Where and how does iPhoto store photos?

Currently, I have been dumping these photos into my Pictures folder, then importing them into iPhoto. My questions are:

1) What's getting stored, and where?

Are you running a managed library (the iPhoto advanced option to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library" is in its default Checked state) or a referenced library (that preference is unchecked - this is not recommended)

In a managed library the photos are copied to the iPhoto library when imported and the source photo can be deleted

2) Is this the best strategy?

What is your answer to the above question? the best strategy is to use a managed library with a strong backup and to delete photos after importing them to iPhoto

3) What about duplicates? Do I just delete them from my iPhoto library, and leave them in my Picture folder? For example, I have hundreds of shots that I created as both RAW and JPEG. That's what I want to keep on disk, but I don't need duplicates in iPhoto.

NEVER make any changes of any sort to the structure or content of the iPhoto library - it is a relational database and making changes through external programs like the finder will corrupt the database and cause data loss

4) How do I go about organizing my photos? Should I have a maximum number of photos in a given folder? And how should I organize all this in iPhoto?

See 2 above

LN

the pictures in my Pictures folder have been copied into iPhoto, (into an enormous invisible folder somewhere)

Nothing enormous or invisible.

Since iPhoto 7 (iLife 08) the old iPhoto Library Folder is now a Package File. This is simply a folder that looks like a file in the Finder. The change was made to the format of the iPhoto library because many users were inadvertently corrupting their library by browsing through it with other software or making changes in it themselves.

Want to look inside? Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.

Standard Warning: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.

How the files are stored: You have three core folders

ℹ Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.

(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.

(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.

See? No secrets.

I can be confident that they'll be backed up with Time Machine,

Yes, or any other Back Upmutility you choose

and they will remain in their original format (unless I edit within iPhoto),

Yes, as you can see from your look inside iPhoto

and, if I later choose a different photo management program, photos in the iPhoto library are still discrete files that I can copy using the Finder?

Yes, though the more correct way would be to export via iPhoto. Why? Because this will allow you to write any metadata you add in iPhoto to the files.

Regards

TD

And another "right" thing to do is to have a strong backup strategy - I use Time Machine plus a daily clone of my entire system including the iPhoto library

LN

Hello, please help me to know how to erase all the pictures in iphoto, I have erased them all, but they are still in my mac using space, I don`t know what to do, becouse i can still see them in the Iphoto trash.
Sorry about my english, and I hope you have the answer, thanks.
Have a nice day 😀

empty the iPhoto trash - iPhoto menu ==> empty trash

LN