Arbitrary saving and organizing in iPhoto

Before I got the new iLife update my photos, when uploaded, would automatically be saved by iPhoto under Pictures>iPhoto Library> Year (eg. 2006)>Month (12)>Day (01).
Now, however, since installing the upgrade iPhoto automatically saves my pictures in either Modified or Originals and then organizes them by rolls (eg. Roll 138). This has made it much harder to find photos when I want to send them to somebody.
I have looked in Preferences and I can't find any option that lets you tell iPhoto how you want you pictures to be organized on the hard drive. I was fine with the old system and would like to just switch back to organizing by year, month, and day.

Artgirl137:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
This has made it much harder to find photos when I want to send them to somebody.
All you need to do is select the photos in iPhoto that you want to email and click on the email button at the bottom. It will open Mail, insert the photos in the size you choose, and you're on your way.
iPhoto is designed so that the user doesn't have to go into the Finder to get photos for mailing or use by other applications. It can be done all within iPhoto.

Similar Messages

Editing and Organizing in IPhoto

When i make several changes to a photo, I get the message saving changes, That is ok, But when i download the photos unto a disc to get
printed, Not only do i get the photos that i edited, I also get the old photos that was changed as well, So instead of having about 100 photos on my album i end up with about 400 on the disc. Can someone tell me what to do to avoid this, its driving me mad. ( Kevin )

See my post http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1216978#1216978. That will explain what you did and how to correct it.
G4 DP-1G, 1G RAM, 22 Display, 2-80G HD, QT 7.0.3P Mac OS X (10.4.3) Canon S400, i850 & LIDE 50, Epson R200, 2G Nano
G4 DP-1G, 1G RAM, 22 Display, 2-80G HD, QT 7.0.3P Mac OS X (10.4.3) Canon S400, i850 & LIDE 50, Epson R200, 2G Nano

Saving and organizing imported file to time capsule

Long time PC user utilizing Picassa for photos management. Recently bought macbook pro and time capsule and have moved all photos from external hd to tc. how do i access these photos through iphoto while keeping them on tc vs notebooks hd? currently photos are in separate folders by event. will iphoto library recognize?
thanks for everyone's time...

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
This is not a recognised use for a Time Capsule and some folks have reported issues when trying this.
Note also the caveats below.
However, what you want to do is run a Referenced Library.
*How to do it:*
Simply go to iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'.
*What Happens:*
Now iPhoto will not copy the files, but rather simply reference them on your HD. To do this it will create an alias in the Originals Folder that points to your file. It will still create a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version within the iPhoto Library Folder.
*Some things to consider:*
1. Importing and deleting pics are more complex procedures. You have to to put the files where they will be stored before importing them. When you delete them you'll need to remove the files from the HD yourself.
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. *Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes*.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
4. Because iPhoto has no tools for managing Referenced Files, if, for some reason, the path to the photos changes then you could find yourself resolving aliases for +each photo in the Library+ one by one.
My own opinion:
I've yet to see a good reason to run iPhoto in referenced mode unless you're using two photo organisers.
If disk space is an issue, you can run an entire iPhoto Library from an external disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) :
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library as an entity from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
If you're concerned about accessing the files, There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
*For Users of 10.5 and later*
You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
*For users of 10.4 and later* ...
Many internet sites such as Flickr and SmugMug have plug-ins for accessing the iPhoto Library. If the site you want to use doesn’t then some, one or any of these will also work:
To upload to a site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. However, if you're using Gmail you can use iPhoto2GMail
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
*If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running*:
For users of 10.6 and later:
You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu. Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.
For Users of 10.4 and later:
Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser
Other options include:
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
Regards
TD

Organizing in iPhoto overwhelming...any tips?

I switched from a pc to a mac a few months ago and I have finally gotten around to trying to organize my 3000 some photos in iPhoto, but I'm finding the whole process to be overwhelming and confusing. This is going to sound incredibly vague, but I was just wondering if anyone has any general advice as to how they've simplified and organized their iPhoto library. Mine's a mess right now (modified, original, photos by year, on my hard drive by roll, etc.). Has anyone found a simple way to organize photos? Thanks!

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
The first thing to remember with iPhoto is that you do all your work in the iPhoto Window. When you talk about the Originals Modifieds etc., you're looking into the iPhoto Library Folder in the Finder. Don't, in a word. There are no user serviceable parts there. Bluntly, making changes in the iPhoto Library Folder will corrupt your library.
iPhoto is a database, and like any database it requires that you manipulate the data via the app itself, and not through a back door. So, in the iPhoto Window you can create albums, Smart albums based on date, keywords and many other criteria or in Rolls. Make slideshows, edit your pics and so forth. Everything you need to do can be achieved via the iPhoto Window.
You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically.
If you need to access your files: There are three ways (at least) to get files from the iPhoto Window.
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
To upload to MySpace or any site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. If you're using Gmail you can use THIS
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser. Or, if you want to access the files with iPhoto not running, then create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use THIS
Also, for 10.5 users: If you use the extended Open or Attach dialogue (with Column View) you can scroll to the bottom of the Shortcuts and find the Media browser there. Select any pic you want from there.
BTW here's how the iPhoto Library Folder is laid out: A Note about the iPhoto Library Folder:
In this folder there are various files, which are the Library itself and some ancillary files. Then you have three folders
Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.
(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.
This allows the Photos -> Revert to Original command - very useful if you don't like the changes you've made.
(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.
Rolls in the iPhoto Window (View -> Film Rolls) correspond exactly with the Roll Folders in the Originals Folder in the iPhoto Library Folder. You can move photos between Rolls, you can rename rolls, edit them, create them, as long as you do it via the iPhoto Window. Check out the Info Pane (wee 'i', lower left) the name and date fields are editable. Edit a Roll Name using the Info Pane, the Roll Folder in iPhoto Library Folder/Originals will also have the new name.
Regards
TD

Editing and organizing photos outside of iphoto

Apple Tech Support tells me that iphoto only works for photos imported via digital camera hookup. I have many photos on my hard drive that were input via CD or email .jpg files. I understand I cannot edit these photos using any software that comes with the Mac, and I have to organize and store them outside of iphoto. Is there any Apple-compatible software other than Adobe Photoshop that I might buy to have more flexibility in editing and organizing all my photos? I am currently using a Mac Mini with the Panther 10.3 OS.

I understand I cannot edit these photos using any software
that comes with the Mac, and I have to organize and store them
outside of iphoto.
The first part of this statement might be accurate if your mini did not come with GraphicConverter among the bundled applications, but whoever left you with the impression that iPhoto won't accept anything but camera-generated images is misinformed. Launch iPhoto and select iPhoto Help from the Help menu. Enter the phrase "importing photos" in the search window, and have a look.

Condensing and organizing iPhoto library

I'm trying to figure out the best way to condense and organize my pictures that are stored both an internal and external hard drive. I've been reading some different posts and articles to figure out what to do but am still not sure.
I recently just started to keep closer track of the photos on my internal hd by changing their titles, assigning keywords, etc. and want to do that with my photos that are on my external as well. I don't have the hard drive space to import all of these pics back in to iPhoto but thought I could do this is in batches. Once I've imported and organized these as I'd like what's the best way to move these batches back to the hard drive?
I get confused with whether I should just drag the images straight out of iPhoto, drag from the data/original/modified folders (in the iPhoto library) or do I just copy the entire iPhoto library on to the hard drive each time? Would I simply copy over the older version each time I do this? Also if I've read correctly I should be able to choose which library I want to operate from upon start up of iPhoto.....so I could switch back an forth between my older and newer images? Hope this makes sense and thanks for any responses.

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
As you are using iPhoto 6 it’s very easy to simply have 2 Libraries, one on your internal, one on your external drive:
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Create Library' to make a second Library on your external.
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' will allow you to choose which Library to open too.
As you are still using iPhoto 6 keywords added to Photos are not maintained outside of an iPhoto Library. (If you upgrade to a later version you can do this)
drag from the data/original/modified folders (in the iPhoto library)
Never, ever. Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
Managing Multiple Libraries - including moving pics/albums/rolls and metadata between them - is greatly facilitated by using iPhoto Library Manager
Regards
TD

Upgraded to Mavericks and installed new iphoto but can't get iphoto to work

I have not been able to open my iphoto library with the current version after installing Mavericks and purchasing/installing iphoto 9.5
Here's the system info: iMac (from Dec. 2007)
2.8 GHz Core duo
4 GB SDRAM
OS X 10.9.1 (as of yesterday)
Iphoto 08 (7.1.5) lived on a network drive ( Lacie cloud drive) shared between a pc and a mac.
Upgraded to 9.5 yesterday
I used time machine backup before installing Mavericks and proceeded to try to upgrade iphoto. However, I did not make a backup of my system after this installation and before I installed the new iphoto. Does Time machine backup iphoto files located on a network drive? Does it matter that the backup was made with snow leopard and not Mavericks?
I followed instructions on a thread indicating that iphoto Library upgrader 1.1 should be used to prepare my old library prior to opening with iphoto 9.5.
When I double-clicked the upgrader it gave me this message:
Your library can open with the current version of iPhoto and does not need to be prepared with this tool.
I noticed that the iphoto icon has already changed from orange to blue.
OK- great! So I go to the freshly installed iphoto and try to open my library and get this message:
The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto.
Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade. The upgrade process for very large libraries may take an hour or more to complete.
Alright, so I click the upgrade button and I get the beachball of death for about 15 minutes and then see a message that says:
Examining photo library- Examining with the beachball of death goes on for another 10 minutes and then iphoto just crashes and closes.
Back to searching through threads- Ah- try option + cmd while opening iphoto to rebuild the database but then get this message AGAIN:
The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto.
Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade. The upgrade process for very large libraries may take an hour or more to complete.
And so, the cycle continues....
After reading through a few other discussion I discovered that the iphoto library should have been on a drive formated as Mac OS extended (journaled)
So- I format an external harddrive as Mac OS extended (journaled) and proceed to copy the iphoto library (234 GB) onto the external harddrive and after about 30 minutes I received this message:
The operation can’t be completed because an item with the name “iPhoto Library” already exists. I click OK and everything stops and shuts down.
Is it possible to get rid of Mavericks and go back to my original iphoto 08 using the time machine backup? If so, should I then use the upgrader before installing Mavericks and the new iphoto?
At this point I have no clue how to proceed. I am trying not to panic but this process is starting to drive me a little bananas and my brain is slowly, but surely, melting away.
Please help save my sanity. Please.
Thank you.

The problem is the library has been damaged from sitting on the Network Drive, and frankly, returning to the old OS won't change anything, nor will downgrading iPhoto. You're going to have this issue once you try and move the Library, or update it in any way, and - even if you stick with the old version of iPhoto, you're going to start having issues just saving edits, sharing and so on.
So, you're between a rock and a hard place.
I've no idea if TM backs up material on a NAS, but I do know that it can be set to back up externald rives. I'm somewhat surprised that you don't know, as this is your back up system that you created and the easiest route out of this situation. NOw there's only one way to find out.
So, my first effort would be to try restore the Library from TM to the correctly formatted drive:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4927?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
will help with that.
If that doesn't work or is not possible, your next effort is to try rebuild the Library to the correctly formatted drive:
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
If that doesn't work, then you're recovering the masters from the Library and starting over from scratch.

Photoshop cs4 and import to iphoto problem

Hi to all,
I would appreciate any help on this problem:
I process a raw file through camera raw 5.1 in photoshop cs4 and then save it as a jpeg.
I then try to import the jpeg file to iphoto, but iphoto says the file is unreadable and can't import it.
In photoshop cs3 I never encountered this problem.
The only way I can solve it is if i open the jpeg file in preview and save it again as jpeg. then i am able to import the new jpeg.
Any ideas how to solve this?
Thanks in advance for your help.

process a raw file through camera raw 5.1 in photoshop cs4 and then save it as a jpeg.
I then try to import the jpeg file to iphoto, but iphoto says the file is unreadable and can't import it.
That's because you're saving it inside the iPhoto Library package and trying to import from there. You must save all RAW edited files to the desktop or outside of the iPhoto Library package. iPhoto will not import any file located inside it's library package.
If you use CS4 to edit jpgs from within iPhoto the following may be of help to you:
Using Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) as Your Editor of Choice in iPhoto.
1 - select Photoshop as your editor of choice in iPhoto's General Preference Section's under the "Edit photo:" menu.
2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop. When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.
3 - however, if you get the navigation window that indicates that PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file. You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
NOTE: With Photoshop Elements 6 the Saving File preferences should be configured: "On First Save: Save Over Current File". Also I suggest the Maximize PSD File Compatabilty be set to Always.
If you want to use both iPhoto's editing mode and PS without having to go back and forth to the Preference pane, once you've selected PS as your editor of choice, reset the Preferences back to "Open in main window". That will let you either edit in iPhoto (double click on the thumbnail) or in PS (Control-click on the thumbnail and seledt "Edit in external editor" in the Contextual menu). This way you get the best of both worlds
2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop. When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.
3 - however, if you get the navigation window that indicates that PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file. You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
Note: There's now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

HT5129 I have 30+ iPhoto Libraries, so every time I open one, iphoto wants to copy the 3 events I had out there when MobileMe shut down. Those 3 events are saved in the appropriate iPhoto libraries. Wish I had deleted them on MobileMe! How do I turn this

I have 30+ iPhoto Libraries, so every time I open one, iPhoto wants to copy the 3 events I had out there when MobileMe shut down. Those 3 events are already saved in the appropriate iPhoto libraries. Wish I had deleted them on MobileMe! How do I turn this process off?

As Larry mentioned I use a different DAM (digital asset management) appliclation, Media Pro 1. For other possible DAM apps visit The DAM Forum which is for professional photographers. There the various apps are discussed along with workflows. If nothing else you'll get some good information on managing digital "negatives".
Media Pro lets you manage the folder organization of your photos and write metadata, keywords, titles, and other metadata directly back to the files. No matter what app you go with have a backup plan in place to keep current backups of your source photos on separate hard drives.

Importing and organizing raw video footage - options

greetings-
Looking for a better solution, if available, for importing & organizing raw video. I am using imovie for now. Soon to switch to FC express. After much exploring & learning on my new machine (recent convert), I’m a bit frustrated on how it video is handled.
Please correct any of these that I’ve got wrong, but it appears that:
Importing video (from DV camera) with programs provided on my machine can only be done through imovie and idvd.
Importing video through these programs requires creating a project, and importing the video to that project.
Then that imported video is associated with that project.
So I want to take the imported clips (say from imovie), and organize them archiving, use on other projects, backup, etc. I know that I can find the actually video files by control clicking on the project in finder, hit show package, and get to "clip 1, clip 2...clip 55". This represents the raw footage, but now I’ve got say 55 separate clips, for just one import.
I’d like to effectively organize my various raw videos by year/event etc. So that when working a project, a can pull in the different footage that I want to use. For instance, I previously imported and organzied video footage with my PC editing software, and now, thankfully, I can just bring that various footage from the external drive into Imovie and edit. If I want to do a project and grab some footage from 04, 05, 06, it's all right there.
Is there a better solution for import & organizing my raw video clips more efficiently with imovie or idvd?? Or perhaps another program. Such that I’ve got the 1/2 hr of video "Christmas 05", one file (not 40 seperate clips), saved, and can pull it into projects as needed in the future... Ideally maintaining the clip breaks. Am I asking to much from apple? How do you all import/manage/save your imported video?
Much thanks for any feedback!
20" G5 core duo Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Ciao Rubbersoul,
unfortunately iMovie doesn't allow you to rename the clips (other than within the project), so if you want to label them for future reference, you'll have to do that outside iMovie.
I personally save the best shots from each project to an external hard drive using the following method:
• simply drag the desired clips from the iMovie project to the desktop
• organize the clips by creating the appropriate folders (e.g. by subject, time, etc.), so you'll find your footage faster
• rename the clips within the folders. If you don't need to give each clip a separate name, you can use tools like Renamer4Mac (http://www.power4mac.com) to batch-rename the clips.
• transfer and organize your folders/clips on the external (Firewire) hard disk. You can do that manually or by using media browsers like iDive to organize and view your clips. iDive is a digital hub that can help you to keep not only your video but also music and pic collections under control, and it integrates with iMovie and FCE/FCP. Check it out here:
http://www.aquafadas.com/idive-digital-video/index.php
Always remember that DV eats up a lot of disk space and don't forget to back up your footage to tape.
spero che ti sia d'aiuto
mish

How do i save my photo library and then reinstall iphoto 11

Hi Everyone
I was having a problem with imovie which kept crashing so (probably unwittingly) decidied to reinstall ilife 11 to see if that would fix the problem - which it didnt but we will ignore that for now.
A resulting consequence of this action was that the iphoto app has a no entry sign over it and comes up with an error message saying 'you cant open the application iPhoto because it may be damaged or incomplete.
Does anyone know how to fix this???
I have saved my iphoto library to an external hard drive so am now thinking that I should completely delete the iphoto app (and I'm not sure how to do that either) and then reinstall from the iLife 11 disc that I have.
Is this the best way to resolve it as I would hate to loose any photo's, events, and various faces that i have saved etc etc
Cheers

For iPhoto, see > iPhoto: How to move the Library folder to a new location
For iTunes, see > iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Media folder

Where and how does iPhoto store photos?

I have iPhoto 2009 and tens of gigabytes of photos, maybe 10,000 in all.
Currently, I have been dumping these photos into my Pictures folder, then importing them into iPhoto. My questions are:
1) What's getting stored, and where?
2) Is this the best strategy?
3) What about duplicates? Do I just delete them from my iPhoto library, and leave them in my Picture folder? For example, I have hundreds of shots that I created as both RAW and JPEG. That's what I want to keep on disk, but I don't need duplicates in iPhoto.
4) How do I go about organizing my photos? Should I have a maximum number of photos in a given folder? And how should I organize all this in iPhoto?
I know these seem like stupid questions. I'm not a stupid user; I have 25 years of experience. I'm just looking for best practice suggestions and a deeper understanding of what is stored and where, and where I will hit performance problems.

the pictures in my Pictures folder have been copied into iPhoto, (into an enormous invisible folder somewhere)
Nothing enormous or invisible.
Since iPhoto 7 (iLife 08) the old iPhoto Library Folder is now a Package File. This is simply a folder that looks like a file in the Finder. The change was made to the format of the iPhoto library because many users were inadvertently corrupting their library by browsing through it with other software or making changes in it themselves.
Want to look inside? Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
Standard Warning: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
How the files are stored: You have three core folders
Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.
(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.
(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.
See? No secrets.
I can be confident that they'll be backed up with Time Machine,
Yes, or any other Back Upmutility you choose
and they will remain in their original format (unless I edit within iPhoto),
Yes, as you can see from your look inside iPhoto
and, if I later choose a different photo management program, photos in the iPhoto library are still discrete files that I can copy using the Finder?
Yes, though the more correct way would be to export via iPhoto. Why? Because this will allow you to write any metadata you add in iPhoto to the files.
Regards
TD

Uploading Pics and Organizing

I have several questions regarding organizing in iPhoto 6.
1. Is there a way to save uploads to an album in addition to the main library? To date, I have to upload and then go to the main library and drag and drop all the photos I uploaded to a newly created album.
2. Is there a way to see what photos in the library have not been copied to an album? I like to have all my photos in albums, but when I download several new pics that belong in various albums, it is difficult to search through the library to figure out which photos have been copied to an album. My kids also download from their cameras, and I never know if they copied to an album or not.
3. In several applications, when I want to attach or open a photo from iPhoto to import/attach, I get a list of film rolls and file names/numbers and it is impossible to know what photo is what. Is there a way to get thumbnails instead so I can pick the right photo without having to go directly to iPhoto, find the pic I want, go back to the application and find the pic by its file name?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

HoustonTX:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
1 - yes but it involves uploading to a folder on the Desktop first. Then drag that folder into the Source pane in iPhoto and you'll get an album and roll with the same name as the folder. (IMO that's a safer way to upload from the camera as you avoid any aborted uploads due to low battery which can damage the library.)
2 - Yes. Create a Smart Album with the criteria "Album is not any". That will display all of those photos not in an album.
3 - You don't need to use the Finder to get a photo to attach to another application as iPhoto is designed so that you shouldn't use the Finder. See TD's treatis on file access. Using the Finder in the wrong way is committing the cardinal sin of iPhoto: Don't mess with files in the iPhoto Library folder from the Finder
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Master plan for organizing in iPhoto 11

I have 12, 000 pictures. I have not organized this well and am trying to do it right.
Suggestions please:
1. What is the best way to use iPhoto Libraries? Is it a good idea to have many Libraries so that they are less overwhelming, unruly, and too hard to deal with corruption? Maybe have one Library for "Early Family years", one for "geneology", one for "past 5 years" etc?
2 What about within each Library? Is it best to use Events for dating a group of pictures as if it returned to you as a roll of pictures developed for certain dates?
3. I don't see Folders in iPhoto 11. Do they still exist? What is the best way to use Folders? Maybe have a Folder such as "Favorites" or a Folder for "Desktop pictures" attempting to organize by use or theme?
4. Finally, what about Albums? Should I be conceiving Albums as a way of putting all my pictures in an Album for a certain year, or a certain "event" such as trips or birthdays?
What is the best way to start fresh? I need help with a concept of how to organize and move forward.
Thanks

With all due respect to Terrence, 'making it a project, working on it every week' is an awful idea, impossibly daunting, and unlikely to ever get done. How is that any easier than sorting through shoeboxes upon shoeboxes of prints like our parents did (I mean, never did)?
Remember a filing system is like a sewer: what you get out of it is a direct result of what you put into it. It's unlike the shoeboxes because this is a system that makes searching of the "shoeboxes" possible. If you lack the application to develop a filing system, then you're only way of searching will be by scrolling.
but is there a way to do mass-tagging? I'm thinking of quickly selecting, say 1000 pics and type 'Alyssa' and 'Paris', and they're all done, instead of looking at each one by one to add the tags..
Yes. The keyword is added to all the pics selected.
- Where are the pictures stored? (directory structure).
In the iPhoto Library. That's in your Pictures Folder. Want to look inside? Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
Standard warning: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things,, deleting them or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
To use another editor with iPhoto
You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically. This is the only way that edits made in another application will be displayed in iPhoto.
Note: this is really important. Iphoto is a database. You never directly access the files in the Finder.
There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto: You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.
(Note the above illustration is not a Finder Window. It's the dialogue you get when you go File -> Open)
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
There's a similar option in Outlook and many, many other apps. If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running:
For users of 10.6 and later: You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu.
Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.
For Users of 10.4 and 10.5 Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser
Other options include:
Drag and Drop: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
File -> Export: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
Show File: a. On iPhoto 09 and earlier: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected. 3.b.
b: On iPhoto 11 and later: Select one of the affected photos in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Reveal in Finder -> Original. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
If something ever goes bad, or I change my mind, I'd like to just copy everything from a root point.
If "something goes bad"
That's what your back up is for. As you can see from looking inside the Library, there's nothing done to the files, they are just stored.
or I change my mind,
That's what File -> Export is for. Apps like iPhoto2Disk or PhotoShare will help you export to a Folder tree matching your Events.
Can you change the size of a bunch of pics all at once?
Yes. In the export dialogue. You can export and resize in batches.
Regards
TD

Clip length and Workflow with iPhoto (I need a pdf for a final...)

I'm feeling like a total lunkhead after taking a number of passes at this in the past year.
Short question:
How do I control clip length in iMovie? Does it work one way when you bring images in and another way when you bring in a slideshow?
Long question:
I need to get from images organized in iphoto to a pdf or ppt presentation and right now this means I am organizing the photos in iPhoto (a breeze), exporting as wmv and then importing this into iMovie. In iMovie I am just adding a title on the first "slide".
Now I am trying to make sure I have no dissolve effects between slides, make sure I can control the length of each slide and to get this exported into a "manually" advanced pdf.
At some point I would like to get some vector based linework into my presentations as well and for some reason I am bypassing Keynote in the above setup.
Can anyone help me get to a manual pdf so I can get out of the ditch here?
Thanks for any help.

It sounds like you've got a somewhat complicated issue.
I'm simply trying to create match a single image file with a 35:00 min podcast so I result in a movie that I can upload to Vimeo (they don't accept audio, only video). I'll watch your post to see if anyone can explain making still images longer (mine caps at 10:00 min).

Arbitrary saving and organizing in iPhoto

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for