I would like to use iPhoto to see existing Picture folder without importing

Question

The following is a question for Aperture, as well.
I have a huge Picture file (90G), and I do not want iPhoto to import that Picture folder thereby making a duplicate. I only want one Picture file, the existing system folder called Pictures. And I want iPhoto to "reference" those files. I have seen references to setting up iPhoto (and Aperture) to use photos in outside libraries. I have seen them called "referenced"
But I can't find a specific instruction on how to set up iPhoto to do this. And I think it is crazy to have an iPhoto library of 90G, and an aperture library of 90g (already made that mistake, want to get rid of it), because that would give me three sets pf photos, with Pictures, and iPhoto and Aperture Libraries within Pictures (that's where the Aperture library is now). And the iPhoto library is there too, but is now empty. I do not want it to be filled. The User guide says Aperture (and by inference, iPhoto) can "link" to outside photos and create "referenced" libraries.
That is what I want to do, because I do not want my files within iPhoto and Aperture, because they are too hard to handle for other purposes, like using Preview for a quick look, or using Photoshop for editing. Not to mention the waste of disk space created by 2 libraries and the Pictures folder. And the confusion over time about which Photo is the real one.
Surely there is a better way, a way to have iPhoto (and Aperture) use the existing Picture folder in OSX (Snow Leopard).
Can anyone help me here?
Just tell me there is a way to do this, please.
Hope someone can help.

Answer 1

Your question is based on a false premise. It makes no sense to use iPhoto, Aperture and the Finder to manage the photos. The Finder isn't a photo manager. It's a file manager. If you can't grasp that distinction then you stick with the Finder. Both iPhoto and Aperture (and Lightroom, and Picasa) are Photo Managers. The entire point of these apps is to manage the photos without recourse to the files.
If you use a Photo Manager then you don't use the Finder's Quicklook, you use the application's viewing and sharing features.
Think of it this way: would you write your novel in Word, Pages, TextEdit and Nisus Writer at the same time? And also expect to be able to read it without launching your Word Processor?
So, yes, this is crazy:
And I think it is crazy to have an iPhoto library of 90G, and an aperture library of 90g (already made that mistake, want to get rid of it), because that would give me three sets pf photos, with Pictures, and iPhoto and Aperture Libraries within Pictures (that's where the Aperture library is now).
Because you would not use all three options. iPhoto and Aperture do essentially the same job. If you've purchased Aperture then that's the one to use. It's the more powerful application.
But regardless of which you choose, when you do you give up looking at the files in the Finder, you use the Photo Manager.
, because I do not want my files within iPhoto and Aperture, because they are too hard to handle for other purposes, like using Preview for a quick look, or using Photoshop for editing.
Both apps provide integration with Photoshop. Using Photoshop via the Finder and not via the app will cause you problems.
None of these apps are like Photoshop. Photoshop is a layer based pixel editor. These other apps are Digital Asset Managers. It's not the same thing. Photoshop has no management capability at all.
And the confusion over time about which Photo is the real one.
Now you need to do some reading on Photo Managers. All of them use a Non-Destructive workflow. All of them preserve your original photos, The concept of the "real one" makes no sense when you have many possible versions based on a single master file.
You've not grasped the key distinctions in managing digital photos. You're confusing photos with files, confusing the file manager with a photo manager and have given no consideration to Digital Asset Management. I would consider these issues before going any further.
FWIW: using a referenced Library with iPhoto:
*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 organiser
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 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.
Using iPhoto with Photoshop:
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.
Regards
TD