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Level 1

21 points

Maintaining Aperture libraries across 2 or more systems - Best practices!

I have an MBP and recently bought an iMac. As a professional photographer, I plan to use the iMac for all image storage and editing work, and the MBP for making slideshow presentations. Though I do foresee a need where I might need to publish images from the MBP for client delivery, last-min changes in slideshows for projection at weddings etc. There are also situations where I will have the MBP for several days while travelling, all photos get downloaded and edited on it, but when back at home (or office), I will need to have the same set of edited images onto my iMac. And in another instance, I might want it the other way round, where my iMac has the latest edited images, and I need them on my MBP to carry to a client.

Are there other photographers who use more than 1 Mac (with Aperture) to store & edit their images. Are there any best practices that you follow. It'd help to know how others do so.

Thanks in advance.

Bhaven

MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD

Posted on Dec 19, 2013 10:50 AM

21 replies

Najinsky

Level 3

670 points

Mar 15, 2014 3:14 PM in response to hibhaven

No, Aperture doesn't (for me) convert the files to managed when you import the library.

The only way I got it to do something simliar when I tested it was if I chose 'Add' rather than 'Merge' when importing the library. But even then it didn't change the originals (which remained referenced) it just 'Add'ed new masters for the images in the imported library; and these were managed - because they were now managed in imported library - which itslef was due to 'copy'ing the originals to the library during the initial export.

Andy

e2photo

Level 2

176 points

Mar 16, 2014 9:45 AM in response to Najinsky

Perhaps this will help although I still think you have made the task difficult or it seems that way.

In the case where a project already exists in my iMac Library and I attempt to import an identically named (?) project, I get the following dialogue box

User uploaded file

I think the text is pretty self explanatory.

e2photo

Level 2

176 points

Mar 16, 2014 9:46 AM in response to e2photo

I would add that I have avoided using this capability as I am not entirely sure how well it works.

e2photo

Level 2

176 points

Mar 16, 2014 9:50 AM in response to e2photo

User uploaded file

Sorry about the confusion.. but here is the dialogue box finally

hibhaven Author

Level 1

21 points

Mar 16, 2014 11:29 AM in response to e2photo

Thanks, and I too always 'Merge' the imported library, so that it updates the existing one, rather than add a duplicate.

hibhaven Author

Level 1

21 points

Aug 28, 2014 10:53 AM in response to hibhaven

Bringing a closure to this post from my site, an update on how I now actually manage my library.

I have closed down my studio (ran it for 8-9 months) and all my systems are now at one place, my home office. My iMac is now my central computer, with all my image editing being done on it. My images add up to more than 1 TB data, so the way I have developed to maintain it is as follows:

- All my '4 star and above' rated images reside on the iMac (as i access them frequently for posting on FB, updating website etc)

- Remaining pics are 'relocated' onto a 3 TB USB3 WD external drive

The MBP is primarily used for meetings with clients outside my office, which does happen frequently. It carries all the so called 'client-facing' stuff, viz. a slideshow of my portfolio, notes etc.

This doesn't address my original query though but just an update of how I now work.

Also, with Aperture being phased out soon, and no visibility on Photos being a pro tool, I may soon switch to something else.

Maintaining Aperture libraries across 2 or more systems - Best practices!