I just switched to mac a couple weeks ago, and im trying to figure out the purpose of the iphoto library. It seems like all it does is make a 2nd copy of all my images and stick them in a single library file. Is there any real benefit to this, or would i get the same functionality of iphoto just be setting it to not use the library, and keeping my images organized in my Pictures folder instead?
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Any real purpose in using the iphoto library?
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I hope I'm reading your question properly as I respond:
iPhoto does make a copy of all the photos you put into its library, yes, for its own organization system. iPhoto makes it MUCH easier to organize your photos than simple folders, in my opinion.
As an added bonus, whenever you modify a photo through iPhoto, it saves the original, just in case you want to go back to the original. This is quite helpful.
iPhoto takes up copious amounts of HD space - it's hard to deny that. But it really is handy if you've got the room to spare.
iPhoto does make a copy of all the photos you put into its library, yes, for its own organization system. iPhoto makes it MUCH easier to organize your photos than simple folders, in my opinion.
As an added bonus, whenever you modify a photo through iPhoto, it saves the original, just in case you want to go back to the original. This is quite helpful.
iPhoto takes up copious amounts of HD space - it's hard to deny that. But it really is handy if you've got the room to spare.
the iLife Apps are all more or less modeled after iTunes...
So, if you are used to using iTunes, having it manage your music collection for you, not having to dig through folders to find what you want to listen to, instantly having all your music at your fingertips, with gads of metadata with which to classify and search it, then you will like/be ok with iPhoto.
I like having iPhoto keep a copy of all my pictures, and all the different tags that I can assign (though I am just now starting to use these, so I have this massive backlog of photos to tag
), and having them in iPhoto means other iLife apps and some of the Pro apps can access them quickly and they bring up the exact same photo that you have in iPhoto. The interoperability that you get just by using iPhoto is worth it in my opinion.
So, if you are used to using iTunes, having it manage your music collection for you, not having to dig through folders to find what you want to listen to, instantly having all your music at your fingertips, with gads of metadata with which to classify and search it, then you will like/be ok with iPhoto.
I like having iPhoto keep a copy of all my pictures, and all the different tags that I can assign (though I am just now starting to use these, so I have this massive backlog of photos to tag
), and having them in iPhoto means other iLife apps and some of the Pro apps can access them quickly and they bring up the exact same photo that you have in iPhoto. The interoperability that you get just by using iPhoto is worth it in my opinion.Hi,
iPhoto is the one Apple app that I dislike. If you set iPhoto to not use its own library, it will anyway. it will reference from your pictures folder, but when you alter a photo, it will make a copy to its library. Pretty soon, your iPhoto library will be huge, complex, and unnavigable.
There's 2 ways to deal with this. One, get over it. This is the best solution, because any library structure is virtual anyway. Having a nice nested picture library just references to spinning magnetized rust. Two, if you're a little anal like me, use iView Media Pro. It is a sufficiently like iPhoto to look good, though it lacks the integration with other Apple apps that iPhoto has. The bonus is that it allows you to keep a recognizable library structure that you can access outside of iPhoto without getting lost.
Enjoy your new Mac,
Chris
iPhoto is the one Apple app that I dislike. If you set iPhoto to not use its own library, it will anyway. it will reference from your pictures folder, but when you alter a photo, it will make a copy to its library. Pretty soon, your iPhoto library will be huge, complex, and unnavigable.
There's 2 ways to deal with this. One, get over it. This is the best solution, because any library structure is virtual anyway. Having a nice nested picture library just references to spinning magnetized rust. Two, if you're a little anal like me, use iView Media Pro. It is a sufficiently like iPhoto to look good, though it lacks the integration with other Apple apps that iPhoto has. The bonus is that it allows you to keep a recognizable library structure that you can access outside of iPhoto without getting lost.
Enjoy your new Mac,
Chris
Thanks for the advice everyone. After a few days of thinking about how i want to organize, I think i've decided to just use iphoto with it's library, and just keep the photos organized on my hard drive at the same time as I go along. I like the fact that i can just upload right to picasaweb too since that's what i've always used as a windows user.
No doubt about it, if you are used to being in Windows the iLife way of doing things is strange at first. Your world goes from folders within folders to actual libraries and the system for organizing them is not readily apparent.
I really like it now. I know everything is there if I need it and there is better organization than I could ever do. Backup often and all is good.
I really like it now. I know everything is there if I need it and there is better organization than I could ever do. Backup often and all is good.
image you have a photo in iphoto, and you want to upload it to imageshack.
that is going to be a lot of folders to dig through to find it, so you have to resave it on your desktop.
how i-efficient !
that is going to be a lot of folders to dig through to find it, so you have to resave it on your desktop.
how i-efficient !
image you have a photo in iphoto, and you want to upload it to imageshack.
that is going to be a lot of folders to dig through to find it, so you have to resave it on your desktop.
how i-efficient !
No, no digging! If you are digging, you are making things too hard for yourself. And, you are probably mucking about in the finder, which is a big no-no. If you have it in iPhoto, and you have iPhoto organized into events or rolls, and then perhaps albums, you can find any photo easily. Even more easily if you have used keywords. Then just export to desktop and upload.
Exactly, just take the photos you want to upload (though see if there is a flickr plugin for iPhoto) and drag them to the desktop temporarily.
Oh, and skybolt, i see you are in nashville, half my family lives there, i am so jealous that you have an apple store in your near vicinity!