What to do with "multiple" images after editing

Question

The general workflow I like to follow is
1- Take pictures
2- Copy pictures to computer
3- Add GPS information (optional)
4- Import photos to iPhoto
5- Flag photos that are worth editing/keeping
6- Edit photos in Flagged folder using PSE
7- Select the best photos to make an album
8- From the album make a book, slideshow, etc
What I'm confused about all the "thumbnails/images". I started with 750 photos and now have 1500. Many of the images look very similar since I may have just leveld the horizon.
Is there a quick way to select the images that have been edited?
Can I delete any of the originally edited photos without losing the edited file?
If I can't delete photos, is there a quick way to hide photos?
Any guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks
-Alan

Answer 1

Are you using Photoshop from within iPhoto as the editor of choice?  If so this might be of help or may be preaching to the choir:
Using Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) as Your Editor of Choice in iPhoto.
1 - select Photoshop as your editor of choice in iPhoto's General Preference Section's under the "Edit photo:" menu.
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2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop.  When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.  3 - however, if you get the navigation window
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that indicates that  PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file.  You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
NOTE: With Photoshop Elements 9 the Saving File preferences should be configured as shown:
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I also suggest the Maximize PSD File Compatabilty be set to Always.  In PSE’s General preference pane set the Color Picker to Apple as shown:
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NOTE: If you want to use both iPhoto's editing mode and PS without having to go back and forth to the Preference pane, once you've selected PS as your editor of choice, reset the Preferences back to "Open in main window".  That will let you either edit in iPhoto (click on the Edit button) or in PS (Control-click on the thumbnail and select "Edit in external editor" in the Contextual menu).  This way you get the best of both worlds.
With iPhoto 9.3 the external editor no longer creates a duplicate of the photo being edited if used from inside iPhoto. What version of iPhoto are you using and what system?
OT