Importing iPhoto where should i leave my pictures in iPhoto or import to Aperture

Is your signature current? So you are probably running Aperture 2?

It is much safer to import your images to Aperture, for leaving the images in iPhoto will give you no added functionality, but iPhoto and Aperture may easily corrupt each others libraries, if the share the master image files.

What are your plans? Are you migrating from iPhoto to Aperture, or do you just want to try out Aperture on some iPhoto images?

Tell us what you want to do, then we will be better able to advise you.

Regards

Léonie

I plan to migrate to Aperture. I have been happy with iphoto but like the addtional features in Aperture.

If you plan to migrate from iPhoto to Aperture, then the most efficient way would be to import the complete iPhoto Library at once. This way, Aperture can try to create master-version pairs on import and avoid to create duplicates (otherwise, when using the iPhoto Browser, the masters and versions would be imported as separate images).

Do some people place the photos in the pictures file and are there advatages to placing photos in that file as their home?

"Pictures" is a logical place to put photos, for some applications direct searches to that folder by default. But any folder will do, as long as it is out of harm's way, and you will not accidentally modify or delete the images there. Aperture's master image files are best left alone. You must not edit them or modify them in any way, after you imported them to Aperture.

But if you are planning to keep the master image files on your system volume, then you might as well import them into the Aperture libray instead of referencing them outside Aperture. That would be the safest solution. Referenced master image files are to be used, to store master image files on external drives, if you need to free space on your system volume.

Regards

Léonie

Message was edited by: leonieDF corrected some typos

As leonieDF just told me on my question, when you upgrade Aperture and iPhoto (free downloads through the App Store and Apple.com), the libraries are unified:

"New unified photo library for both iPhoto (v 9.3 or later) and Aperture; no import/export required; Faces, Places, slideshows, albums and web sharing work across both applications"

–From "What's New in Aperture 3.3" @ http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1540

Does this mean that Apple have designed Aperture as an Application for users to use primarily instead of iPhoto?

I use iPhoto as a first stage for viewing imported photos from my camera and only use Aperture and/or Photoshop for further editing sometimes and Aperture for organising my best photos as it displays from the folder hierarchy so well.

So I Import from camera to the 'iPhoto Library' on my HD but the App is on my internal SSD. The 'Aperture Library.aplibrary' is on my HD (not SSD) too.

If I understand it correctly, the latest Aperture Library version includes the photo files which iPhoto displays but users can't see that.

Red Robin wrote:

Does this mean that Apple have designed Aperture as an Application for users to use primarily instead of iPhoto?

It was never recommended to use iPhoto and Aperture for the same images. Now that iPhoto and Aperture have a common Library file format, you can open your Library in either application. That means that you should now upgrade both iPhoto and Aperture to the most recent versions, consolidate your Libraries, and then open the Library with the application you want to use.

There are several things to be aware off when merging Libraries and opening Libraries in either application. Apple has listed them on these two pages:

Using a unified photo library with iPhoto and Aperture

How to use Aperture to merge iPhoto libraries

The best workflow remains to use one application and stick with it.

Thank You, Kirby 🙂 - I have clicked you a Liked as there is no option for me to say your post helped.