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Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,711
4,491
Here
This week I canceled my long running CC subscription. I now use Affinity Photo on Mac and iPad. Hard to beat the cost. I do have the Macphun apps setup as plugins.

Its a brave new world. o_O
My biggest thing is finding a good DAM. I've been waiting on Infinity, but I'm getting tired as it's been 1.2 years and my photos are just accumulating in a giant mass in a Finder folder

EDIT: So many typos.
 
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steve123

macrumors 65816
Aug 26, 2007
1,153
717
My biggest thing is finding a good DAM. I've waiting on Infinity, but I'm getting tired as it's been 1.2 years and my photos I just accumulating in a giant mass and I Finder folder

Macphun is reportedly working on a DAM for Luminar. It is supposed to be released in 2017 but so far I have heard nothing else on the matter. Unfortunately, they spent a bunch of time on a Windows version of Luminar which I am sure distracted them from the DAM. The nice thing about Luminar is that the workflow is very similar to Aperture. So, when they add the DAM, I think we may actually have a viable Aperture replacement. Now, if only they remember to include an import feature that opens an Aperture and iPhoto library and keeps your edits, metadata, books, calendars, slideshows, etc ...

I gave up on waiting for Affinity for the DAM.
 

AlexH

macrumors 68020
Mar 7, 2006
2,035
3,151
I'm playing with Affinity Photo, and I'm on the verge of switching to it full time. It's really solid, does everything I need, and there's no subscription. Hallelujah. I really dislike subscriptions.

DAM is a tricky one, though. No clue where to turn for managing my library, or maybe just manage it myself? Seems like a pain, but who knows. Suggestions always appreciated.
 
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MCAsan

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
After importing is done into subfolders, what day to day management of the images needs to be done?
 

Analog Kid

macrumors G3
Mar 4, 2003
9,360
12,603
I've been reasonably happy with Affinity. I dumped Adobe when they went all in on subscription-- beginning of the end, in my opinion. Or maybe the end of the end... Photoshop has been getting more an more bloated over time, and harder to use. It's been a hodge-podge of tools for me, depending on what I'm doing.

My Aperture library is starting to creak when I open it. I need a management app, and I need it soon. I've been considering Capture One. What I'm loathe to give up is facial recognition. Is it possible to embed the detected faces found in Aperture or Photos as keywords? Aperture always kept them separate from keywords...
 

Reality4711

macrumors 6502a
Aug 8, 2009
738
558
scotland
Using FRV for master files and Photos for jpegs and tiffs. Works well.

Additionally, using separate libraries for important separate projects means much smaller areas to search through on each project. Almost worthwhile having a library per. project.

Regards. Sharkey

ps:- sometimes think the basic provided software on my Mac really is most of what is needed.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
My biggest thing is finding a good DAM
that's my situation, I've been wanting to cancel my subscription, but so far, the tools available just don't measure up to Lightroom. There's some fantastic tools out there, where I see that that any given app can be better the Lightroom in one or two areas but not all. To put it another way, Lightroom offers a complete package, of non-destructive editing, with plug-in support, good RAW rendering and excellent DAM capabilities. No tool comes close imo to offer those features as well as Adobe.
 

Reality4711

macrumors 6502a
Aug 8, 2009
738
558
scotland
that's my situation, I've been wanting to cancel my subscription, but so far, the tools available just don't measure up to Lightroom. There's some fantastic tools out there, where I see that that any given app can be better the Lightroom in one or two areas but not all. To put it another way, Lightroom offers a complete package, of non-destructive editing, with plug-in support, good RAW rendering and excellent DAM capabilities. No tool comes close imo to offer those features as well as Adobe.

Fair enough - I beg to differ.

Regards. Sharkey
 

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
No tool comes close imo to offer those features as well as Adobe.

At $120 a year every year, I would think it should. Using PM and MacOS Finder, all I am missing is the ability to define collections.
 

Keebler

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2005
2,961
207
Canada
that's my situation, I've been wanting to cancel my subscription, but so far, the tools available just don't measure up to Lightroom. There's some fantastic tools out there, where I see that that any given app can be better the Lightroom in one or two areas but not all. To put it another way, Lightroom offers a complete package, of non-destructive editing, with plug-in support, good RAW rendering and excellent DAM capabilities. No tool comes close imo to offer those features as well as Adobe.

Hi,

Have you looked at CaptureOne? Purely a question as I don't use it so looking for feedback. Still on Aperture, but my research last year (things may have changed), C1 was on my list before LR.

To the OP, I love MacPhun's apps, but their product line scares me in the fact they keep coming out with slightly new apps and renaming them. Ie. intensify Pro is quite similar to Aurora. I would be interesting to see what they have regarding a DAM in the future.

Cheers,
Brian
 
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Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,711
4,491
Here
that's my situation, I.

I used LR for a year and it really is everything I want, but I just hate the product. I cancelled my subscription because I didn't feel that I was getting $10 a month of use at the time (photography took a back seat for a while). I've considered subscribing again but I hate Photoshop so why use a LR? I just don't like the way the app operations or behaves, but it is the gold standard.

I had hoped Affinity would surprise us, but I don't expect anything until 2018 or 2019.

----------

Has anyone given the modern iteration of Photos a shot? Will extensions one can use external editors and perhaps is robust enough to handle simple viewing and moderate organization? It has keywords, albums, ratings, etc.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
You can use Adobe Bridge for free as your DAM until something else is available.
IT doesn't have the same level of capabilities as LR. We've been waiting for something better to come for years :( There's been some apps that caught my attention but as I mentioned, where they may be superior to LR in one or two features, they fail at others. Not for nothing, but LR is probably the best most feature rich product. I hate spending 10 bucks a month, and would love to drop the subscription, but so far has given me what I need.


but I hate Photoshop so why use a LR?
I barely use PS, not sure if that makes paying the subscription worse or not.
 

stillcrazyman

macrumors 603
Oct 10, 2014
5,647
64,986
Exile
As I've posted in other threads... I used Lightroom for a couple of years. It was okay for what I needed, but got slower and the potential of having to subscribe pushed me to look for alternatives. I don't miss Lightroom at all.
My workflow has improved even by using two or three different apps.

I have PhotoMechanic for DAM - pricey but very powerful. I wasn't too content to have a large catalog. I prefer to have my nearly 30k photos organized and managed openly in directories and folders.
I also use Capture One Pro - For Sony. Less money than the full - cover every camera version.
I do use Macphun's Luminar for more creative editing.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
Fair enough - I beg to differ.
Can you expound upon that?

Does Capture One measure up as a Lightroom replacement?
Have you looked at CaptureOne?
Yes, and I've been extremely close to buying it. Its DAM capabilities falls short of what I prefer. Perhaps I'm being too picky but moving from Aperture to LR, and having had to deal with the transition, I'm not jazzed up about changing gears unless it fits my needs

Perhaps, I'll circle back on C1 and take another look.
 

Reality4711

macrumors 6502a
Aug 8, 2009
738
558
scotland
Can you expound upon that?



Yes, and I've been extremely close to buying it. Its DAM capabilities falls short of what I prefer. Perhaps I'm being too picky but moving from Aperture to LR, and having had to deal with the transition, I'm not jazzed up about changing gears unless it fits my needs

Perhaps, I'll circle back on C1 and take another look.

I accept what you say but have a different opinion.

Me Ex. Aperture,Photoshop,C1 - all, to me , are too big unwieldy and slow.

If I take good photograph I do not NEED the grunt to produce a decent print.

Therefor I now concentrate A LOT on taking a good photograph and using a light, fast, cost effective software setup to produce the print I want.

The reasons I left Windows,Adobe and almost all of the larger, older forms of software have been almost identical.

Truck/lorry versus car.

I don't try to move the mountain in my way, I just drive an easier route.

There. Expounded to death;)

Regards Sharkey

ps:- I do recognise images from the mind need to be created more in the software than the camera (mostly) but as I only deal with photographs as they are - well you get the drift I hope
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
I accept what you say but have a different opinion.
I was asking for amplification, other then you disagree - one size doesn't fit all, and the prospect of learning something new, is also present.

If I take good photograph I do not NEED the grunt to produce a decent print.
I agree, and I tend to do very little in post production, i.e., little to no editing.

What I do prefer is a tool that allows me to search/organize images in variety of ways, whether by keywords, flagging, color coding them. This allows the ability to create smart catalogs with a minimum amount of work.
 

Foogoofish

macrumors regular
Jun 12, 2011
223
382
London
I was asking for amplification, other then you disagree - one size doesn't fit all, and the prospect of learning something new, is also present.


I agree, and I tend to do very little in post production, i.e., little to no editing.

What I do prefer is a tool that allows me to search/organize images in variety of ways, whether by keywords, flagging, color coding them. This allows the ability to create smart catalogs with a minimum amount of work.

I literally can not recommend Photo Mechanic enough! (must actually do some work today... hence the short answer ;) )
 

Reality4711

macrumors 6502a
Aug 8, 2009
738
558
scotland
I was asking for amplification, other then you disagree - one size doesn't fit all, and the prospect of learning something new, is also present.


I agree, and I tend to do very little in post production, i.e., little to no editing.

What I do prefer is a tool that allows me to search/organize images in variety of ways, whether by keywords, flagging, color coding them. This allows the ability to create smart catalogs with a minimum amount of work.

Ah.hh.. the need to organise.

That left this house a looooong time ago.

Must say on a limited basis it returning but I shall use Photos for that itch that must be scratched.

My personal stuff is as organised as I will ever need. Sometimes I even wonder whether or not keeping prepped image files is worth while.

If I print and hang them for a while eventually they are replaced by the next flavour of the month and I only have so much space. Then wha? Do I keep the print somewhere(cupboard maybe) and still have the file - for what or whom am I keeping it.

Nearly 60 million souls on this island. I wonder how many images?

It does seem an awful lot of effort just to replicate something in order to be able to find it quickly when there seems little reason to do so.

Taking and producing images for others enjoy, I get but the continuous capture and file just for me - not so sure of the value there; especially when I and others are exorted to get out and take photos for relaxation not for hours proofing and producing in front of a screen.

What is the value of my 1.5TB library?

Real question. I have no idea.

Regards. Sharkey
 
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Michaelgtrusa

macrumors 604
Oct 13, 2008
7,900
1,821
Hi,

Have you looked at CaptureOne? Purely a question as I don't use it so looking for feedback. Still on Aperture, but my research last year (things may have changed), C1 was on my list before LR.

To the OP, I love MacPhun's apps, but their product line scares me in the fact they keep coming out with slightly new apps and renaming them. Ie. intensify Pro is quite similar to Aurora. I would be interesting to see what they have regarding a DAM in the future.

Cheers,
Brian
It does seem like MacPhun has abandoned some of the older apps.
 

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
In what way? They all still work on my Mac as directly plugins or via Luminar if you start with Luminar.
 
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