02-19-2011, 09:52 AM

I take a lot of photos - about 10,000 each year - and I have acquired iPhoto with my new MacBookPro. I have struggled to understand and apply the programme, and I feel as though it controls me rather than me controlling it. At the moment any downloads seem to end up in batches all named 23 December 2010, or I get all my pics in one massive file. I have spoken to a 'younger' friend who also has Mac and she gave up on iPhoto ages ago for the same reasons. What are we doing wrong, are the difficulties common, do I need to abandon it in favour of something more useable?

02-19-2011, 10:05 AM

iPhoto works great, but if you're used to manually managing your photo files, it will require a change in your thought process if you intend to get the most out of it.

iPhoto kind of works like iTunes for pictures. It manages how your photos are stored, backed up and stores the original as well as any revisions to it. When you download images from your camera, it checks the date stamp on the pictures and sorts them by "events". If your camera was date stamping all of your photos with one particular date, then it will consider that a single event. Of course, you can group them any way you like once they're imported - this is just the default behavior.

Like with any new tool, I recommend you give it a chance before you decide it isn't for you.

Apple's 'Getting Started' guides are here:
Apple - Support - iPhoto

ScreencastsOnline has some great tutorials as well (for lots of popular products including iPhoto '11):
New to Mac?

02-19-2011, 10:49 AM

Most of those of us who are into photography (from what I have seen) tend not to use iPhoto (not that it isn't a good program). We tend to gravitate into one of three schools:

1) Aperture
2) Lightroom
3) picassa or another package (or combination thereof)

So, no, if you don't care for iPhoto you don't have to live with it.

02-19-2011, 11:17 AM

If you sorted your photos into separate folders before you import them into iPhoto then iPhot would create an 'Event' for each folder each named with the folder name.

02-20-2011, 10:18 AM

What I would like to do Sawday, is download my photos every day with a date code, and then, when I have a little spare time, move them into relevant folders. iPhoto just seems to take over and give me insufficient choices. I know I have a lot to learn and I want to persevere before changing, but I don't want to be left with a backlog that is too big to tackle.

02-20-2011, 11:54 AM

I use Aperture instead of iPhoto, but honestly I think you're making this a lot harder than it really is.

Suggest you pick up a copy of 'iPhoto the Missing Manual'.

iPhoto is far from perfect, but the limited description of shortcomings you describe are easily overcome with a little familiarization with the program.
Having said that, there are many other options. If iPhoto isn't for you, try one of the others. Most have free trials.

02-20-2011, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Sawday

If you sorted your photos into separate folders before you import them into iPhoto then iPhot would create an 'Event' for each folder each named with the folder name.

+1 here...don't let the camera connect to iPhoto ( first ) simply download to a general folder...separate...then import to iphoto...also as mentioned...don't give up too early...Once you establish a simple workflow...it will be smooth...

02-20-2011, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Razormac

Most of those of us who are into photography (from what I have seen) tend not to use iPhoto (not that it isn't a good program). We tend to gravitate into one of three schools:

1) Aperture
2) Lightroom
3) picassa or another package (or combination thereof)

I do take a lot of pics, but most are used on the forum of the website I am involved with. Picture quality isn't crucially important and I try to get the best results at the time to avoid time spent editing. On that basis, which of the above would you choose?

02-20-2011, 01:29 PM

I haven't used it but Picassa seems to be a popular choice. My own preference is for Aperture, but then again I shoot RAW and am concerned most of all with final quality.

02-21-2011, 04:03 AM

Thanks folks - I agree that I need to be more familiar before deciding. I have now printed off many of the iPhoto help pages and I will start to work through them. Hopefully, that will help.

02-21-2011, 05:50 PM

Don't forget to check out the comprehensive tutorials and videos the support pages on the Apple website.