My libary is getting too big, so I'm thinking of backing it up on two different hard drives, then keeping the pictures from this year and deleting everything else. Then, as time permits, going into the original library and importing small important events back into iphoto, thus only having the best older photos in my current library. Do I have to export them from one libary to another, and then do I lose keywords, ratings etc..
Multiple libraries are perfectly possible but very inconvenient. You can only have one open - and therefore searchable - at a time.
If your Library is too big, why not just move the whole thing to an externa disk as a single unit?
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
If you do want to work with multiples the best way is to have one complete one and a smaller subset one.
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
Now you have two full versions of the Library.
3. On the Internal library, trash the Events you don't want there
Now you have a full copy of the Library on the External and a smaller subset on the Internal
Some Notes:
As a general rule: when deleting photos do them in batches of about 100 at a time. iPhoto can baulk at trashing large numbers at one go.
You can choose which Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
You can keep the Library on the external updated with new imports using iPhoto Library Manager
Regards
TD
Thanks,
So what is the best way to transfer a group of say 20 photos with keywords and ratings from the big library to the smaller one?
As TD said. IPhoto Library Manager
LN
What is the best way to transfer photos between libraries
