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

Similar Messages

  • I have lost over 20,000 photos in my iPhoto'08 program (v 7.1.5). Any tips on how to relocate them?

    I have lost thousands of photos in my iPhoto'08 program (v 7.1.5).  I don't think they are lost from my iMac as the storage amount hasn't decreased but the last several years of picks (over 20,000) are not showing up.  Any tips on how to relocate them?

    Hi LarryHN-thanks for your quick reply!!
    Nothing recently changed that  Ican think of! I went on vacation and when I returned, I uploaded my new photos.  That's when I discovered that the new photos were in the library but very few other photos were.
    When you say to back up the iPhoto library, is this something different that backing up the entire iMac to an external hard drive?

  • When i create a slideshow in iphoto using the ken burns effect it will not work in idvd. any tips please.

    when i create a slideshow in iphoto with the ken burns effect it works fine. when i then transfer it to idvd it will not work. any tips please.

    With the amount of information you've provided it's impossible to offer a solution.  We can't see your computer so we need to know the details of your problem and setup, i.e.:
    what version of iPhoto are you using?
    what system version are you running?
    how are you getting the slideshow into iDVD?
    what size slideshow did you send to iDVD?
    can you export the slideshow to the Desktop and play it with Quicktime Player there?
    what fixes have you tried?
    how much free space on your boot drive?
    Here's how you should create and sent a slideshow to iDVD from iPhoto:
    Export the slideshow out of iPhoto as a QT movie file via the Export button in the lower toolbar.  For iPhoto 9.4.3 and earlier select Size = Medium or Large. For iPhoto 9.5 and later selct 480p.
    Open iDVD, select a theme and drag the exported QT movie file into the open iDVD window being careful to avoid any drop zones.
    Follow this workflow to help assure the best quality video DVD:
    Once you have the project as you want it save it as a disk image via the File ➙ Save as Disk Image  menu option. This will separate the encoding process from the burn process.
    To check the encoding mount the disk image, launch DVD Player and play it.  If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is good.
    Then burn to disk with Disk Utility or Toast at the slowest speed available (2x-4x) to assure the best burn quality.  Always use top quality media:  Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.

  • IPhoto Backup to External HD not working.  Any tips?

    Hi there. My hard drive is getting full of photos so I would like to put an iPhoto library of old photos on my external HD and keep new photos on my laptop HD. I researched the message board and found the following instructions (thanks to TD):
    =====
    1. Quit iPhoto
    2. Copy the iPhoto Library Folder 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.
    =====
    I followed these steps but am having a problem with steps 3 and 4. I copied the laptop HD iPhoto library to the external HD, and then as a quality check I added one extra photo to my laptop HD iPhoto library (the external HD copy does not have this extra photo). I then launched iPhoto holding control, and through the Finder window I clicked on the iPhoto library in the external HD. However, when iPhoto opens, the library that appears HAS the extra photo. In other words, it looks like iPhoto is launching the local laptop iPhoto library and not the external HD iPhoto library. So I'm having difficulty confirming that the "old" iPhoto library was, in fact, copied to the external HD and that I can access that external HD iPhoto library from iPhoto.
    Any thoughts would be appreciated.
    Thanks!

    To clarify, I launched iPhoto holding COMMAND, not control. Thanks.
    Yes, but the instructions say to hold the option (or alt) key
    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.
    Regards
    TD

  • I have downloaded ios 6 on my iphone 4s and now all incoming calls go straight to VM any tips?

    Hello
    I have just installed IOS 6 on my Iphone 4s and now when I try to call my iphone all the calls go straight to Voice mail.  Any tips or hints?

    same problem, along with many many others already noted here and still not had any help from anyone or any fixes lol (apart from silly obvious things like restore bla bla bla)
    can i have £1000 per missed call please apple?
    im losing money because of it, thanks...

  • HT4108 I'm trying to connect my iPad to my tv so that I can mirror whatever is on my iPad. I want to stream movies online and watch on the tv. I have the digital av adapter and an hdmi cable but it's not working. Any tips ?

    I'm trying to connect my iPad to my tv so that I can mirror whatever is on my iPad. I want to stream movies online and watch on the tv. I have the digital av adapter and an hdmi cable but it's not working. Any tips ?

    If this is an iPad 1, it won't mirror, but it will still output video from the 30 Pin dock connector.
    If your new TV has a conventional VGA in and stereo inputs you can try this connector.
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC748ZM/A/apple-composite-av-cable?fnode=3a
    I used to stream video from both Netflix and YouTube and from my Mac using iTunes sharing through my iPad then with this connector plug into my iPad and TV.
    It won't be high resolution, but it will get you picture from iPad to TV.
    Good Luck.

  • My iPhone says it needs to be restored, but on connecting to iTunes i get unknown error, and unable to restore: any tips?

    On 2 occasions my iphone has come up with the message that it needs to be restored to factory settings, but on trying to do this, itunes displays the message that it is unable to restore phone due to unknown error.  Any tips?

    Unless you have a jailbroken phone that has altered the baseband, that usually a hardware failure, in which case you'll have to take it to the Apple store for evaluation.

  • I have question about hooking up an external hdd to a time capsule and still have my printer hooked up as well. Anyone got any tips for me, how to do it and what brand of harddrive that will work best for me 1 or 2 TB

    i have question about hooking up an external hdd to a time capsule and still have my printer hooked up as well. Anyone got any tips for me, how to do it and what brand of harddrive that will work best for me 1 or 2 TB

    You just need a powered hub.. if you already use one then fine.
    Plug in just about any external hard disk will work fine. Format has to be readable by the TC.. ie fat32.. or much better HFS+.. plug it into a Mac to prepare the drive.
    Pick whatever size suits.. nowadays 2TB are most economical.
    WD, Seagate have goobled up all the minor players.. so pick one.
    Whatever suits your budget and asthetics.
    NOTE.. The USB on the TC is fine for printers.. IMHO it is the wrong way to go with USB disks.. use the internal disk of the TC.. USB is less than half the native speed plugged into a Mac.. TC to USB is slow.. far slower than internal drive.. or using external drive as external.

  • My macbook's performance is quite slow and it freezes I haven't shut it down in over a month. I shut it down yesterday for over 12 hours yet upon starting up again the slowness persists. Removed Google chrome application the speed arose slightly any tips?

    I haven't shut it down in over a month. I shut it down yesterday for over 12 hours yet upon starting up again the slowness persists. Removed Google chrome application the speed arose slightly any tips? I contacted a support member but unfortunately my warranty has run out, he suggested that may be a result of putting the mac into sleep constantly, and not shutting down and that there may be files i can clear to remedy the issue. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,
    Regards.

    First, back up all data immediately, as your boot drive might be failing.
    There are a few other possible causes of generalized slow performance that you can rule out easily.
    Reset the System Management Controller.
    If you have many image or video files on the Desktop with preview icons, move them to another folder.
    If applicable, uncheck all boxes in the iCloud preference pane.
    Disconnect all non-essential wired peripherals and remove aftermarket expansion cards, if any.
    Check your keychains in Keychain Access for excessively duplicated items.
    Boot into Recovery mode, launch Disk Utility, and run Repair Disk.
    Otherwise, take the steps below when you notice the problem.
    Step 1
    Launch the Activity Monitor application in any of the following ways:
    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
    ☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Activity Monitor in the icon grid.
    Select the CPU tab of the Activity Monitor window.
    Select All Processes from the menu in the toolbar, if not already selected.
    Click the heading of the % CPU column in the process table to sort the entries by CPU usage. You may have to click it twice to get the highest value at the top. What is it, and what is the process? Also post the values for % User, % System, and % Idle at the bottom of the window.
    Select the System Memory tab. What values are shown in the bottom part of the window for Page outs and Swap used?
    Next, select the Disk Activity tab. Post the approximate values shown for Reads in/sec and Writes out/sec (not Reads in and Writes out.)
    Step 2
    If you have more than one user account, you must be logged in as an administrator to carry out this step.
    Launch the Console application in the same way you launched Activity Monitor. Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select
    View ▹ Show Log List
    from the menu bar.
    Select the 50 or so most recent entries in the log. Copy them to the Clipboard (command-C). Paste into a reply to this message (command-V). You're looking for entries at the end of the log, not at the beginning.
    When posting a log extract, be selective. Don't post more than is requested.
    Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
    Important: Some personal information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting. That should be easy to do if your extract is not too long.

  • A family member recently downloaded an iBook on my device using their apple I'd. Now I don't have access to the material I've purchased using my apple I'd for 90 days! So frustrated! Any tips?

    A family member recently downloaded an iBook on my device using their apple I'd. Now I don't have access to the material I've purchased using my apple I'd for 90 days! So frustrated! Any tips? ITunes won't allow me to download the books I've paid for!!

    That wasn't something that I was aware of, but looking at this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4627 I'm not sure that there is much you can do about the device itself. I'm also not sure whether it only affects downloading directly on the device itself or whether you can connect the iPad to your computer and sync content across to it from your account that way - or even whether restoring back to factory defaults on the iPad will bypass the 90 days

  • I have just bought a new Mac book pro and I want to transfer my iTunes (including music, photos and apps on my iPod touch) from my old windows computer to the Mac... any tips?

    I have just bought a new Mac book pro and I want to transfer my iTunes (including music, photos and apps on my iPod touch) from my old windows computer to the Mac... any tips? Is this possible?
    (iPod touch 4, Mac Book Pro (osx lion))

    In Addition to the post by ds store...
    You may find these Links helpful...
    Move iTunes Library from PC to MAC
    http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/move_itunes_windows_mac.html
    Download Past Purchases
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519
    Also see this Excellent Link by Pondini on Transferring Old to New...
    http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/Setup.html

  • A family member has Parkinson's disease so we bought an iPad. Any tips?

    We bought our aunt an iPad the otherday and tought her how to use it for the first time.  24 hours later, she is expressing difficulty using it, especially with Siri and audio support.  She is in a care center and contributes the audio difficulty to the noise when she tries to give the iPad commends.  Does anyone have any tips for someone with Parkinson's disease and how to make it more simple and enjoyble?

    Have you considered discussing with your national Parkinson's Society ,they probably have a wealth of data which may help
    I aasume you have reviewed  Accessibility under General in Settings  on iPad

  • HT1414 I can not sync my iPhone after restoring it - my computer only gives me the restore (again and again and again) option.  I have no music and only a few aps now on my iPhone.  Any tips before I go to the genius bar?

    I can not sync my iPhone after restoring it - my computer only gives me the restore (again and again and again) option.  I have no music and only a few aps now on my iPhone.  Any tips before I go to the genius bar?

    If you restored as new, without using a backup, and still only get an option to restore, there is a hardware problem or the phone was previously hacked (jailbroken, downgraded iOS, unauthorized unlock).  Your only option is to take it to Apple or whoever provides iPhone service in your country.

  • I have an iPod Touch with 5.0.1 and iTunes with 10.5.1.42, and the problem is the syncing process. One of my videos won't get synced not matter how much I try. Other videos works. Any tips?

    My iPod is the 3rd generation and it is running 5.0.1, and the iTunes I use is 10.5.1.42 for Windows. When I started syncing my iPod to include one video, iTunes will work fine, but when it is finished, I checked the videos on my iPod and found out there wasn't. I went to the iPod section, and under the movie subsection, I even clicked the video I want to be synced, and clicked on APPLY, then sync. When I tried doing it over the air, or usb, it just won't work. The diagnostic for iTunes says it was all right, nothing wrong is going on. I rebooted iTunes and my iPod several times, nothing! Any tips!???

    Does the iPod work OK?
    Does it charge when connect to the computer?
    Does it appear in My Computer?
    Look at the dock connector on the iPod. Compare with the iPod that does work/connect.
    I suspect you have a 2G iPod. Those can only go to iOS 4.2.1
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1353#iPod_touch_late2009
    iPod touch (3rd generation)
    iPod touch (3rd generation) features a 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display and 32 GB or 64 GB flash drive. You can browse the web with Safari and watch YouTube videos with Wi-Fi. You can also search, preview, and buy songs from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store on iPod touch.
    The iPod touch (3rd generation) can be distinguished from iPod touch (2nd generation) by looking at the back of the device. In the text below the engraving, look for the model number. iPod touch (2nd generation) is model A1288, and iPod touch (3rd generation) is model A1318.

  • Does anyone know any tips for editing video to display on an LED digital billboard?

    I was just given a MOV file of a TV commercial they want to display on a digital billboard. It needs to be converted to AVI format.
    They said when they tried to translate it to AVI, it looked terrible and they couldn't tell what it was.
    They thought I might have better luck since I have Premiere Pro.
    I'm a beginner with Premiere anyway, but I also have no experience with digital billboards. I have no idea what settings I should use or anything.
    I think it's going to look pixelated anyway, just because that's what LED signs do. Also, the TV commercial is a night scene around a campfire, so that doesn't help.
    I asked what company made the sign and they told me ICE and the software used for it is called IView, but I haven't been able to Google anything helpful from ICE so far.
    So any tips, tricks or suggestions from anyone who might have previous experience with this kind of thing would be GREATLY appreciated.
    Thanks!

    OMG! I finally got the sign company's phone number and called their tech support and he was clueless! He didn't even know what a codec was!
    All he knew was that the frame rate is 30, pixel matrix is 48 pixels high by 96 pixels wide, and WMV is actually a preferable format to AVI.
    But I see WMV also isn't an option in Premiere, so I'm guessing that is also nothing but another container?
    Maybe I should just export it to Quicktime and find some free translation software to change it to WMV.

Maybe you are looking for