Workflow with Apple Photos and RAW photos with Pixelmator Pro

Talk about Pixelmator Pro, share tips & tricks, tutorials, and other resources.
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2021-09-03 09:20:38

Hey,
I have just put all our photos into Apple Photos to sync with iCloud. So now all our photos are being managed as a Photos Library, whereas before we had everything organised into folders.
Most of the images we take are family photos via our iPhones, so nothing flash. However, I do scuba photography and I capture in both RAW and JPEG. I am happy to change to just saving photos in RAW on the camera, but I wanted some recommendations as to what workflow you use?
I believe I have 3 options:
1) Save RAW photos directly to my computer and edit in Pixelmator Pro. Once done, import them into Apple Photos library, and keep the RAW photos on a folder on my mac (backed up separately).
2) Import the RAW photos into Apple Photos library, then edit the RAW photos through Pixelmator Pro via Apple Photos app (by right-clicking and selecting "Edit in... > Pixelmator Pro"). Then, once I have edited it, I would then have to export it to JPEG and reimport it into Apple Photos library, if I am correct.
3) Similar to the 1st option, except I import the RAW photos also into Apple Photos after I have imported the edited now JPEG photos.

What are your thoughts on the best workflow? Are there things I am missing? Storage space on iCloud or my MacBook pro is not an issue at this stage.

Thanks.
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2021-09-03 15:08:48

Hi! There's one more option that you haven't mentioned and I think it would suit your workflow best — using the Pixelmator Pro extension in Photos. With the extension, you'd be able to edit the RAW photos right in the Photos app without having to additionally import them to Pixelmator Pro. In Pixelmator Pro preferences, you can also choose whether to keep the changes you make nondestructive or not. One more great thing — you can revert to the original RAW image at any point, just like you normally would when editing images in Photos.
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2021-09-03 18:56:23

Yes I'll second Aurelija's suggestion. I upload all photos into my Apple photo library.

1. Select the photo you want to edit.

1a. If you to edit the RAW version of a photos in which both are saved (like you do) I choose "Use RAW as original" from the Image menu. (Photos only shows one image in the library even when both are stored.)

2. Click on the image to open in Edit and then click the Extensions button (3 dots) to open in Pixelmator Pro.

3. Do your edits and then save.

As mentioned, you can go back and forth into editing via Pixelmator extension and all of your layers and changes are there, as if you never left Pixelmator.

You need to understand that when using the extension to open image in Pixelmator pro that the menus are from Photos and not from Pixelmator. So you'll need to use keystrokes for any feature that's not a clickable icon.

It's very powerful.

Enjoy!
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2021-09-04 05:25:49

Thanks to you both. After further research I did look a bit at the Pixelmator Photos extension. It looks good.
Few further questions then:
1) When I have done my edits to my RAW photos this way, do the saves automatically happen?
2) Does it turn them into JPEG at any point for me to share with people?
3) When I go to further edit them, does it still use the RAW photo but with the previous edits over them? Does it somehow instead convert the RAW and therefore I lose sensor data for later editing?
4) Is there any point importing both RAW and JPEG into the Photos app? or would it simply be better to just import the RAW photo?

Thanks heaps.
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2021-09-07 16:25:57

I think when you say Pixelmator Photos you mean Pixelmator Pro (since this is the Pixelmator Pro forum)?

If so your edits and layers are all saved automatically when you click the save button to save the image back to Mac Photos app. And if you decide to edit again using the extension you will see all your layers and edits there so you can tweak them. It will still be the RAW image.

If you need to export a JPG or some other version you can do this within the Pixelmator Pro extension or from Photos.

In my workflow I only work with RAW, if available.

Hope this helps.
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2021-09-07 16:59:08

I'd also advise that using the extension in you workflow, it's important to be aware that once you're finished editing in Pixelmator Pro and you save your changes to return to the Photos app, do not edit further using this app or your Pixelmator Pro adjustments will become 'baked in' and no longer available when to re-open the image.
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2021-09-13 10:20:54

by higgalls 2021-09-04 02:25:49 When I go to further edit them, does it still use the RAW photo but with the previous edits over them? Does it somehow instead convert the RAW and therefore I lose sensor data for later editing?
What bogheadben said. As long as you're editing images using the Pixelmator Pro extension only, you should be good — the RAW data will remain intact. To additionally edit an image using any other extension or the Photos app itself, you can duplicate the photo. This way, you'll still have the original RAW with nondestructive edits to refer back to, just in case.
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2022-08-12 16:14:23

Hi I am a new user. Is there a way to tag photo to indicate it’s been edited by pixelmator ?
I save photos in Apple Mac photo library.

Thanks