iphoto 08 does not save noise correction and sharpness

[iphotonut]

iphoto 08 will not save noise correction as well as sharpness. anyone try to prove me wrong. apple know of the problem but wont fix it. try it you will notice only changes happen in the edit window. once you leave that window and click on your edited photo you will see original noise and sharpness appears. All your photo prints ,slideshows, photo prints off apple , including apple photo books will all have your original noise and sharpness. In other words it basically does not correct noise or sharpness in the real world. Go to your modified folders try everything it does not work. see for your self. please spread this info everywhere until apple will listen. they wont listen to me ...but they will listen to 20,000 users. I dont want to have to buy aperture. I like iphoto its so simple and easy. All features should work properly.

very upset spending $3000 on mac and they wont help
iphoto nut

[bking1000]

Mine works fine. There are three "edit" options though -- edit in the window, edit in a new window (it will pop-up a floating window) or edit full screen. I use edit full screen (you can set this in preferences). Not sure if that makes a difference, but all my adjustments stick.

Not sure what you mean by this statement ". Go to your modified folders try everything it does not work." What do you mean by modified folders?

[Drgroomes]

about a month ago i accidently deleted my iphoto application. I now have installed the the 2008 iLife onto my computer. However when i try to open the iphoto it tell me to upgrade and gives me this message:

"Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade. The upgrade process may take several minutes depending on the number of photos in the library."

When i click on the upgrade button it then replies that:

"This photo library is damaged and cannot be upgraded"

What do i do?

[aristobrat]

Mine works fine. There are three "edit" options though -- edit in the window, edit in a new window (it will pop-up a floating window) or edit full screen. I use edit full screen (you can set this in preferences). Not sure if that makes a difference, but all my adjustments stick.
Same here. Well, sharpness is the only one I use, and it sticks. :confused:

What do i do?
What I'd do is to run the Software Update and make sure you're on the absolute latest version. If you just reinstalled from the CD, then you're probably a few versions behind.

If your library is damaged, you might try reading through here and see if it helps:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107947

If that doesn't, just google for "iphoto rebuild library". Looks like there's a lot of documents out there.

[bking1000]

about a month ago i accidently deleted my iphoto application. I now have installed the the 2008 iLife onto my computer. However when i try to open the iphoto it tell me to upgrade and gives me this message:

"Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade. The upgrade process may take several minutes depending on the number of photos in the library."

When i click on the upgrade button it then replies that:

"This photo library is damaged and cannot be upgraded"

What do i do?

Try going to apple's discussion forums http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=143

There are a LOT of threads on recovering iPhoto libraries there.

[iphotonut]

Mine works fine. There are three "edit" options though -- edit in the window, edit in a new window (it will pop-up a floating window) or edit full screen. I use edit full screen (you can set this in preferences). Not sure if that makes a difference, but all my adjustments stick.

Not sure what you mean by this statement ". Go to your modified folders try everything it does not work." What do you mean by modified folders?

Hi Bking1000

It always has it saved in the edit window but when you leave to the window where the photo library is and just click on the same photo you will see no change to noise and sharpness.....It is not untill you click the edit icon that the changes occur. All your slideshows , Apple photo books, prints ect only work from the photo library window not the edit window. Colour, brightness ect changes seem to transfer to the library so are ok. Even if you go to the modified folder the noise and sharpness do not change. The colour , brightness ect does. I had mac support on the phone and they simulated the problem with me and have admited the problem and passed it on to engineering and they said that because i am the only one they wont fix it. If 20000 ppl complained they might make changes.
Have a look again and see if your noise and sharpness changes in the photo library not the edit window.
Please pass this on to as many ppl as possible once you see what i am talking about
yours sincerely
iphotonut

[bking1000]

Hi Bking1000

It always has it saved in the edit window but when you leave to the window where the photo library is and just click on the same photo you will see no change to noise and sharpness.....It is not untill you click the edit icon that the changes occur. All your slideshows , Apple photo books, prints ect only work from the photo library window not the edit window. Colour, brightness ect changes seem to transfer to the library so are ok. Even if you go to the modified folder the noise and sharpness do not change. The colour , brightness ect does. I had mac support on the phone and they simulated the problem with me and have admited the problem and passed it on to engineering and they said that because i am the only one they wont fix it. If 20000 ppl complained they might make changes.
Have a look again and see if your noise and sharpness changes in the photo library not the edit window.
Please pass this on to as many ppl as possible once you see what i am talking about
yours sincerely
iphotonut

Sorry, but I am not following your workflow. I hit "A" to bring up the adjust menu, and I can only do this from the edit winder. I don't know what you mean by the library window.

I won't be so rude as to say it's not a problem for you, and I do feel for you, but could I suggest you might adapt your workflow to edit in the edit window? I haven't heard of this issue from anyone else, and I've been a regular on iPhoto forums here and there since about Sept last year.

Anyone else having this issue that can help iphotonut?? Please chime in.

Here's one thought, though -- how do you edit? In full screen? One thing I've noticed in full screen editing is if you open full screen to edit, then hit escape to get out of that screen, you lose your edits. You have to hit the x in the lower right hand corner, or hit the left or right key to move to the next picture to save your edits. If you hit escape from full screen editing, you lose your edits. So, my solution, is to not hit the esc key. Not sure if that's the issue your talking about or not, but maybe it helps...

[iphotonut]

Hi bking1000

once you have edited you photo and hit to go outside the edited window whether full screen or whatever its all the same. You will see that when you first choose a photo without choosing edit you will see your previous changes to sharpness and noise correction dont change from the original photo. It is not untill you choose edit that your changes will be seen. I refer to photo library as the window when you first open up an event in iphoto the one with all the thumbnails. All your prints , slideshows, photo books work from this window not the edit window. If you choose a slideshow you will see the original noise and sharpness. It took mac support 4 phone calls for them to understand. Look closely and one would think all your changes should be saved into the main window. Going edit full screen or separate window or in main window doesnt change anything once out of those windows.
yours sincerely
iphotonut

[bking1000]

Hi bking1000

once you have edited you photo and hit to go outside the edited window whether full screen or whatever its all the same. You will see that when you first choose a photo without choosing edit you will see your previous changes to sharpness and noise correction dont change from the original photo. It is not untill you choose edit that your changes will be seen. I refer to photo library as the window when you first open up an event in iphoto the one with all the thumbnails. All your prints , slideshows, photo books work from this window not the edit window. If you choose a slideshow you will see the original noise and sharpness. It took mac support 4 phone calls for them to understand. Look closely and one would think all your changes should be saved into the main window. Going edit full screen or separate window or in main window doesnt change anything once out of those windows.
yours sincerely
iphotonut

OK. Sorry I still don't see the behavior you are describing. Even in thumbnails view, my pictures how all the edits changes. Hopefully someone else will chime in, if they see the same problem? Good luck on your search.

[SophiaSeeker]

I am brand new here, trying to figure out about saving changes in iphoto. I too am unable to save changes after making adjustments in sharpness and noise correction. I have tried editing in various windows, everything suggested and nada!

I have am running leopard and I am sure I was able to save changes when I first tried it back in January. In fact, I have the photo to prove it. So what is going on?

Any help would be really appreciated.

[bking1000]

One other thought, if you double-click to edit, try not using the <esc> key to back out of editing. Rather use the arrow keys to move to the next picture, and see if that does something. I find that sometimes the <esc> key is like canceling the edits. Not sure why.

[SophiaSeeker]

I never use the esc key to move on while working with photos. However, I did try editing in full screen last night (after reading your posts) and it was useless. Do I need to just call apple support??

Really, the sharpness and noise reduction aspects are key. If I can't save those changes, I will have to get another program and I really don't want to do that!

Thank you for responding.

[aristobrat]

I'd call Apple. My iPhoto '08 has always saved all aspects of the edits I've done without problems and my slideshows, photobooks, etc have always looked fine (correctly displaying my edited photos).

[jerryrock]

The new iPhoto 08 uses non destructive editing and like Aperture or Lightroom it saves changes to the original image in sidecar files that are stored with the original image. These files are usually proprietary and will only work from the application you created them with. In the OP's case, they wondered why if they opened an image from Aperture's library with another program, the edit was gone. It is because the new program that opened the image did not recognize the sidecar files.

In order to use the edited image in another program it is necessary to export the image from iPhoto. The export command gives you the option of exporting the original image, current version (edited), jpeg,tiff or png.

[aristobrat]

That's not how iPhoto does non-destructive editing.

When you edit a photo in iPhoto, it saves a new picture containing your edits. This new picture is a full, ready-to-go picture, ... not just the meta-data of the edits you did.

For example, I just imported a picture called "jill-and-bill.jpg" into my iPhoto library. It saved the original picture in the "Originals" folder.

When I cropped the picture and saved the edit, it created a new "jill-and-bill.jpg" in a "Modified" folder inside of the iPhoto library.

This (wasted space from edits) is something that people have been complaining about for years with iPhoto.

[ChrisA]

I think the reason for the problem is that you are trying to use iPhoto it a way that was not indended. The first rule of iPhoto is to NEVER look inside the folders using finder. Doing that requires that you know a lot about how iPhoto works under the hood. If ever you need to look at a photo outside of iLife use the "export" function in iPhoto and copy the images to a folder.

[aristobrat]

I don't think anyone in this thread who is having a problem with iPhoto is "looking under the hood". I simply did that as a visual aid to show how iPhoto handles non-destructive editing differently from Aperture. :confused:

[SophiaSeeker]

Here's the deal, guys (are you guys??). I am doing really simple, no brainer stuff. I go into iphoto, chose a photo to edit, do the editing and click 'done' and it will not keep the sharpness/noise changes. Really, I do not know enough to really follow some of what you all are talking about, but I do know enough to know I am doing what iphoto should be able to do.....easily. And it doesn't.

I will try exporting the edited version, however, as that is the one thing I have not tried. I really do not want to spend hours on the phone with Mac over this. And I have Pixelmator in my apps.....maybe I will be forced to open it, learn it and actually use it!

[jerryrock]

That's not how iPhoto does non-destructive editing.

When you edit a photo in iPhoto, it saves a new picture containing your edits. This new picture is a full, ready-to-go picture, ... not just the meta-data of the edits you did.

For example, I just imported a picture called "jill-and-bill.jpg" into my iPhoto library. It saved the original picture in the "Originals" folder.

When I cropped the picture and saved the edit, it created a new "jill-and-bill.jpg" in a "Modified" folder inside of the iPhoto library.

This (wasted space from edits) is something that people have been complaining about for years with iPhoto.

You are wrong and should educate yourself about non-destructive editing. You can start with the iPhoto 08 help files:

When you edit a photo imported to iPhoto ’08, you benefit from the great flexibility and high photo quality of nondestructive editing.

Nondestructive editing allows you to try different adjustments and effects at will⎯there’s no danger that successive edits and saves will degrade your photo’s quality. You’re never more than one version away from your original photo. Instead of saving a new version over the previous one every time you edit a photo, iPhoto ’08 simply remembers all your changes as an edit list.

When you reopen your edited photo to view or do more work, iPhoto then reapplies those edits to the original version. You’ll see where you left off, so you can make incremental changes from there.

If you find have additional copies of the files you modified it is because you chose to save the copy. Modifications are stored in the "DATA" folder and are applied to the originals when the file is opened.

[ChrisA]

...I go into iphoto, chose a photo to edit, do the editing and click 'done' and it will not keep the sharpness/noise changes. Really, I do not know enough to really follow some of what you all are talking about, but I do know enough to know I am doing what iphoto should be able to do.....easily. And it doesn't.

What kind of files are you editing are they .jpg or raw format? If raw what kind of camera. Something must be different between what you and others are doing.

Also I wonder if it's not just a matter of iPhoto not updating the preview thumbnail to reflect the change so you just thing it is not being saved.

[aristobrat]

If you find have additional copies of the files you modified it is because you chose to save the copy. Modifications are stored in the "DATA" folder and are applied to the originals when the file is opened.
Where is the option to "save the copy" when you're done with an edit?

I just did this as a test:

Created a new iPhoto 08 library.
Imported a picture that has a person with red-eye in it.
Followed (to the tee) the iPhoto 08 "Reducing red-eye" instructions from the iPhoto 08 help.

The result was a full-sized copy in the Modified folder, along with the full-sized Original.

Far as I can tell, the minute you click Done (per the iPhoto 08 help instructions), that's when the picture shows up in your Modified folder.

[bking1000]

This is all off topic now.

iPhoto edits this way -- it takes the original, applies changes, and then saves a new version, but keeps the original.

If you come back to the photo and make more changes, it makes the sum of all the new changes TO THE ORIGINAL, but still makes a copy WITH the changes applied.

(this is different than aperture which takes the original, and applies the changes on the screen, without making a copy).

This is how iPhoto works.

This is also not the OP's question. The OP says the changes (regardless of how they work under the hood) are not sticking.

OP -- my advice is you won't get the help here you need. Visit http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1192 for iPhoto help.

Check out here: http://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?objID=f1192&search=Go&q=changes+aren%27t+saved for a search on that database

and here for a sample response: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7064707&#7064707

This thread claims there is an issue with file permissions, and gives you the instructions to repair them. Please let us know if you get your answers there.

[aristobrat]

iPhoto edits this way -- it takes the original, applies changes, and then saves a new version, but keeps the original.

If you come back to the photo and make more changes, it makes the sum of all the new changes TO THE ORIGINAL, but still makes a copy WITH the changes applied.

(this is different than aperture which takes the original, and applies the changes on the screen, without making a copy).

This is how iPhoto works.
Thank you.

[SophiaSeeker]

Ok, I read the stuff on the apple site linked here earlier and as far as I can tell the postings there have issues I don't have....I think. My problem is so very simple: I don't worry about original or not, I just make changes and they won't stick - ever - if the changes are noise/sharpness. Red eye, retouch both work fine.

My camera is an Olympus FE-320, I take plain ole pictures, load them, try to make a change here or there and nada.

I guess I will have to call Mac. Sorry to be so clueless....

[jerryrock]

This is all off topic now.

iPhoto edits this way -- it takes the original, applies changes, and then saves a new version, but keeps the original.

If you come back to the photo and make more changes, it makes the sum of all the new changes TO THE ORIGINAL, but still makes a copy WITH the changes applied.

(this is different than aperture which takes the original, and applies the changes on the screen, without making a copy).

This is how iPhoto works.

This is also not the OP's question. The OP says the changes (regardless of how they work under the hood) are not sticking.

OP -- my advice is you won't get the help here you need. Visit http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1192 for iPhoto help.

Check out here: http://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?objID=f1192&search=Go&q=changes+aren%27t+saved for a search on that database

and here for a sample response: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7064707&#7064707

This thread claims there is an issue with file permissions, and gives you the instructions to repair them. Please let us know if you get your answers there.

You don't know what you are talking about.
Edits in iPhoto are stored in the data folder, not with the original file as you suggest. Try deleting the modified file from the modified folder and then open the original in iPhoto. You will see the changes are still there.
The results are not "sticking" because the changes are proprietary and only work within iPhoto. You need to export the edited file to keep the changes made.

[iphotonut]

sophia seeker at least you can see what i am talking about. It doesn`t save noise and sharpness correction outside the edit window. I sware some ppl must work for apple here or are sorry to say it....too stupid to identify the problem. Any one that can identify the problem please tell everyone that they can using mac because that is the only way the problem will get fixed. Tell mac support on the phone or email them. Tell camera magazines. Tell macs competion. What ever it takes. You should not have to purchase aperture for basic quick photo editing that iphoto should do just fine. Anyone buying a mac will have the same problem.
yours truely
iphotonut

[bking1000]

You don't know what you are talking about.
Edits in iPhoto are stored in the data folder, not with the original file as you suggest. Try deleting the modified file from the modified folder and then open the original in iPhoto. You will see the changes are still there.
The results are not "sticking" because the changes are proprietary and only work within iPhoto. You need to export the edited file to keep the changes made.

Edits are stored as data, but iPhoto still renders a new jpg based on the edits. I think we are not in disagreement, but are looking at two sides (I am saying iPhoto renders a new jpg based on the edits stored in the database, you are saying they are stored in the database -- we are not in disagreement on this)

However, you are missing the OP's point. It is not about diving into the modifieds folder, or understanding how iPhoto stores edits, or even about exporting. It's about making changes in sharpness or NR, and then going back to the photo later while still in iPhoto, and not seeing the changes they just made. It's also two posters with the same problem.

You should read the threads and understand a) what the OP's issue is, and b) that there are more than one person posting here. There is no reason to slog around inflammatory statements like "you don't know what you are talking about."

[iphotonut]

I started this topic and exporting does not save a noise corrected photo when i exported it to desktop from the edit window. It simply does not save noise or sharpness where it counts. You can go to the modified folder and it is not saved. All original noise as well as sharpness remains. Its a logical problem i am stating. Yes it must save it somewhere if you go back to the edit window it is saved. It just doesnt save outside the edit window within iphotos opening window. All slideshows, apple photo albums , apple prints work from this not the edit window. so it is a problem. I don`t care to talk crap on the workings of the filing system and i guess you are right and very knowledgable in what you say. Its however a different to the topic i set. I couldn`t give 2 hoots about that topic. Apple support have addmited the problem to me. People sticking up for mac are not helping the problem Mac support are no help at all.
Iphoto 08 does not save noise or sharpness like ilife 08 promotes. Your final photos that get printed will not have any changes to noise or sharpness even if you print from the modified folder. Simply looking at the nice change in the edit window is no help if what you see there does not appear on your prints. please try to understand my point.
your sincerely
iphotonut

[SophiaSeeker]

Well said and explained. My problem exactly!

Part of the communication problem might be simply language issues....in that, I mean, some of you are technically very savvy and have a tendency to post responses that assume a knowledge some of us (like me) just don't get.

At the same time, I (along with the original postperson), keep trying to say a simple thing about a simple problem that should not be happening to anyone trying to use iphoto. If saving these sorts of changes are THIS hard, well, that means only a VERY techno savvy person can use iphoto. And that makes no sense at all.

[rojitaabujam]

I am having the same problem as 'iPhotonut' (noise reduction changes are not saved). I read the whole thread but it doesn't look like anyone has found a solution.Please let us know if anyone has solved this problem or would I have to call Apple to fix the problem :(

[rojitaabujam]

I just called Apple Customer Care and they told me that i need to pay up to find a solution to this problem. I'm new to Apple and this sux!!!! How on earth do people solve their problems with Apple? HELP!!

[miloblithe]

This actually makes me really mad. For the past year I've been using this program, thinking it works. And it doesn't. Very disappointing.

[kazwalsh]

hi,

I am having the same problem as iphotonut - was a solution ever found - its really annoying me that I cant use reduce noise and my old mac this was never a problem. I just spend a fortune on this new mac and iphoto is one of the main things I use and so this is a BIG deal to me!

Thanks

Kaz

[wheelhot]

Okay, since we are talking about modifying photos in iPhoto, what will happen if I drag my modified or non-modified image to a finder folder? Does it retain the changes or it brings up the original photo?

Oh yea, and I head iPhoto changes something about your photo, if Im not mistaken it has to do with the appearance of the photo like coloring and etc. Care to elaborate on this?

[scenestealer]

iPhotoNut is absolutely correct. I'm not a novice mac user, and I've used iPhoto for years, but I guess I never had photos as low light as the ones I took at a Superbowl event over the weekend, and they are very very noisy. iPhoto is not saving the Noise Reduction changes. I've run the gauntlet he described, and then some, both with phone support and, today, for nearly six hours in-person at the Apple Store. The only place the Noise Reduction edits show is in the edit mode of iPhoto itself, and this is not terribly useful.

If anyone has better luck with a fix for this than I did, I'd sure love to know. Meanwhile, I am embarking on re-editing the noise reduction facet of these nearly 800 photos with Adobe Elements, a program I find cumbersome and difficult but, at least, it works. But be prepared: You will spend about an hour with each rep convincing them that this issue actually exists before they hand you off to another so you can start all over again. At no point will any of them admit that there is an issue here. As a diehard Mac advocate, I find this very disappointing. And, iPhotoNut? Don't bother buying the new iLife software package, as one rep suggested to you. We tried it today at the Apple Store and it has exactly the same problem...although, even then, they didn't call it a problem, didn't acknowledge that there's no logical reason for this option to even be in iPhoto if it's of no use, just tried to steer me toward purchasing the $200 Aperture 2.0.

:(

[Somepix]

When you <file><export> you have the choice to export <original> or <actual> (not sure of this, cause I have iPhoto in french) or <jpg> <tiff> ...
If you export <original> you will NOT export the ajustments you made to the picture. You have to export <actual>.

[AFABS]

Scenestealer...you worded that perfectly. It's very frustrating that I can only see my noise and sharpness edits when I go into edit mode. It actually took me some time to realize that the photos I was uploading to Flickr weren't retaining my edits. This pretty much blows, at least others are feeling my pain. I'm not about to drop the 200 on Aperture. ****...Well at least some of the other tools in iPhoto are of some use to me...Still a disappointment

[ChrisA]

I think it works this way be design. It is NOT a bug.

Here is why. Color, exposure and cropping should "stick" because those adjustments are independent of image size. But sharpening and de-noise apply ONLY to the one image size where you made the adjustment. In other words the sharpen/de-noise you would apply to a print made with 3000 pixels across is very different to the sharpen/de-noise adjustment you would make if the image were going to a DVD.

In any correct digital work flow you must always sharpen after you re-size the image. Sharpen and de-noise should always take into consideration the final resolution.

Don't drop $199 in Aperture unless you understand WHY both sharpening and de-noise are image scale dependent. Aperture NEVER stores your corection in the image. It is non-descructive even in the way it handles crops. If you dislike iPhoto your will really dislike Aperture.

[miloblithe]

I think it works this way be design. It is NOT a bug.

But there's no way to export a sharpened picture, even if you export at full resolution, which is the resolution the sharpening is applied to. If that's the design, it's a pretty crappy one.

[tlslvt]

I myself have had this same problem...and i hated it! But, i believe i just figured out a way to quick solve this...

When you are in edit view and the effects are are on, simply press comman-shift-4 to use the screen shot "custom selector" and fit it to your image and it will save perfectly on your desktop, effects and all

[miloblithe]

I myself have had this same problem...and i hated it! But, i believe i just figured out a way to quick solve this...

When you are in edit view and the effects are are on, simply press comman-shift-4 to use the screen shot "custom selector" and fit it to your image and it will save perfectly on your desktop, effects and all

Would it be at full resolution, or just the resolution of your screen?

[tlslvt]

Well if your working with huge photos no it probably doesnt get full resolution unless you have a MASSIVE monitor, but it still has very good quality if you have a nice camera...i mean think about it...background images are like 1,000 by 1,500 or somethin, and thats pretty big...

[criticalmac]

I've had my powerbook g4 for several years now. Just took a class on picture editing. Thought I'd try out my Iphoto version 5.0 for once and try out the editing feature. Now I'm not a photo tweaker per se but yes, when I go ahead and change saturation, contrast and then use the the sharpness slider, all other edits to the picture are saved except the sharpness. This really blows in my opinion. I notice that a split second after you hit the "Done" button, you can see the editing window lose your saved sharpness setting right before the window closes. Then when looking at the newly modified photo, again, all edits are there except the sharpness. Wow.

It's really simple. If the sharpness works, great. If it doesn't work, it shouldn't have been included in the version of Iphoto. It's false advertising. Please, if anyone has a fix to this, (not a workaround), please post.

Thanks

[lwardwell]

I'm also in agreement that noise reduction settings will *NOT* export on the current photo. Noise reduction settings can only be seen in the edit window. This totally blows... yes, you can Cmd-Shift-4 in the Edit window to "grab" the .png screen shot, but not at the photo's full resolution, only what your monitor allows. This same thread is all over Apple Support forums. :-(

[sugarmagnolia1]

After I edit a photo, it shows up edited when I open iPhoto. BUT when I upload the pictures to Facebook, the UNedited version show up; just right back to the crappy originals. NONE of the editing sticks!!! (saturation, sharpness, tint) What the heck is the problem?? I press "done" when I'm done, and do not use the escape key. Why is this happening??

[photojunki]

i got my first computer 5 years ago...i am not what you would call a computer person...i am a film photographer that realized i was going to have to add digital photography to my world and did...at first i had a pc and went nuts...i quickly converted to mac and will not go back....i moved from a g4 to a mac mini in oct 09 and luv it!
to the point at hand...i was also having this problem of not seeing my noise and sharpness edits staying put...that is the reason i found this forum...i worked with it this morning and finally found a solution that works for me....if you down size the files before you import to iphoto(to 1024x768,or smaller in preview- you can do more than one image at a time) then the noise and sharpness changes stick. you have a smaller file size to post on facebook, flicker or what ever, but i don't have a problem with this because i don't want my original sized file online for someone to steal!
i know this does not solve it all,but i hope this helps!

[Janna]

I'm having exactly the same problem. Would buying ilife 09 help?

I'm importing my photos from my camera using iphoto. Then using photoshop elements 8 to adjust the photos. However after I'm done editing, all the thumbnails in my iphoto library are of my original photo - very annoying coz I corrected them for a reason!

When I open the photo (in iphoto) it quickly changes to the edited version. However I am now making a photobook via iphoto and the photos it is using are not always my edited versions!

What's going on? I'm not trying to do anything complicated!

[Janna]

Yay! I've just found a way to do it! Went into iphoto - preferences - changed edit program to Adobe. Now it automatically opens using that program when I edit. Then just press save, rather than save as. Its finally changed my thumbnails and photobook to the edited versions of my photos.

[shirley666]

I have the same proble, I tried all of your suggestions and nothing. I did find the changed versions of my pictures, including noise reduction in the data folder, they were there but they didn't have the right resolution and they looked almost pixelated. It sucks that we have this amazing tool with wich you can edit really fast but you cannot use the pictures for anything cuz it changes the resolution.

[funkysax]

I am also having the same problem with Iphoto 09 Vsn. 8.1.2 not saving changes.
I am running snow leopard 10.6.4

When you go into edit the adjustments like Denoise and sharpness can be seen.
When you click DONE and go back into the picture they disappear. must be a solution to this fundamental problem.

Anyone found a workable fix?

[b3tTyBoOpz]

Im having the same problem as iphotonut...
and it just started doing this.
I edit my photo and it does not save the noise correction...
when i click to edit the photo again the changes are there. I close the edit window and the changes are no longer there

[b3tTyBoOpz]

Im having the exact same problem and it just started doing this.

[Mesiyah]

So, like most here this random non saving stuff is confusing and frustrating. It really sucks when you have deadlines! But, I've tried something a few times and it seems to work. When you edit your work, you MUST save it by hitting return. I used to just move on to the next pic with arrows but now I hit the return button. I hit it a couple times and it works! Try it and let me know if it works for you.

peace