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Apple Photos App: OS X Yosemite’s COOLEST New Feature Detailed

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Apple Photos App: OS X Yosemite’s COOLEST New Feature Detailed

We take a look at how Apple’s Photos application works inside OS X Yosemite


User guides

Apple released the OS X 10.10.3 update this week for Yosemite that features a ton of bug fixes and that diversified emoji keyboard picker that everyone’s been talking about. But the update also brings a MASSIVE new feature to OS X–the new Photos app.

Photos is meant to replace the aging iPhoto software that has come on Macs since 2002. It’s also meant to bring more unity between the photos on your Mac and the Photos app in iOS. If you’re an iPhoto user, Photos looks and acts completely differently. That’s where this post comes in. 

The idea behind the new application is simple: bring your Mac, iPhone and iPad closer together by leveraging the power of the cloud. Photos of OS X is robust, feature-rich and fairly easy to use that forms a central component of Apple’s renewed focus on productivity across its growing arsenal of products. Never before has Apple’s ecosystem –– Mac, iPhone and iPad –– felt so holistically linked. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the new Photos for Mac app.

Built with the cloud in mind

 

The first big thing about Photos is that it’s built with the cloud in mind. We’re all used to taking pictures and then importing them into our photo apps where they live on our hard drive. We’re also used to the fact that if we want to see those pictures on other devices, we need to export them to those devices in some way. But Apple wants to change all that with the new Photos app and a new feature of iCloud called iCloud Photos Library. What iCloud Photos Library does is store your entire Photos library in the cloud. That’s right: every picture and video lives online. The big idea behind this is if your photo library lives online you can access it from any device at any time: Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch.

But not only does this iCloud Photos Library keep your photos stored on a big hard drive in the sky, it also syncs all your edits you make across devices. So, if you take a photo on your iPhone it will automatically be uploaded to your iCloud Photos Library, which then makes that photo available on all your devices, including your Mac. Now if you make an edit to that photo on your Mac, that edit is synced across iCloud Photos Library so that picture now appears with that same edit on all your devices.

Further, iCloud Photos Library stores all your pictures and videos in their original high-resolution format (including RAW). You can then choose to keep local copies of recent or favorite pictures in the original format or in a more compressed format on all your devices. The ability to keep device-optimized lower quality pics (like a JPEG version of an image on your iPhone instead of a RAW) means iCloud Photos Library allows you to save room on the smaller hard drives found in mobile devices.

Keep in mind iCloud Photos Library eats into your iCloud storage allotment. Every iCloud user gets 5GB of free storage space. Unfortunately if you have years worth of photos, your iCloud Photos Library is going to be much, much larger. My Photos Library is 75GB in size! If I want to upload it all to iCloud Photos Library (and it is an all or nothing proposition) I need to shell out money for extra iCloud storage space.  Right now that extra storage costs $0.99 a month for 20GBs, $3.99 a month for 200GBs, $9.99 a month for 500GBs, and $19.99 a month for 1TB. If you go over your storage limit iCloud Photo Library will stop uploading and syncing photos and edits between devices until you pay for more storage space.

Photos sorts your pictures and videos automatically

 

Another big feature of the new Photos app is that it automatically sorts your pictures and videos so you don’t have to. It does this in two ways:

The first is by grouping your photos into time and location-based groups by Years, Collections, and Moments. Years will show you any images you’ve taken between January 1st and December 31st of any given year. Years are made up of Collections. There can be an unlimited number of Collections in one Year. Collections are grouped by time and location. For example, if in 2014 you took photos on your trips to France, Germany, and Italy you’d see a different Collection for France, Germany, and Italy in 2014. If you took a trip to France in February and then another trip to France in September, you’d also see two different Collections. Collections are made of Moments. Moments are the final level down. There can be an unlimited number of Moments in one Collection. Like Collections, Moments too are grouped by time and location, yet their time and location groupings are hyper-focused. Where a Collection might group all the photographs you took in Paris during a week, a Moment will automatically group all the photographs you took in that one afternoon at the Eiffel Tower.

But besides this Years, Moments, and Collections auto grouping, Photos also sorts your images and videos into pre-configured albums. These include Favorites (items your marked as favorites), Panoramas, Videos, Slo-Mo, and Bursts. As you can tell, these pre-configured albums follow the types of photos and videos you can shoot with the iPhone. The albums are a great way to quickly see all your specific types of photos and videos in one place.

Editing tools are much easier to access and use

 

Apple has also radically simplified the editing process in Photos. Many of the tools have been refined and organized in a much better layout. And you can enter edit mode at any time simply by selecting an image and pressing the Return key on your Mac. Many of the editing tools can be applied with just a few clicks, including Enhance, Rotate, Crop, Filters, and Retouch. But Photos also offers a ton of powerful editing tools called Adjustment tools, which operate using sliders. These adjustment tools really let you refine your images; though some can be a bit too complex for people who don’t know a lot about color theory. In that case those people are better off sticking to the basic editing tools.

What’s missing from iPhoto… and Aperture?

With the release of Photos for Mac Apple has discontinued both iPhoto and Aperture. Given that Apple strips out a lot of features whenever it scraps an old app and makes a new one, it’s not surprising many hardcore iPhoto users and Aperture users may find Photos lacking in some respects.

Let’s start with Aperture…well, lets not actually. Photos is no replacement for Aperture. Don’t think for a second it is. If you were an Aperture user you’re going to want to jump to Lightroom by Adobe.

As for what’s missing from iPhoto: Events are gone (though Years, Collections, and Moments work just as well). The Places feature is mostly gone. Yes, you can still view your pictures on a map, but the ability to add or change their location has been removed as well as some of the more nuanced features like setting a location pin’s radius. Matter of fact location pins are totally gone and have been replaced by location stacks–piles of photos on a map.

The star rating system (1-5 stars) for individual photos is also gone. Now you can only mark a photo as a favorite or not. Additionally the ability to compose themed emails with your pictures embedded in them is gone as is Facebook and Flickr syncing (though you can still share your photos to Facebook and Flickr).

A great app for 99% of people

Though Aperture users will hate Photos and hardcore iPhoto users will find the transition awkward, the new Photos app is a terrific app for 99% of the people who will use it. It’s fast, streamlined, and offers powerful sorting features. And after using it for a few months now I can say its probably the best desktop app Apple has put out in years.

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Michael Grothaus

16:46, 10 Apr 2015

We check out how Apple's Photos software works inside of OS X Yosemite

User guides

Apple launched the OS X 10.10.3 update this week for Yosemite that includes a ton of trojan horse fixes and that different emoji keyboard picker that everybody’s been speaking approximately. But the update additionally brings a MASSIVE new function to OS X–the brand new Photos app.

Photos is supposed to exchange the growing older iPhoto tool that has come on Macs considering 2002. It’s additionally intended to convey extra solidarity among the pictures for your Mac and the Photos app in iOS. If you’re an iPhoto consumer, Photos seems and acts utterly another way. That’s the place this submit is available in. 

The concept at the back of the brand new software is discreet: convey your Mac, iPhone and iPad nearer in combination through leveraging the facility of the cloud. Photos of OS X is strong, function-wealthy and slightly simple to make use of that bureaucracy a crucial section of Apple’s renewed center of attention on productiveness throughout its rising arsenal of goods. Never ahead of has Apple’s atmosphere –– Mac, iPhone and iPad –– felt so holistically associated. 

Here’s the whole thing you wish to have to understand concerning the new Photos for Mac app.

Built with the cloud in thoughts

 

The first large factor approximately Photos is that it’s constructed with the cloud in thoughts. We’re all used to taking footage after which uploading them into our photograph apps the place they survive our arduous pressure. We’re extensively utilized to the truth that if we need to see the ones footage on different units, we want to export them to these units by some means. But Apple needs to switch all that with the brand new Photos app and a brand new function of iCloud referred to as iCloud Photos Library. What iCloud Photos Library does is retailer all your Photos library within the cloud. That’s proper: each and every image and video lives on-line. The large concept at the back of that is in case your photograph library lives on-line you'll be able to get entry to it from any software at any time: Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod contact.

But now not best does this iCloud Photos Library stay your pictures saved on a large exhausting pressure within the sky, it additionally syncs all of your edits you are making throughout units. So, if you are taking a photograph for your iPhone it is going to mechanically be uploaded for your iCloud Photos Library, which then makes that photograph to be had on all of your units, together with your Mac. Now if you are making an edit to that photograph for your Mac, that edit is synced throughout iCloud Photos Library in order that image now seems with that very same edit on all of your units.

Further, iCloud Photos Library retail outlets your whole footage and movies of their unique top-solution layout (together with RAW). You can then select to stay native copies of contemporary or favourite footage within the unique layout or in a extra compressed layout on your whole units. The skill to stay tool-optimized decrease high quality % (like a JPEG model of a picture in your iPhone as an alternative of a RAW) approach iCloud Photos Library permits you to store room at the smaller onerous drives present in cellular units.

Keep in thoughts iCloud Photos Library eats into your iCloud garage allotment. Every iCloud consumer will get 5GB of loose space for storing. Unfortunately when you have years value of pictures, your iCloud Photos Library goes to be so much, so much higher. My Photos Library is 75GB in measurement! If O need to add all of it to iCloud Photos Library (and it's an all or not anything proposition) S want to shell out cash for additonal iCloud space for storing.  Right now that additional garage prices $0.99 a month for 20GBs, $3.99 a month for 200GBs, $9.99 a month for 500GBs, and $19.99 a month for 1TB. If you pass over your garage restrict iCloud Photo Library will prevent importing and syncing pictures and edits among units till you pay for extra space for storing.

Photos types your footage and movies routinely

 

Another large function of the brand new Photos app is that it mechanically types your footage and movies so that you don’t need to. It does this in tactics:

The first is by way of grouping your pictures into time and site-primarily based teams via Years, Collections, and Moments. Years will display you any photographs you’ve taken among January 1st and December thirty first of any given yr. Years are made from Collections. There can also be a limiteless choice of Collections in a single Year. Collections are grouped by way of time and site. For instance, if in 2014 you took pictures for your journeys to France, Germany, and Italy you’d see a unique Collection for France, Germany, and Italy in 2014. If you took a commute to France in February after which some other go back and forth to France in September, you’d additionally see other Collections. Collections are made from Moments. Moments are the general degree down. There may also be a vast choice of Moments in a single Collection. Like Collections, Moments too are grouped through time and site, but their time and site groupings are hyper-targeted. Where a Collection would possibly team all of the pictures you took in Paris right through every week, a Moment will mechanically staff all of the pictures you took in that one afternoon on the Eiffel Tower.

But but even so this Years, Moments, and Collections vehicle grouping, Photos additionally types your photographs and movies into pre-configured albums. These come with Favorites (pieces your marked as favorites), Panoramas, Videos, Slo-Mo, and Bursts. As you'll be able to inform, those pre-configured albums practice the forms of pictures and movies you'll be able to shoot with the iPhone. The albums are a good way to temporarily see all of your particular forms of pictures and movies in a single position.

Editing equipment are so much more uncomplicated to get right of entry to and use

 

Apple has additionally substantially simplified the modifying procedure in Photos. Many of the equipment were subtle and arranged in a a lot better format. And you'll be able to input edit mode at any time just by settling on a picture and urgent the Return key for your Mac. Many of the modifying equipment may also be implemented with only a few clicks, together with Enhance, Rotate, Crop, Filters, and Retouch. But Photos additionally gives a ton of tough modifying equipment referred to as Adjustment equipment, which function the use of sliders. These adjustment equipment in point of fact assist you to refine your photographs; although a few is usually a bit too complicated for those who don’t understand so much approximately colour conception. In that case the ones individuals are at an advantage sticking to the fundamental modifying equipment.

What’s lacking from iPhoto... and Aperture?

With the discharge of Photos for Mac Apple has discontinued each iPhoto and Aperture. Given that Apple strips out a large number of options each time it scraps an antique app and makes a brand new one, it’s now not unexpected many hardcore iPhoto customers and Aperture customers would possibly in finding Photos missing in a few respects.

Let’s get started with Aperture...smartly, shall we now not if truth be told. Photos isn't any alternative for Aperture. Don’t assume for a 2d it's. If you have been an Aperture consumer you’re going to need to bounce to Lightroom through Adobe.

As for what’s lacking from iPhoto: Events are long past (even though Years, Collections, and Moments paintings simply as smartly). The Places function is most commonly long past. Yes, you'll be able to nonetheless view your footage on a map, however the skill so as to add or amendment their region has been got rid of in addition to one of the extra nuanced options like environment a region pin’s radius. Matter of reality region pins are utterly long past and feature been changed through region stacks–piles of pictures on a map.

The megastar score device (1-5 stars) for person pictures could also be long past. Now you'll be able to best mark a photograph as a favourite or now not. Additionally the power to compose themed emails together with your footage embedded in them is long past as is Facebook and Flickr syncing (despite the fact that you'll be able to nonetheless percentage your pictures to Facebook and Flickr).

O nice app for 99% of other folks

Though Aperture customers will hate Photos and hardcore iPhoto customers will in finding the transition awkward, the brand new Photos app is an ideal app for 99% of the individuals who will use it. It’s rapid, streamlined, and gives tough sorting options. And after the use of it for a couple of months now S can say its almost certainly the most productive computer app Apple has placed out in years.

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Michael Grothaus 16:46, 10 Apr 2015
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