a gradient filter across the image when I was in Photoshop at Group 2. So I select edit in Photoshop again (or any of the forthcoming plug-ins) and I am back at my original TIFF and it’s exactly how I had left it in Photoshop - i.e. in this case without the crop and still in colour (i.e. no monochrome conversion). That’s cool. It’s as if the Group 2 edit has been pulled back out of the file as a slice - exactly as it was when I last edited it.

So I add my gradient filter and return to Aperture - voila Aperture then re-applies the Group 3 edits and my crop and monochrome conversion to the Tiff are applied again. i.e. it puts my group 2 slice back into the file with the Group 3 edits sitting on top.

It’s excellent. No more having to worry too much about ensuring any Aperture edits are completed before round-tripping to Photoshop or any other plug-in.

I’m not sure of what the limitations of this are - perhaps new plug-ins may have problems working together on this - or perhaps the Photoshop side of things might break it as well. Who knows, it would need more testing. But its a great improvement on how round-tripping worked previously.

Well done Apple.

PS. I’m still sticking with Lightroom though I can’t wait to see what Adobe have up their sleeve now that Apple have raised the bar a bit higher again.