Q: will iPhoto work with El Capitan ?

FWIIW: my experiences:

I use Lightroom since V3. You have to import from folders with photos in it. A very satisfying package.

LTR is a photo organiser  combined with a very advanced editing functions (although just a little bit less than the "real" Photoshop app).

Now I have the LTR6 Standalone version which is a one time license (I don't like the recurring fee earning model).

I also use iPhoto sometimes, it is quite well running in ElCapitan. To avoid issues with updates in Appstore in ElCapitan, I dragged the iPhoto app from the Applications folder, and then installed it from the Purchased tab in Appstore, this then the latest Photo update, and it runs perfectlx well in ElCapitan. The difference is that iPhoto has the photos in it, LTR has just the data and previews in the Library and has the photos in folder(s) in Finder.

I also use Photoshop Elements (v14) which is sold as a "complete" package. I am not very enthousiast about PE: it is not an integrated package (as it used to be in Windows) but two apps: organiser (by far not as good as LTR) and an editor by far not as good as LTR. but it is very practical for beginners who want auto editing.

If you find LTR too expensive for what you use it for, you can look at GIMP for editing (Gimp is an editor only). Although the user interface is very different, the capabilities are comparable with Adobe Photoshop and at least equal to LTR6.

Lex

iPhoto is not included anymore in ElCapitan. But it will run perfectly well.

Do as I said: drag the icon iPhoto from the dock, drag iPhoto in the Applications folder to the trash. In the purchased tab in Appstore select iPhoto and click install.

that will reinstall the latest version of iPhoto.

When you want to work on a different iPhoto Library, just double click on it and it will open iPhoto.

Hi Terence & thank you for the lengthy reply. I'll use your numbering to keep it simple...

1) - "It has not replaced either with Photos." That's sort of playing with semantics isn't it? If Apple have "...ceased development of iPhoto and Aperture." And now only produce one photo handling app that appeared at roughly the same time the other two were dropped then I think it's fair to say that the new app has replaced the old even if the new is "...going in a different direction."

2) - Yes, fully understand that you can use Photos without using iCloud. That would never be an option for me with a 1TB+ image library anyway.

3) - I looked at Photos in its earlier incarnations and found it to be a very poor cousin of iPhoto when it came to library management and organisation.

It has been designed more for devotees of the selfie so they can easily track what they shot where & post it to their various SM accounts from multiple devices...

My take anyway.

3) - (part 2) - Incorrect. When you install an OS update or upgrade it automatically installs Photos. No biggie there BUT... when you restart, as you have to after an update/upgrade, one of the first things that happens is that you get a splash-screen telling you your library is being updated by Photos & the only way to stop this update is through a force quit.
This is what I have been onto Apple support about a number of times. I don't have issue with the OS installing or updating an integrated app.

What I have a serious problem with is the OS forcibly updating my library without asking permission & then switching my default image handling to a different app.

It's very dodgy accounting practice on Apples side. You can just see the internal memos "User uptake of Photos app has been very high..."
Yes, it has, because Apple are forcing users to make the update.

4) - When I next update I plan to do that & see if it then keeps trying to forcibly update my library.

I, too prefer IPhoto.  I'm running OS X 10.10.5 and can't get the updater to download the iPhoto 9.6.1 update...states it is unavailable.  I've tried the trash it and reinstall workaround, but can't get it to work.  Have you had any luck with that? Thank you!

Rector, One other question if I may...the last couple of times I did an OS update, it changes the default program to use for managing pictures to Photos instead of iPhoto.  So, even if I get iPhoto working again with the update workaround, how do I get the OS to use iPhoto instead of Photo?  In other words, how do you set iPhoto as the default picture application instead of Photo?  Thanks again!

A "solution" in another thread gives how to get the last iPhoto update in ElCapitan:

drag iPhoto from the Applications folder into the Trash. Do'nt empty the Trash.

now open Appstore and select the Purchased tab. select iPhoto and click "install".

That is all, you have now the latest version installed again.

Lex

Start Photos, uncheck everything in the Preferences. Then connect your iDevice, Photos probably starts and shows your iDevice, you can select don't import photos..

Close Photos.

Open Finder, select a photo file, in GetInfo, "open with", select iPhoto and check the "change all" .

1) - "It has not replaced either with Photos." That's sort of playing with semantics isn't it? If Apple have "...ceased development of iPhoto and Aperture." And now only produce one photo handling app that appeared at roughly the same time the other two were dropped then I think it's fair to say that the new app has replaced the old even if the new is "...going in a different direction."

It's a common confusion but no, it's not a replacement. The key is in expectation. If the app was designed to replace the other two you would expect it to have the same capabilities but it doesn't. It's only a shadow of Aperture in both processing and management functions and has some similarities with iPhoto but a whole other set of cross platform capabilities, and richer processing capabilities. It's a photo manager, yes, but the mistake is to expect it to behave the same as the other two. It's also a free application. A giveaway, which neither of the other two were. That's also a clue as to how flexible and capable it might be.

What management features are you missing? It doesn't have Events but it does have Moments, which are quite similar. Pretty much everything else is the same - Albums, Smart Albums, Keywording and so on. No ratings, true, but easily replaceable by a (standards compliant) keyword system. It has the same searching and so on. It can work with managed or referenced images and has at least one tool iPhoto missed there - the ability to consolidate a library. You have the same options for storing libraries and masters as iPhoto, plus the iCloud option. I note your comment about selfies and can't help but comment, as I have before, that folks are entitled to use their cameras as they choose and selfies have been around a very long time...

I don't understand why you get a splash screen for Photos unless you launch it, or why it updates a Library if you don't have one. I have two machine here. One has a Photos Library and I never see anything unless I launch the app. The other has no Library and I never hear from Photos at all.

That worked!  Thank you so much!!

great

Lex