Aperture Exporter is a new app written by Adrian Grah designed to ease the pain of moving your library to Lightroom.

Aperture Exporter in action.

In my latest article for c't Digital Photography Magazine, Aperture Exporter - A Utility to Move Your Library to Lightroom, I share comments from Adrian and explain in detail how this application works. In essence, AE helps you extract content from your Aperture library and save it in a structure that's easily consumable by Lightroom.

After my first few rounds of testing, I estimate that this utility can easily cut your migration time in half, if not more. Aperture Exporter is still in beta, and Adrian is committed to improving it. So as user feedback rolls in, we'll see the app evolve even more.

If you're considering a move to Lightroom, be sure to take a look at this article first.

Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn the finer points of Aperture to help you prepare your library for transition, check out my Aperture 3.3 Essential Training (2012) on lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

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I'm the biggest fish of them all. And when I visit a tropical destination, I can't wait to jump in the water.

Shy Ornate Butterfly fish watching me behind coral - Photos by Derrick Story

I travel light: mask, fins, snorkel, and compact camera. But even with this simple set of tools, I can capture memorable photos and have a great time doing so. I just follow these five tips.

1. Go Early, But Wait for the Sun - I'm usually in the water by 7:30 AM. The swells tend to be calmer, there are far fewer people, and the fish are plentiful. If it's overcast, however, I usually wait for the sun to appear. Snorkeling without sunlight tends to yield dull pictures.
2. Learn How to Dive Downward - It's fun to troll the surface and watch the world below you. But when you see a fish you want to photograph, dive down a few feet to get a better angle. It takes a little practice, but it's worth it.
3. Get the Sun to Your Back - This age-old rule is far more important underwater than topside. It's a bit of effort to maneuver your body in the water to get the sun over your shoulder. But unless I'm going for an artistic approach, I like my fish portraits much better with this type of lighting.
4. Don't Touch Anything - The reef ecosystem should be treated with the utmost respect. Don't touch coral or wildlife. Watch your flippers so they don't accidentally brush against the landscape. Be aware of the current so you're not tossed against the rocks. Preserving this magical world ensures that generations to come will be able to enjoy it too.

Curious Sergeant Major fish stayed with me a while.

5. Use Focus Lock Before Shooting - If you just press the shutter button willy-nilly, you'll get a lot of sharp backgrounds with blurry fish. Compose your shot, focus on the eye if you can, press the shutter button half way to lock it in, then take the photo. Yes, fish move fast and you'll have a lot of misses. But the successes will thrill you.

My first priority is to be safe, protect the environment, have fun, and yes, hopefully capture some photos too. I wish the same great experiences for you.

Beautiful Unicorn fish just passing by.

Note: All photos were captured with an Olympus TG-1 Waterproof Camera and processed on an iPad mini using Lightroom Mobile. (I've yet to upload the masters to my MacBook Pro :-)

A big thanks to Dennis Adams, co-author of Step Zero II: Preparation for a SCUBA Live-Aboard Trip, for his advice over the years to help me improve my underwater photography. His tips have been very helpful.

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Interesting Canon 7D Mark II Sensor Rumor, Raw Editing on the iPad, No Laptop No Problem, A Clever Charging Cable - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - The Weekly Update: Adobe Photoshop Express update brings Raw editing (sort of). (source: DP Connect).

In other news, What happens to Lightroom after my membership ends? Tom Hogarty says, "...the desktop application will continue to launch and provide access to the photographs managed within Lightroom as well as the Slideshow, Web, Book or Print creations that we know many photographers painstakingly create. The Develop and Map modules have been disabled in order to signal the end of the membership... Lightroom Mobile will no longer sync also. (Source: Lightroom Journal).

And finally, New Version of Dual Pixel AF Rumored for Canon 7D Mark II - "... EOS 7D replacement will not just feature Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS Auto-Focus, it will push its capabilities to new boundaries." (Source: Canon Watch)

Story #2 - The ChargeCard - Faced with a low battery warning for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device? There are plenty of USB ports in the world, but what about the cable to connect to your device? Thanks to the ChargeCard, available at Photojojo, you can have a credit card connector always available in your wallet. I talk more about it in the second segment of today's show.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Lightroom 5: 05 Printing with Tim Grey. Prints are one of the most satisfying ways to present your photography to the world. Author Tim Grey feels the same way. And he shows you how to use the print module in Lightroom to create beautiful output.

You can watch Tim in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com/thedigitalstory. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch other design, photography, and computing titles, plus every other topic in the library (including my brand new "Photographing High School Senior Portraits."

Story #4 - The Nimbleosity Report: No Laptop, No Problem. My report on an iPad-only vacation in Maui.

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: Now, for The Digital Story listeners and readers, this month only, SizzlPix will knock off 20% of the price for your SizzlPix, any quantity, any size up to 6 feet! Just put the initials TDS or "The Digital Story" in the comments space of their new, simplified online order form. SizzlPix.com.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for July 2014 is "Smokin' Hot".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

Download the Show

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (32 minutes). You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the iTunes App Store.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

SizzlPix! - High resolution output for your photography. You've never seen your imagery look so good. SizzlPix.com. SizzlPix! now is qualified for PayPal "Bill Me Later," No payments, No interest for up to 6 months, which means, have your SizzlPix! now, and pay nothing until January!

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Not everyone wants a Creative Cloud membership. And since you can still purchase Lightroom as a standalone app, you don't need CC.

But what if you want to use Lightroom to help you manage your smartphone pictures? Lightroom Mobile only works with a Creative Cloud account.

No problem. Here's a workflow that doesn't require Creative Cloud, but does let you use Lightroom to help you organize, add metadata, and edit your mobile photos. It's part of my Managing Your Mobile Photos title on lynda.com. (But you don't have to sign up for that either to watch this movie :-) Check out Uploading pictures directly to Lightroom. It's a free movie on the title page (Chapter 5, movie 2 - Just scroll down a bit).

I'll be writing about Lightroom Mobile in the future. But for now, if you're a standalone app user, you might find this movie helpful.

More Help on Managing Your Mobile Photos

In my lynda.com title, Managing Your Mobile Photos, I cover a variety of backup solutions for both iOS and Android users. These tutorials will help you build the perfect backup solution for you, so that you never lose a single memory.

In my perfect world, photographers always get to ride shotgun.

Yes, we'll serve as navigators, because that's what shotgun passengers do. But when we're not giving directions, we're free to take pictures.

Late Day - Maui

I really like car window photography. Often it combines a sense of energy with interesting or beautiful landscape... Only to be interrupted by the next set of directions.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

I remember reading a passage by Elliot Porter where he quipped that his best photographers were ones he didn't capture. In other words, the ones that got away.

I know that I miss more great shots than I capture. Not all misses are my fault. Someone jumps into the frame, the wind blows, or the light changes just as I press the shutter button. It's OK, though. Because as long as we have a few catches by the end of the day, then it was all worth while.

Everything else becomes just another good fish story.

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Restaurants are a fun part of travel. Just don't get stuck inside of one during twilight in paradise.

Once you finish your shoot, you can always go back for coffee and dessert.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: No Laptop Travel, Memory Card Recovery, Padcaster Mini - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - The Weekly Update: Shoot RAW with Your Mobile Phone. The next version of Google's Android OS might build that capability right in to your mobile device. "Android Police has taken a look at the developer documentation and found that Android L will allow for Raw DNG image capture." (source: DP Connect).

In other news, 5 Reasons Why Beginners Should Invest in a Prime Lens. Terrific video that smartly recaps the advantages of a prime lens, especially the affordable 50mm f/1.8. (Source: PetaPixel).

And finally, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 Digital Camera Dips to $998 from nearly $1,300 just last week. This all-in-one travel camera features a 1" sensor and Carl Zeiss 24-200mm f/2.8 lens.

Story #2 - No Laptop Travel - I'm leaving the MacBook Pro behind this week as I fly to Maui. I'll use my iPad mini to process photos, post on social networks, and even maintain the TDS website. I talk about this approach, and the apps I'll use, in today's second segment.

Story #3 - Memory Card Recovery - I have a new training on lynda.com titled, Recovering Photos from Memory Cards where I cover many facets of taking care of your camera's SD and CF cards. Here are a few tips from that research.

Story #4 - The Nimbleosity Report: "Padcaster Mini" - The Padcaster Mini is a rugged aluminum frame with tons of threaded holes on all sides and a flexible insert that holds the iPad snugly. The $99 kit comes with the frame, insert, a lens bracket and step-down ring, four screws to hold it in place, and a cold-shoe adapter that you can pop your favorite light or mic into. More about its usefulness in the fourth segment of today's show.

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: Now, for The Digital Story listeners and readers, this month only, SizzlPix will knock off 20% of the price for your SizzlPix, any quantity, any size up to 6 feet! Just put the initials TDS or "The Digital Story" in the comments space of their new, simplified online order form. SizzlPix.com.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for July 2014 is "Smokin' Hot".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

SizzlPix! - High resolution output for your photography. You've never seen your imagery look so good. SizzlPix.com. SizzlPix! now is qualified for PayPal "Bill Me Later," No payments, No interest for up to 6 months, which means, have your SizzlPix! now, and pay nothing until January!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Airplane entertainment systems are certainly welcome on long flights, but I like to watch my own selection of content too. For example, currently I'm hooked on Breaking Bad and am working my way through past seasons.

This is even more fun when shared with a travel partner. It's just like going to the movies: You can watch it together, then discuss the show over a cup of coffee afterwards.

For these occasions, I keep a Monster iSplitter 1000 Y-Splitter with Volume Control/Mute ($9.99) in my carry-on bag. With it, I can share music, TV shows, and movies with another. It even has separate volume controls.

The iPad is a terrific travel companion in many ways, and entertainment is definitely one of them. Sharing that content with another makes it even more fun.

This Monster Y Splitter has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

When image editing in Lightroom, when do you use the Whites slider vs the Highlights slider?

There's a terrific post on Improve Photography that answers that very question. The difference between highlights and whites sliders in Lightroom explains that the Whites slider helps you set the white point, and the Highlights slider is designed to recover detail from that tonal range. They provide plenty of examples on how this works.

Keep in mind that either highlight or shadow recovery is more effective with RAW files than Jpegs. There's more information to "retrieve" with RAW. But that doesn't mean that these tools aren't useful for Jpeg editing too.

If you know that you're going to be shooting in contrasty situations, then I recommend you take advantage of RAW... and of course, review the informative article on Improve Photography.

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