What's a Histogram Worth, Anyway?

Yesterday, I covered Aperture's image editing features, and highlighted the ones I found practical for my life. Today, I'm going to discuss Lightroom, and my findings.

I think I already mentioned how much I love the histogram tool. It's seriously the most useful tool in the entire application. If Aperture had it, I'd have everything I needed.

Another useful feature is the watermark tool. Unlike the one in Aperture, this is very simple. You simply type the text, and off you go. Here's an example:




I didn't edit the photo at all in Lightroom, but notice the watermark - it's perfect. Very professional. In Aperture, you're required to create one in Elements or an existing tool.

I also loved Lightroom's powerful presets. They're far better than what Aperture has. Here's an example:




I manipulated this photo in two ways:

1) I played with the tone curve tool. See, I can sort of learn! I brightened some of the shadows.

2) I realized that this photo would look much better in black and white. I chose the General: Grayscale option, and I think it's terrific. Very clean and simple.

How do I know what I did? The History tab in Lightroom tells me. It's great - another keeper.

Unfortunately, everything else in Lightroom seems to be better suited for my MSE and PhD customers, rather than for me. Examples:

Uploading to Flicrk took so many steps that I didn't bother. This is far easier in Aperture.

The interface is really difficult to navigate. Aperture is more file/directory-based.

Ideally, I would purchase both tools. If I did, I would use Aperture as my primary tool, and save Lightroom for the really "messy" pictures that need the most work. However, I want to upgrade in the next month, and I will definitely start with Aperture.

My next step is to understand and benefit from the Curves and Levels features. Till tomorrow!