Lightroom 2 Trial breaks iPhoto

Question

I have been silly.
Whilst trying Lightroom 2 recently I imported my full Pictures folder into the application and allowed the application to move the images. This has destroyed my iPhoto 'database'.
Where once I had 3.5k images arranged in a few hundred events, I now have 9.5k images in one folder. When opening iPhoto it can obviously not find a single thing or show a single event. All of my hard work organising my library over the years has evaporated.
I have got nearly 10k images now because Lightroom 2.0 imported the original file and any modified files of the same images separately.
I don't think this can be fixed - and I know it is my own fault - but moving on...
I am now using Adobe Bridge CS3 to begin the task of organising my Pictures folder once again. It seems like the ideal piece of software to bring some order to this chaos. Once I have a new file structure in place I hope to slowly import back into iPhoto. However, I was going to import without copying images to the iPhoto Library so as to avoid duplication and because I would rather use a file structure in Finder to keep my images organised.
I think I only really need iPhoto to enable me to access my images for use in other iLife and iWork applications and to 'share' my images easily online and in print.
Is this a sensible way to go? I will consider any other option as I am really starting from the very beginning and can take any path.

Answer 1

Also, there seems to be a lot of duplication that worries me with 7.5GB spare on my 80GB hard drive.
First things first: OS X needs about 10 gigs of HD space for normal OS operations. You need as a first priority to make space on that HD. If you don't the OS will slow down, apps will crash and the *risk of data corruption is greatly increased.*
Therefore, should I import all 10k images into iPhoto at this stage and begin organising from there?
No, sort the wheat from the chaff first - get rid of the thumbnails and modified versions first. as this can be done by filesize, use the Finder or Bridge.
Can you explain the difference between referenced and un-referenced library please?
If you're running a Managed library, then it's the default setting, and iPhoto copies files into the iPhoto Library when Importing
If you're running a Referenced Library, then you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced and iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing.
and the only other thing I do is to work on the very best images in Photoshop CS3.
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.
I just don't like the thought of all of my images being 'hidden' in the iPhoto Library and not in folders that I have control over.
Your images are not 'hidden'. The images are perfectly available in the iPhoto Window. The files are stored in the iPhoto Package File. Want to see inside? Right click on it and go 'Show package Contents'.
Also, you have control of the location of the files in the pkg file:
Events in the iPhoto Window correspond exactly with the Folders in the Originals Folder in the iPhoto Library package file (Right click on it in the Pictures Folder -> Show Package Contents).
You can move photos between Events, you can rename Events, edit them, create them, as long as you do it via the iPhoto Window. Check out the Info Pane (wee 'i', lower left) the name and date fields are editable. Edit a Event Name using the Info Pane, the Event Folder in iPhoto Library/Originals will also have the new name.
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.
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
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 iPhoto2GMail
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto. With 10.5 you can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
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.
I don't have a vested interest in which you decide between Bridge and iPhoto. Many times when I write answers I have one eye on folks who may read this thread in a week or a months time. But your first priority is to make space on that HD.
Regards
TD