iPhoto is less user friendly than "My Pictures" on windows...

Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
409
Reaction score
3
Points
18
i dont know about anyone else but organizing/viewing photos on my pictures is so much more user friendly on my pictures than iphoto...

my two main issues:

1.)
i dont like how every single picture is viewable on the library..and deleting pics from the library deletes them from the actual folders they are in..



2.) say im browsing the net and i see a pic of a merceds mclaren...and i want to save it...normally on windows i could right click save and then save it to my pictures>>cars>>mercedes. (and if i dont have those sub- folders i can create them very easily in the same windows)

now i have to drag it to my desktop. then from the desktop drag it to my Iphoto library then from the library i gotta make a separate folder then separate album and then drag it from the library to the sub folder..


its soo much more work on iphoto




maybe im just not used to it...but so far saving pics and organizing them was so much easier on a pC....


STILL love otheer aspects of my mac tho! :)

im not complaining btw im just wanting to know how to use the photo system better

is the iphoto the most efficient user friendly picture organizing tool for the mac os?
 
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
103
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Atlanta, GA USA
I've had a few issues working with iPhoto too, but after doing some Googling or searching on Mac sites like this one I'll find an answer to my question. It certainly doesn't have the learning curve of Photoshop, but I would think with Apple's reputation for intuitiveness it would have been a little easier to use.
 
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
Messages
6,999
Reaction score
187
Points
63
Location
Hamilton College
Your Mac's Specs
20" iMac C2D 2.16ghz, 13" MacBook 2.0ghz, 60gb iPod vid, 1gb nano
1.)
i dont like how every single picture is viewable on the library..and deleting pics from the library deletes them from the actual folders they are in..

If you want to delete them from the albums, delete them from the albums. The library is the main copy where all the references come from. If you don't want the images to be seen in the library then don't put them in iPhoto

2.) say im browsing the net and i see a pic of a merceds mclaren...and i want to save it...normally on windows i could right click save and then save it to my pictures>>cars>>mercedes. (and if i dont have those sub- folders i can create them very easily in the same windows)

now i have to drag it to my desktop. then from the desktop drag it to my Iphoto library then from the library i gotta make a separate folder then separate album and then drag it from the library to the sub folder..

You can just drag onto the iPhoto icon and it will launch iPhoto and import it
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
250
Reaction score
13
Points
18
Location
Camp Douglas WI, for now
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 15, 1Gb RAM, 100GBHD, 2 Perfoma636CD, Apple, Apple IIe, + 2 PC, XP Pro 64bit, & ThinkPad
iPhoto is designed to organize them for you. As trpnmonkey41 stated you can drag the image to iPhoto. Or you can right-click, or ctrl-click on the image and select "Add Image to iPhoto Library".

I think the point is that they make it so you don't have to rummage around in directories. You just use the graphic user interface to access them, and let the program do the work.
 
OP
M
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
409
Reaction score
3
Points
18
If you want to delete them from the albums, delete them from the albums. The library is the main copy where all the references come from. If you don't want the images to be seen in the library then don't put them in iPhoto

dont put them in iphoto? hmm ok is there another program i can use ???

You can just drag onto the iPhoto icon and it will launch iPhoto and import it

yeah but its still more of a hassle than saving and organizing pics on a pc..
again may very well be that im just not used to it..but its stll true that on the pc u could do it in one simple step but on iphoto seems like multiple steps.
 
OP
M
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
409
Reaction score
3
Points
18
If you want to delete them from the albums, delete them from the albums. The library is the main copy where all the references come from. If you don't want the images to be seen in the library then don't put them in iPhoto

dont put them in iphoto? hmm ok is there another program i can use ???

You can just drag onto the iPhoto icon and it will launch iPhoto and import it

yeah but its still more of a hassle than saving and organizing pics on a pc..
again may very well be that im just not used to it..but its stll true that on the pc u could do it in one simple step but on iphoto seems like multiple steps.
 
OP
M
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
409
Reaction score
3
Points
18
iPhoto is designed to organize them for you.
.

see thanks i knew it was because i probably didnt know how to use it correctly how exactly do i let iphoto organize it for me?

I think the point is that they make it so you don't have to rummage around in directories. You just use the graphic user interface to access them, and let the program do the work

can u clarify a bit? i still have to rummage a bit thru sub folders to get the pic i want...



another BIG complaint i hav with iphoto is that...when i try to upload a photo on say myspace...it will bring me to a screen prompt and i can choose from desktop/applications/movies/music etc.

after clicking in "pictures" it prompts me to choose either "iphoto library" or "photo booth"

if i click on "iphoto library" it gives me all these weird options like "album data.xml" "data" dir.data" etc. ***?! lol why cant it just b simple like "my pictures" on PC?
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
250
Reaction score
13
Points
18
Location
Camp Douglas WI, for now
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 15, 1Gb RAM, 100GBHD, 2 Perfoma636CD, Apple, Apple IIe, + 2 PC, XP Pro 64bit, & ThinkPad
Ok, if you want to use iPhoto to organize all your images. Use iPhoto to create albums, and organize them that way. Don't worry about how the files are stored on the drive. Let the program worry about that, that's its job, it does it on it's own. Just like iTunes can keep your songs organized in a way that is efficient for it. While providing access to them in a way that makes sense to you.

when you ad a once you have your albums created. All you have to do after having added an image is put it the album you want it in.

As far as using the GUI, instead of using the iPhoto's folders. Don't use the folders at all. Just use the albums, and smart albums, and folders within iPhoto.

Keep in mind that my pictures, in windows isn't a program. It's just a folder, you are referring to the menu option within Internet Exploder. And there are other Internet browsers for Apple that have similar menu functions. Opera is one.
 
OP
M
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
409
Reaction score
3
Points
18
Ok, if you want to use iPhoto to organize all your images. Use iPhoto to create albums, and organize them that way. Don't worry about how the files are stored on the drive..


wait what??? lol im soo confused! how does iphoto organize my photos? if i add a picture of a pic of a BMW and a pic of say a pair of jeans, how will iphotos know how to differentiate the two??



also im having alot of trouble finding the photos i want to upload to sites like myspace .... :(
when i try to upload a photo .it will bring me to a screen prompt and i can choose from desktop/applications/movies/music/pictures etc.

after clicking in "pictures" it prompts me to choose either "iphoto library" or "photo booth"

if i click on "iphoto library" it gives me all these weird options like "album data.xml" "data" dir.data" etc. ***??? and then it shows me all these "rolls" i dont see any of my subfolders or albums i created

this is so complicated.
 
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
690
Reaction score
51
Points
28
Your Mac's Specs
macbook
i dont know about anyone else but organizing/viewing photos on my pictures is so much more user friendly on my pictures than iphoto...

my two main issues:

1.)
i dont like how every single picture is viewable on the library..and deleting pics from the library deletes them from the actual folders they are in..



2.) say im browsing the net and i see a pic of a merceds mclaren...and i want to save it...normally on windows i could right click save and then save it to my pictures>>cars>>mercedes. (and if i dont have those sub- folders i can create them very easily in the same windows)

1) well that makes perfect sense to me. iTunes works the same way. Folders and playlists work like aliases to the actual file, which resides in the library. Otherwise, you'd just be copying files and lose track of where the 'original' is, and at the same time, be using up more space than you need. The library is where everything stays, and you spread out and organise from there. It's really very simple.

2) Well, my uses for iPhoto differ. I don't save web pics on it at all. Being an amateur photographer, I like to keep my work in iPhoto, and nothing else.

Other pics, I organise manually in my own folders since I won't be using or viewing them as much.

As for saving from your browser, there are various ways of doing that. Click and drag into the library, or right click the image in the browser and choose 'save to iPhoto library'. Alternatively you could just save them all to the desktop and import all images at once.
It's probable that there's a Safari (or firefox) plugin which will allow greater integration between the two apps. I've got a helper app for iPhoto which allows me to simply select photos and automatically resize and upload them to my online galleries - so there is stuff like that which exists for macs ;)

I think you just need time to get used to the way iPhoto works. I had a few problems with getting iPhoto to work for me in the beginning, but it's all worth it now, and really simple.
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
250
Reaction score
13
Points
18
Location
Camp Douglas WI, for now
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 15, 1Gb RAM, 100GBHD, 2 Perfoma636CD, Apple, Apple IIe, + 2 PC, XP Pro 64bit, & ThinkPad
wait what??? lol im soo confused! how does iphoto organize my photos? if i add a picture of a pic of a BMW and a pic of say a pair of jeans, how will iphotos know how to differentiate the two??



also im having alot of trouble finding the photos i want to upload to sites like myspace .... :(
when i try to upload a photo .it will bring me to a screen prompt and i can choose from desktop/applications/movies/music/pictures etc.

after clicking in "pictures" it prompts me to choose either "iphoto library" or "photo booth"

if i click on "iphoto library" it gives me all these weird options like "album data.xml" "data" dir.data" etc. ***??? and then it shows me all these "rolls" i dont see any of my subfolders or albums i created

this is so complicated.

What you want to do is have iPhoto open, and after you hit the "choose file" button in myspace. the dialog will pop up. drag the photo from iPhoto, into the dialog box and it will find it for you.

Keep in mind that in windows, you are technically doing all the organization yourself. and "My Pictures" is just a folder, not a program. iPhoto is a program, that has a folder.
 
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
103
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Atlanta, GA USA
I can certainly relate to MacNewbie, I too was trying to work the Apple OS with a PC methodology and this only serves to complicate matters. I pretty much laughed out loud when I realized all you have to do is drag and drop songs in iTunes.

I was making folders, dragging songs into a folder thinking I had to load them with iTunes to a make play list and was just getting completely confused and lost.

When I download FireFox I was trying to put the .dmg and disk image into the Applications folders, it was laughable.
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
250
Reaction score
13
Points
18
Location
Camp Douglas WI, for now
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 15, 1Gb RAM, 100GBHD, 2 Perfoma636CD, Apple, Apple IIe, + 2 PC, XP Pro 64bit, & ThinkPad
Yah, Apple really understands the point of GUI. And that is why drag and drop, is a real feature in OSX. They make it so the machine works for you.
 
OP
M
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
409
Reaction score
3
Points
18
What you want to do is have iPhoto open, and after you hit the "choose file" button in myspace. the dialog will pop up. drag the photo from iPhoto, into the dialog box and it will find it for you.

Keep in mind that in windows, you are technically doing all the organization yourself. and "My Pictures" is just a folder, not a program. iPhoto is a program, that has a folder.



ok thanks for clarifying this for me..that makes a bit more sense..


so

1.) in order to upload a pic onto say myspace i have to have iPhoto running?? what if i want to do it manually? why is it separated by all these weird categories like "roll" this and "roll that" and "data.xl" etc. etc. it doesnt show any of the subfolders or albums i created??


2.) u mentioned that i can just save a pic to iphoto and have iphoto organize it for me? how do i do that? how will it differentiate a pic of a BMW and a pic of some jeans ??


thanks for ur help!
 

eric


Retired Staff
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
8,704
Reaction score
447
Points
83
Location
twin cities, mn, usa
i tried to use iphoto when i first got a mac and hated it too.
i still don't use it.

here are some alternatives...

try adobe bridge (available with elements and i'm sure the full version of photoshop) or image plus for browsing. neither are free...

i use xee as an alternative to windows fax an picture viewer (work a bit more like the native ms program (< and > to scroll through whole folders, and plenty of other handy shortcuts too). and it's free.
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2006
Messages
1,153
Reaction score
94
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook 2.0GHz White, 512MB RAM, 60GB HDD
The fundamental problem here is that iPhoto and 'My Pictures' are apples and oranges. They can't be compared because they aren't the same thing at all, in any way.

iPhoto is a program that lets you organise pictures. If you want to organise photos into sets, albums, date order, whatever, it's great. I use it for that.

My Pictures, on the other hand, is just a folder on the filesystem. If you want to do the same this on your Mac, go right ahead! Open Finder, click the 'Pictures' shortcut on the left, go mad. You can enable previews, have slideshows, everything else that My Pictures does on Windows.

iPhoto is not the only way to organise images on the Mac. It's *one* way to organise photos, but for just storing one off pictures you're better of just using Finder with previews.
 
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
470
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Arizona/ New York
Your Mac's Specs
15” Macbook Pro, Core 2 Duo, 2.4GHz, 4GB, 160GB HD
problems i see with iPhoto etc is when I also need to locate the file itself when i attach an image in an email or need to upload an image to a website etc? hmmm
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2006
Messages
1,153
Reaction score
94
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook 2.0GHz White, 512MB RAM, 60GB HDD
You don't need to locate the file - just drag it from iPhoto to whereever as if iPhoto was a Finder window. It will work fine.
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
250
Reaction score
13
Points
18
Location
Camp Douglas WI, for now
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 15, 1Gb RAM, 100GBHD, 2 Perfoma636CD, Apple, Apple IIe, + 2 PC, XP Pro 64bit, & ThinkPad
problems i see with iPhoto etc is when I also need to locate the file itself when i attach an image in an email or need to upload an image to a website etc? hmmm


Still the same, just drag the photo from iphoto to the dialog window that pops up for attaching files, or uploading images. And it will find it for you. You don't have to locate it at all.
 
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
470
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Arizona/ New York
Your Mac's Specs
15” Macbook Pro, Core 2 Duo, 2.4GHz, 4GB, 160GB HD
If there is a specific picture im using i just drag the image from iPhoto to the desktop for easy access then after im done with it drag the image to the trash from the desktop
 

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