New iPhoto Boasts Impressive Image Editing

Pam Pfiffner

It’s been a busy week in the world of image editing. Adobe released Photoshop Touch for the iPad 2 last week, just days before the announcement of the new iPad. Then the company ships Lightroom 4, a release that starts to blur the lines between it and Photoshop. Now Apple introduces a new version of iPhoto — two versions, actually. iPhoto ’11 is for laptop and desktop Macs, while iPhoto for iOS is for the iPad 2 or newer.
Most of the buzz is about iPhoto for the iPad and iPhone that, coupled with the high-resolution retina displays of both devices, promises a rich imaging experience. From casual observation it appears as if iPhoto for the iPad is more fleshed out than Photoshop Touch, which is a mixed bag of finesse tools and overlooked features (I have not yet had hands-on experience with either). I have a sneaking suspicion that Adobe rushed out Photoshop Touch in order to steal some thunder from Apple and iPhoto. However, Apple has the upper hand in pricing. Its iPhoto app is just $4.99 while Photoshop Touch is $9.99.
iPhoto ’11 and iPhoto for the iOS share many of the same features. Both versions boast a streamlined interface with larger images that are displayed on a dark background. The new Journals feature allows users to create a collection of photos that can be annotated uploaded to Facebook or Apple’s iCloud for sharing with friends and family. As you develop projects, image stacks appear on virtual shelves (a la Newsstand or Library) and organized by several criteria, including Albums, Journals, and Events, all of which can be tagged with GPS data.
Both the desktop and iPad iPhotos boast impressive image editing capabilities, many of which can be applied with one click, or in the case of the iPad version, one touch or swipe. When deciding which special effect to use, a fanbook of variations appears at the bottom so you can see at a glance what to use and to what extent. Various touch-up brushes — such as one for repairing images and another for removing red-eye — similarly pop up from the bottom of the screen for your selection.
Of course what’s really neat about iPhoto for iOS is the fact that it works on an iPad, which means all photo tools and features are gesture-based. In other words, all you need is a finger (or two) to change the saturation or adjust exposure by tapping or swiping the image on the iPad touchscreen.

iPhoto ’11 does have output capabilities that iPhoto for iOS does not. As with previous versions, you can craft photobooks, cards, calendars, and so on, and upload them for printing. What’s new is that you can elect to have your project produced with letterpress printing for text and decoration then overlaid with digital elements like the photo itself.
The Apple website has more info about iPhoto ’11 including videos. You’ll also find information about iPhoto for iOS on the Apple website.