[flyingfishgirl]

I keep getting messages that my Startup Disk is almost full. Seems like the major component eating at the space may be my iphoto library -- many of the "photos" in my library are actually small video files so they take up a lot of room. Someone at the genius bar told me a few months ago that I should move the iphoto library to an external drive and create multiple iphoto libraries. I would like to do this but am not sure how and can't seem to find clear directions. Also, the current library has pictures dating back to 2003 -- ideally I'd like to "split up" the current library so that on my internal HD I have the most recent year+ (i.e., everything dating from Jan 2007) -- whether these are in one library or a separate library for each year.

I switched to Mac last year and am still a little unsure of how to do this --
- how do I correctly copy the existing iphoto library to the external HD?
- the current library doesn't allow me to open it in the file folders and then select photos to move back, so how would I be able to keep some of the current library on my internal HD, or move those photos back onto my MacBook?
- how do I create a new iphoto library?
- after I create new libraries, if I have multple libraries on my internal HD, how do I control which one I open and to which one I save new photos?

I hope someone can help!

Thanks!

[Skybolt]

Here's the way Apple says to do this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1229. Easy, and works well!



To create a new library, hold down the option key while starting iPhoto. You will be prompted to create or choose a library. the one you choose will be the default until you change it back.

Do not do anything to/with yur photos from the library in finder. Do everything from within the app itself! going into the finder and mucking about in there will render iPhoto useless because the app will not be able to find your photos.

[flyingfishgirl]

Thanks. but how do I incorporate stuff from my current library into my new library?

[dougster]

flyingfishgirl said:

Thanks. but how do I incorporate stuff from my current library into my new library?

-Hi,

Actually you are going to 'move' your library to a new location. It will still have all your data there. And you'll just be adding to the library in the new location. To be on the safe side its always nice to backup ALL your music/videos in the library first. But as -skybolt mentioned it does work well.

[flyingfishgirl]

Thanks. I understand about that part, but that only covers part of what I want to do. My ultimate goal is to split up my library by year -- so I want to create a separate library for each year. On my external drive I want to have all of the libraries, but I don't always want to bring the external drive with me. So on my MacBookPro I want to have the most recent pictures and videos -- say all of those from 2007 and 2008. Right now I have one big library. So after I move the current library to the external drive, and create a new library on my MBP (i.e., "Library2008"), I need to copy/move the pictures/videos that were taken in 2008 (and that are in my current library) and place them in the new "Library2008" -- this is what I do not know how do do.

[Skybolt]

An app like iPhoto Library Manager will allow you to "merge" your libraries. So, one library on your external with all photos. One library on your internal with the recent photos. When you want to combine, just "merge" and all will be well.

[pkay]

I understand that you are trying to do two things: move all of your photos to an external drive, and split your library into libraries by year. I also have my libraries split up; it makes backing up faster (if I only modify one library) and makes loading faster too.

First, you do have to familiarize yourself with managing multiple libraries. The Apple-recommended way works, but is slightly more tedious for me than to use iPhotoBuddy (donation ware - http://www.iphotobuddy.com/) which has a really nice elegant interface, and works well in Tiger and Leopard. You 'add' libraries to a list by browsing for them anywhere in your filesystem, then click on the one you want to open. iPhotobuddy then launches iPhoto and quits. You never end up launching iPhoto directly again, but if you do, it just opens the last library you used. (You can still use the option-key method if you want). I recommend iPhotobuddy highly.

The only way to split libraries I know of is to start by copying your existing all-inclusive library to the external location, retaining a copy in your home folder for now as a backup. Then, make another copy of the library, and rename it '2003' for example. Open '2003' in iPhoto, and delete all photos that are not dated in 2003. Remember to empty the iPhoto trash (inside iPhoto ... not the finder trash) or you'll still use all that disk space. Close the library, which quits iPhoto. Repeat this process for all other years, by copying the original huge library to a renamed file, and editing that file to retain only what you want. Once you have done that for all years, you can simply keep the original 'everything' library as a backup, and delete the version in your home folder to restore disk space there.

That is how I manage my multiple libraries. The biggest complicating factor in doing so for me, is that making compilations across the years is harder, because you have to do tagging with keywords for each library separately, etc. But overall, it is worth it. Now, whenever I take a lot of pictures at an event, I usually just make a separate library for that event (you can make a blank library using Apple's method) and then export the best pictures into a folder for subsequent import into '2008', for example, once you've done the requisite culling. For smaller shoots, importing directly into '2008' is the way to go.

Hope this helps.

[n781lc]

Very interested in flyingfishgirl question but also would appreciate your opinion of using iPhoto (iLife 08) as opposed to other available apps such as Canon DPP or Adobe Lightroom. It really gets confusing trying to decide just what is the easiest, most efficient method to achieve the best results. No, I am obviously not a pro or even a very good amateur but trying to improve.

[pkay]

Regarding comparisons between iPhoto 08 and other options, I don't know because I haven't tried anything other than Canon's image browser which works but I don't really like it. I am very happy with iPhoto'08 in general. I really appreciate the event sorting, the image manipulation tools, including red eye reduction, and the ease of publishing to .Mac (web gallery) and ordering photo books; I do all of those things. I miss a couple of features: removing pincushion and barrel distortion and vignetting, and it would be nice to be able to annotate photos (e.g. add text over the image). There are other programs to do those things, but that's the point: it would be nice to have those commonly needed capabilities in iPhoto. Aperture permits use of plugins that do those things, for example, and maybe I need to look into it more.

[n781lc]

pkay, thanks. It appears we are on similar tracks with a common problem ...trying to select the best approach, using just minimum apps, to handling a fairly large number of pics. I have iPhoto, Adobe Light Room, Photoshop Elements 6, Digital Professional Photographer (the compete Canon set and am glad to have your comment on image Browser). I got into PSE when I moved from Windows to Mac and didn't feel I used enough of PS to justify the expense. I had just become acquainted with LR which I do think is one great program (my son, a real geek photo type really likes it and talked me into it, too).

I had some display problems that were seemingly uncorrectable with the color calibration etc. They asked me to reinstall after Archiving my HD. This gives me the chance to only put back what I want on the iMac. I'll deal with the Macbook later.

By the way, there was an answer to my problems (NOT provided by Apple Care) and that is in Peference>Displays: uncheck the "set for this display only" which then allows sRGB to be selected, set the calibration to Gamma 2.2 and the white point at D65.

Apparently that has been the recommendation of Apple for some time, it just isn't default .. ???

Check Smugbug.com for the most info on the subject of Mac Photo .. terrific. Also easier than MobileMe webpage.

sorry to be so windy ..

ed