Outside folders and iPhoto

I have my images stored in folders on my hard drive that I want to keep in place. It seems that if I use iPhoto it will take the files and duplicate them into the iPhoto library doubling the disk space needed for the images. Can I stop iPhoto from duplicating the images so they are only in one place on my disk?

iPhoto preferences/Advanced tab. Remove the check mark to "Copy files" while importing to Library.

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Protect folders and iPhoto libraries

I will leave my iMac at an Apple service provider for a repair. When doing so I would like to protect a couple of folders that I don't want anyone to access, for example:
-iPhoto library
-My user folder
-Dropbox folder
etc.
What is the easisest way to do this. Should I create a new user that the service guy can use with restricted access to these folders?

Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to bare metal from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.
*An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.

Permanently Deleting Photos and Folders from iPhoto

I just purchased my first iMac on April 2, 2008 and simply love it. Goodbye Windows. WooHoo...
OK, now for my question. I am a semi-professional photographer that commonly takes about 500-1,000 photos during any given photo shoot. Normally (on Windows with Adobe Photoshop), I would load all 1,000 photos into my Adobe Catalog and review them. After a few days of edits and review, I may only want to keep the best 50-100 photos and I delete the others. But when I use iPhoto, even if I delete the 900 extra photos from my Library, they still sit in the iPhoto Library folders and take up space. I have opened the iPhoto Library Package and can see the Data, Modified and Original folders with all of the unwanted files, but I was advised by Apple Support to NEVER delete or remove files by opening the iPhoto "Package".
Is there any way to physically remove the unwanted photos from iPhoto once they are in my iPhoto Library, or do I need to edit and review them outside of iPhoto before I load them into the iPhoto Library which seems to be a permanent thing?
This is a common process for photographers who take a lot of photos. It's nice to be able to review and edit them before deciding on the best ones to keep. Surely there must be an option from within iPhoto that would physically removed the deleted photos and update the iPhoto Library correctly, without having to open the iPhoto Package and risk corrupting the Library.
Since each photo will be between 4MB (jpg) to 10MB (RAW) in size, do I need to use another application for my initial sorting, review and editing, then only import into iPhoto the "Keepers"? If so, what application should I be using?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

JeanneV
As stated above:
Put the pics in the iPhoto trash and then iPhoto Menu -> Empty the Trash
This removes the pics from iPhoto and the Hard Drive.
A couple of notes:
1. You need to be in the Library view to do this. If you delete from an album it only removes the pics from the Album. To put pics from an Album directly into the trash use the -delete keystroke
Are you sure that you're in the Library View? This is the most common reason this doesn't work. On a longer shot there may be minor issues with your HD, but first make sure that you're in the Library View when deleting.
Also, I want to have iPhoto write the "Modified" version of my images on top of the "Original"... to save HD space. Can that be done?
No. iPhoto preserves your Original file no matter what. This is hardwired into the application and there is no easy way to defeat it.
You may export all your pics from iPhoto. Empty out the iPhoto Library (put the pics in the trash, empty the trash) then re-import the one previously exported. But this is long winded and will need to be done as your library grows. And, of course, this will defeat the Non-Destructive editing feature of iPhoto.
You can run a library from an external disk:
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library Folder 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.
Of, if you don't want your Original file preserved, then simply don't use iPhoto. There are alternatives out there. Search on MacUpdate.
Regards
TD

How can I transfer/copy my entire iPhoto library from one iMac to another iMac whilst keeping all the folders and subfolders intact?

We recently purchased a new iMac for our office (8 GB memory, 2.7 processor, version 10.9.2) and we need to copy the iPhoto library from our other iMac (version 10.9.4) onto the new one. The photos are essential for our work and there are around 53,000 of them all organised into folders and subfolders and then the photos are manually ordered within the albums.
We have tried connecting the computers but when we tried to access the iPhoto library on the new iMac it says that iPhoto is locked and we do not have permission to view it. We updated iPhoto on the old iMac as we thought that might be the problem but the message still appears. We've been advised to use an external hard drive but we're worried that will corrupt the organisation of the library. We have also been told not to do it over AirDrop / the Server because of the sheer quantity of photos.
Any advice on how to safely do this would be much appreciated.

No idea exactly what you did
if you followed the instructions
Simply copy the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the old Machine to the Pictures Folder on the new Machine.
Then launch iPhoto. That's it.
This moves photos, events, albums, books, keywords, slideshows and everything else.
then you have exactly the same thin on your new system that you had on the old
If you do something differently - like import the library instead of simply opening it - then it will not work
did you dimply drag the iPhoto library from the pictures folder of the old machine to the pictures folder of the new machine and then launch iPhoto on the new machine?
and to help it is important to use word correctly since that is the only communications method we have - in iPhoto folders do not contain photos - you view photos in events and you can organize them using albums (which view photos) and folders (which hold either albums or other folders - folders never have photos in them) so your description of the problem is not at all clear since it uses folders incorretly
LN

Applications and iPhoto Library folders not in backup

My iMac G5 disk failed some time ago and was replaced by a new drive. I had been doing system backups via TM so was not concerned about being able to rebuild the system. However, when the new drive was initialized, I made the mistake of specifying a different account name from the original and doing a clean rebuild from the Leopard DVD. This resulted in not being able to access the TM backups but I got around the problem by creating a new account matching the original.
I was able to retrieve most files from the backup this way, but cannot see any backups of either the Applications folder or the iPhoto library in TM. I have gone back to look at all the old versions but still cannot see either of these folders. It's possible that I had excluded these folders from the backups, but I don't usually do silly things like that. My question is: can I go back through the old backups and examine the TM Prefs in use at the time to see if I had (stupidly) excluded those folders?
I've looked in the System folder and all I can see is a file in System>Library>PreferencePanes>TimeMachine.prefPane which I cannot figure out how to view.
Thanks for any help/ideas.

travellerva wrote:
Many thanks - problem solved (or at least, diagnosed). I had been looking for that same file and could not find it at first. Now I looked again and found it ok. The TM prefs show that I had, for some reason, excluded both the Applications and iPhoto folders from the backup list. Mea culpa.
I think I had excluded them from the first TM backup in the interests of space saving (I had copied the iPhoto folder to a different volume - later deleted!). Then I made the mistake of not changing the exclusion list when I needed to. It's probably a good idea to visit these prefs regularly to make sure they are what you want and not just left there by forgetfulness.
And also to double-check what's actually getting backed-up after you change them; on occasion the plist gets corrupted and doesn't get changed to agree with what you did. There's either no message, or folks don't see or understand it.
Glad you were able to recover -- most folks aren't.
It's an excellent strategy to have another set of backups of important stuff, and even better, to have it off-site, so you're also protected against fire, flood, theft, direct lightning strike, etc. For most of us, things like photos can be archived to CD/DVD occasionally, and taken to a safe deposit box, relative's house, workplace, etc. Others use a portable external disk, some do some backups via the net.

How can I archive photos in iPhoto to a hard drive and retain the Album folders and the Events?

How can I archive photos in iPhoto to a hard drive and retain the Album folders and the Events? I tried to Export the Albums but just transferred the files individually.

If you want to maintain the iPhoto organisation then back up the iPhoto Library.
If you want to export to the Finder, well you need to create a folder for the contents of an Album and expot to that.
If you have an older version of iPhoto: Apps like iPhoto2Disk or PhotoShare will help you export to a Folder tree matching your Events. This feature is built in to iPhoto 11.
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue.

How can I merge original and modified folders in iphoto library?

I see 2 folders within iPhoto library - originial and modified. Original folder keeps all pictures in original and modified has the edited version for picture I edit. So iPhoto basically keeps 2 version for any picture I modify, which takes a lot of space.
I would like to have just one copy for each picture (original picture or only modified version of the picture if I edit) - this way I think I would save a lot of memory. Could someone please advise
1. if there is any iPhoto settings that I change, so that it starts saving only 1 copy for each picture
2. If I could something with my already existing pictures - i.e. if there is a way I can delete "original" version of only those pictures for which "modified" version is available.
Let me know if anything is not clear or you need any more information. Thanks in advance.

Don't use iPhoto.
Iphoto is a Digital Asset Manager designed to protect your original file at all costs. In other words it treats the original like a film shooter treats the negative. This is hard-wired into iPhoto, it's the very heart of the programme. If you don't want that feature, don't use iPhoto/
Note that there are different versions of the photo, they are not copies. The Original is required for the Non-Destructive editing feature in iPhoto.
So, specifically, no you cannot merge the two folders - and by the way, doing so won't save any memory at all, just some diks space.
1. if there is any iPhoto settings that I change, so that it starts saving only 1 copy for each picture
There isn't.
2. If I could something with my already existing pictures - i.e. if there is a way I can delete "original" version of only those pictures for which "modified" version is available.
There isn't.
If space is an issue: use an external drive for the Library:
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library 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.
Or, just use an app that works the way you want.
Regards
TD

How do I move folders and albums in iPhoto on my MacBook Pro to my ipad?

How do I move folders and albums in iPhoto on my MacBook Pro to a new iPad Air?

To sync photos, connect your iPad to your Mac and select it on the left-hand sidebar of your Mac's iTunes (you can enable the sidebar via option-command-S on a Mac), and on the right-hand side there should be a series of tabs, one of which should be Photos - if you select that tab you can then select which photo albums/folders to sync to the iPad. There is a bit more info on this page.
You will need to sync all the photos that you want on the iPad together in one go as only the most recent photo sync remains on the iPad - synced photos can't be deleted directly on the iPad, instead they are deleted by not including them in the next photo sync.

Original and modified file folders in iPhoto

I just loaded photos into iPhoto and the files populated in both the Originals and Modified file folders in iPhoto. None of these photos have been modified. I'm concerned with conserving disk space on my Mac. How do I keep this from happening moving forward?

Your camera has an Auto-Rotate feature. However, the camera does not actually rotate any pixels in the file, but instead flags it with an instruction: "Display me this way". Because iPhoto integrate with other apps it automaticlly creates the modified version. Otherwise photos would turn up in your emails or word processing documents sideways, as these apps don't know nything about such tags.
If you then try to Revert to Original, iPhoto will remove the edited version. However, when it then looks at the Original file again, it sees the flag, and creates a new rotated version. This loop will run as long as you Revert to the Original. The solution is to either a: turn off the Auto-Rotate feature on your camera or b: rotate the photos prior to importing them to iPhoto.
Going forward: digitial photography take up lots of space. Don't be concerned about it. Buy a large external drive and put your iPhoto Library on it.
Regards
TD

Browsing other folders and ext. HDD rather than iTunes and iPhoto - iMovie 09

Hi all,
Just wondering if there was any way you can browse other folders within your local hard drive or external hard drive rather than using the default iTunes and iPhoto directories?
I have audio and images located in other parts of my hard drive, including an external hard drive.
It would be great to be able to broswe through all my other folders and directories.
Cheers

cheekyage wrote:
... would be great to be able to broswe through all my other folders and directories.
iMovie is part of a suite of apps - iLIfe, so it prefers its 'neighbors'.
to add files from other locations, simply use MacOS' drag-'n-drop functionality: open a Finder Window, go to the file's location, grab it with the mouse and drop it into your Project Timeline.
This procedure does NOT guarantee iM accepts 'any' files!

How can projects and folders in iPhoto be imported into Photoshop Elements 11?

How can projects and folders in iPhoto be imported into Photoshop Elements 11?

Launch Elements 11 Organizer. On the top left, you will find a big Import button. Click on it, and choose last option (From iPhoto).

I created folders in iphoto on my imac, synch using itunes and selected all photos from iphoto but those albums don't show up...most my albums do but a few don't!??

I have a new iMac and I'm a new mac user....I have an iphone5..and ipad2.
I have created folders on the imac in iphoto.
I am synching the ipad and iphone with mac using itunes...selecting all photos, 3,500+ and although all the pictures may be sharing on all devices, the folders aren't.
I have created several folders and copied pictures into those folders and they look fine while in iphoto....but I can't get the to synch into ipad and iphone using itunes.

Folders in iPhoto do not contain photos. Albums and Events do. Folders can contain albums, but not photos on their own.
So, do you mean Albums?

Want to save files, documents, bookmarks, iTunes and iPhoto libraries, each in separate folders to external hard drive prior to full sweep and overwrite for the purpose of full sweep of Macbook?

Never done this before and cannot find a manual for OS X 10.7.5 Lion. Basically I want to clean my 2009 Macbook6,1 as though I were selling it and start out fresh but before I attempt it I want to stash my contents (Files, Documents, Bookmarks, iTunes and iPhoto libraries to my external Hard Drive, all in separate folders to return them to Macbook after the full sweep and big overwrite. Can anyone help me?

That may not be the best approach (see below).
Format the drive for a Mac (see #1 in Using Disk Utility if you're not sure how).
Create the folders you want on it.
Open a second Finder window and drag what you want from one to the other.
If you only copy the stuff listed, you'll lose your AddressBook, Mail, Calendars, preferences, and probably all sorts of other things.
A better option might be to back up your entire system, either with Time Machine or one of the "cloning" apps. Then you can restore selectively from TM, or copy selectively from the clone.

I have iphoto 8.1.2 .If i buy and instal iphoto 9.5.1 does that mean that i will loose all my folders and files?

i have iphoto 8.1.2 .If i buy and instal iphoto 9.5.1 does that mean that i will loose all my folders and files?

LarryHN wrote:
Unfortunately the facts contradict your opinions - the facts are that Apple has stated that iPhoto can continue to be used and that you can seamlessly migrate form iPhoto to photos - you are telling people to do and not do things based on your personal opinions
Uh, perhaps you should learn to read what was actually written.
What did I tell anyone to do/not do?
What was my "opinion"?
I wrote, "However, note that iPhoto is going away, soon to be replaced soon by the new Photos app".
the facts are that Apple has stated that iPhoto can continue to be used and that you can seamlessly migrate form iPhoto to photos
I never suggested, hinted or stated otherwise...
Are you stating that Apple is going to continue on with iPhoto & it is NOT going to be replaced by the Photos app?
and how does all this help the OP?

HT201250 When restoring Time Machine after a failure, does it also restore the files to the same order, for example - within iPhoto I have pics/ videos in folders and sub folders organised as family/events etc - will it go back to this exact order after a

When restoring Time Machine after a failure, does it also restore the files to the same order, for example - within iPhoto I have pics/ videos in folders and sub folders organised as family/events etc - will it go back to this exact order after a restore?

Hi Stavros0203,
When restoring your entire system from a Time Machine backup, it is restored to the state it was when that backup was made. See this article for reference -
OS X Yosemite: Recover your entire system
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Brett L

Outside folders and iPhoto

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