Aperature VS. Lightroom
 

Didn't find a post on this, but am wondering who is using either aperature or lightroom. I am looking to learn to use one or both and am looking for some direction on books, and where to start. Can't afford to buy both at the moment, but want to do a little more editing than Iphoto.

Thanks for any help

I haven't used Aperture but I do have LR and LR2 and for the money, you're better of skipping either version and going with Photoshop Elements. Photoshop is pretty much industry standard and while LR serves as a nice intro into the platform, it really isn't heavy-duty enough to warrant the $300 price tag.

What I loved about LR2 is the way it's styled, the ease at which I can incorporate both of my monitors into the editing process and the overall simplicity of the program. It's great for minor edits like straightening horizons and clearing blemishes but I couldn't get over not having layers to work with.

Of the two, I vote for Lightroom.

It's always nice to have the big price tags on these items to make you take your time and think about things. I really appreciate your advice and experience on these things.

Regarding Lightroom vs Photoshop Elements, we’re talking about apps with different purposes. Lightroom (and by extension, Aperture) are photography WORKFLOW apps with reasonable photo editing tools while Photoshop (Elements) is a serious photo editing app with little workflow features. For this reason, both Lightroom and Aperture make it easy for the photographer to hop out to Photoshop as needed. To get full coverage, you’d use both (Lightroom | Aperture) and (Photoshop | Photoshop Elements).

I’ve only tinkered with Aperture at an Apple Store, but was pretty impressed with what I saw. I’ve never toyed with Lightroom. I believe both apps have a downloadable trial. Give them a whirl!