How do I only keep ONE copy of each picture?

Question

For some reason my iPhoto library multiplies like rabbits. I've had to delete duplicates, triplicates and more several times. I'll have one good picture, one small picture, and one blurry picture most of the time or sometimes I will get a blank outline where there should be a picture. I only want one of each picture and don't want two iPhoto libraries like I currently have. I have no idea why I have two, but I do. I'm taking up valuable hard disk space with multiple copies of the same pic.
Maybe a better way of asking this is how do I make what I see in my iPhoto library be the only pics on my computer? Can I delete other picture folders etc?
Speak slow, I'm a MAC user because I broke every windows pc I used!!!
THANKS!!!

Answer 1

Chris
Well that's odd:
When iPhoto manages the files
b. you will have dupes all over the place
You will have exactly the same number of files, less a single alias per picture.. Obviously you don't understand how iPhoto works.
c. if you have to triage your Mac - you may find utter chaos in determining file versions and having to open thousands of files to determine whats what.
It's easier to recover from a damaged database if iPhoto manages the files.
With the user managing the files:
1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
Always allowing for personal preference, 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:
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 finding the files, that can be easily done from the iPhoto Window.
There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
For 10.5 users: You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Apple-Click for selecting multiple pics.
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. 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
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.
Letting iPhoto manage the files takes up no more disk space than you doing it, backing up is much easier and recovering from errors is also much easier.
Regards
TD