Recommend best way to import photos

from windows machine environment to mac environment.

When I got my MBA I transferred all my personal photos into a folder on my mac with the same subfolders I used on my windows machine. Basically I have a subfolder for every topic - a vacation trip for example will have all the photos from that trip in a subfolder I have named for the destination and year.

Should I keep doing the same thing? Or should I move everything into iPhoto some how?

That really depends on whether you want to use iPhoto to manage your pics. Personally, I think iPhoto is great, some prefer other options are there are many.

Picassa (free)
iPhoto
Aperture
Adobe Lightroom
ACDSEE

Without a better idea on what you want out of the APP its hard to advise.

EDIT: I don't use the option but I believe you can continue the same folder structure in iPhoto, if you prefer

All I really want to do is to keep photos organized and sometimes edit a photo to enhance it a bit - in the past I used photoshop elements for this and I was completely satisfied. Nothing fancy. I do like to put together a slide show once in a while. That is about it. So in Windows I would just move the photos from my camera to appropriate folders that I created manually and then occasionally load a photo or two into elements to edit a bit. The only other thing is a like an easy way to make smaller e mail or web versions of photos to send to people or post. typicaly I would just use the same name with an "e" at the end so I could tell which verison as the full size file and which is the e version. What do you suggest? Does iphoto enable you to do simple editing like elements?

I think unless you are really set on maintains your own folders, you should let iPhoto do the work for you.
you can set up Adobe PSE as an external editor; I do this with Aperture and PSE.

Also, I highly reccommend iPhoto the Missing Manual for a great reference on using iPhoto.

What is the process to bring all these existing photos into iPhoto? There are probably 75 folders.

Been a while but I believe the first time you start iPhoto it will offer to search and import pics.
Or, you could just drag and drop the individual folders on iPhoto and it will take over from there.

EDIT: if the folders are in one big folder you can drag and drop it on iPhoto and it will import all automatically. Can do the same thing with external Hard Drives.

I did the drag and drop folder method and seem to have all come in. Now, are the files all duplicated and taking up unneeded disc space or what???

Yes they are. I'd back them up (external drive, online etc) then delete them.

That is what I will do. When time machine fills the attached disc and starts deleting - am I correct that you will lose the back ups of something you deleted immediately after the first time machine back up? So I need to make a second back up in this sort of situation? Is that correct? Maybe even a third.

Now I need to spend some time with iPhoto and learn how it works.

Time Machine will dynamically decide what to delete as time goes on. I would definitely make a dedicated backup whether to a separate external, online storage or disc

I'm really paranoid about losing my pics. If it were me I would copy them to an external HD or burn archive copies to DvD.

Razormac said:

That really depends on whether you want to use iPhoto to manage your pics. Personally, I think iPhoto is great, some prefer other options are there are many.

Picassa (free)
iPhoto
Aperture
Adobe Lightroom
ACDSEE

Without a better idea on what you want out of the APP its hard to advise.

EDIT: I don't use the option but I believe you can continue the same folder structure in iPhoto, if you prefer

Click to expand...

I read somewhere ACDSEE isn't supported by ML, Im sure Chas will know for sure ??

EDIT : Yes i was correct. Its doesn't work in ML . . . . . Yet !!!! From Roaring Apps

TattooedMac said:

I read somewhere ACDSEE isn't supported by ML, Im sure Chas will know for sure ??

Click to expand...

I have it on my Mac Mini that I just upgraded to ML; will check to see if it still works when I get home this evening.

Razormac said:

I have it on my Mac Mini that I just upgraded to ML; will check to see if it still works when I get home this evening.

Click to expand...

Cool let us know if it does then we can let Roaring Apps know. But they did say it didn't work.

TattooedMac said:

Cool let us know if it does then we can let Roaring Apps know. But they did say it didn't work.

Click to expand...

They are probably right . . . I honestly don't use it much. Got it on sale download from the MAS.

^^ Hard to believe though as i know when Chas was pushing it they were just starting out and all, and for a new company wanting to get into the ever growing Mac market, i would of though they would of kept the support going.

I suspect there is already an update waiting for download . . . agree it wouldn't make any sense for them not to support ML.

Thank you all.
One last question - where are the photos I just imported to iPhoto located?

In Pictures/iPhoto Library

It's a package of folders and files. You CAN get into that package manually but I'd urge you not too and do all your photo management in iPhoto directly

So, time machine should back that data up. The copy I make in separate drive is belt and suspenders. Right?