I take a lot of photos, and if I’m processing them live at a conference, I’ll probably use Lightroom from Adobe. However, that product has recently pivoted and been renamed Lightroom Classic CC. A new product has taken over its name, “Lightroom CC”, and while it might be nice, its core limitations of a single library where every image is uploaded to the cloud are both instant product killers for me. The existing Lightroom Classic CC still works, but naming it “Classic” seems a clear sign that the product’s days are numbered — and that’s a huge shame. While I love its capabilities and the quality of its output, it’s never been that fast, so it’s time to look for alternatives.
I should note that Photos, free with macOS, has been improving steadily (Curves finally in the High Sierra version!) but without proper bulk copy/paste of adjustments and deeper metadata control, it might not suit my needs. I haven’t switched to High Sierra full time, but when I do, I’ll give it a good look.
Still, there are other third party options. Recently I reviewed Luminar (2017) for macProVideo.com, and I liked it very much:
Luminar is that rare piece of software that hits the sweet spot for many users. It’s got the power to do what you want now, plus the features you’re going to want once you learn about them. It’s easy for novices to get into, but it doesn’t limit what professionals can do either. If you like photography, Luminar provides a solid image processing toolkit that can make your images really sing. Recommended.
The newer Luminar 2018 will be updated to include digital asset management (i.e. multiple photo management like Lightroom) next year, and I’m very much looking forward to checking that out.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for an alternative to Lightroom, give Luminar 2018 a go? The same company also offer Aurora HDR 2018 for fans of HDR photography, and while I’m more into HDR for video myself, it just won App of the Year from Apple. Worth a look, and use the promo code “FUNWITHSTUFF” to save $10 on either app.
Full disclosure: yes, these are referral links, but it’s nice software, and there’s a free trial.