Multiple photos and space overload!

Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I have a 2009 MacBook Pro and I'm a Photographer. So you can imagine the amount of used space I have. I've only had my computer for a year and I'm already getting constant "Start-up disk full" announcements on end. I delete pictures all the time just so I can at least get 1gig of extra space.

I use iPhoto to store my pictures, and personally it works. And to make a long story longer, I just found out today that when I upload my photos onto my iPhoto, not only is it uploading there, but it's going somewhere else on my computer! So I'm getting multiple pictures in different places, and when I'm deleting pictures on my iPhoto- I'm not *actually* deleting the picture!

So now, not only do I have 20,000+ photos all from last November to present, but I have to go through and delete what I thought was already deleted!

My question: Why is it doing that and how do I make it stop?

Help!

Thanks for reading. ;D
 

CrimsonRequiem


Retired Staff
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
6,003
Reaction score
125
Points
63
Your Mac's Specs
MBP 2.3 Ghz 4GB RAM 860 GB SSD, iMac 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 32GB RAM, Fusion Drive 1TB
I can't really comment on iPhoto because I don't really use it.

For one thing if you are thinking about doing this professionally I would use something other than iPhoto. Not that there is anything wrong with using it...it just seems to make things more complicated then it needs to be. Especially when we are talking about disk space.

Seems to me...you need to invest in an external HDD or some kind of backup system for your photos.
 

RavingMac

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
8,303
Reaction score
242
Points
63
Location
In Denial
Your Mac's Specs
16Gb Mac Mini 2018, 15" MacBook Pro 2012 1 TB SSD
If you're going to use iPhoto I would recommend picking up a copy of iPhoto the Missing Manual.
My feeling though is you would be better served in the long run given your library size (20,000+) in switching to Aperture (which I use) or one of the other available photo management packages. One of the things Aperture does is let you easily set up and switch between multiple libraries. This makes it particularly easy to park/archive photos on an external drive. To use you simply plug in the drive switch to the library in Aperture and you're in business.
Not saying other programs aren't as good but I use and am familiar with Aperture.
 
C

chas_m

Guest
I have a 2009 MacBook Pro and I'm a Photographer. So you can imagine the amount of used space I have. I've only had my computer for a year and I'm already getting constant "Start-up disk full" announcements on end. I delete pictures all the time just so I can at least get 1gig of extra space.

Let me comment on this first. You *SERIOUSLY* need to do more to free up space on your computer like RIGHT NOW. Mac OS X needs room to work and "less than 1GB" isn't going to cut it -- I usually suggest keeping between 12-20GB free *at minimum* for smooth operation.

You are *seriously* risking a corrupted directory and data loss.

iPhoto and most other photo programs don't require that you leave the photo library on your boot drive, so that's the obvious first step you should take. It's very easy to do:

1. Copy (not move, COPY) the entire iPhoto Library package to the new drive.
2. Start up iPhoto holding down the Shift key. You'll be asked to pick a new library or create one. You want to pick the one on the new drive.
3. Once you're sure everything looks normal (all photos present, etc), you can THEN safely delete the old one. iPhoto will be default go to the new one until you create or change any new libraries.
4. If you accidentally start up iPhoto and the drive with the library is not mounted, it should simply give you the option to create or point to a different library.

PS. This basically works for iTunes as well, slightly differently but basically the same idea. Another way to "slough off" GB's of data.

And to make a long story longer, I just found out today that when I upload my photos onto my iPhoto, not only is it uploading there, but it's going somewhere else on my computer!

Not by default it isn't. Photos imported into iPhoto go to precisely one place -- the iPhoto Library (which looks like a file but is actually a "package" or some might say "a vault"). If your photos were in another location and then imported into iPhoto, you can then delete the "originals."

So I'm getting multiple pictures in different places, and when I'm deleting pictures on my iPhoto- I'm not *actually* deleting the picture!

No, again not true. What's probably confusing you is that iPhoto has its own trash (doesn't use the trashcan on the Dock). So when you delete a photo, the reference to it gets removed but it doesn't actually go away until you empty the IPHOTO trash (under the file menu).

This was done deliberately as a safety feature, since way too many people dump stuff first and regret it later.

I agree with others -- once you get past 20,000 photos or so, iPhoto just doesn't cut it as a management app, nice though it is. You need to move on to something better that can handle large libraries. There are several good programs for this out there, and the good news is that there will soon be another one: ACDSee Pro for Mac is coming (currently in Public Beta, see my sig for details). Take a look around, all the programs used for this sort of stuff have free trials or demos, see which one works best for you.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top