iPhoto and General Picture storage

Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hello, I am a Windows user experimenting with a new Mac. I need some help figuring out how to organize my photos and import new ones in general.

First, a little background: In Vista I had created folders to arrange all of my photos in. I had one for every year and then in those years I had photos for different events. I used Picasa to help me arrange the photos and it was straight forward and easy enough to manage.

Upgrade to OS X/iPhoto and I am a little stumped. I have copied all of my old photos and their folder structure into my Pictures folder on the iMac. I then imported them into iPhoto. It seems like iPhoto made duplicates of all of my image files and hides them under a single filename in my picture folder.

I like iPhoto but I am a little confused on how it works behind the scenes. Should I delete all of my original photos since iPhoto has now imported them in? Where should I store new photos I get off of my memory cards that aren't organized yet? If there are some tutorials or documents on this online already a link would be appreciated or maybe some Mac experts sharing how the do things.

I am stuck in the Windows flat folder storage way of thinking and can't get a grasp on iPhoto.
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
2,542
Reaction score
79
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
iMac Core Duo 20", iBook G4, iPhone 8GB :)
What iPhoto does, is it imports the pictures you dump into its library in its own folder which appears to you as a file. You can safely delete your pictures from your 'other folders' after importing them into iPhoto.

To check whether iPhoto has really imported your pictures in their full size, just click a picture in iPhoto and File > Export and send it to the desktop. If the file size is right, you are on the right track. I ask you to do this cause there is someone else having problems with iPhoto importing thumbnails.

From thereon, you let iPhoto do the picture management. Instead of putting them in folders, you let iPhoto create events. Follow the guided tours for more information on how to create events. Its not that difficult anyway.

If you plug in a memory card, open iPhoto. It will show you the import photos window. Enter roll information and click import. It will automatically create an event for that import. Then you can delete the photos from your memory card.

Do backup every once in a while though...cause you can never get photos back...
 
OP
A
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
1
That leads to another good question...how do I backup the iPhoto file store. Just backup that one file that it shows in my PIcture folder or does iPhoto have a backup option inside?
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
2,542
Reaction score
79
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
iMac Core Duo 20", iBook G4, iPhone 8GB :)
iLife guided tour: http://www.apple.com/ilife/guidedtour/

As for backing up, here's a few:

You can either click on Share > Burn and it will burn to DVD

You can click File > Export and it will export the selected pictures to wherever...

You can also right click that giant iPhoto file in the pictures folder and select "View Folder contents". That will show you a normal folder view of your iPhoto library. Go a little deeper and you will find all your pictures there. I don't recommend this cause you might damage some iPhoto internals and lose some data.
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
2,542
Reaction score
79
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
iMac Core Duo 20", iBook G4, iPhone 8GB :)
You are most welcome. Its just that I love iPhoto ;)!!!
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
687
Reaction score
14
Points
18
Location
Nashville, TN
Your Mac's Specs
2010 Macbook Pro, 8g RAM, iPhone 6, iPad Mini, Apple TV
f yuo imported all your files at one time, iPhoto will have created one large file with all of them in it. If you will/would import folder by folder, your organization will remain. Then, do what goobimama says. Just remember, do not muck about with your photos from within the iPhoto library in finder. Do all of your organization, etc. from within the app itself. You will save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache!

I, too, love iPhoto!
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
280
Reaction score
4
Points
18
Location
Blumenau, Brazil
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 2,33GHz C2D 2GB RAM 256MB video + LCD Samsung 20" 206BW + Maxtor OneTouch III 500GB
Hey guys, quick question here!

I want to use iPhoto to organize my library, and maybe for some basic editing on ramdom pics. But some of my pics, as I like to shoot RAW, I want to keep editing in Photoshop.

People say to export pics from the library to the desktop, or drag-and-drop to photoshop, so I can edit them.

My question is: After editing the picture, how do I import them back into iPhoto, without keeping the original one in the library (the export source)?

thank you in advance
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
2,542
Reaction score
79
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
iMac Core Duo 20", iBook G4, iPhone 8GB :)
Well how about you directly drag the photo from iPhoto onto the Photoshop icon in the dock. Then when you hit File > Save in photoshop, it will save over the original file....
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
2,542
Reaction score
79
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
iMac Core Duo 20", iBook G4, iPhone 8GB :)
Though, if you are a professional photographer, I would highly recommend Lightroom or Aperture...
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
687
Reaction score
14
Points
18
Location
Nashville, TN
Your Mac's Specs
2010 Macbook Pro, 8g RAM, iPhone 6, iPad Mini, Apple TV
You can set the preferences in iPhoto to use Photoshop as your editor, then after you edit and save, it will save back to the same place it started -- in iPhoto.
 
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
709
Reaction score
24
Points
18
Location
Louisville, KY
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook 2.4Ghz 4Gig Ram 250Gig HD
When I came over from the other side I was infuriated with iPhoto. Lost totally lost. My suggestion is when you come over and start moving files. Move one folder at a time. This will be turned into an event in iPhoto. I.E. if you are as I was you keep your pictures meticulously filled away in neat little folders. I now use events to replace this method. When I first came over I just dropped all my photos into iPhoto and thought cool its a done deal. Well it was an unruly mess forever. Imagine having 3500 picture in your library in no real order. I was going bonkers. So try what I said if that applies to you. One folder at a time. It saved me a ton of time on the back end!!

Oh, and welcome here!!
 

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