How to import with iPhoto or Aperture?

[diegobgr]

Hi.

I am really lost here.

In Windows, I used to copy my photos with Lightroom and store it in folders with years and subfolders with dates.

Now, I don't know what to do.

I have to cameras, so I have to rename the files in order to add a custom name with the name of the camera (for example DSC_00001-D90).

Can I do that with iPhoto or Aperture? What do you do?

Should iPhoto or Aperture store the files in their libraries or in current location?

It's very important for me to have the originals to backup them to a external hard disk, with folder and subfolders as I said.

[emorydunn]

Originally Posted by diegobgr

Hi.

I am really lost here.

In Windows, I used to copy my photos with Lightroom and store it in folders with years and subfolders with dates.

Now, I don't know what to do.

I have to cameras, so I have to rename the files in order to add a custom name with the name of the camera (for example DSC_00001-D90).

Can I do that with iPhoto or Aperture? What do you do?

Should iPhoto or Aperture store the files in their libraries or in current location?

It's very important for me to have the originals to backup them to a external hard disk, with folder and subfolders as I said.

In iPhoto you have one option: store the files in the iPhoto library. You can put that library anywhere you want but that's it.

In Aperture you have two options: have Aperture store the files in its library, or use referenced files (like Lightroom) where you manage everything and Aperture just stores edits in its library.
When you set up a new Aperture library it will ask if you want it to be referenced or not.

But, if you had Lightroom on Windows why not continue to use Lightroom on your Mac? Everything should be exactly the same (I haven't used the Windows version) and you'll be able to keep all of your edits.

[diegobgr]

Well, actually I just used it to import. And I prefer Aperture against Lightroom now.

My problem is that I have a large photo collection, about 20.000 photos, since 2004.

Now, I want to add them to Aperture, or iPhoto, but I wanna keep a backup in a external hard disk

[aristobrat]

Check the "Vault" feature of Aperture. IIRC, it lets you make backups of your Library to other devices, like external drives/DVDs/etc.

Also, for people using iPhoto, you do not have to store your photos inside of the iPhoto Library. If you go into Preferences > Advanced > Importing and uncheck "Copy items into the iPhoto Library", you can have iPhoto manage your pictures, wherever the heck you want you want the pictures stored.

[diegobgr]

I will like to store the photos in Aperture itself.

For example, in Windows, I used Lightroom to import, and Capture NX to edit.

Now, I will like to use the same program for everything.

The problem is that I want to backup to a external drive, so I need a easy folder system, no? And Aperture stores the masters in subfolders with the import data, not the capture data.

[aristobrat]

If you use the Aperture Vault feature, and you store your pictures inside of the Aperture Library, Aperture will backup your library to an external drive/DVD/etc. It does all of the work -- you don't have to worry about creating any folder systems for the backup.

If you chose to store your photos inside of the Aperture Library, then you don't worry about creating folder systems at the disk level -- Aperture manages all of that automatically for you (and doesn't allow you to change it). If you want to backup Aperture, you use either the Vault feature and Aperture takes care of it for you.

If you want to be in charge of how Aperture organizes your pictures at the disk level, when you import them, you place the pictures in the in the subfolder that you want them to reside in, and when you import them, you chose the "At their current location" option.

[diegobgr]

Thanks!

It seems easier than I thought.

And last, but not least, are Aperture and Vaults, safe?

[emorydunn]

Originally Posted by diegobgr

Thanks!

It seems easier than I thought.

And last, but not least, are Aperture and Vaults, safe?

I'd say safer than manually organising. If everything is stored in Aperture you don't have to worry about reconnecting files if you change hard drives, or if you accidentally mess something up in your file structure. And the Vault is basically a copy of your library stored in a different format that you can put anywhere.

[flosseR]

Aperture and Vaults are safe and the storing is done in a way that if the Aperture database" gets corrupted somehow, you CAN copy all your photos still out (originals).

Anyway in terms of importing into Aperture : http://go-dslr.com/tutorials/apertur...sets-made-easy (shameless link), I wrote about creating presets for this task and it makes renaming etc. MUCH MUCH easier as you can actually create a preset for each camera and import then very easily.

Hope it helps.

//F

[diegobgr]

Thanks!

All of you have helped me a lot.