Organizing Photos in Folders or Albums

Hello
I have hundreds of high res photos from a film project, and I'd like to organize them for easy viewing.
As I understand the way iPhoto works, it is basically taking/referring to actual images from their original source. (like an external drive).
I'd like to know the best way to bring all of these photos into iPhoto;
Do I need to import ALL of then into the Main iPhoto Library, or can I import them into separate folders or albums? I was led to believe that in order to put them into separate folders, they all need to appear in the Main Library first? Is that right?
And what type of sub group do I need? Separate Folders? Or Separate Albums?
What is the basic difference between them?
Thank you
Mike

Mike
it is basically taking/referring to actual images from their original source. (like an external drive).
No, actually by default it's quite the opposite. It prefers to copy the files into the iPhoto Library Folder and manage them. You can change this setting, but I do not recommend it. Very strongly. However, you can run an entire library from an external, so if you're worried about space, that's not a problem.
Do I need to import ALL of then into the Main iPhoto Library,
iPhoto uses exactly the same metaphor as iTunes: All pics are in the Library, albums are subsets of the library. Albums (like iTunes playlists) are virtual. A pic can be in 1, 10 or 100 albums with no disk space wasted through duplicate files.
So, import the pic, they go in the library. Then create albums (File -> New Album) and drag the pics to the albums in whatever way you prefer. You can also tag the pics and create Smart Albums in a variety of ways.
If your files are already sorted into folders, then drag a folder to the Source (or left-hand) pane and iPhoto will import and create an Album of the same name as the folder.
File -> New Folder will allow you to create Folders. Folders can contain nested folders and albums, but not loose pics. A pic must be in an album to go into a folder.
Regards
TD

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I am oveerwhelmed with the process and cannot seem to find a starting point. I have looked at many of the tutorials, but cannot find a "1-2-3 A-B-C" roadmap.
Message title was edited by: Brett N

I would recommend doing all (okay, almost all) of your organizing via tags. Don't bother using albums unless there are a subset of photos that you want to display somehow (like a slideshow, or photobook) in which case albums are the right tool. Also, make sure that when appropriate, you add the proper captions and notes.
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I need you advice.
I made folders of photos in CD-R when I backuped. I would like to import them into each folders and album I made in i photo newly from the folders on CD-R. Even though I select "Add library" under "File" and drag& drop and copy from Finder window/ CD-R window, all are just imported into Library.
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Hi Mac Ito,
Here is something I typed out a couple of days ago for a response to another person. It might help you also.
Importing Images from the hard drive, CD, or DVD
To import a folder with subfolders of images maintaining the same organizational structure (or close to it):
Drag the folder into iPhotos viewing area.
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Nancy,
what is your Aperture version, and how did you export?
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The exported library had the two albums, as well as all projects and folders necessary to fill he albums.
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How do I delete photo ALBUMS from my iPHONE 4? I sync via icloud and I can not see any folders selected in itunes. I searched the internet and basically there is no one who has the answer to how you delete the iphone photo library and misc albums

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I sync via icloud and I can not see any folders selected in itunes.
I searched the internet and basically there is no one who has the answer (so far)
to how you delete the iphone photo library and misc albums
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Replying to my own post - heh. I downloaded iExplorer (http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/) which allowed me access to the files on the phone and there was the phantom movie in the DCIM folder. Deleted it, and all is well - although I still have 0.65gb of Other in iTunes.....

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gustavus:
n attempting to relocate a folder it did not end up where intended and I cannot find it.
I hope you are referring to doing the relocation from within iPhoto and not in the Finder and the library package. Any moving, renaming of files and/or folder inside the iPhoto Library Package while in the Finder is tantamount to the cardinal sin of iPhoto, Don't tamper with files in the iPhoto Library folder from the Finder. That will mess up your library to where you may have to start over with a new library.
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Do you Twango?
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You don't.
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Thanks for the reply Terrence. I'm still a bit confused by some contradictory behavior of Aperture.
The Aperture Manual states (p.112):
+"The organization of your iPhoto images and albums is maintained as projects in the Projects panel."+
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Hello,
I would like suggestions on organizing photos. I am a professor of architecture and have several thousands of photos of buildings and cities that I have visited and designed. I use some of these photos for lectures and other professional work, but many of them go unused. The total amount of space taken is about 100GB and is growing fast. My main computer is a 15" MBPro, but I have begun to use an 11" MBA for lecturing. The problem is that neither drive is able to hold my complete photo library.
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Working with Library Files
Aperture exports projects, albums, and folders as a library file. You can transfer the library file from one Aperture system to another and then merge the transferred library file into the library file on that system. All links between versions and their masters are maintained when library items are transferred. This is particularly useful if you use a portable computer when on location or away from your studio, and a workstation at your studio. Any work done in the field can be exported from your portable computer as a library file and then merged with the library file on the workstation at your studio.
When the library file becomes large and requires more disk space than is available in its current location, you can move it to a hard disk with greater storage capacity. To change the location of the library, you move the library file to a new location and then double-click it to open it in Aperture.
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PS: Ditch iPhoto, or ditch Aperture. They are not practicably compatible.
Message was edited by: Kirby Krieger

Imprting picture folders as albums?

I already have about 6000 photos organized in different folders on my hard drive. Do I have to reorganize all of them again in iphoto or is there a way to import them so that the folder they are in becomes an album? Sure wood save a huge amount of time!
Any thought?

HI djyod,
If you choose to copy the photos into iPhoto while importing them, then follow the suggestions below. You also now have the choice not to copy photos into iPhoto's database when importing them so you might want to consider doing it that way. Old Toad is knowledgeable in that area and hopefully he will pop in to tell you how it works. I might even find his info here at the forums and post it for you.
Importing Images from the hard drive, CD, or DVD
To import a folder with subfolders of images maintaining the same organizational structure (or close to it):
Drag the folder into iPhotos viewing area.
A film roll will be created with each sub folders name. To view the rolls in the Library you need to first go to the menu bar and choose View>by film rolls.
To make each roll into an Album, highlight the tile of the roll
Go to File>new album from selection.
You will now have an Album in the source column with the images from that roll. Do this for each roll if you want them to be an Album. This is your choice.
Next, go to the menu bar and hit File>new folder
Name this new folder with the year or whatever the name was of the Parent folder containing the subfolders that you had dragged into iPhotos viewing area.
Next drag all the Albums into the respective new Parent folder you just made.
Albums- collection of images from one roll or many rolls. The Albums will be listed in your source column when you make them. The albums only contain placeholders for the images that are still in the library. They are not duplicates.
Rolls- rolls are created when you import folder of images. It will be given the name of the folder you are importing.
Rolls are also created from each import from your camera. You are given the option to name the roll at import.
Folder-a folder you create manually using the File>new folder command
Folders can hold Albums, slideshows, books, another folder, etc.
One other way you can import a folder of images and have an Album created for it as the same time it is imported as a roll in the Library view:
Drag each folder of images into the source column of iPhoto. When you see the plus sign, drop it in the source column.
An album will be created in the source column, and the roll that the album was created from will be in the library view window.
As for the other method, here is the info from the iPhoto Help menu;
Using advanced options when importing from a hard disk
By default, iPhoto copies photos imported from your hard disk, leaving the originals in their original location and making duplicates for use in the iPhoto library.
However, if you already have an extensive collection of photos saved on your computer and you prefer to leave your photos in their current file structure, you can choose to have iPhoto point to your original photo files instead of copying them in iPhoto. Either way, you can still make full use of iPhoto.
If there is no color profile embedded in a photo viewed in iPhoto (many digital cameras do not include a color profile with an image), iPhoto temporarily assigns a ColorSync profile that helps display the photo properly within the application. If your photo already has a color profile embedded, iPhoto will use that color profile.
To set advanced options for photos imported from your hard disk:
Choose iPhoto > Preferences
Click Advanced.
Select or deselect "Copy files to iPhoto Library folder when adding to library."
Deselecting this option means that iPhoto will not duplicate photos when importing them into the application, but will leave them in their original files on your computer. When you edit these images in iPhoto, however, the edited versions will be saved in the iPhoto library, not your original files. Your original files remain untouched.
If you selected "Copy files," select or deselect "Add ColorSync profile."
The profile assigned will usually be "cameraRGB," an Apple-specific version of the commonly used sRGB, which allows image colors to map more closely to Apple monitors. If your image file settings specify the use of Adobe RGB, iPhoto assigns that profile. If another color profile is already embedded, iPhoto uses the profile provided.
In the Advanced pane, you can also make changes to your RAW-file options, by choosing to save your edited RAW photos in iPhoto as TIFF files or using RAW files with an external editor, such as Adobe Photoshop.

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