Iphoto library jailbreak crew needed

Question

Help you mac wizards....Iphoto dilema has caused me to post my first question.
I was so excited to find this old post (shown below) that explains my exact dilema. The answers did not answer my question however. Thank you to Nayeli for posting, http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1898201
I thought I was going to lose my mind trying to explain what my situation was. Hopefully you don't lose yours reading all of this. Please scroll down to read the post from Nayeli so you have a better idea what's going on, then come back to where I join the discussion describing my problem.
(A side note, why does apple not give an option to edit the post, i only see "post message" or "discard and cancel." What about EDIT? I had to copy paste it into another program just to revise. When I click discard, it asks "are you sure you want to discard." No I don't but where is the EDIT option? Am I missing an obvious needed feature?)
My photo management is in the same mess as below. Pictures held hostage by iphoto and years of backups that I'm now trying to get out of iphoto and consolidated into a nice, beautiful, joyful, streamlined system that makes taking pictures fun again. Recently I got a new mpb and had been using a powerbook since 04 with 04 photo backups scattered about due to storage limitations here and there.
Over the last weeks, I've committed to cleaning up my mess and have slowly been getting a handle on things. Forums like these are invaluable. I've sorted it out as best I could with 5 different iphoto libraries. (They were originally 5 different i photo libraries, backups of hard drive and external hard drive, poor management and some of which pictures could be overlapping duplicates) All of which I can access in old iphoto format (from old old backups) instead of new 8 that iphoto converted them to that doesn't let you look thru folders without clicking find photo. I want to stop using iphoto and get into something like picassa where you have the benefit of file management but not the nightmare of having your images locked into a third party software program that takes mountains of work to free.
At this stage....i'm trying to do this in gradual steps.
As mentioned, I have 5 libraries, and all five folders in their original old iphoto 4 format so you can see piles of subfolders. I do not want to sift manually through folders to select which ones i want to export as there are 30,000 images or more. When Iphoto launches the libraries, it shows rolls, thumbs, etc.. there are 3 versions of the same photo. If I export, I have to pick, whereas I want to export the entire library and then enjoy the process of sorting photos when I can access them easily outside of iphoto, where I can have just ONE image not three. If I do a sort in finder for jpgs, it also gives me duplicates. What is the best way out of this iphoto octopus?
Apple Care told me to drag and drop the old library into new computer and that was WRONG. Creating the pile of excess files. I deleted them all and started over. Another mac friend said use extractor. That didn't work either. Another friend said use migration manager. Yet apple care said that won't work because old photos are iphoto 4 and new computer is iphoto 8. However due to the fact it "updated" the old library when I brought it into new computer, is it now ready for migration manager and will this program only bring one not three files of each image? If I had known how iphoto program really works years ago, I would have never entered into using it. Another friend only uses finder on her mac to organize and find photos, but I like to have more creative options than that, like what I see in Picasa.
Aperture came preinstalled on my new mpb but I've never used it and I don't know if it traps photos into a similar iphoto program or not. It gives me an option to import iphoto library. Will it import only 1 image, not thumbs, etc.. of each picture and how will it handle duplicates. I tried it just to see what would happen and an hour later, its still stuck on one image saying its importing thumbs. So this is not playing nicely with iphoto either and does import ALL images. So I'd still be stuck sifting out the original photos I want to start fresh from.
Should I first run a photo duplicator program to try and eliminate the excess thumbs and low res files, leaving me the original single image file?
Then I can export the entire library? As I said, I can't select the photos I want as solution was given below to someone in my boat, due to the fact I'm not sure where or what to select. And a manual select of individual photos would take me 20 years. I just want to extract my original photos and get them out of iphoto, where the date taken is intact. Right now, many of the photos in iphoto libraries are totally wrong, going back to 1970. I have spanked myself for waiting so long to tackle this disorderly photo management issue, but seeing now how much work is involved creating a solution, I am greatly anticipating liberation of iphoto and the development and use of a great new photo management system. WHich i haven't figured out. Step 1 is just to free my photos! Freeyourphotos.com would be a great website for someone who wants to develop a site just for great photo management steps, options, resources and posts for people looking for some education on this iphoto issue. Maybe next version will be like Picasa and let you manage photos better.
What exactly is batch change command and how does it work?
I want to start over, with all of my photos in one big photo folder that i can work with independent of anything else. Any tips for photo management comparisons from other high volume photo takers out there?
Sorry for the long post. I will be super grateful for help.
Thanks so much.
Lisa
Getting photos OUT of iPhoto
Posted: Feb 7, 2009 4:46 PM
Hi all,
I used to use iPhoto 4 a long time ago, and then stopped using it as my photos took up so much more space in iPhoto than kept outside of the software library in folders. I had a really small hard drive and no external drive at the time. Then at some point I tried using iPhoto 6... and to make a long story short I now have an incredible mess of photos, some of which exist both in an iPhoto library (either 4 or 6 or both) and in folders elsewhere, some of which are only in folders outside of iPhoto, and some of which are only in an iPhoto library. I now have a much larger hard drive and external drives, and am trying to set order to the mess (it will probably take me the rest of the year!)
To complicate matters even more, I just now accidentally updated one of my myriad versions of iPhoto Library to iPhoto 7.1.4 (the version I have currently installed), and have noticed that you can no longer see the originals folder inside the iPhoto library in the Finder, UNLESS you right-click on a photo in iPhoto and select "Show File", and then you can browse through the folders of the iPhoto Library. I suppose they made this change so you wouldn't mess with those folders and files.
Looking at the folders inside the iPhoto library that I accessed in that way for the library I accidentally upgraded, I see they are a mess...some dates have two folders, other folders say "Roll X" instead of being separated by date, etc.
*I want to extract all the photos that are in the iPhoto Library to folders outside of the program*--just the original photos--so I can
A. Have a backup of the pictures outside of any iPhoto Library, and
B. Reimport all my pictures once I make heads and tails of what is where (or perhaps just have iPhoto reference the originals in folders outside of the iPhoto Library, since I read that is now possible).
My question is this:
What is the best way of getting the pictures out of the iPhoto Library? If I get access to the original folders within the library by right-clicking any photo and then being able to browse inside the library, am I going to have any problems if I copy or move those original pictures directly to a folder outside of the iPhoto Library? Would it be better to export the pictures? Does exporting using "current" under "Kind" give you the original more safely?
Also, any suggestions on how to best have photos OUTSIDE of an iPhoto library organized so that iPhoto can reference them, but your backup is also organized? I'd like to have my photos organized by date in the backup as well, so that I don't have to backup all my pictures every time I add new ones, just add the latest to the backup drive.
Re: Getting photos OUT of iPhoto
Posted: Feb 7, 2009 5:16 PM in response to: Nayeli
Solved
My question is this:
What is the best way of getting the pictures out of the iPhoto Library? I
Select the photos you want out and export them as JPGEs - kind = current for the current edited version - kind = original for the original
f I get access to the original folders within the library by right-clicking any photo and then being able to browse inside the library, am I going to have any problems if I copy or move those original pictures directly to a folder outside of the iPhoto Library?
Copying photos out will not be a problem if you make no errors - for me that is not a good bet - it is best to stay out of yoru iPhoto library
Would it be better to export the pictures?
Yes
Does exporting using "current" under "Kind" give you the original more safely?
No - it gives you the current version which may be the original if no changes have been made or will be the current edited version if edits ahve been made
Also, any suggestions on how to best have photos OUTSIDE of an iPhoto library organized so that iPhoto can reference them, but your backup is also organized?
In the iPhoto preferences un check the advanced preference to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library"
HOWEVER - this is not recommended - it makes importing more complicated, deleting more complicated and makes replacing a hard drive or going to a new computer much more difficult - and it puts you totally in charge of your original photos - being sure that they are there and do not get moved
I'd like to have my photos organized by date in the backup as well, so that I don't have to backup all my pictures every time I add new ones, just add the latest to the backup drive.
Finally, any suggestions on what to do with pictures that you scan so that they appear by the date they were taken as opposed to the date they were scanned? Is there a way to modify the date of the photo info?
Select the photos in iPhoto and use the batch change command under the photos menu - the tiem and date option
LN

Answer 1

Given your post I have to say that your chosen nickname is amusing.
All the folks here who post in response to your issue are other users giving their time for free. Do we really have to wade through 1900+ words just to find out what the issue is? Frankly, after the first digression (and by the way, it is possible to edit posts for up to 15 minutes after you post) I nearly lost the will to live.
It is really better to
1. State as simply as you can the problem.
2. Mention any efforts you have made to solve it
3. Don't editorialise. Don't drift off into side issues.
(See how annoying it is when you've read this far and haven't even got to the answer yet?)
To leave iPhoto is really simple: Select the pics in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. Set the Kind: to Original. Export to a folder on the desktop and off you go. Exporting will not export "the whole Library". It will export the Original or the Current versions of your pics, depending on what you set in the Export dialogue. There is no need in the world to use a duplicate finding application.
If the Exif on the camera was set to the right date then your Photos will still have that date.
If you don't want to export (why? because that's too simple?) but prefer to root around inside the Library:
Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
Ignore the contents of the Data folder, they are just thumbnails. Your Edited pics are in the 'Modified' Folder, the Originals are in the 'Originals' folder.
Exporting the Current version will do the same job.
If you find iPhoto frustrating and difficult to understand then I strongly advise you to avoid Aperture. It's not unusual for an Aperture library to have Originals, multiple virtual versions, Previews and thumbnails.
iPhoto, Aperture (and, I think) Picasa are Digital Asset Managers. They are databases. They treat your original file like a film photographer treats the negative and always protect it. Though they work in different ways, they all will have multiple versions of your photo. If you don't want this use a Photo Editor and the Finder to manage your pics.
For the record:
Your Photos are not "trapped" inside iPhoto;
With iPhoto 7 (iLife 08) the old iPhoto Library Folder is now a Package File. This is simply a folder that looks like a file in the Finder. The change was made to the format of the iPhoto library because many users were inadvertently corrupting their library by browsing through it with other software or making changes in it themselves.
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!
(Note the above illustration is not a Finder Window. It's the dialogue you get when you go File -> Open)
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.
Batch Change allows you to change some of the metadata on a photo in batches.
Regards
TD