iPhoto makes newbies crazy

Ok, so i read a few threads about photo organizing here, but iPhoto is still giving me a headache.
Maybe it is just so simple i'm lost?

Basically, back on my PC, as soon as i connected my camera i did two things:
1) give the pictures a folder with correspondent file names (no DSC9082934723.jpg, which i hate);

2) create a sub-folder where i'd batch them in a much smaller resolution (something like 500px X 375px) for e-mails and stuff.

that's all i wanted to do. i'm guessing automator can do that, but i have no clue where to start...

not sure about item (1), but in iPhoto there are button on the bottom bar for email, web, etc. You click that and it automatically resizes for email, web, whatever.

You can name each "roll" in iPhoto easily, but renaming individual pictures is still a one-at-a-time job, I believe (which is the same as on a PC as I recall).

1. When you connect your camera and it mounts, you are offered an option to name the roll/event (depending on which version of iPhoto you have). Once the photos are imported, you can use the Batch Change function (under Photos in the menubar) to batch change the names of the individual photos if you wish.


2. What Daddy Elmis said for email, web, etc.)! No need to create extra folders for this. If you want to upload multiple photos (say to Facebook, or something), select them, use the export function and you will be prompted to choose the size you want (smaller for email and uploading, etc.). Export them to your desktop and upload from there.

MissMurder said:

Ok, so i read a few threads about photo organizing here, but iPhoto is still giving me a headache.
Maybe it is just so simple i'm lost?

Basically, back on my PC, as soon as i connected my camera i did two things:
1) give the pictures a folder with correspondent file names (no DSC9082934723.jpg, which i hate);

2) create a sub-folder where i'd batch them in a much smaller resolution (something like 500px X 375px) for e-mails and stuff.

that's all i wanted to do. i'm guessing automator can do that, but i have no clue where to start...

Click to expand...

I know how you feel. I hated iPhoto when I first switched. It was too complicated (I thought). As it turns out it is pretty simple, and I am liking it more and more now. But you must let iPhoto do its thing.

My first recommendation is to set iPhoto to copy imported pictures to the iPhoto folder. This really bothered me at first, because I wanted to know where my photos were (like in Windows), and I didn't like the idea of having several copies of photos. But it makes it much more convenient for editing and you're much less likely to mess things up in the iPhoto library (as compared to keeping your originals in Finder...). Anyway, this setting is in the Advanced tab of iPhoto preferences.

I also have found things don't get fouled up as much if you do not allow iPhoto to Autosplit events. Bless its little heart, iPhoto tries really hard, but it's a hassle when it guesses wrong.

I think your 2nd question has been answered correctly, if not in great detail. Post back if you need more info on that. Here's my take on your first question: in iPhoto, filenames don't matter, because iPhoto keeps track of them all. I know this might freak you out; this really went against everything I held dear with my pictures in Windows. What you can see (and change) is photo Titles. After an import, you go to the event(s) and you can select the 13 pictures of the birthday party, and do a batch change (select this from right-click menu) on Titles. Let's say you retitle them "B-day Party." You have the option of appending a number (that is, B-day Party1, Bday Party2 ...) but you don't have to. All 13 photos will display "B-Day Party" as their title. That makes more sense to you, and only iPhoto knows that the files are really called DSC018472.jpg, DSC018473.jpg... you don't have to worry about it. So try not to worry about it..

Last bit of advice: since you are giving iPhoto all this power over your photos, it's important to backup your iPhoto library (and I keep the originals on an external drive too). Like the old adage goes, trust in iPhoto, but tie up your camel.