iPhoto Library Question

[abertram]

Hi All,

I am struggling with iPhoto.

For a while, when I transferred photos from my camera to my computer, I just made a folder on my desktop, added the photos, and was done with it. I never gave iPhoto any thought until a few weeks ago.

I am finally starting to move all my photos into iPhoto, but have run into some trouble.

I realize that when I drag photos into iPhoto, it copies it into the iPhoto library, so there are the photos in the iPhoto library, as well as copies of those photos in the original folder. I delete the original folder, and continue.

However, the computer I am working on right now only has ~15GB. There is a folder of images I want to transfer to my iPhoto library that is ~30GB. I cannot simply drag and drop the photos into iPhoto, because I don't have enough room to copy the photos and put them into iPhoto.

I can solve this either by backing up my computer with time machine (which I have) and just deleting the ~30GB folder (which I will call folder X) and then dragging the backup of Folder X into iPhoto from my external hard drive, OR I can do it in parts.

I don't really want to do either of those, as I am afraid I might slip or and make the files disappear in some freak accident.

I know that you can go to Finder-->Photos and click on the iPhoto Library Thumbnail then go to Package Contents.

Is there a way to just MOVE (not copy) the enter Folder X to the Package Contents of iPhoto Library? There are a bunch of contents, and I see 3 folders which seem the most important. (Masters, Thumbnails, and Previews).

Is it at all possible to move my Folder X into any of those folders so I don't have to back it up and transfer or do it in parts?

 

[Bear]

You have to go through iPhoto to add photos to the library.

What you could do is make a folder and move some photos from the 30GB folder into that one. And then you can delete those moved photos once imported.

 

[Thraun]

May I suggest more external storage or upgrading your internal storage?

15GB is not really enough free space on a drive to keep it running efficiently, and adding more content will slow down the HD even more. Ideally you don't want to fill up a hard drive more than 85% or so of its max capacity, or you will start running into performance issues.

 

[Wando64]

You might already know this, but you can actually tell iPhoto to leave the photos where they are and NOT make copies.