Major Update Adds Open Library Option and Extends Workflow
PHOTOKINA 2006, COLOGNE, Germany–September 25, 2006–Apple today
released Aperture 1.5, a major update to the all-in-one post
production tool for photographers that delivers enhancements across
each phase of the entire workflow. Aperture 1.5 delivers a powerful
new open library, seamless iLife ’06 and iWork ’06 integration, XMP
metadata support, powerful new adjustment tools and an export API
that makes it easy to extend the Aperture workflow to third party
applications and services.
“Aperture has given photographers around the globe the confidence to
work in exciting new ways,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president
of Applications Product Marketing. “Now with Aperture 1.5, we’ve
opened the library and extended the workflow to provide a solution
that is as flexible as it is powerful.”
Managing RAW, JPEG and TIFF images in Aperture 1.5 is incredibly
flexible, with a new open library system that allows photographers to
store image files wherever they want–either within the Aperture
library itself, or in other disk locations, including external hard
drives, CDs or DVDs. Aperture can now generate high-resolution
previews of each image so that users can review, rate and organize
images as well as perform slideshows–even when the master images are
offline. The previews, which can be generated at a range of size and
quality levels, make it possible for photographers to keep their
original images safely stored on a desktop system at home or in the
studio, while still being able to take a compact version of their
entire photographic library on the road using a MacBook or MacBook
Pro.
“In less than a year, Aperture has become as essential to me as my
camera, lens and tripod,” said Steve Winter, contributing
photographer for National Geographic. “At the end of a day’s shoot,
it’s so easy to find photos in my Aperture library and use these
amazing tools like the Light Table to quickly piece something
together and figure out what I need to make the story complete.”
“Aperture has been a rock for me, and I’m now using it to build an
archive of all my professional work–25 years’ worth,” said Bill
Frakes, staff photographer for Sports Illustrated. “With everything
tagged and organized, including my current projects, I can retrieve
any photo I want in a matter of seconds.”
Aperture 1.5 is now supported across Apple’s full line of Macintosh
computers, from Mac mini to Mac Pro, and offers powerful new
integration with the iLife ’06 suite of digital lifestyle
applications and iWork ’06 productivity software. The tight
integration means that photographers can build complete websites with
iWeb, create self-contained slide presentations with Keynote, or
produce stunning DVD slideshows with iDVD, all using JPEG versions of
photos directly from their Aperture library, which is never more than
a click away. Integration also includes syncing to iPod using iTunes
7 and the ability to access and copy Aperture photos from within
iPhoto.
Aperture 1.5 dramatically streamlines the process of adding metadata
to photo shoots with new pre-filled IPTC Metadata Presets. Captions,
credits and other critical metadata that photographers rely on can be
added on import automatically or via a batch process at any point in
the workflow. Another major enhancement to metadata support within
Aperture is the ability to export RAW images with IPTC data stored in
XMP sidecar files for easy use with other applications like Adobe
Photoshop and even the ability to generate XMP files automatically
through AppleScript.
Powerful new adjustment options in Aperture 1.5 include a
sophisticated luminance-based Edge Sharpen filter for extremely
high-quality sharpening results and a new Color tool that lets
photographers tune the hue, saturation and luminance of specific
color ranges within each image. Aperture’s popular Loupe magnifier
has been dramatically enhanced with a set of onscreen controls,
smooth zooming with up to 1600 percent magnification and a new option
that enables it to be detached from the cursor while making
adjustments. Individual image adjustment settings can now be saved as
presets that can be automatically applied through a menu command, so
that photographers can quickly and easily make standard adjustments.
An innovative new export API plug-in architecture in Aperture 1.5
allows third party developers to tap into the expanding Aperture user
community with plug-ins that seamlessly connect Aperture’s workflow
to complementary applications and services. Plug-ins from industry
leading companies, including Getty Images, iStockphoto, Pictage,
Flickr, PhotoShelter, DigitalFusion, Soundslides and Connected Flow,
will be demonstrated at photokina 2006. These plug-ins will
demonstrate a range of printing, publishing and storage workflows
that take advantage of this new architecture.
Pricing & Availability
Aperture 1.5 is available this week in English, French, German and
Japanese as a free Software Update to current Aperture 1.0 customers.
Aperture 1.5 is available to order for new customers for a suggested
retail price of $299 (US) through the Apple Store (www.apple.com),
Apple’s retail stores and through Apple Authorized Resellers. Full
system requirements and more information on Aperture can be found at
www.apple.com/aperture.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the
Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the
Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation
with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating
system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also
spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable
music players and iTunes online music store.