Another iPhoto question - Library Management

[Wingnut330]

Hey all,

I have about 6,000 images in my library and am trying to organize them. It hit me this weekend that I might be doing things a little out of whack and that iPhoto might just naturally do what I have been forcing it to do. So here goes...

Yesterday I connected my SD card reader to my MBP and downloaded 504 images into iPhoto. When I was done, I labled all of my events while still in the 'Last Import' screen. So I now have all of my photos in iPhoto and the events are labeled - but I want to easily be able to find them.

So, in the Windows world (and iPhoto as well) I would create folders with event names - in iPhoto I use albums. I drag (I actually think it's a copy) the pictures from 'Last Import' and drop them over in the Albums section. I have a 2006 album with lots of sub albums, a 2007 album with sub-albums and now a 2008 album with a handful of subalbums.

So, I drop them in the 2008 album, rename the sub-album and now I can see them listed in the window pane on the left.

Am I doing this correctly, or am I overdoing . over analyzing it? Can someone give me tips or show me screen shots of your libraries?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ChrisA]

...I labled all of my events while still in the 'Last Import' screen. So I now have all of my photos in iPhoto and the events are labeled - but I want to easily be able to find them.

So, in the Windows world (and iPhoto as well) I would create folders with event names - in iPhoto I use albums. I drag (I actually think it's a copy) the pictures from 'Last Import' and drop them over in the Albums section. I have a 2006 album with lots of sub albums, a 2007 album with sub-albums and now a 2008 album with a handful of subalbums.

First off when you add a phot to an album it does not make a copy. The photo stays where it is and the album only contains a pointer (the name of the file, not the actual file is in the album) You did do a little extra work. What yuo could have done is madea "smart album" and specified that photos from (say) 2007 are to go there. Then as you add photos to the library if any of them were shot in 2007 iPhoto will put them in the 2007 folder.

But I think organizing photos by date is not very effective because years later when yo want to find a secific photo you have to rember when you took it. A MUCH better sceme is to tage each photo with some ketwords and comments to record thetype of photo (portrait, landsccape, macro,..) and the name of the subject and location where it was taken. then later you can seach on the tag or you can make a smart album that will hav all the shots of "Mary in San Fransico with 3 or more star rating" You can even make a folder for Mary" and have a set of smart albums, one for all the places Mary has been.

Because the photos are not copied you can have a photo in 10 albums and it will not take up more space. So why not make smart foldrs based on location (San Fransico, France, Fargo ND,..) and others based on person (Mary, Sue Fred) and maybe one called just "5 stars" for you best work

Summary: Tag the photo. Use "Smart Albums" Notice that the camera already tages you shots wit the data. no need to also drage them into data folders