NOTE: This article discusses an older version of Capture One Pro. To learn more about our latest version, click here.
When I told my friends that I would be switching my wedding workflow from Lightroom to photo editing software Capture One Pro, some said I was crazy – why change something that works fine?
For me, the question was more – why wouldn’t I change? I have been using Lightroom as a photo editor for as long as I can remember, and it has always been good to me. But was it actually the ideal image editing software, or did I simply not have alternatives?
Maybe I was too scared to look for alternatives. I had an established photography and preset business built on Lightroom. But that didn’t stop me from trying out the latest version of Capture One Pro. It was interesting to suddenly feel like a newbie after years of working with a different RAW editor – but I quickly went from feeling overwhelmed to amazed by all I could do.
I played around with the photo editing tools to get the hang of Capture One, plus the Learning Hub is packed with free learning resources so I could watch tutorials and read blogs highlighting the best and most efficient ways to use Capture One.
Capture One’s customizable workspace was immediately useful – it allowed me to reconfigure the workspace and move tools around any way I wanted. That means I could simply mimic my Lightroom workspace and put tools in the same position to make the transition period smoother and faster.
Better results with Capture One
One of the most interesting parts of my switch to Capture One was discovering how much better my final photo could look. Right away, I noticed that my RAW files looked different. There is simply more life to my RAW files in Capture One than in Lightroom. The files look more vivid, sharper and are just generally nicer to look at. The viewing experience is also better, because the customizable workspace lets me see the images on my screen bigger than ever before.
While tools like white balance, contrast and curves are found in both software, they behave differently across the two programs and are far superior in Capture One.
I’ll use the contrast slider as an example. Whenever I edited contrast in Lightroom, I had to adjust the skin tones because they got either too saturated or too desaturated. Meanwhile, the contrast slider in Capture One Pro does not change my skin tones and this makes a huge difference to my workflow. You can see what I mean in the comparison that I have created. The Lightroom result looks muddy and desaturated.
There is so much more I could discuss, but my favorite newfound feature in Capture One Pro is probably the Advanced Color Editor. This was the one tool that I have always missed in my Lightroom workflow. I can finally select any color in my image and edit it like never before.
Lightroom only allowed me to select basic colors – for example, red – and change its hue, saturation and luminance. This means I could never quite get the result I wanted. Using the Advanced Color Editor in Capture One, I can select multiple ranges of red (or any other color) and change them however I want. I can even add multiple layers and mask certain areas, for even greater control of my images.
Prized for its clean skin tones and vivid three-dimensional color, it’s the originator of the light and airy look.
Kirk Mastin is back to Join David in a informative and interactive webinar to show you how to get the best out of Fujicolor Original Styles for Capture One.
✓How the Mastin Labs system works perfectly with Capture One
✓Practical help to get the best results with your photos
✓Inspiration from Kirk
NOTE: This article discusses an older version of Capture One Pro. To learn more about our latest version, click here.
Over spring, I got the chance to try out the FUJIFILM GFX 100 ahead of its launch in May 2019. I knew that Fujifilm had partnered with Capture One for tethering and much more, and that the GFX 100 RAW image files were supported by the photo editing software even before the new camera had launched. It seemed like the perfect time to try out Capture One Pro and see how it compared to my workflow using Adobe Lightroom Classic.
Now that I’ve been using Capture One for four months, I can confirm that it is a very powerful image editing software with some new features that I have not seen anywhere else. One of the best things about trying out a new RAW editor is the sense of discovery – my Capture One Pro images had a new and exciting look to them. I also really like the straightforward, professional approach of Capture One Pro. There is no fluff in this image editor – it’s all business.
One new favorite feature is the Color Balance tool, which allows for easy color grading of specific part of the images, as well as tools that allow for a speedy and efficient workflow. In this blog post, I’ll list the top five features that have transformed my RAW editing workflow.
Focus Mask
The Focus Mask feature (found under View > Focus Mask) is the most useful feature I have seen in any RAW editing platform ever. With the Focus Mask turned on, I can quickly scan a grid of images and highlight any images where the subject is not in focus. The tool applies a green overlay mask to the aspects of the image which are in focus, so I can immediately identify where the focus points are in any image.
As an adventure sports photographer who often captures images with a fast frame rate, this allows me to instantly figure out which images are sharp and which are not, so I can cull faster and really speed up my workflow.
When you double click on any image from the grid, the Focus Mask remains overlaid on the larger preview image, so you can look more closely at the focus. This one feature alone is a reason to make the switch to Capture One Pro.
Auto Levels Adjustment
Another amazing Capture One Pro feature is the Auto Levels Adjustment in the Levels tool. I would typically never use auto anything in a RAW processing app – especially not in Lightroom – but Capture One’s Auto Levels Adjustment gets it right almost every time. The tool gives me a huge head start on adjusting levels. I use it as a departure point – it’s often the first thing I apply before diving into any further editing, which then makes the overall editing process go much faster.
In the above example I have only applied Auto Levels Adjustments without any further editing, which already dramatically improved the image. All I needed to do was add a Gradient Mask to darken the bottom of the image and add clarity.
Layers
For those of us that use Photoshop, Layers are a huge part of any digital imaging workflow. The way layers are incorporated into Capture One feels very similar to Photoshop —and maybe is even more powerful. Basically, anything you can do on the background Layer can be done on a Mask. No other raw processing software that I know of has that capability.
I use a lot of Linear Gradient Masks for my images so that I can help push the viewer’s eye around the image. Having all of those masks on a separate layer and being able to adjust much more than just the exposure or brightness of that Gradient Mask is very powerful. Additionally, the option to go back and adjust the opacity of any layer is also a huge bonus.
The upshot is that with Layers in Capture One I can take my raw processing further before I go into Photoshop to finalize the image.
Color Editor Tool
Capture One’s Color Editor includes both an eyedropper sampling tool and a color wheel which allows me to color edit specific parts of an image in an intuitive and simple manner. To use the tool, simply choose the eyedropper in the Color Editor tab and then use it to sample an area of the image. You can then fine-tune the area selected by manipulating the range that shows up in the color wheel above the sliders. To see exactly what part of the image is selected, click “view selected color range” at the bottom of the dialog.
In the example above, I used the Color Editor to adjust the hue, saturation and lightness of the reddish-brown rock wall. I also used the Color Editor to dial in the purple color of the sky in the background. This tool is incredibly useful for getting creative with color or to adjust specific colors so that they are as accurate as possible.
Customizable interface
I can work much faster thanks to Capture One’s customizable interface. You can move pretty much anything anywhere you want it. You can pull tools out of the sidebar and make them bigger or smaller as needed and you can make tools appear and disappear as well. It is also easy to accommodate dual monitors – you can even locate your tools or a grid of images on the second monitor.
For those coming from Lightroom, you can set up Capture One to mimic a similar layout, which makes the transition much easier.
One of the most useful keyboard shortcuts – especially for those coming from Lightroom – is to edit the keyboard shortcut to “Show/Hide Viewer.” Simply go to “Edit > Edit Keyboard Shortcuts…” and then open the View section.
Scroll down to “Show/Hide Viewer” and set that keyboard shortcut to something that makes sense for you but isn’t already used. For example, I have it set to use the “~“ key. By using that keyboard shortcut, I can go in and out of the “Show/Hide Viewer” mode super fast, as shown above in the two screenshots.
Switching doesn’t have to be hard
Learning any new software might seem intimidating – but switching to Capture One is not really a case of learning everything from scratch but finding the comparable tools in the new photo editing software.
In the case of Capture One Pro, I was thrilled to discover completely new tools that dramatically sped up my workflow and allowed me to take my images further in the raw processing stage. I am deeply impressed with the results so far and excited to keep using Capture One to improve my digital workflow.
Apple will release macOS Catalina 10.15 in October. In a knowledge base article on their website, Apple confirms that Aperture will not run on this new version of macOS. Some may choose to postpone upgrading macOS in order to continue using Aperture. I recommend migrating to Capture One Pro.
When Apple announced in 2014 that they had ceased development of Aperture, I chose to find a new raw image editor. I wanted all the Aperture features I loved, plus all the features Apple confirmed it was never going to deliver.
I used Lightroom prior to using Aperture. After Apple’s 2014 announcement, I tried it again. With user interface and performance issues, Lightroom still didn’t measure up, so I downloaded Capture One Pro’s 30-day free trial and it quickly became my image editor of choice.
After spending a few weeks importing and editing images from my Aperture archives, I was impressed with how quickly and easily I adapted to the new workflow. Even better, the image quality of Capture One is far superior to Aperture’s and the Aperture Library import tool is more complete than Lightroom’s. Capture One Pro almost immediately felt like home and is now my go-to tool for photo editing.
Migrating between Aperture and Capture One Pro may seem intimidating, but it can be done smoothly. When I first downloaded Capture One Pro, I had over 50,000 images in my Aperture Library. After some careful trial and error, I developed a workflow to easily migrate all my images to Capture One. I’m here to share that with you – if you prefer visuals, I also go through the process in this video:
Information imported into Capture One
Before you migrate your Aperture libraries into Capture One Pro’s Catalogs, you need to know what Capture One imports, and how to preserve the information Capture One does not import.
Image Files and Versions
Capture One Pro imports all the images in your Aperture Library as referenced images. If your Aperture Library is “Managed” (the images are stored inside the Aperture Library), you need to relocate the original images to a referenced location outside the Aperture Library before migrating to Capture One Pro. You do not want Capture One Pro to reference images stored inside the Aperture Library package directory. Capture One Pro also imports all the image versions as Capture One variants.
Metadata, Keywords and Attributes
The following metadata in Aperture libraries is preserved and directly imported into Capture One Pro.
Capture One Color Labels – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink, purple
Aperture purple is imported as pink, and Aperture gray is imported as purple
Aperture Versions are imported correctly as Capture One Variants
All Aperture keywords and IPTC metadata are imported to Capture One
All Aperture star ratings are imported to Capture One
What doesn’t get imported?
The following is a list of attributes in an Aperture Library are not imported into Capture One along with some recommended steps to preserve them.
Flags – Capture One does not have “flags” as an attribute on images. Filter your Aperture library for flagged images and add a special keyword to them to save the flag status.
Custom Metadata Fields – Capture One does not support custom metadata fields. You will need to move your custom metadata field information to standard IPTC fields in order to preserve it. As with flags, I recommend filtering on your custom metadata fields and adding special keywords to save this information.
Books, Slideshows, Light Tables, Web Journals, Web Pages – Capture One Pro does not have these products. If you want to preserve them, create an album in your Aperture Library for each one before migrating. Aperture albums are imported into Capture One as albums and will help you retain the list of images in each of them.
Image Stacks – Aperture Stacks can stack different images. Capture One Pro stacks can only stack variants (versions) of a single image. In order to preserve your Aperture stacks, create a special album for each stack in your Aperture Library before migrating it. Aperture albums are imported as Capture One albums.
Keywords deserve special attention. The Aperture keyword field does not honor keyword hierarchy even though the Aperture Keyword tool provides a keyword hierarchy. To preserve your hierarchy, export your keyword list from the Aperture keyword tool to a text file and import that text file into your Capture One Catalog using the Keyword Tool before you migrate any images to Capture One. This is illustrated in the video above.
Global and Local Adjustments
Every photo editing software package has its own algorithms when it comes to adjustments – these are usually not transferrable between programs. Capture One Pro will import many global adjustments and do a best-effort at converting them to their corresponding Capture One Adjustments. You will have to review these converted adjustments and refine all of your images after importing into Capture One.
Aperture local adjustments (brushed-in and brushed-out) are not preserved. You will have to recreate them in Capture One using Layers and Layer Masks, which are far superior to Aperture’s brushing in and brushing out. Each Layer with a Layer Mask can reflect multiple adjustments using almost all of the Capture One Pro adjustment tools. Recreating your local adjustments in Capture One Pro should take less time than it took to create them originally in Aperture.
A learning good exercise for your 30-day trial period is to bring over your Aperture archives and recreate their look in Capture One Pro. It will get you familiar with Capture One Pro’s corresponding adjustment tools and how the Capture One Pro controls work. Plus, Capture One offers free tutorials and webinars to help you master the software quickly
Preparing for the Migration
It took several attempts to develop the right workflow for migrating my Aperture libraries into Capture One. Before migrating, you need to prepare your Aperture Library and Capture One Catalog and create a working folder. Here’s a checklist to help you prepare for your migration:
Create a new master Capture One Catalog
Create a working directory for temporary Aperture ibraries and Capture One Catalogs
Export the keywords from your Aperture Library keyword tool to a text file in your working directory
Import the working directory keyword text file into the Capture One Master Catalog Keyword tool
NOTE – Commas are not permitted in keywords – a comma is a keyword separator character
Get familiar with the Aperture “Export > Project as New Library” dialog screen
UNCHECK “Copy originals into exported library” – they are referenced outside the library
UNCHECK “Copy previews into exported library” – Capture One will not import previews
CHECK “Show alert when finished” – handy to know when Aperture finished an export
Use “File > Relocate Originals” to move originals to referenced folders outside the Aperture Library
Relocating your originals to referenced folders outside the library is very important. Capture One does not copy your Aperture originals. It imports your Aperture originals by reference where they currently reside on disk. If your Aperture library is “managed” (I.e. your originals are stored inside the Aperture Library), Capture One will reference them there. If you later delete your Aperture library, you will remove the original files Capture One is referencing.Relocating your originals to referenced folders outside the Aperture Library may take some time if your libraries contain a lot of images. You will need to think through the folder structure you want before relocating them. A good starting point for your referenced folder structure is the organization you use inside your Library. You probably put a great deal of thought into that structure.
Recommended Migration Workflow
Once you have completed the preparation steps, the following migration steps will get you through the process of getting your images from Aperture to Capture One. The video linked to this article illustrates the preparation and migration processes. I recommend migrating in small batches. This will let you get comfortable with the process, allow you to edit your images in a smaller Capture One catalog before importing it into your master catalog, and help you track of your progress. I chose to migrate project by project since that is the library organizational unit that Aperture uses to “contain” images.
Master Aperture Library > Small Aperture Library > Small Capture One Catalog > Validate / Edit > Master Capture One Catalog
Select a project in your Aperture library and Export to a New Library in your working directory
Create a Capture One catalog in your working directory and import the new Aperture library
File > Import Catalog > Aperture Library
Validate all the images were imported and edit the images in the temporary Capture One Catalog
Close the temporary Capture One catalog and import it into your master Capture One Catalog
File > Import Catalog > Capture One Catalog
Validate the set of images imported into the master Capture One CatalogCapture One will import all the images and adjustments from the temporary Catalog and recreate previews and thumbnails of the imported images in the master Catalog. Let this process complete.
Repeat this process until all of your Aperture Library images have been successfully migrated into your master Capture One Catalog. If you have multiple Aperture Libraries, use multiple corresponding Capture One Catalogs in order to keep things straight. Do not hurry this process. Be patient and take your time. It is a deliberate and methodical process designed to ensure 100% success.
Comparing Aperture Organization to Capture One User Collections
The Library Tab in Capture One is where you organize your image collections. There is a Folders section that shows you where all of your images reside on disk. There also is a User Collections section that allows you to create virtual organizations of your images that may differ from the disk folder structure.
When you import an Aperture Library into a Capture One Catalog, some User Collections are created automatically. When you import a Capture One Catalog into another Capture One Catalog, you automatically get a User Collection that includes all the user collections of the imported Catalog.
Here are the similarities and differences between Aperture Library organization and Capture One Catalog User Collections.
Similarities:
Aperture Projects are converted to Capture One Projects
Aperture Folders are converted to Capture One Groups (Folders)
Aperture Albums are converted to Capture One Albums
Aperture nested Folders become Capture One nested Groups
Selecting a Project displays all the images in all the Albums it contains
Changing Inspector / Tool Tab panels does NOT change browser/viewer panel
Capture One has many built-in filters that let you search you catalog
Capture One creates a User Collection Group named after the imported Aperture Library
Your Aperture Library organization structure is recreated inside this Capture One Group
Aperture and Capture One allow you to place your tools on the left or right side
Aperture and Capture One allow you to customize the user interface (Capture One even more)
Customizable user interface (in Capture One can define and switch between workspaces)
Full screen, dual-monitor and floating resizable tool palettes support
Differences:
Projects are how Aperture groups images. Albums are how Capture One groups images.
Capture One creates an Album in each imported Project that holds the Aperture Project images.
Aperture associates images with Projects. Capture One associates images with Albums.
Aperture Versions can reside in different Albums. Capture One variants cannot (except Smart Albums).
Aperture Stacks can have different images. Capture One stacks contain the variants of a single image.
Selecting a Folder in Aperture displays all the images it contains.
