Cannot open older pictures in iPhoto library after upgrade

Question

Hey there!
I just updated my iPhoto from 6.? to iPhoto '08. When I open it, I can access events & pictures that are almost a year old, but no older. When I open the iPhoto "package" on my desktop, I find all of my older photos, still intact. How can I access them from iPhoto '08? I can't import them, because when I open the import option, the iPhoto library is greyed out (un-select-able). Do I need to create a new library?

Answer 1

I think part of my problem is that I edit in Photoshop & "save as"
This is unnecessary.
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 that iPhoto sends +a copy+ of the file to Photoshop, so when you save be sure to use the Save command, not Save As... If you use Save As then you're creating a new file and iPhoto has no way of knowing about this new file. iPhoto is preserving your original anyway.
The problem with renaming in iPhoto is that it doesn't change the name of the original file, unlike in Bridge.
But are you trying to rename the Picture or rename the File? In iPhoto (and in photo apps in general) you add a title to the Photo, not rename the file.
And if I edit in Photoshop & "save as" under a different name, does that show up in my iPhoto library, or do I have to import it?
If you create a new file you need to save it to the desktop and afterwards import it.
If you want to have different versions then duplicate the pic before sending it to Photoshop. Or use Aperture.
Can I do that iPhoto? I'm thinking I could create a different library on my external, import older photos into that library, then remove it from the laptop library, is that possible?
Yes. Easiest and best way: use iPhoto Library Manager to create the second library and then move the selected pics/albums/events to the archive library. It's the only way to do this and preserve all the versions and all the metadata.
If I put a photo in the iPhoto trash & empty the trash, does that remove that photo from my laptop for good?
Yes.
Am I correct in assuming that the "modified" images are copies that iphoto has made & any editing I save is on those images?
Close but not quite. When you edit a pic either with or via iPhoto, then iPhoto creates a copy of the original and saves the edits on the copy. If you subsequently re-edit with iPhoto it reverts to the original and applies a sum of the edits, so you avoid generational loss.
So if I edit a photo and save it (not "save as"), but I want to revert to the original, iPhoto just accesses the copied image from the Original folder?
It reverts to the Original file and destroys the modified copy.
Regards
TD