Dragging Iphoto "Albums" to an External Drive

I just plugged into my MacBook Pro the memory stick that I use on my digital frame so I could add some more pictures on to it and now I'm drawing a "blank". The pictures that I want to add are in "Albums" in Iphoto. The memory stick icon appears on the desktop but when I try and "drag" the album from Iphoto to the memory stick icon on the desktop it doesn't seem to be working. It's been a long time since I did this last so maybe I forgot something but not sure. Any ideas? Thank You.

What you need to do is drag the photos to a folder on the Desktop. Then drag the folder onto the memory stick icon to copy them.
Note: these memory sticks are formatted for PCs and do not allow more than a certain number of files in the root directory. Therefore, it's best to put all of the photo files into an folder and copy the folder to the memory card. That way you can have as many files as the size of the card will allow.
OT

Similar Messages

How do you export iPhoto albums to an external drive and have all the albums still labeled?

I am having an issue exporting the iphoto albums to an external drive. When I do it, it either just drops all the pictures in together or it separates them by events, but my iphotos are arranged in albums, not events so that doesn't help. Can anyone help with this?
Also, I'm new to mac and i'm noticing iphotos has a lot of limitations...I can't save photos automatically to folders/albums in iphoto bc it doesnt show in the finder, I can't upload to facebook without doing it from iphoto, and I obviously can't save to external drive easily just yet. Should I just be saving all of my photos in Pictures in the finder? Is there a way you can save them in pictures and then be able to open them in iphotos? I'm getting so frustrated and ready to go back to my PC. =(

A couple of general comments:
1. iPhoto is not compulsory. You don't have to use it.
2. But if you do, then you're going to need to make a small conceptual leap, and learn just a little.
The Conceptual Leap: Your Files and your Photos are not the same thing. The illustration I use is as follows: In my iTunes Library I have a file called 'Let_it_Be_The_Beatles.mp3'. So what is that, exactly? It's not the song. The Beatles never wrote an mp3. They wrote a tune and lyrics. They recorded it and a copy of that recording is stored in the mp3 file. So the file is just a container for the recording. That container is designed in a specific way attuned to the characteristics and requirements of the data. Hence, mp3.
Similarly, that Jpeg is not your photo, it's a container designed to hold that kind of data. iPhoto is all about the data and not about the container. So, regardless of where you choose to store the file, iPhoto will manage the photo, edit the photo, add metadata to the Photo but never touch the file. If you choose to export - unless you specifically choose to export the original - iPhoto will export the Photo into a new container - a new file containing the photo.
The Learning: iPhoto replaces the Finder (or file browser) for everything to do with your Photo. And I do mean everything. Organising, Editing, sharing with other apps, printing, uploading, whatever are all done either with or via iPhoto. It's you "go-to" for anything to do with your Photos.
The upshot of that is that how (or where) the files are stored doesn't matter - as long as they are safe and backed up - because after importing to iPhoto you never directly access those files again.
So, you want to organise your Photos: do it in the iPhoto Window. Events, Albums, Keywords, and so on. You do all your work via that window or the media browsers that make the Library available in every app in the OS.
So: want to edit a photo, but not 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.
How to access the Photos for whatever reason you may need them see this user tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491
For details of the Export dialogue: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
You can more or less recreate your folder tree in the iPhoto Window - start at the bottom of your tree and drag folder of images to the Albums Heading. iPhoto will import the images and make an album of them. Then File -> New Folder and drag the Album to that. Folders can hold nested folders and Albums. And so work from there.
But if your folder tree is date based that's a bit pointless, as the Calendar search and Smart Albums make it pretty redundant. With these you can find any photos from a specific day, week, month, year or date-range in the Library.
If the folder tree is theme based, then keywords will a more effective way of working.
And Albums are more flexible that folders in the Finder, as an image can be in any number of Albums and use no extra disk space whatever.
So, it's a whole new way of working with photos for you.
To your specific questions:
I am having an issue exporting the iphoto albums to an external drive. When I do it, it either just drops all the pictures in together or it separates them by events, but my iphotos are arranged in albums, not events so that doesn't help
Export them one album at a time.
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue.
But given the above... why are you doing this? You're defeating the non-destructive workflow by doing it. Are you trying to back up?
.I can't save photos automatically to folders/albums in iphoto bc it doesnt show in the finder,
Not clear exactly what you're asking here, but does the above open some ideas?
I can't upload to facebook without doing it from iphoto
Yeah you can... For help accessing your photos in iPhoto see this user tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491
It's the first one...
and I obviously can't save to external drive easily just yet.
Yeah you can but what exactly are you trying to save, and, again, why? Different purposes have different workflows.
Should I just be saving all of my photos in Pictures in the finder?
That's a personal choics, but not if you plan on using iPhoto. And as I started with iPhoto is not compulsory... As to why you shouldn't with iPhoto:
For more on iPhoto and file management see this User Tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6361
Reasons for bothering to learn...
I use Events simply as big buckets of Photos: Spring 08, July - Nov 06 are typical Events in my Library. I use keywords and Smart Albums extensively. I title the pics broadly.
I keyword on a
Who
What
Where basis (The When is in the photos's Exif metadata). I also rate the pics on a 1 - 5 star basis.
Using this system I can find pretty much find any pic in my 50k library in a couple of seconds.
So, for example, I have a batch of pics titled 'Seattle 08' and a typical keywording might include: John, Anne, Landscape, mountain, trees, snow. With a rating included it's so very easy to find the best pics we took at Mount Rainier.
File -> New Smart Album
set it to 'All"
title contains Seattle
keyword is mountain
keyword is snow
rating is 5 stars
Or, want a chronological album of John from birth to today?
New Smart Album
Keyword is John
Set the View options to Sort By Date Ascending
Want only the best pics?
add Rating is greater than 4 stars
The best thing about this system is that it's dynamic. If I add 50 more pics of John to the Library tomorrow, as I keyword and rate them they are added to the Smart Album.
In the end, organisation is about finding the pics. The point is to make locating that pic or batch of pics findable fast. This system works for me.

HT4236 I've run out of room on my hard drive. I bought an external drive and exported all my albums to the external drive then deleted the albums from iPhoto. I want to sync both from my ext drive and new albums in iPhoto. No dice. Help!

I've run out of room on my hard drive. I bought an external drive and exported all my albums to the external drive then deleted the albums from iPhoto. I want to sync both from my ext drive and new albums in iPhoto. My photos on the devices get wiped out when I sync to iPhoto since I deleted all the albums. But when I sync to my hard drive (where I maintained the album structure) the photos are copied to my iPad but lose all the hierarchy and folder structure. Now I have to scroll through thousands of photos to try to find the one I'm looking for. Before I sync any more devices I want to know the following: 1) can I restore the album structure on my iPad by using the photo cache? 2) is there a way to sync both new iPhoto albums AND pictures in the folders in my hard drive? And 3) how can I keep the photo hierarchy structure from my hard drive intact on my devices?

TigerMom28 wrote:
I've run out of room on my hard drive. I bought an external drive and exported all my albums to the external drive then deleted the albums from iPhoto.
Don't do that.
Copy /Photos/Photo library/ to the external.
Hold Option and launch iPhoto.
Select Choose library and select the Photo library you copied to the external.

I have Elements 13 (I have the hard copy) installed on my iMac using Yosemite. I do all my iPhoto work on an external drive where I have copied my iPhoto Library, can I also install Elements 13 on my external harddrive or drag Elements 13 over from my iMa

I have Elements 13 (I have the hard copy) installed on my iMac using Yosemite. I do all my iPhoto work on an external drive where I have copied my iPhoto Library, can I also install Elements 13 on my external harddrive or drag Elements 13 over from my iMac so that I can do work with Elements 13 via the exteranl hard drive? Thanks tb

Yes you can store images on an external hard dive and have them referenced in Organizer. It’s best to export copies to separate folders/subfolders and that will ensure iPhoto does not get corrupted.
Alternatively you could continue to use iPhoto with the Elements Editor set up in the iPhoto prefs as your external editing app. Then there is no need to use Organizer and no need to duplicate your images.
You can then call up photos directly from iPhoto as normal with the additional option e.g.
Double-click on a thumbnail to edit in iPhoto editor.
Control (right) - click on a thumbnail to edit in the elements app.
http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/photoshop-elements-iphoto-mac-os.html

Moved iPhoto 11 library to external drive and have a iPhoto Library file left on desktop

Hello,
I have a blue file on my desktop labeled iPhoto Library, that appeared during the course of me moving my iPhoto Library ( iPhoto 11) to an external hard drive to make room on the internal disk, my attempts to reopen iPhoto on the internal disk, move selected photos from the iPhoto Library on the external drive over to the newly emptied iPhoto Library on my laptop.
The blue iPhoto Library file contains these items:
AlbumData.xml
AlbumData2.xml
iPhoto.ipspot
Questions: does this blue file belong somewhere or can I trash it?
This is what I did:
1. I opened Pictures, dragged the iPhoto Library from there to the external drive.
2. When I opened iPhoto on my MBP it said it needed a library to open with and the choices already in the box were:
iPhoto Library(default)
iPhoto Library
3. I chose "iPhoto Library" because I thought "(default)" meant restoring the original library.
4. iPhoto opened to the "get started with iPhoto" like a new install.
5.I moved (drag and drop ) some photos from the external drive back into the "empty" iPhoto Library. I tried to move a group of photos but I didn't know how to do it so ...
6. I took the iPhoto Library from the trash and put it back into the "empty" iPhoto Library.
7. I tried to delete all the photos except the ones I wanted to keep in the internal iPhoto Library. I couldn't do it so....
8. I closed iPhoto, went back into Pictures and trashed the internal iPhoto Library again.
9. Reopened iPhoto and it needed a library to open with and I think I clicked
iPhoto Library (default)
10. When I opened iPhoto this time, it was the "get started with iPhoto" but the original photo albums and labels listed but all empty.
That's what I remember so far.
Hope you can help.
Medusa59

It appears you created a new library. Launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and select "Choose Library".
Navigate to the library on the external hard drive and select it. Once you're satisfied that it's the one you want you can delete that folder from your desktop.
OT

HELP! Import iPhoto 4 pics from external drive into iPhoto 5

I had computer issues so cleared my hard drive which was with iPhoto 4
Moved the entire iPhoto Library to my external.
When they updated my software they used the 5 version.
Now I am having issues getting iPhoto 5 to recognize my data.
I have tried various way indicated... but each one presents with a different problem.
* If I pull them directly from the External drive to the Photo finder window - then when I open iPhoto i get the spinning wheel for HOURS (quit after 12).
* If I drag them directly to Iphoto (either the entire folder OR year by year)
They do show up in iPhoto, however, in iPhoto ALL dates are the date I pulled the iPhoto Library onto my External drive. Also, when in iPhoto there are film roles, however, the events are mixed up.
I have tried this about 10 times, all different ways, my latest is now it imports them in DUPLICATE (and I had deleted teh thumb files prior to import)
My question:
How do I pull my iPhoto 4 library into iPhoto 5 and KEEP proper fiilm roles to include 1) Correct pictures in each 2) correct dates and 3) preserve the role titles 4) not duplicated
HELP!!!
THANKS!

Here are some instructions from Apple in iPhoto Help that explain how to switch from your normal iphoto library (on your internal drive) to your older iphoto library (on your external drive:
"You can switch from the photo library you're currently working on to another one you've already created.
1.Quit iPhoto.
2.Rename your current iPhoto Library folder in the Finder or move it to a new location on your hard disk, and then open iPhoto.
3. Tip: If you don't want to rename or move your current iPhoto Library folder, hold down the Option key while opening iPhoto.
4. Click Find Library.
5. Choose the library you want to display.
6. Click Open.
The library appears in the iPhoto viewing area."
If you succeed in doing this, you can thus direct your iphoto 5 program to open the iphoto 4 library on your external. If this succeeds, iphoto 5 will automatically convert that library to iphoto 5. Then you can burn your external drive iphoto 5 library to CD or DVD using the "burn" function from within iphoto. It is best if you can fit everything on one CD or DVD, but if not, you can burn by album, or by roll, or even by date. Make sure you burn this disk (or these disks) from within iphoto 5. Then, following the above instructions again, revert back to your internal drive iphoto 5 library. Then, while iphoto is running, insert those CDs/DVDs you burned from within iphoto earlier and when you do, each will appear inside iphoto along with your other albums. Each CD or DVD, as you insert it, will look like another album. You can then import those into your existing internal drive library. Unless you hhave many thousands of photos, this should not take a long time.
By the way, if ALL your photos are in that external drive iphoto library, you can first quit iphoto and then you can drag it over and replace your internal drive iPhoto Library with the external drive iPhoto Library. Then iPhoto 5 will convert the older library automatically when it starts up.
Before doing any of these things, I suggest backing up all your photos to something safe as if there is some corruption in your original library, it could get mangled in a way that makes it unusable and then you'll need that backup.
I have actually done what I have descriibed above. We have an older iMac G3 with iPhoto 4. We got my daughter a new iMac G5 which came with iPhoto 5. I copied over her iPhoto Library from the iMac G3 which had been running iPhoto 4, and when she started iPhoto 5 for the first time on the new iMac, it converted everything in the old iPhoto Library (created under iPhoto 4) to iPhoto 5.
You would only need the CDs/DVDs if you have two libraries you want to merge, one being an iPhoto 4 Library, and the other being an iPhoto 5 Library.
There is a guy named "Old Toad" who sometimes comments in this forum. He probably has a better way of doing this.

Can't switch iPhoto Libraries to use external drive

I'm using iPhoto 4.0.3 on an old iBook G3, and I keep my photos on an external drive, but right now I can't access it, because my computer seems to have created its own imaginary version of the external drive, which I can't access. (I'll explain it better below.)
In other words, if I open iPhoto, there are photos there (165 of them, all fairly recent), but if I try to find an iPhoto Library on my hard drive, or any record of the photos in it, I come up empty. I must have accidentally imported photos when my external drive wasn't connected, but now I can't figure out where my computer actually put those photos, so that I can delete that iPhoto Library and go back to using the iPhoto Library on my external drive.
Here's what I've found so far:
If I open Finder and search for iPhoto, there is no iPhoto Library.
If I search for the name of one of the photos that's displayed in iPhoto, I get 0 results.
If I search for all files with the .jpg extension, none of the photos that's showing in iPhoto shows up.
If I create an album and put some photos in it, and then search for that album name, I get 0 results.
BUT, if I try to EXPORT a photo from iPhoto, I get some clue to where these photos are hiding - the default location to export photos to is XXX's Computer/Macintosh HD/Volumes/FANTOM/Pictures/iPhoto Library. That's the location of the iPhoto Library on my external drive.
Also, based on an answer to another forum question, I opened Libraries/Preferences/com.apple.iPhoto.plist in Text Edit and searched for key>RootDirectory, and the directory it gives there is /Volumes/FANTOM/Pictures/iPhoto Library. The only problem is, I've disconnected my external drive and restarted my computer, and iPhoto is still displaying 165 pictures in my photo library.
So it seems like my computer THINKS it's looking on my external drive, but actually it's looking at some 'volume' that's on the hard drive - and even when the external drive is connected, the only photos it shows are the ones in this volume, not the ones in my actual iPhoto Library. I want to be able to switch to my normal photo library, but the only way I can do that is if I figure out where this mystery photo library is located, and rename it. Does anybody know how to do this?
Thanks for your help.
iBook G3 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

You don't say whether you've restricted your search, or where you are searching. If you haven't renamed your iPhoto Library folder and it doesn't show up in a search, then it isn't there.
I'm not clear on what you mean by "imaginary version of external drive". Disconnect the drive, and there should be very little left to it's imagination. If iPhoto launches, then it's not looking for the iPhoto Library folder on the external drive -- nothing imaginary.
The destination to which a photo is exported has nothing to do with where iPhoto might have its library (real, or imagined). An "exported" photo is, by definition, not a part of your iPhoto library -- all you're doing is drawing conclusions from unrelated information.
Quit iPhoto if it's running, disconnect your external drive, and delete the "com.apple.iPhoto.plist" file from your user's Library >Preferences folder. If iPhoto starts without any unusual prompts, then it is (and likely, has been all along) using the iPhoto Library folder from your start-up drive's Pictures folder.

I just backed up my photos by copying my iPhoto Library onto an external drive. Now the Library on my MacBook won't open. I can only open the photos if the external is plugged in. How can I resolve this issue?

I just backed up my photos by copying my iPhoto Library onto an external drive. Now the Library on my MacBook won't open. I can only open the photos if the external is plugged in. How can I resolve this issue?

Exactly what did you do?
The correct steps are
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
My guess is that that you have not switched iphoto to use the external drive yet - opttion launch and select libary
LN

I have my iPhoto set to an external drive yesterday when it was in use the usb disconnected i now have a message saying (your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable) I have tried shutting down and restarting.

I have my iPhoto set to an external drive, when it was in use the usb disconected as i was moving my mac air, when i re-conected a message said (your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable).
I have tried shutting it down and then re opening iPhoto but get the same message.
The reason for the external drive was there was not enough room on my hard drive, I have around 7000 photos on it.
is there a simple fix?
Regards
Dale

These are your options:
1. Restore the iPhoto library from the most recent backup that predates the issue.
          Advantages: Always works, if library damage is causing the problem and the backup is intact.
          Disadvantages: Impossible if you don't have a backup. All changes made since the backup are lost.
2. Repair or rebuild the library. Be sure to back it up first.
          Advantages: May solve the problem with no loss of data.
          Disadvantages: May fail. May take a long time if the library is large.
3. Scavenge the library with a third-party application called "iPhoto Library Manager," which you can find in a web search. From the application's menu bar (not the iPhoto menu bar), select Library ▹ Rebuild.
          Advantages: All images and albums should be preserved.
          Disadvantages: All books, calendars, and slideshows will be lost.

What is the best way to copy my iphoto library to an external drive?

I want to free up space on the internal drive by copying the iphoto library to an external drive and then either deleting the library entirely from the internal and using the external as my working library or continuing to use the internal as my working library, but deleting lots of old pictures. I have TC and use TM for backups and have a Seagate HD that I want to use for extra storage. Thanks,

To move the Library
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library 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.
To have two libraries:
1. Quit iPhoto.
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the external drive.
Now you have two full copies of the Library. To choose between them: Hold down the <b>option (or alt)</b> key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
3. On the +Internal+ Library, remove the pics you don't want with you all the time.
Now you have one full library on the external and another smaller sub-set on the Internal.
A couple of comments:
a. The external disk needs to be formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
b: When you're removing the unwanted pics from the Internal Library you need to delete them in batches of about 100 or so. Trashing more at one time can cause problems with the database.
c:
Managing Multiple Libraries - including moving pics/albums/rolls and metadata between them - is greatly facilitated by using
iPhoto Library Manager
Regards
TD

Sorry folks, I did something bad, I was looking how to save my current iphoto library to my external drive and I hit a wrong button, lost my current iphoto and now have only the backed up version from 2007, Woops I never was the quick witted one... PLEASE

I switched my current iphoto library out for the saved one on my external drive by mistake. It said, Switch Libraries.... Do you want to switch the current iphoto library from AAA iphoto library (what I called the old one I guess - in my OWC) toOWC Mercury on-the-go and relaunch iphoto? cancel or relaunch
Sorry, I was looking for a way to save my current iphoto images to my hard drive. Yeah, I guess just drag something over right? Anyway, now I cannot retrieve my last 2 or 3 years of photos, Can You HELP me?
Mac os X version 10.6.8
2.66 GHz Intel core 2 Duo
etc

Depress the option key and launch iPhoto = use teh select library option and select the correct one
yes to move your library to an external drive
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
LN

How can I transfer my iPhoto library safely to external drive?

How do I transfer pictures from iPhoto library to external hard drive without losing information? What hard drive would work best for this? I have no more space available on iMac hard drive.

Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
LN

Installing Iphoto 11 and an External Drive?

I have a question regarding the installation of iphoto 11 on an external drive.
Here's some background:
- I have just purchased a new imac which was pre installed with Osx Lion and ilife 11
- My old machine was a G5 running leopard and ilife 09
- I had a time machine backup on an external drive from my old G5
- I installed a Pagasus RAID connected to the imac via thunderbolt
- I purchased OSx Lion from the apps store and installed it on the external RAID and set this RAID as my startup disk. So now my internal HD is just dormant and I'm running everything from RAID.
- During the Lion install I used restore assistant to restore by user and apps folders from my TM backup of the G5 to the new Lion on the RAID
- I now had a copy of iphoto 09 on the new RAID running under OSX Lion. It works fine
However the problem happens when I try to upgrade ilife. I don't have a problem with buying a new copy, but obviously the preference would be to copy ilife 11 from the internal drive of the imac to the RAID. Incidentally the internal imac drive is now sitting dormant and is not used.
I tried dragging iphoto 11 over to the RAID and superimposing it on ilife 09. But all it did was copy thousands of template pictures from somewhere.
So I tried to buy a new copy of iphoto. The apps store is telling me that its installed and wont let me buy it! Nothing I did would convince it otherwise. I tried holding the options key down and click but it was no use.
I even saw an update for iphoto come along and when I clicked updater it installed the update on my internal drive.
How do I tell the apps store to ignore my internal drive and let me buy ilife 11 and install on the RAID?
Better still, is it possible to transfer the ilife 11 from my internal drive to my external RAID. After all, I did buy it as part of my new imac purchase!!
Thanks for any help!
Steve

But the thing that i dont like about iphoto is the export tool looks a little quirky. Asking me if I want the size changed etc.
Nothing quirky about it at all. Bear with me:
There's a distinction to be made between files and the data they contain. The example I use is as follows: In my iTunes Library I have a file called 'Let_it_Be_The_Beatles.mp3'. So what is that, exactly? It's obviously not the song. The Beatles never wrote an mp3. They wrote a tune and lyrics. They recorded it and what you have in the mp3 is a copy of that recording. The file is just a container for the copy of recording. That container is designed in a specific way attuned to the characteristics and requirements of the data. Hence, mp3.
So, the data is the recording, the file is the container, specially designed for that type of data.
Similarly, that Jpeg is not your photo, it's a container designed to hold that kind of data. And along with that data comes opportunities: Metadata, for a start. Exif and IPTC contain vast amounts of information - some it very basic, like the date and time the shot was taken - some of it quite complex, like a lot of details of the settings used in the camera.
When you import to iPhoto it stores the file and catalogues the data. It shows you the photo not the file icon. You can add data to the Photo - keywords, Descriptions, Places, Faces - and you can edit the shot - crop it, fix red eye. All of these operations are carried out on the Photograph not the file.
So, when you export you're not exporting the file you're exporting the Photograph. And iPhoto asks you what kind of container you want to use. It can be a tiff, png or jpeg, and, depending on which you choose, different options arise. In the case of Jpeg you can export the photo to a container that uses less compression than the one it was stored in before.
That's all that is.
And, of course, you can export the Original too - a byte by byte copy of what you brought in.
This distinction between the data and the file that contains it is a key element in all Photo Managers. Essentially they all work this way.
is there an upper limit on the number of photos/library size that iphoto can support?
250,000 images in any one Library.

How do I move Iphoto from macbook to external drive

Can I move Iphoto from my Macbook to an external drive?

Greetings,
If by "move iPhoto" you mean move your library of images, yes you can.
Go to Your User (little house) > Pictures > iPhoto Library.
Drag the library to your external drive.
-- NOTE: Before you move your iPhoto Library to your external drive make sure:
Its not being used for TimeMachine
The drive is Mac formated.
Cheers.

I have Mavericks and I want to transfer my iPhoto library to an external drive

I have Mavericks and I want to transfer my iPhoto library to an external drive to free up a ton of space on my hard drive. Can't transfer the whole thing. It says part of it is being modified. When it started it said it would take 56 days also. Is there an easy way to transfer it? In older versions of iphoto It had a lot of folders in the pictures folder under users. I could transfer bit by bit each day if I wanted. Seems that there is only one gigantic iphoto Library now and I can't transfer the whole thing. Can you please help?

Hi Terence,
My OS version is Version 10.9 My iPhoto version is 9.5 (9027)
I was trying to bring it to my external drive that I use for placing random files (not a TimeMachine backup). It's a USB connection and it has a 2T storage capacity with plenty of room.
So I dragged it into the icon of the external drive and it "prepared" to transfer for a long time. Then at the end of that, it said it couldn't tramfer because part of it was being modified. (I can try it again to get the exact wording of this error message if you need it). Then I clicked ok, then there was a small window that looked like a small part of the iphoto library was transfered with the timeline there and the beginning portion blue with the rest of the line empty. At the right it said 56 days remaining. =) But that little window was frozen and wasn't doing anything. I tried it three times and it did the same thing each time exactly as I've described.
Thanks for your help!

Dragging Iphoto "Albums" to an External Drive

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