Installing Aperture for the first time

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Level 1

59 points

Installing Aperture for the first time

Hi,

I am considering shifting from iPhoto to Aperture. However, before doing so, I just have a few questions that I need help clarifying on.

(1) On Apple’s website ( http://www.apple.com/aperture/iphoto-to-aperture/how.html), it says that “Aperture 3 creates a new folder named iPhoto Library and a subfolder named Events. The Events folder contains your projects.”

Does this mean iPhoto Events are turned into Aperture Projects? What happens to my iPhoto Faces, Places, and especially important to me, Album data? Does that also get conserved? All of my photos in iPhoto are already classified in 60+ iPhoto Albums.

(2) The aforementioned Apple link also says that “After experimenting with Aperture features, you can (1) delete the Aperture library and keep your images in iPhoto or (2) choose “Consolidate Masters for Library” to move your masters and your work from iPhoto to Aperture. If you chose to consolidate your masters, you can delete the iPhoto library once the consolidation is complete.”

If I take, for example, Option (2) and move my masters and my work from iPhoto to Aperture, does this mean that during the transfer and prior to deleting the iPhoto library after consolidation I will require double the hard disk space taken up by my iPhoto library for the transfer process? So if my current iPhoto library takes up about 26GB, does this mean that during the transfer/consolidation process I will need 52GB of hard disk space before I can delete the old iPhoto library once the consolidation is complete?

Thank you for your help and clarifying these 2 points.

MacBook Pro 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.6.5), iPhoto 8.1.2

Posted on Jan 15, 2011 12:43 PM

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Answer 1

Lenmat

Level 1

4 points

Jan 15, 2011 3:26 PM in response to Chau

This is a great question and would be very helpful to me as well, I just installed Aperture as well. One additional question in this same theme, can you share a library between both Iphoto and Aperture or do you have to chose one vs the other and move / import your pictures?

How do I know when this question is answered - will I be notified?

Thanks for your help!

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Answer 2

Chau Author

Level 1

59 points

Jan 15, 2011 10:20 PM in response to Lenmat

Hi, though I can't help you with the Aperture part of your question, I am still hoping for a reply 🙂

You can be notified of updates and answers on this thread, by:

1. Clicking the subscribe / watch topic link on the top section of the thread, it looks like a pair of binoculars.

2. Or you can go into your settings (top right of screen) and adjust settings so that you automatically get updated on threads where you have made posts/replies.

Hope this helps.

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Answer 3

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Jan 16, 2011 12:56 AM in response to Chau

Does this mean iPhoto Events are turned into Aperture Projects? What happens to my iPhoto Faces, Places, and especially important to me, Album data? Does that also get conserved? All of my photos in iPhoto are already classified in 60+ iPhoto Albums.

Ye, Events are turned into Projects. Faces and Places are preserved. Albums are not. But with simple keywording applied before the import you can quickly recreate the albums.

If I take, for example, Option (2) and move my masters and my work from iPhoto to Aperture, does this mean that during the transfer and prior to deleting the iPhoto library after consolidation I will require double the hard disk space taken up by my iPhoto library for the transfer process?

Yes, and possibly more as there may well be temporary files created and removed in the process.

One additional question in this same theme, can you share a library between both Iphoto and Aperture or do you have to chose one vs the other and move / import your pictures?

No, you can share the Photos between an iPhoto and an Aperture Library, but a: iPhoto will have +no awareness+ of work done in Aperture, and once the import is finished, Aperture will have no awareness of further work in iPhoto.

In a nutshell: trying to use both is complex, unnecessarily so. Pick one horse and ride it.

Regards

TD

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Answer 4

Chau Author

Level 1

59 points

Jan 16, 2011 3:40 AM in response to Yer_Man

Hi TD,

Thanks a lot for your helpful explanations. Yes, I definitely will ride just one horse, and I would like that one horse to be Aperture.

However, my Events in iPhoto are in a chaotic mess. My Albums are nice and organized, but not my Events.

My unorganized Events I think were a legacy of upgrading from old iPhoto versions that didn't have Events built in and with the newer iPhoto upgrades my photos were classified automatically by date so that there are now about 1,200 Events. Which means if I move over to Aperture, those 1,200 Events will be turned into 1,200 messy date-based Projects and I will have lost all my Albums which were my main form of organization. I will also have to keyword each of the 12,000 or so photos in iPhoto...

I really still would like to put the effort in moving to Aperture, any advice on how I can reduce the "pain" in the process? Are there quick and efficient ways to restructure my iPhoto Events (I know that this might be more appropriate in the iPhoto section of the forum, but just in case you are also well versed in iPhoto too)? When keywording all my photos, what's an efficient way to go about doing it? Can I batch keyword photos?

Thanks for your advice, it is much appreciated. I am going to clear up my hard disk, take a deep breath and take the plunge into the world of Aperture... a lot of cleaning up to do...

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Answer 5

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Jan 16, 2011 6:51 AM in response to Chau

Are all your photos in Albums? If so, then you can reorganise your Events very easily in iPhoto.

Select an Album, command-a to select all the pics in it

Photos Menu -> Flag Photos

Then Events Menu -> Create Events from Flagged Photos

Repeat for all the Albums: Result Your Events mirror your Album set up.

Another way:

Select an Album, command-a to select all the pics in it

Apply a Keyword 'Album A'

Then after importing to Aperture a simple search for Keyword is 'Album A' will find all those photos and you can make an album of them.

Regards

TD

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Answer 6

Chau Author

Level 1

59 points

Jan 16, 2011 5:42 PM in response to Yer_Man

Hi TD,

Your reply was extremely helpful - thank you.

Just a few final questions...

(1) Yes, all my photos are organized in Albums. Where do master / original photos in iPhoto reside? In the Photos tab to the left in the program? So would it be safe for me to throw away all my current haphazard events? Once I get that cleaned up then I will create organized events and keyword flagged photos as you advised.

(2) Connected to this question, where do master / original photos reside in Aperture?

(3) Finally, I am not sure if you use an iPad, but once I will be using Aperture, will I by able to sync Projects etc. from Aperture to my iPad via iTunes?

That's it. Thanks again, now I look forward to cleaning up and preparing everything for the big migration to Aperture.

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Answer 7

ednsb

Level 1

13 points

Jan 16, 2011 7:33 PM in response to Chau

Terrance that is one of most simple answers I have seen on here. Thank you

Let me confuse the issue a bit. I have a large iphoto library which is made up of 3 types of shots -

old family pics I scanned in, what I would call snapshots of family for years, and my pro shots from the last 40 years (some scanned negatives and slides, and my new digital shots).

I too am new to Aperture 3 (and still not sure whether I should use Aperture 3 or Lightroom 3). I would like to do this: Leave the family pics and snapshots in iPhoto (and maybe referenced in Aperture 3) and MOVE the pro shots to Aperture 3 as masters.

Is that possible? Does it make sense? and should I do that?

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Answer 8

Chau Author

Level 1

59 points

Jan 18, 2011 3:05 AM in response to ednsb

Hi Ednsb,

While hoping and waiting for a wise and accurate reply from TD, I'll just give you my 2 pennies worth. Although I haven't used Aperture from reading the various Apple webpages and forum pages, it seems like you will have the freedom to have Aperture either:

a. Continue to access all photos via the iPhoto library;
b. Transfer and consolidate the iPhoto library into Aperture (afterwards you would delete the iPhoto library);
c. Access an Aperture library (your Pro photos) and an iPhoto library - all from Aperture (it becomes your photo hub).

Although, to reduce complexity, as TD pointed out earlier in the thread, why not have everything simply consolidated in Aperture? Aperture does everything iPhoto can do plus extra. Pick one horse as he put it.

Anyway, it'd be great to have someone who has more Aperture experience confirm this. I hope this helps a little...

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Answer 9

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Jan 18, 2011 3:57 AM in response to Chau

1) Yes, all my photos are organized in Albums. Where do master / original photos in iPhoto reside? In the Photos tab to the left in the program? So would it be safe for me to throw away all my current haphazard events? Once I get that cleaned up then I will create organized events and keyword flagged photos as you advised.

You won't have to clean up anything. The old Events will disappear and be replaced by the reorganised ones.

(2) Connected to this question, where do master / original photos reside in Aperture?

In a Project.

(3) Finally, I am not sure if you use an iPad, but once I will be using Aperture, will I by able to sync Projects etc. from Aperture to my iPad via iTunes?

Yes.

Regards

TD

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Answer 10

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Jan 18, 2011 3:59 AM in response to ednsb

I would like to do this: Leave the family pics and snapshots in iPhoto (and maybe referenced in Aperture 3) and MOVE the pro shots to Aperture 3 as masters.

Yes it is possible, but why would you do that? What would it gain or achieve?

Regards

TD

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Answer 11

Chau Author

Level 1

59 points

Jan 18, 2011 4:09 AM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks a lot TD, I appreciate your time in answering our various questions.

Best regards,

Chau

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Answer 12

bg_iz

Level 1

4 points

Jan 18, 2011 4:32 AM in response to Chau

Chau, thank you very much for starting this thread, very relevant.

I am also looking to convert and have some additional questions:

1. As I understand it, Aperture will keep the photos in the iPhoto library so I don't lose iPhoto functionality such as syncing with iTunes and watching photos on AppleTV. Is this correct?

2. How does the Aperture photo editing compare with PhotoShop Elements for touch ups? Can Aperture also apply filters, or is it just a more advanced version of iPhoto's "effects" and "adjustments".

Thanks!

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Answer 13

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Jan 18, 2011 5:08 AM in response to bg_iz

1. As I understand it, Aperture will keep the photos in the iPhoto library so I don't lose iPhoto functionality such as syncing with iTunes and watching photos on AppleTV. Is this correct?

Um yes and no. You can import the photos to Aperture +while leaving them in iPhoto+ , but Aperture can sync with iTunes etc., so why bother?

2. How does the Aperture photo editing compare with PhotoShop Elements for touch ups? Can Aperture also apply filters, or is it just a more advanced version of iPhoto's "effects" and "adjustments".

Aperture is not a replacement for Elements. Like iPhoto it's geared to post processing rather than heavy duty editing. However, I find I rarely need Photoshop. Why not download the trial and see for yourself

http://www.apple.com/aperture/trial/

Regards

TD

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Answer 14

bg_iz

Level 1

4 points

Jan 18, 2011 5:11 AM in response to Yer_Man

Great, thanks TD for such a quick reply. I will give it a try.

thanks!

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Answer 15

ednsb

Level 1

13 points

Jan 18, 2011 12:48 PM in response to Yer_Man

Actually that was what I was asking. Does that make sense to use it that way. It seems to be the way Apple recommends in the video they discuss moving from iPhoto to Aperture 3.

One issue for me is I have my current settings saving in 3 ways - time machine, on a cloaned backup every week, and on the cloud. If I make major changes to the iphoto library like copying it then it will take a couple of weeks to backup to the cloud again.

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