Best way to imprt/archive 310 GB of Photos+video from external HD to my new MBP

There isn't a magical way to make this "easy", if you are wanting to use iPhoto as it is intended. I have no video experience, so I can't comment on that aspect.

What you should know is that iPhoto is a Digital Asset Manager, as is Adobe's Lightroom and Apple's Aperture. This means that it is a database, and is designed to replace the nested folder system that most non-Mac users use to organize their photos. It (iPhoto) also has some editing functions, and is tied in to some print shops so that you can create calendars, books, cards, etc.

If you want to take advantage of iPhoto as it is intended, you will need to take the plunge and let it import your photos into its library. Let iPhoto worry about where it has put your photos - your job is to create the Albums and Keywords that allow you to find them again.

One other thing to note.... When you edit an image in iPhoto, it does not write those changes to the photo - the edits are recorded in the database. This is called "non-destructive" editing.

If you are interested.... do an advanced search in MR using my name and 'iPhoto'. I have written many times about the advantages of using iPhoto as intended, and trying to pull people away from the ancient system of using nested folders .

With a library that big, I'd really suggest Aperture, (or maybe Lightroom if you prefer the Adobe stuff).

Aperture is like a more "pro" version of iPhoto. It is better at handling multiple libraries, switching between them, and archiving photos. So, you don't have to have all of your photos and videos in one library. You can break it apart into pieces that make logical sense.

But, you can do this in iPhoto, and edit your videos in iMovie.

What are you using to manage your files now? Have you done edits to them, tagged them with keywords? If so, you may want to use the export features of your current software to export the photos with your edits and write the keywords to file, and then import them into iPhoto or Aperture.

Since you have multiple copies of these, don't be afraid to experiment and get a feel for the software. Export a chunk of your current photos, then import them into iPhoto or Aperture. See how it went, if you got all the metadata and structure you were expecting. If not, delete your library and start over. After some experiments and figuring out what works, go ahead and do the whole shebang.

Another thing to consider is how LR or Aperture import.

Although both are intended to use databases/libraries to organize photos, they both allow you to either import into a folder structure (semi-hidden, eg, in Aperture or iPhoto) or to index photos that are in some structure you've already set up.

I use indexing, which leaves photos where they are. I don't worry too much about that structure, since LR and/or Aperture do that for me. But it means that other applications I use find those photos more easily.

As suggested, try both ways and see what works for you.

Can you import photo files from Lightroom 4 into imovie hd?

desmotesta said:

I have purchased a copy of Lightroom 4 and am awaiting its arrival.

I will let you guys know how it works out.

Thank you for your help

Click to expand...

In the mean time you can download and use the trial version. It is a full version. When your box arrives all you have to do is put the license key into your trial version. The trial version is good for 30 days.

Also, the Adobe site has some very good support pages, including tips and hints written by professionals who use Lr. I find a lot of other internet Lr help to be not just less than useful, but sometimes just plain wrong. I have been using Lr for a long time - early version 2. I am a very accomplished intermediate user, and teach it privately. If you need help, just PM me, or post here to that everybody can read.