Using Lightroom and Iphoto Together

What are you trying to do, exactly?

Both LR and iPhoto are photo managers. iPhoto is firmly pointed at the home user with a point and shoot camera, LR is a professional grade application aimed squarely at the Raw shooter.

In either case +they both do the same job+, so using both is a bit like writing your Novel in Word and also in Pages at the same time.

Assuming you want to import pics from your camera, store them, process them and then organise them into albums etc, I would use Lightroom. It's just a more powerful app for the job.

Then, if there's something that LR can't do - for instance, Slideshows or books or whatever - then export the pics you want to use from LR to the Finder and import into iPhoto, or use *_ this_* LR plug in to automate the process.

I have read several posts which are contradictory in regards to importing photos into Lightroom from Iphoto.

You need to understand something. Both Application are Databases. A photo needs to be imported before they can even see or manipulate it. While Aperture can read the iPhoto database, LR is utterly oblivious to the iPhoto DB and vice versa.

Some say to export files to Finder and then use Lightroom to import.

This is the correct way.

Others say to open Iphoto Package Contents, make alias and use Lightroom to import.

Never, ever do this. Any slight change to the path of the file and your iPhoto Library is toast.

but would like to import selected photos or events into Lightroom for processing.

Frankly, this sounds to me more like a job for Photshop Elements rather than LR.

Regards

TD

Hi, first I would ensure that ALL your photos are BACKED UP..(external HD)
Save (ext HD) the originals & work from copies then renamed & saved in iPhoto...L

Hi, I assume for the advanced photographic work you will be shooting RAW..
I would also take a look at Elements, I find it excellent for 99% of my editing..L

Hi, you should have said "a gift" in your post, then we would understand your ? better..L

I noticed folks making suggestions here to use Elements instead of Lightroom for processing tasks and I am wondering why they feel that way. I am in the process of checking out Lightroom for possible use in my workflow and from everything I've read this application has more than enough power/features for most processing tasks. True, it won't allow you to turn a photo into a Graphic Image based more upon imagination than reality but as a photojournalist rather than a frustrated painter/artist this doesn't bother me one bit.

Is there something that the folks at Lightroom aren't talking about that limits the usefullness of this application when it comes to most processing tasks?

Thanks,
Winston

Hi, the reason Elements is suggested is that it is intuitive! I tried LR but found it less than satisfactory for my use..that is not to say anything against LR & it's followers. If you shoot RAW make sure LR can read your RAW images.
Whatever software you use there is a learning curve!..
Don't forget to Back Up your work, jpegs degrade every time they are opened!
The software that comes with digital cameras is quite satisfactory for 95% of PP...L

LR is really more for DAM management (is that redundant?) with some photo processing thrown in. PSE (ignoring bridge) is geared for image manipulation. While most images will not need it, sometimes you need a little more help than LR (or Aperture, for that matter) provide for.