I am not a professional photographer but enjoying photography very enthusiastically for over 50 years now. (And yes I do remember film - mind not that far gone yet.) I recently retired and we moved to a community that has a photography club and there are several others nearby that I wish to get active in. All these clubs have meetings where photos are submitted and a local photographer is brought in as a judge. One also takes part in statewide (NJ Federation of Camera Clubs) and national (Photographic Society of America) competitions. (Whew - thanks for reading a little of my background.)
When I moved from Windows/Lightroom to a Mac I loved Aperture. Unfortunately Apple stopped supporting it and moved lots of people to Photos (which I happen to love and it has gotten much better at post processing over the years - especially with additional programs working as extensions) because of it's integration with all the Apple products. And my wife loves the way I can pretty easily share parts of my photo library with her and her iPhone/iPad - so I would not want to give all that up.
But am I missing a lot of capabilities using Apple Photos and Pixelmator Pro as an additional editor through Extensions in Photos. I also am trying out RAW Power again - an extension for Photos that was developed by people who originally worked on Aperture - to work more with my RAW files. But something in my mind (the part still working at almost 70) keeps saying "But you are missing so much by not moving back to Lightroom and Photoshop!". I have more time to work on my "digital darkroom" and would even consider taking some classes on LR/PS to re-introduce myself to the products and learn everything I never bothered to learn before moving to a Mac and Aperture years ago.
Thanks for reading this and any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Apple Photos/Pixelmator vs Lightroom/Photoshop for a non-professional photographer
2022-03-11 17:46:40
2022-03-16 12:16:20
Hey there, thanks for sharing this! It would be interesting to learn what specific tools or features you're missing in your current Photos-Pixelmator Pro workflow. Perhaps it's something we're already working on or at least can consider adding to Pixelmator Pro one day. 
2022-03-16 15:01:51
Thanks for the response. If I had spent enough time “learning” Pixelmator and then Pro instead of playing with it and just fumbling around I might be able to answer that question. I was hoping for responses from people that have used both or were familiar with both. Everyone hears that PS is the industry standard but lots of posts I have read say it is also too complicated or cumbersome for even enthusiast photographers to bother with. I used PS years ago but never really took the time to learn it fully. So there is always the thought - at least in my brain that I am missing out on things it can do.
2022-03-22 15:50:06
Hello Swandy, Just stumbled over this post and like to share my view and experience:
I am like you an enthusiast Photographer and Videographer. Considered by my friends as a "Pro-sumer" in this field. Please visit my website if you like to know more. (It's in Dutch though)
I have been using Photoshop ages ago (like you), but always on a Mac. I stopped using it as I find the Adobe software not user-friendly and in a lot of situations not logic, certainly being a "Mac-addict", and certainly the moment "Aperture" came.
Quite recently I helped out a serious photo-hobbyist and graphic designer, who has been using Lightroom and Photoshop also quite a long time, to try to restore and find his Photo's. It struck me again how easily it is, in that environment, to lose parts or all of your libraries.
You really need to understand how Lightroom handles it's catalogue at the back-and.or you will be lost.
If you like to integrated with Apple Photo's: Lightroom and photoshop simply don't do that (as far as I know), certainly not for RAW but even jpeg, I am not sure about the HEIC- format that is today the standard format for iPhone and iPad.
Next to that Adobe software needs lot's of power and as I understand today you have to subscribe with monthly fees.
In my search for an alternative for Aperture I have been using On1, Luminar and Affinity Photo.
On1, is next to al the editing features also a DAM (like Lightroom) and nowadays you have to buy the extra plug-ins to be able to work with Apple Photo's. My previous experience is that round tripping is possible but a bit of a hassle. Consumes quite some Computer power.So last year I stopped using it despite the nice features. And... discovering Pixelmator Pro.
Lumix software isn't reliable software and the support for solving software bug's isn't "top of the bill". Round-triping with Apple Photo's also has some problems.
Affinity Photo is as far as I can judge (I am not a pro) a worthy replacement for Photoshop, but follows (to me) the "unlogic" of th Photoshop area. The software itself is great, consumes quite som computer resources, and has a steep learning curve. It is not a DAM, and round tripping with Apple Photo's is for RAW, not good. for the rest Fine.
Today I am using ApplePhoto's (with nowadays indeed lots of functionality for editing Photo's) as you mentioned, RawPower when I really like to fine tune in great detail the RAW, add some startratings, batch-processing, on import and export, adding a watermark and it has more advanced features especially for RAW than Pixelmator-Pro, and also some nice features for chromatic abbreviation, colour fringing etc.. and of course its fantastic integration with Apple Photo's.
And then Pixelmator Pro.
I really love this software. Firstly because of it's fantastic integration with Apple Photo's. Secondly The great AI-features and (sounds perhaps silly) the ability, like in Aperture, to "Dodge and Burn" locally, without the hassle of thinking in Layers, the object removes, color selection possibilities and of course all the other features. (BTW so-far I am not using the Drawing possibilities).
And for the first time I am starting to learn and enjoy how to work with layers.
To your last question "Am I going to miss so much not going to...",
Well of course it depends on what you try to do with your photo's.
So if you don't like the way Apple photo's organises and how you are able to create albums, books , and the (intelligent) search functionality. Then of course the answer is simple.
If you do like that and like to use some very powerfull photo-software that integrates seamless with Apple photo's the the answer in my opinion is simple: You won't regret Pixelmator Pro. Will you miss something that other app's deliver" sure".
Will you have functionality with Pixelmator that other app's don't: sure as well.
Also in terms of costs it's an attractive proposition as well.
My 2 cents.
I am like you an enthusiast Photographer and Videographer. Considered by my friends as a "Pro-sumer" in this field. Please visit my website if you like to know more. (It's in Dutch though)
I have been using Photoshop ages ago (like you), but always on a Mac. I stopped using it as I find the Adobe software not user-friendly and in a lot of situations not logic, certainly being a "Mac-addict", and certainly the moment "Aperture" came.
Quite recently I helped out a serious photo-hobbyist and graphic designer, who has been using Lightroom and Photoshop also quite a long time, to try to restore and find his Photo's. It struck me again how easily it is, in that environment, to lose parts or all of your libraries.
You really need to understand how Lightroom handles it's catalogue at the back-and.or you will be lost.
If you like to integrated with Apple Photo's: Lightroom and photoshop simply don't do that (as far as I know), certainly not for RAW but even jpeg, I am not sure about the HEIC- format that is today the standard format for iPhone and iPad.
Next to that Adobe software needs lot's of power and as I understand today you have to subscribe with monthly fees.
If that is a prerequisite you definitely should stick with Apple Photo's, RAWPower and Pixelmator Pro.easily share parts of my photo library with her and her iPhone/iPad - so I would not want to give all that up.
In my search for an alternative for Aperture I have been using On1, Luminar and Affinity Photo.
On1, is next to al the editing features also a DAM (like Lightroom) and nowadays you have to buy the extra plug-ins to be able to work with Apple Photo's. My previous experience is that round tripping is possible but a bit of a hassle. Consumes quite some Computer power.So last year I stopped using it despite the nice features. And... discovering Pixelmator Pro.
Lumix software isn't reliable software and the support for solving software bug's isn't "top of the bill". Round-triping with Apple Photo's also has some problems.
Affinity Photo is as far as I can judge (I am not a pro) a worthy replacement for Photoshop, but follows (to me) the "unlogic" of th Photoshop area. The software itself is great, consumes quite som computer resources, and has a steep learning curve. It is not a DAM, and round tripping with Apple Photo's is for RAW, not good. for the rest Fine.
Today I am using ApplePhoto's (with nowadays indeed lots of functionality for editing Photo's) as you mentioned, RawPower when I really like to fine tune in great detail the RAW, add some startratings, batch-processing, on import and export, adding a watermark and it has more advanced features especially for RAW than Pixelmator-Pro, and also some nice features for chromatic abbreviation, colour fringing etc.. and of course its fantastic integration with Apple Photo's.
And then Pixelmator Pro.
I really love this software. Firstly because of it's fantastic integration with Apple Photo's. Secondly The great AI-features and (sounds perhaps silly) the ability, like in Aperture, to "Dodge and Burn" locally, without the hassle of thinking in Layers, the object removes, color selection possibilities and of course all the other features. (BTW so-far I am not using the Drawing possibilities).
And for the first time I am starting to learn and enjoy how to work with layers.
To your last question "Am I going to miss so much not going to...",
Well of course it depends on what you try to do with your photo's.
So if you don't like the way Apple photo's organises and how you are able to create albums, books , and the (intelligent) search functionality. Then of course the answer is simple.
If you do like that and like to use some very powerfull photo-software that integrates seamless with Apple photo's the the answer in my opinion is simple: You won't regret Pixelmator Pro. Will you miss something that other app's deliver" sure".
Will you have functionality with Pixelmator that other app's don't: sure as well.
Also in terms of costs it's an attractive proposition as well.
My 2 cents.
2022-03-22 18:29:25
Thanks for taking the time for the detailed opinion. I have basically gotten to the same place and will stick with Photos/Pixelmator Pro and am trying out Raw Power.
2022-03-22 18:40:25
You're welcome.
Excuses for some typo's and the broken link to my website.. I tried to edit this, but somehow I cannot submit an edit in this forum-post.
If you like to give RawPower a go. On the website there is a direct link for a trial version
https://www.gentlemencoders.com/downloads/
All the best and have fun
Excuses for some typo's and the broken link to my website.. I tried to edit this, but somehow I cannot submit an edit in this forum-post.
If you like to give RawPower a go. On the website there is a direct link for a trial version
https://www.gentlemencoders.com/downloads/
All the best and have fun
2022-03-22 19:01:53
I did install it and impressed with it. Only “issue” is according to their developer is with the way Apple Photos handles RAW+JPEG files and sends them to external programs. When Raw Power opens the Raw file it still thinks it’s the JPEG file and I get the little yellow exclamation indicator. Only work around is to tell Photos to revert to original (even if I don’t remember doing anything to the file), then set it to use the RAW as the master and then open it in the RAW Power editing extension. That will usually work. But I do like the program and hope between Apple and the Raw Power developers they get it straightened out.
2022-03-23 10:44:08
Hello Swandy,
Yep, once developed or manipulated in Apple Photo's or any other extension, Apple Photo's wel sent a jpeg.
I don't know if you have read this article of Nik Bhatt, which explains in great detail the behaviour.
https://tidbits.com/2019/06/14/the-ins- ... c-and-ios/
I never shoot in Raw+jpeg, however in Photo's when you open a picture in the edit-mode you can choose from the menu, which one (the RAW- or jpeg) you like to edit.
So when working with RAW's in Apple Photo's, you have to think about your workflow.
I consider a RAW as an undeveloped celluloid (film), so first step is to develop with to day much more possibilities with our digital possibilities in terms of lighting/detail/color etc.
When I start working on a RAW stored in Apple Photo's I always start developing all lighting aspects in the App or extension that I see fit for that picture, sometimes it's just Apple-photo's, more often I am starting to us Pixelmator, as I can continue all other types of edits. As long as you afterwards don't do anything in Photos or an other extension, you can reopen and continue editing were you left. When I am in doubt I simple make a copy of that picture in Apple-photo's, go back to the original of the copy (you can do that )and start with another extension, to see if I get better results.
When I am satisfied with the RAW-results I continue editing in the App or extension that serves me best for what I want to achieve .
HtH
Ben
Yep, once developed or manipulated in Apple Photo's or any other extension, Apple Photo's wel sent a jpeg.
I don't know if you have read this article of Nik Bhatt, which explains in great detail the behaviour.
https://tidbits.com/2019/06/14/the-ins- ... c-and-ios/
I never shoot in Raw+jpeg, however in Photo's when you open a picture in the edit-mode you can choose from the menu, which one (the RAW- or jpeg) you like to edit.
So when working with RAW's in Apple Photo's, you have to think about your workflow.
I consider a RAW as an undeveloped celluloid (film), so first step is to develop with to day much more possibilities with our digital possibilities in terms of lighting/detail/color etc.
When I start working on a RAW stored in Apple Photo's I always start developing all lighting aspects in the App or extension that I see fit for that picture, sometimes it's just Apple-photo's, more often I am starting to us Pixelmator, as I can continue all other types of edits. As long as you afterwards don't do anything in Photos or an other extension, you can reopen and continue editing were you left. When I am in doubt I simple make a copy of that picture in Apple-photo's, go back to the original of the copy (you can do that
)and start with another extension, to see if I get better results.When I am satisfied with the RAW-results I continue editing in the App or extension that serves me best for what I want to achieve .
HtH
Ben