Big iPhoto library. How to deal with it?

iPhoto needs to have the Library sitting on disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Users with the Library sitting on disks otherwise formatted regularly report issues including, but not limited to, importing, saving edits and sharing the photos. That rules out a NAS

A strong warning: If you're trying to edit the Library (that is, make albums, move photos around, keyword, make books or slideshows etc.) or edit individual photos in it via Wireless be very careful. Dropouts are a common fact of wireless networking, and should one occur while the app is writing to the database then your Library will be damaged. Simply, I would not do this with my Libraries.

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 dragging is breaking down then you need to figure that out. Is it always at the same point?

Regards

TD

A NAS is actually a headless computer with it's own operating system. There are variations, but they use different structure to the disk than your Mac does. That affects how the files are stored on the disk. iPhoto and Aperture are attuned to preferred sturcture for OS X - Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Think of it as like trying to run an Euopean device on American voltage (or vice versa) - you're going to have problems.

Reformatting the NAS will remove the "headless computer with it's own operating system" part - and what you will end up with is an overpriced external disk.

An external HD, often USB, though FireWire and Thunderbolt options are available, is a dumb disk. There's no OS so you can format it as you need. No problem.

AS to the glitch copying:

This could be a locked or damaged file permission.

Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild.

A back up is a copy on another disk.

So, if you move the Library to a USB disk then you need a second one for the back up.

Most Simple Back Up

Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.

Slightly more complex:

Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically. Examples of such apps: Chronosync or DejaVu . But are many others. Search on MacUpdate

My Back up routine

My Library lives on my iMac. It’s Backed up to two external hard disks every day. These disks are permanently attached to the iMac. These back ups run automatically. One is done by Time Machine, one is a bootable back up done by SuperDuper

It’s also backed up to a portable hard disk when ever new photos are added. This hard disk lives in my car. For security, this disk is password protected.

I have a second off-site back up at a relative’s house across town. That’s updated every 3 or 4 months.

My Photos are backed up online. There are many options: Flickr, Picasa, SmugMug etc. However, check the terms of your account carefully. While most sites have free uploading, you will often find that these uploads are limited in terms of the file size or the bandwidth you can use per month. For access that allows you to upload full size pics with no restrictions you may need to pay.

Every couple of months I test the back ups to make sure they are working correctly. It’s very easy to mis-configure a back up application, and the only way to protect against that is to do a trial restore.

Hi Terence,

I have almost the same setup as you have but do want to double check for improvement and the use of autostream.

All photos are stored on an exHD, using autoimporter that i found in the iPhoto package in the pictures lib. If I connect a camera or iphone autoimporter nicely adds tags to the directory with name of the camera, date, etc. really great. Once this is done i drag-drop import directories from the exHD into iPhoto without copying the photos to the iPhoto lib not to copy all photos onto my Mac. Its about 120 GB now and growing and i want to keep my Mac clean.

Question 1: can the import function from an exHD into iPhoto be automated, meaning that new directory or photos are being auto-detected and the import takes place automatically? Or should i move the iPhoto lib completely to the exHD. What does this to speed?

I also have AppleTV2 on which i want to use photostream. My goal is to make a picture, enter my house, its auto uploaded via wifi into iCloud and through photostream, and i can see it on AppleTV2 right away.

But i found out that i only can see photos on AppleTV2 if imported into iPhoto (is this correct?)

Question 2: How do i combine both goals: a) keepng my Mac clean by using the exHD end b) being able to see pictures on AppleTV2 enjoying the auto upload though wifi+photostream once entered the house.

I look forward to your response very much!

Thank you in advance !

Joep

I have almost the same setup as you have but do want to double check for improvement and the use of autostream.

All photos are stored on an exHD, using autoimporter that i found in the iPhoto package in the pictures lib. If I connect a camera or iphone autoimporter nicely adds tags to the directory with name of the camera, date, etc. really great. Once this is done i drag-drop import directories from the exHD into iPhoto without copying the photos to the iPhoto lib not to copy all photos onto my Mac. Its about 120 GB now and growing and i want to keep my Mac clean.

Almost - not really - choosing not to copy the photos is a major problem waiting to happen - at this time no experianced iPhoto user would make that choice - it makes importing and deleting more complicated and makes upgrading hardware or replacing defective hardware very difficult to impossible

Question 1: can the import function from an exHD into iPhoto be automated, meaning that new directory or photos are being auto-detected and the import takes place automatically?

Not using iPhoto - there are third party programs taht can do that as can automator

Or should i move the iPhoto lib completely to the exHD. What does this to speed?

That probably is a good idea - as to speed that is totally dependent on the connection - with USB2 or 3, firewire or thunderbolt there is no speed problem

I also have AppleTV2 on which i want to use photostream. My goal is to make a picture, enter my house, its auto uploaded via wifi into iCloud and through photostream, and i can see it on AppleTV2 right away.

But i found out that i only can see photos on AppleTV2 if imported into iPhoto (is this correct?)

You can only use PS from a device that supports PS, of course - so to place a photo in PS you must use an IOS device or iPhoto

Question 2: How do i combine both goals: a) keepng my Mac clean by using the exHD end b) being able to see pictures on AppleTV2 enjoying the auto upload though wifi+photostream once entered the house.

Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple for managed libraries - very difficult for referenced libraries like you apperantly have so there will not be an easy solution - with a referenced library you simply quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)

And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto

And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive

Once you have imported photos to iPhoto you can drag them to PS or you can use home networking (turn on in iTunes) so the Apple TV can see your iPhoto library directly

LN

Thank you Larry for taking the time to answer in this detail.

I do have to think through your answer for some days and will be back.

Regards

Hey TD,

This sounds super. Gonna try it ASAP. What I do not understand is why should the .photolibrary file be so big? Isn't iPhoto only supposed to organize your photos? I thought it doesn't make copies of your photos!

Hey Jeevak

Rather than tack your questions onto another thread, where the context is quite unclear, best to make a new thread and give a full context to yuor query. For instance, I have no idea what you're going to try asap.

The iPhoto library is a SQLite database and by default (and extremely strongly recommended) contains the originals of all photos plus it always contains thumbnails of all photos and for edited photos, RAW photos or reotated photos, previews of photos - so it contains two or three versions of each photo - there is no need ot keep any copies of photos outside of the iphoto library

and since you question does not pertain to the thread you posted in it would be best to create a new thread with details about your system and your specific questions

LN