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trs0722

macrumors member
Oct 29, 2011
62
0
Newark, DE
I've read that you should format the card in camera but I knew that would mean the pics would start back over at 001. I was originally concerned about duplicates but come to think of it, I have LR set up to name the files by the date first then image # so I guess it's ok to go back to 001 each time. Also, at one point I recall deselecting import in iPhoto and yet it still opened asking if I wanted to import. So I guess I just got used to it and developed a workaround. I will give those hints a try. Thanks.
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
I've read that you should format the card in camera but I knew that would mean the pics would start back over at 001....

I can't speak for every camera, but in my experience with 3 cameras directly and numerous cameras indirectly, formatting the card does not reset the counter... the camera just picks up from where it left off. There is a possibility your camera is bit, um, 'eccentric' of course.... but I would double-check your assumption by experimentation and observation.

Good Luck....
 

LrUser

macrumors newbie
Feb 10, 2013
1
0
@snberk103 Thanks for your knowledge in this thread.

I found out the hard way that Lr and iPhoto don't play nice together. (Images i've 'externally edited' in Lr no longer export from iPhoto, and are 'missing or offline' in Lightroom)... Completely destroyed as far as I can tell.

So... snberk, ya got any wisdom on undoing the damage I've done?


@ confused others who might glance this, who were trying to export their whole library, but were interupted by an error message saying "unable to create user/volumes/blahblah".. well that's why. Those images were corrupted by the external editing thanggg. Peace.
 

flynz4

macrumors 68040
Aug 9, 2009
3,242
126
Portland, OR
Glad it worked out for you, in the end. I have a specific spot I put my cards when I take them out of the camera. Cards in that spot do not go anywhere, except into the card reader. When they come out, they go into another specific spot for at least a day (one backup cycle) before I put them back into rotation. It a rigid workflow, and so far (knock wood) I haven't lost any images through accidental deletion. At least not that I know of.

The one part of the workflow I sometimes forget is to format the card at all. I don't tend to fill my cards up... I download the images at the end of the session or day. So what happens is that when I go to import the next session's images I have to make sure the "Don't import suspected duplicates" is checked.
I've never seen a camera that resets the picture name counter when the SD card is reformated. How would that work with multiple SD cards? The counter is generally a function of the camera, not the SD card.

Many cameras (ex: Nikon DSLRs) have "format shortcuts" because most photographers format cards after downloading. On Nikon... two of the buttons have "red colored" markings. You hold down both (twice) to format.

/Jim
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
@snberk103 Thanks for your knowledge in this thread.

I found out the hard way that Lr and iPhoto don't play nice together. (Images i've 'externally edited' in Lr no longer export from iPhoto, and are 'missing or offline' in Lightroom)... Completely destroyed as far as I can tell.

So... snberk, ya got any wisdom on undoing the damage I've done?

....

How many pictures are we talking about? In theory, the original (unedited) photos are likely still there - in iPhoto. But I have no experience with untangling that kind of corruption. But the originals may still be in place in the iPhoto Library package.
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
I've never seen a camera that resets the picture name counter when the SD card is reformated. How would that work with multiple SD cards? The counter is generally a function of the camera, not the SD card.

Many cameras (ex: Nikon DSLRs) have "format shortcuts" because most photographers format cards after downloading. On Nikon... two of the buttons have "red colored" markings. You hold down both (twice) to format.

/Jim

Not sure I understand the question... actually, I think I understand the question - but I'm being dense about why I'm being asked about the file name set by the camera?

My system is about making sure I don't prematurely put a card back into the camera and format the card with photos I've not yet imported. And then once they are imported - making sure that the imported images have been backed up before the card is formatted in the camera.

Since the camera creates the file name, multiple cards work well since the software detects duplicate images based on the file name (and probably date too). I use the "detect duplicates - and don't download them" setting so that if I forget to format the card in the camera I am not downloading the same photo a 2nd time.
 

flynz4

macrumors 68040
Aug 9, 2009
3,242
126
Portland, OR
Not sure I understand the question... actually, I think I understand the question - but I'm being dense about why I'm being asked about the file name set by the camera?

My system is about making sure I don't prematurely put a card back into the camera and format the card with photos I've not yet imported. And then once they are imported - making sure that the imported images have been backed up before the card is formatted in the camera.

Since the camera creates the file name, multiple cards work well since the software detects duplicate images based on the file name (and probably date too). I use the "detect duplicates - and don't download them" setting so that if I forget to format the card in the camera I am not downloading the same photo a 2nd time.

Even though I quoted your post... I was really replying to the guy you answered. I was trying to dispel his notion that reformating the SD card would reset the photo naming counter. I believe that you and I are in sync.

Like you... I permanently keep the "Do not import duplicates" feature turned on. I use Aperture, and if on a trip... I keep importing my day's pictures into my MBA and letting Crashplan back up my MBA to the cloud. I also keep my photos on the SD cards until after I get home. That way all my trip pictures are on both my MBA and the SD card(s). Additionally, they may be backed up to Crashplan+ depending upon the speed of my internet connection.

Once home... I will transfer the Aperture project(s) from my MBA over to my iMac which is my master library.

I also share your concern about reformatting SD cards after import, but prior to the iMac being backed up. I usually keep the SD card on the "foot" of the iMac until after I know that it has been backed up to both TM and Crashplan+. Then I reformat it in the camera.

/Jim
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
... I believe that you and I are in sync.

Like you... I permanently keep the "Do not import duplicates" feature turned on. ... I usually keep the SD card on the "foot" of the iMac until after I know that it has been backed up to both TM and Crashplan+. Then I reformat it in the camera.

/Jim

Yep... totally in synch.... except I am fortunate enough to have a Mac Pro so the cards sit on the top handle instead of the foot. :)
 

whirlandspin

macrumors newbie
Aug 14, 2013
2
0
I know this thread is old, but I am making the move from iPhoto to LR and I am hoping for some help!

I would like to move all of my photos to LR, which I am happy to do event by event, to maintain my existing organisation.

BUT, I would like to leave all photos in iPhoto that have been placed into projects. This is because I have printed a number of hardcover books, but want to keep the digital version just in case they get wrecked or something, as they took me hours upon hours of work.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how I might do this?

Thanks in advance.
 

fa8362

macrumors 68000
Jul 7, 2008
1,571
496
I know this thread is old, but I am making the move from iPhoto to LR and I am hoping for some help!

I would like to move all of my photos to LR, which I am happy to do event by event, to maintain my existing organisation.

BUT, I would like to leave all photos in iPhoto that have been placed into projects. This is because I have printed a number of hardcover books, but want to keep the digital version just in case they get wrecked or something, as they took me hours upon hours of work.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how I might do this?

Thanks in advance.

I don't use iPhoto, but I do use Lightroom 5 and have used Lightroom since version 1.

Given that, all I can say is if your physical files are organized well on your hard drive, all you have to do is tell Lightroom to import them and it will import the existing file structures. I can't comment on organization within iPhoto that doesn't exist on your hard drive.
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
I know this thread is old, but I am making the move from iPhoto to LR and I am hoping for some help!

I would like to move all of my photos to LR, which I am happy to do event by event, to maintain my existing organisation.

BUT, I would like to leave all photos in iPhoto that have been placed into projects. This is because I have printed a number of hardcover books, but want to keep the digital version just in case they get wrecked or something, as they took me hours upon hours of work.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how I might do this?

Thanks in advance.

You may need to a 2nd Hdd (simply for space) - plus of course Hdds for backup. Simply export the photos from iPhoto at full resolution - making a copy as you go... a duplicate. I think for simplicity's sake I would export to a temporary folder on your desktop, Event by Event. After each export have LR import (using the move option) from the temp folder to it's date structured folder system. Use Keywords as you go. Create a Collection that mirrors your Event Structure, and drag the Last Import into the collection. Repeat as required.
 

whirlandspin

macrumors newbie
Aug 14, 2013
2
0
Thank you so much for your quick replies. I bought a second HDD yesterday, so I'm ready to do the import as you explained.

What I left out of my original question however, was that I only want to keep those photos that are in projects, but delete the rest of the photos.

So, say I have 10,000 photos in total in iPhoto, but only 4000 of them have been placed into books. I'd like to delete the other 6000 from iPhoto. So then I'd have 10,000 in LR, but only 4000 in iPhoto (which are double ups, but will keep the integrity of my books).

I'm wondering if I can use a Smart Album, such as "album -- is not -- ANY", to flag all those for deletion? If I do though, I don't know if there is a way to batch delete those files (after I have done the export to LR) or whether I would have to do it one-by-one?
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
Thank you so much for your quick replies. I bought a second HDD yesterday, so I'm ready to do the import as you explained.

What I left out of my original question however, was that I only want to keep those photos that are in projects, but delete the rest of the photos.

So, say I have 10,000 photos in total in iPhoto, but only 4000 of them have been placed into books. I'd like to delete the other 6000 from iPhoto. So then I'd have 10,000 in LR, but only 4000 in iPhoto (which are double ups, but will keep the integrity of my books).

I'm wondering if I can use a Smart Album, such as "album -- is not -- ANY", to flag all those for deletion? If I do though, I don't know if there is a way to batch delete those files (after I have done the export to LR) or whether I would have to do it one-by-one?

That I don't know, and I'd have to play around with it to figure out. Which, unfortunately, is something I can't do right now. If you have the HDDs, I would recommend making (and testing!) at least one good backup of your iPhoto Library to an external, and put that HDD away somewhere safe. Also - if you have the room internally, make a 2nd copy and "compress" it. This gives you two backups, one that is local and one that not. Then play around with some scenarios to see what works best.

Luck
 

GoGas38

macrumors newbie
Mar 1, 2013
8
0
Slight variation on considering using iPhoto and LR4 together. I use LR for compilation, editing, labelling etc. of all the photos that are held in folder structure of Shared finder section of iMac. My wife is user (separate account) of the same iMac and has access to the Shared folder. She finds iPhoto simpler to use and we wondered if she could use it to view, browse, copy photos etc. - i.e. as viewer.
Thoughts:
  • We would need to set iPhoto not to import photos (about 15k total) but just link to existing ones
  • We would need to tell iPhoto to rescan every so often for new photos added via LR (thought could set automator to do this on closing LR)
  • Presumably iPhoto would only see the original (jpeg or dng) and not any edited changes down in LR. Relatively few are edited as many are holiday photos so this may not be an issue
  • Presumably iPhoto will import all the Metadata providing it is written to the file.
  • iPhoto will presumably create its own previews
Anybody has experience of combing LR and iPhoto in this way or is it just too much trouble?

Thanks
 

trs0722

macrumors member
Oct 29, 2011
62
0
Newark, DE
Slight variation on considering using iPhoto and LR4 together. I use LR for compilation, editing, labelling etc. of all the photos that are held in folder structure of Shared finder section of iMac. My wife is user (separate account) of the same iMac and has access to the Shared folder. She finds iPhoto simpler to use and we wondered if she could use it to view, browse, copy photos etc. - i.e. as viewer.
Thoughts:
  • We would need to set iPhoto not to import photos (about 15k total) but just link to existing ones
  • We would need to tell iPhoto to rescan every so often for new photos added via LR (thought could set automator to do this on closing LR)
  • Presumably iPhoto would only see the original (jpeg or dng) and not any edited changes down in LR. Relatively few are edited as many are holiday photos so this may not be an issue
  • Presumably iPhoto will import all the Metadata providing it is written to the file.
  • iPhoto will presumably create its own previews
Anybody has experience of combing LR and iPhoto in this way or is it just too much trouble?

Thanks

I can add that iPhoto won't see any of your edited pictures unless you import them (export from LR). I finally found a fairly easy workflow by setting up a Smart Collection in LR for edited pictures I want to export to iPhoto. I simply assign pictures a 4 or higher rating. They get put in the collection and I periodically export them to iPhoto as a JPG. This way they take up less space on my iPad and iPhone and can be easily streamed/sent to Apple TV.

Curious...how does using Automator work? Never looked into that.
 
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