IEEE Spectrum August, 2012 - 25

tools & toys
exposure, color, tone, and
detail tools. If, for instance,
you take a series of photos
under the same lighting,
using similar exposure
settings, you can modify
one picture and apply those
edits to all the others.
Both programs edit
"nondestructively," leaving
your original image
untouched. Here's where
AfterShot has an advantage: It
uses layers to track edits and
extends its nondestructive
editing to special effects
filters. Lightroom doesn't
have layers, and though it
supports important thirdparty
filters, the filters
SoRtInG anD eDItInG: using Lightroom's side-by-side sorting [top left], you can quickly
aren't nondestructive.
compare images and assign them ratings, color flags, and keywords; AfterShot pro can compare
up to six images side by side [top right], though its sorting process isn't as quick. Lightroom's
Finally, what use are photos
before-and-after views [bottom left] provide great feedback as you use its top-notch global
without sharing and printing?
and selective editing tools to fine-tune your picture. though AfterShot doesn't have Lightroom's
This time, Lightroom has
before-and-after view, it does use layers [bottom right] to help track and preserve your edits.
the edge, with more output
options: Web galleries, photo
books, slideshows, prints
side display compares a "select" with multiple-size images on
image to a candidate. You
a single sheet (if you wish),
can quickly zoom into details,
and easy uploads to Facebook
two programs can help you get your photo
swap out a new select or
and YouTube are all possible.
house in order
candidate, and rate each using
AfterShot does an excellent
one to five stars and color flags
job of saving a series of photos
(plus add keywords, if you
(even while you continue to
AfterShot Pro. The most
nce, it was an effort
edit other pictures), custom
popular professional software, didn't do that automatically on
to take pictures and
import). Then, you can view,
or template-based printing
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom,
get them developed,
say, all the photos with three
(including multiple-size
a mature product ($150 for
yet easy to keep and show
stars or higher. AfterShot
images per sheet), and creating
version 4), is smoother and
them. Today, it's the other
displays up to six images side
nice Web galleries.
more versatile. But the
way around-pictures are
by side, but swapping out
scrappy newcomer has a
easy to take, and as a result,
-Daniel Grotta
images requires more steps.
nice selection of photo tools
we're swimming in them.
& Sally Wiener Grotta
Editing in Lightroom
that will satisfy many users.
Drowning, even. Every time
or AfterShot Pro can also
Here's how it works.
we shoot another thousand or
A version of this article
be quite fast, with top-notch
You know that somewhere
so at a simple birthday party,
appeared online in June 2012.
among those hundreds of
we're left with a major task-
digital pictures you took at
sorting out the best ones, then
File Formats: Both Lightroom and AfterShot Pro are known as RAW
the birthday party lurk a
editing and sharing them.
workflow programs. If you, like most serious photographers, shoot RAW,
you'll want to be sure the software you choose supports your camera. We
few gems-if only you could
Fortunately, help is on the
found that AfterShot Pro doesn't support as many RAW file formats as
find them. Both Lightroom
way: The workflow software
Lightroom does, but Corel is adding more formats on an ongoing basis.
and AfterShot enable fast
the pros use is now filtering
Both programs work well with TIFF and JPEG images, though AfterShot
comparing and sorting.
out to the masses in the form
Pro supports such files only in RGB, and only up to 40 megapixels. In addiLightroom's two-up side-byof a US $100 program, Corel
tion, AfterShot doesn't support video files, while Lightroom does.

Adobe Lightroom And
coreL AfterShot Pro

O
saLLy wiener grotta & DanieL grotta (4)

spectrum.ieee.org

AuguSt 2012 * iEEE SpEctrum * NA

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum August, 2012