iPhoto Workflow Questions

I don't think I can help with your server questions, but I do have an iPhoto workflow that works pretty well for me.

I import (to my main drive) from camera to main drive via the Canon EOS Utility. I find it the simplest way to achieve what I want - all my RAW images, re-named according to my desired naming convention (yyyymmdd_## with ## continuing sequentially).

From that file, I import all captured items into iPhoto. I don't do my editing in iPhoto, I use CS2 (and recently, a little Photomatix) from those originally captured items. I then import the edited jpeg files back into iPhoto, keeping them in the same events as the originals. I keep notes on each with what editing was done. That way, I can view, within iPhoto, original and edited easily, and I preserve all my original images - with notes on how I prefer to edit them. All my metatagging (keywords) is done within iPhoto.

I delete that import folder once I'm done with editing. I can always export an image form iPhoto and edit it some more if I wish, or edit from within iPhoto - although I prefer not to.

I backup to a separate drive with both Time Machine, and monthly 'manual' backups.

A good rule of thumb is that any data that you care about keeping should always be on at least three different media and at two different geographical locations. So if your photos are on a NAS and the iPhoto's library is on a different disk then that covers two out of three copies you need to make. Then maybe you are running Time Machine that's three and then periodically you make a copy on another drive and take it to work and put in in a desk drawer.

Downloading the files to the NAS does add some redundacy and safety to your system but it takes more time. It everything goes well you will never look at any of the file on the NAS, ever.

With Aperture you can sync the library to an external drive that Aperture calls a "vault" so the workflow is simpler: Import directly to Aperure then sync to one or more vaults periodically but iPhoto lacks the sync option so you get abuot the same effect by importing to a NAS then importing from the NAS to iPhoto's library.

i know that there is a setting in iPhoto where you can tell it not to make a copy of your files into iPhoto and it just point to where your photos are on your hard drive... right now i have my images all on my external hard drive (and i'm backing up to dvd also), but the past two days i've been manually reorganizing and copying them on my iMac's hard drive then importing into iPhoto. but i too have not figured out yet the best workflow for me.

my question is though... what's the point of having iPhoto copy the files into iPhoto making that iPhoto Library file huge?

i have a ton of photos. i keep the originals from the camera, and make an "edited" smaller web-friendly version of the photo. before i got my iMac i used to just import my photos from my camera straight into Photoshop, edit, and save for web... then copy the original files straight from the camera into an Originals folder.

now i really like the organization of iPhoto... and i want to use iPhoto, but haven't figured out the best way to import, edit, save, and manage my photos yet.

should i just import into photoshop, edit, save for web, and then import my edited web-friendly images into iPhoto? and just manually copy/manage my original images onto an external hard drive?

what are your thoughts?

melissarae said:

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my question is though... what's the point of having iPhoto copy the files into iPhoto making that iPhoto Library file huge?

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It's not "huge" because every photo that you move (not copy) into iPhoto means there is one less photo some place else. There is no net gain or loss. The advantage of keeping them in the library is that now you cane search on the metadata and keywords and you can make smart albums and so on. In short, you can find stuff. Aso iPhoto can track versions and let you back out an edit and knows where the "master" is for each edited photo. So you gain a lot in terms of organization

With plain folders you are forced to choose with folder you put a file in. Say you have a photo of Mary and Bob in France. Do you place that in the mary, bob or france folder? With iPhoto you can place it ALL THREE and it takes no more space because iPhoto is only placing a pointer in the folder.

I think this is the major thing you gain. The abilty to file photos many different ways at once. And like I said it does not take up more space.

I agree with you Chris - iPhoto is an outstanding, and efficient, library management tool.

My only gripe is that you lose edits if you re-edit a photo. For instance; if I import a photo, edit it, then later wish to try something a little different, when I choose "revert to saved image", the prior edits are lost.

That's why I edit outside of Photoshop, then import the newly edited image back in (usually to the same 'event' folder). That also gives me the benefit of being able to view my edited photos, and the original, side by side in iPhoto.

But, to your point - while I edit externally to iPhoto - it remains my library management / cataloging tool.

AxisOfBeagles said:

]My only gripe is that you lose edits if you re-edit a photo. For instance; if I import a photo, edit it, then later wish to try something a little different, when I choose "revert to saved image", the prior edits are lost.

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When that situation occurs, I usually "Duplicate" the edited image, then revert one of them.

Wingnut330 said:

So, how do I copy photos out of iPhoto so I can place them on my NAS without losing them in iPhoto? Also, will it copy over the folder structure?

Click to expand...

Select the photos you wish to export out of iPhoto.
File>Export

Chose format, size, and naming convention. Choose the folder you wish to export into.