Apple Announces Aperture 2.1

Apple has announced its new Aperture 2.1 with powerful image editing plug-in architecture which allows photographers to easily use specialized third party imaging software right from within Aperture, aiming to enhance the user experience in Apple’s Aperture photo-editing package.

“The image quality in Aperture 2 has won over the most demanding photographers,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “Now, thanks to our open plug-in architecture, users can access an entire industry’s worth of imaging expertise without ever leaving Aperture.”

According to the company, this updated Aperture 2.1 includes the new Apple-developed plug-in – Dodge & Burn, which adds brush-based tools for dodge (lighten), burn (darken), contrast, saturation, sharpen and blur.

“To date, maybe two percent of my photographs needed to be touched up outside Aperture,” said John Stanmeyer, founding member of the VII Photo Agency and contributing photographer for Time and National Geographic magazines. “Now that I can dodge and burn right within Aperture’s new plug-in, I can’t imagine when I’ll have to open any other application to tone my images.”

The new Aperture 2.1 is available now as a free upgrade for Aperture 2.0 users.