iPhoto keywords help please

I haven't tested this yet, but my initial understanding is this.

I don't believe you can attach Keywords to an Event. Keywords can only be attached to individual photos. If you are looking at an Event, and see Keywords in panel - then I think is happening is that an individual image in the Event is selected - and you are seeing this image's Keywords.

When you say the Keywords for an Event are deleted, I'm thinking it's just that none of the images in the Event are selected.

Try using Smart Albums instead of Events. A Smart Album using Keywords as it's criteria will update itself as you import photos and add keywords. You won't have to drag and drop anything... it just updates itself in real time. I don't use iPhoto much anymore (moved on to Lightroom) but when I did I rarely used Events. If I had to use Events to find a photo, it was only because my organizing system had failed. It was because the photo I was looking for had not been keyworded properly and/or dragged into a project album (I use both albums and smart albums).

Good Luck. Noodle around a bit with info in the first bit. If that doesn't clear it up post back.

Bronze84 said:

Many thanks for the detailed response. I like the ease of using events to manage my photos so ideally don't want to go down the smart folder route.

Let's say I import 50 photos and rename the event. I then go to the keywords tab on the right and enter the keywords for that event. The keywords will stay there until I edit the event by adding another photo, then they disappear and I have to type them in all over again :-/

Click to expand...

That's the thing. I don't see how you can add keywords to an 'Event'. I think you are seeing keywords for just on image in the Event.

Try this.... to keep things manageable ... import just 3 or so images, and keyword the Event. I think when you look at the images you will see that only one image has the keywords, probably the key image (which is not the same thing as a keyword).

The thing about Smart Albums is that you only have to set them up once. After that you don't have to touch them, except to keyword your images as you import them. Easy Peasy.