iPhoto help, how does it really work?

[davidlv]

A friend of mine, not so computer literate, asked me for help with iPhoto, but I have no experience with the app so I can't really help him.
He has several folders of photos on his old iMac 2009 24", running Snow Leopard, and is updating to a new 27" iMac 2012, due to arrive soon.
All of his photos are imported from a Canon camera using software provided by Canon.
After setting up the new iMac, what is the best way to import those photo's and ensure that iPhoto manages all of them from one location?
ie. Would it be best to connect a USB drive with the photos on it, and 1. have iPhoto open the photos? or 2. copy the photos to the new iMac first?
Does iPhoto copy files opened in it and can the (old) copied files be deleted?
Any help appreciated.

[Dave Braine]

iPhoto doesn't "open" photos, it stores, catalogues, edits and displays them.

The best way depends on how many photos he's got and how he's got them arranged in his Folders.

The simple way would use Migration Assistant to import all his stuff from the old Mac to the new. That would include his photos. Failing that, transfer them via a USB stick or external drive.

He could then open iPhoto and import the photos either by iPhoto's File>Import menu or just drag and drop them into the iPhoto main window.

If he has a lot of Folders and sub-folders, then he might want to import them one at a time and create the equivalent folders/sub-folders in iPhoto.

In iPhoto Preferences>Advanced, there is the option to 'Copy Items to iPhoto Library". If he ensures that that option is ticked, he can then delete the original photos after importing them.