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Hi all!

So my latest first world problem (other than keeping soccer cleats OUT of the house!) is...what do do with my iPhoto and Aperture libraries with the advent of the new "Photos" ??? I started using iPhoto when I got my MacBook Pro several years ago and plunged into organizing my photos a la Stacy Julian (star rated, keyworded, print out the best ones (theoretically) every quarter, using tons of "smart folders to organize"). I import into iphoto from camera & phone and maybe do some light editing there. If I am going to more extensive photo editing, I use PSE8 (I know, I know super old). My photo library got huge so I added Aperture soley because I could have multiple photo libraries (organized by year) on an EHD and access them easily right through Aperture instead of the crazy work around in iPhoto. I keep 2 years of photos on my laptop, and the rest on an EHD (backed up to time machine) so I will soon be moving 2012 from iphoto to Aperture because I need the room on my laptop.



I have been researching the new "Photos" program and noted that the "star" ratings will turn into hearts (really? so 7th grade) and keywording will cease to exist going forward but I think you can still access it on previously edited photos. I have found nothing about multiple libraries on multiple devices.



Has anyone moved from iPhoto/Aperture to LIghtroom? Anyone using the new "Photos"? I feel pretty much paralyzed by this whole situation because I have invested so much time and energy into iPhoto/Aperture and it will positively kill me to mess everything up if I move it, or more importantly, to lose all the ratings and especially keywords I have so painstakingly set up.



Thanks !!!!

I use LightRoom. It's amazing! So easy to use and organize photos. But I didn't transfer from another program (well, Picasa but that doesn't count).

Here's what I think: you ought to be sure the program is writing your tagging to the metadata. Then when you export, it should bring them into the new program and you should be able to see them. As long as they are in the Metadata, LightRoom will see them for sure.

I know Noell was talking about Photos on the Paperclipping Roundtable last week. She said it kept all her star ratings and tagging (but she couldn't add new stars of course).

I would say - do a small subset. Download a LightRoom trial or try Photos. I would not move everything until you are sure you like the program. If you do go to LightRoom, there are a lot of scrappers around who use it and can help. I assume lots of people will try Photos, too.