Does iPhoto suck...or does it suck? (Rant)

[visvaldis]

I have a Mac-Mini (2013).
First, let me explain this. I have a G4MDD. All the photos I uploaded from my Canon were automatically put into (Pictures) folder on the hard drive. The Mac automatically dated each sub-folder. I could wait for weeks, or months, to give each photo a title and accurate date. Unfortunately, lately the G4 is giving me problems (power supply?)
Since months I have to use my Mac-Mini. The Mac-Mini iPhoto enrages me. Everything is put into a library. I cannot give any photos a title or date unless I click and drag it onto the desktop. I am infuriated that iPhoto does the arranging for me. But does not display the date of photo. If I wait some weeks I have forgotten the exact date of the photo, iPhoto does not tell me and I have to guess. Did you ever feel like punching the display?
I know what needs to be done better than iPhoto, thank you! I don't give a crap for faces, places, and events! I have my own system to arrange photos.
During the summer I shot 175 photos of a show of vintage cars. Getting all those shots named and dated was a project...thankful for copy and paste, then a minor change. It helped to know they were all shot on the same date.
I shoot photos with my Canon Powershot and upload them onto the Mac-Mini. Everything automatically goes to iPhoto. I wish they wouldn't. I see no value in iPhoto. Exactly, what is iPhoto's purpose to exist? I have come to dispose iPhoto with a passion, wish to rip out its jugular vein, and stomp on it until it dies. I hate it! and that's an understatement.
Thanks for reading!

 

[Dave Braine]

Does iPhoto suck...or does it suck?

Well it does, or it doesn't depending on your point of view. Most of those who think it does do so because they haven't taken the time to learn how it works.

Everything is put into a library.

Yes. Everything that you do in iPhoto refers to this Library. If you create Albums or Folders and put photos in them, you are just creating links back to the photos in that Library.

I cannot give any photos a title or date unless I click and drag it onto the desktop.

Yes you can. Each photo is given a default title relating to the camera and the photo number within the camera; eg, P1000311, HPIM0449 in my case. You can change that to something more meaningful by simply clicking on that title and changing it.

I prefer to leave that number and make a title using the Keyword function. Just hover the mouse below the title to see the Keyword box. If you want to give the same date/title to 100 photos, you can do that easily in one go using Keywords.

If I wait some weeks I have forgotten the exact date of the photo, iPhoto does not tell me and I have to guess.

Yes it does. There should be an Information button in the bottom left corner of the main window. Click it and you will see all the information for your photos.

I have my own system to arrange photos.

Well use that instead of iPhoto.

Everything automatically goes to iPhoto. I wish they wouldn't.

Open Image Capture which should be in yourApplications Folder. Connect your camera and then tell Image Capture what you would like to happen when you connect that camera in the future.

I am using iPhoto 09(v8) so yours maybe slightly, but probably not much, different

Have a nice day.

 

[kirsch92]

there's also the batch change function with an auto numbering system that might have made short work of your car photos...

not to mention changing names and adding titles... which you can also control what is seen below each photo in the event...

the events you set up on import. the way you want...

but other than that, iPhoto does suck.

 

[Partron22]

Since you don't like iPhoto, use Image Capture instead.
That'll let you put images in any folder you desire.
Turn off the auto import function in iPhoto, then open Image Capture, plug your camera in, turn it on, and set the menu at bottom left of Image Capture to open the App each time you connect your camera.
Import will take only 1 click for all your images, and they'll end up easily accessible, where you want them to be.

 

[xuamox]

Yes, iPhoto Sucks!

Yes, iPhoto is not as good as it should be.
As a rule, always download and backup your photos to an external hard drive to have as a copy. It's always nice to be able to access your photos in their original state, and organized just how you want them.

Now onto how iPhoto could be better!

1. Forget storing photos on the Mac. Store all photos in the cloud. I have 40,000 photos on my mac and they use up the majority of my disk space.

2. Apple should automatically upload all photos to cloud and let you organize and edit them online, and allow you to share them, etc, etc. This will ensure that all your photos are always backed up and available to any device.

3. Don't automatically upload videos to icloud and use up all my storage space. Let me choose what video makes it up to the cloud.

Flickr does a great job with photos in the cloud. It's a much more intuitive workflow than anything that Apple has going on.

I just find iPhoto very arcane and old school. Time for a sweet update, and if Apple can provide free storage to users - that would be a huge incentive for users to use Apple products.

 

[sigamy]

Everything is put into a library. I cannot give any photos a title or date unless I click and drag it onto the desktop. I am infuriated that iPhoto does the arranging for me. But does not display the date of photo. If I wait some weeks I have forgotten the exact date of the photo, iPhoto does not tell me and I have to guess.

I'm not sure what is happening with your setup. iPhoto reads the EXIF data on each photo. This data is placed on the files from your camera. EXIF should include the date of the photo. It also includes the Camera, lens and focal length for each photo. I have smart albums in iPhoto that show the focal length for my pics, I can then see which lenses I am using most often.

iPhoto has issues, yes. But I don't understand what your issues are...

If you enjoy manually managing photos in the file system, then you need to disable import to iPhoto. Simply don't use iPhoto.

But realize what you can be missing...One of iPhoto's (or any library based DAM) goals is to be the file system for photos. If you buy into that philosophy, there is almost no reason to go to the file system to do anything on a photo, you do it all from iPhoto/Lightroom/Aperture.

I have no desire to manually organize my 35,000 photos into folders. Computers are supposed to make things easier for us...

 

[visvaldis]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I will try some of the suggested solutions.
It's amazing to hear that some have 40,000 photos. I shoot about 150 per month. nothing special.

 

[johnnnw]

iPhoto is Pixar movie qualify software compared to iTunes.

Don't get me started on the mess that program is.

Can't wait for the reskin coming next week

 

[AustinIllini]

iPhoto is terrible. Maybe not iTunes terrible, but it is certainly one big pile of crap.

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

I know what needs to be done better than iPhoto, thank you! I don't give a crap for faces, places, and events!

Strangely enough, I love the way iPhoto uses the EXIF location info from the GPS on my cameras to locate the photos on a map. Every photo organizer/album program should do this. Viewing sequentially, by event, or by location are all perfect for me. I also like the faces function as well, although it is hit-or-miss. Some peoples' faces are always picked up perfectly, while others almost never are. I don't know why. But, it does give you another option for looking through photos.

I have my own system to arrange photos.
During the summer I shot 175 photos of a show of vintage cars. Getting all those shots named and dated was a project...thankful for copy and paste, then a minor change. It helped to know they were all shot on the same date.
I shoot photos with my Canon Powershot and upload them onto the Mac-Mini. Everything automatically goes to iPhoto. I wish they wouldn't. I see no value in iPhoto. Exactly, what is iPhoto's purpose to exist? I have come to dispose iPhoto with a passion, wish to rip out its jugular vein, and stomp on it until it dies. I hate it! and that's an understatement.
Thanks for reading!

As others have said, just don't use it.

But, really, depending on which camera model you have, you should get good location info most of the time in the photo EXIF. iPhoto makes convenient use of it.