“Woah” – to quote Keanu Reeves.

That’s about what I said when I first took a look at the new iPHOTO, part of the iLife 08 package of applications introduced by Apple yesterday.
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This is the first major overhaul in 5 years of iPhoto and let’s see if it was worth the wait.

We like to check this stuff out for real and see how it works. It’s been installed on a macbook pro and put through a few paces.
Here’s what we found:
The first thing you’ll see is when you connect a card reader or camera to your computer. The program reads the card or camera and throws the photos onto the program screen. You then get to choose WHICH photos to import.
Then you asked asked to name the EVENT (new language), encouraging you to start your filing and sorting before you upload. In other words, instead of importing random numbers assigned by your camera, one of the import steps stops and asks you to name essentially, the camera roll.
The shots can be imported by roll or by date which the program can auto sort.
If you already use IPhoto , you will have to update all of your images, but don’t worry…that’s automatic. All of your images will be sorted into EVENTS.
You will see a shot which will have however many shots taken in the EVENT “underneath” which are visible once you scroll over it. My 9000 shots became 309 events, all listed by date.

Didn’t always agree with the top shot for reference though. Not sure how to switch that out, but a definite issue for me.

Then you get into the main event of sorting.
I have to tell you…the industry knows that with the amount of images we are all making, one of the hardest things to do is to file them and know where they are without remembering a random number given by the media card.

Adobe Bridge for the pro and advanced amateur, and the new iPhoto for the casual user, with advanced, easy to understand tools. But we suggest you check it all out and commit. This is your work, memories, life. Pick a lane. I’ll admit to sometimes sliding between camps.

And powerful tools they are.
In the new iPhoto you can select 2,3,4 or however many shots to compare. Once they are in EDIT mode, you can enlage a section on any of the images and compare quality.
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It’s not a big shot but here are 2 lunch photos side by side, with a navigation window on the selected one.
PLUS…the adjust menu has been pumped up to include Highlights and Shadow adjustments just like the big kids.
The audience has become more sophisticated and Apple listened.

You owe it to yourself to at least take a look.
Of course the iLife applications contains brand new iMovie, Garage Band, and more. Worth $80 USD?
We think so.

You can download a trial but to see it’s capabilities, you’ll need to update all of the photos in your library, and that’s a huge commitment. Take a look at this video first.
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The web postings are a bit more elegant and the movies that may have been in iPhoto from your still camera will be read by iMovie now.

The photobooks you can make can have an beautiful dustcover with a title embossed on the hardcover. New deal. Very Aperture-like (Apple’s Lightroom competitor).

Bottom-line: the folks that make the tools we use are listening. Take advantage of it all.

One other point though Apple; for all of the students who JUST bought their new computers for school, it would be nice if you gave them the upgrade. We know that there is always something new around the corner, but c’mon…they are students!

and of course….BACK UP EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!! Twice, even.

Cheers!
Damon Webster