Basic iPhoto help
Got a MBP this past week, and I'm in the bittersweet stage where I "get" (I'm trying to be optimistic) to transfer all my files from my pc *insert Microsoft bash here*. What's the best way to upload my photos into iPhoto? I have all my pics organized in folders and subfolders, and I can't figure out for the life of me the best way to go about organizing my pictures in iPhoto. I have all the pictures on my mac hard drive, and I just simply want to add them to iPhoto. If I'm correct, when I drag the picture into iPhoto, it duplicates the file (in "originals" folder). This wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have 11 gigs of pictures (x2=22). It just seems... unnecessary. For those who will tell me to get an external drive, I am looking for one at a decent price 
So what's the deal? I feel like I'm missing something really simple here...
So what's the deal? I feel like I'm missing something really simple here...
Comments
Seriously, you're going to want to take a step back and think about how you have them organized in the folders, and how best to replicate that with keywords. Here's my approach:
Drag each folder in, one at a time, starting with the lowest folders. This creates a new 'film roll' for each one. Select the pictures in it, tag with a keyword representative of the folder name. Move the original folder aside, out of your photo folders. When you get to what was previously a parent folder, select the film roll for its immediate pictures, and then the film rolls for all folders it contained. Tag all at once with the parent's keyword. Keep going. Work your way up the hierarchy until you're done.
Yeah, it's a pain in the ass, and it's something that a script could probably do, but I had a simple enough filing system (or lack thereof) that it didn't take more than an hour or so.
iPhoto, like iTunes, is something you either jump in wholeheartedly, or you don't use. There's no middle ground. You either use *it* to organize your files, or, well, there's really no reason to use it. That's the entire point of the app.
Another ?, is it bad to have a large number of pictures in iPhoto? I thought I read that having too much information just bogs iPhoto down. And is it bad to have dozens of albums? Or should I go with keywords? I know these are nit-picky questions, but I'd like to organize in the most efficient way. Thanks for all the help!
And yes, that's the process I meant. Import Trees, tag with 'Trees', import Flowers, tag those with 'Flowers', import Nature, and tag those, all of Trees, and all of Flowers with 'Nature'. Tedious, I know... but it does replicate your metadata organization strategy explicitly.
Albums vs. keywords depends on whether you figure you'll be more likely to repeatedly look at the same collections (albums) or generate new ones on the fly (searching by keyword). I try and add keywords as much as possible, because I can always use them to later create Smart Albums.
And yes, that's the process I meant. Import Trees, tag with 'Trees', import Flowers, tag those with 'Flowers', import Nature, and tag those, all of Trees, and all of Flowers with 'Nature'. Tedious, I know... but it does replicate your metadata organization strategy explicitly.
Wow, that was a fast reply. Ok, that makes sense. I haven't tried Smart Albums yet, but I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again for all the help.