backup iphoto library or just pics

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Level 1

4 points

backup iphoto library or just pics

I have searched the forum and i believe my question is a little more simple than what I have been finding. I am currently running version 8.1.2 of iphoto and version 8.0.6 of imovie. I have two identical external hard drives that I back up my pictures and video to, the same stuff on both drives in case one crashes. I will label my events in iphoto as April pics, April video - May pics, May video and so forth. My iphoto libraries are saved by year (2013 iphoto ect.) I also have video that i have imported into imovie backed up under a imove events folder. These events show up in my imovie when the hard drive is connected. My question is:

Is this the best way to be backing up? I have thought I may need to just put all the pics into folders and back that up on the external hard drives. I am worried that if I update iphoto it will no longer open the old backed up iphoto libraries. Also, is it a good idea to have my video backed up as imove events or should i pull these out into its own folder as .mov files? I do not like the fact that I cannot look at photos on the external hard drive hard drive, I need to open iphoto to view the pics on my externalhard drive.

Thank you for your input.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Apr 14, 2014 9:29 AM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

207,409 points

Apr 14, 2014 9:58 AM in response to gschen

Newer versions of iPhoto will open earlier versions of the library. It's always backward compatible. If you don't backup the entire library you'll lose all metadata added to the photos, i.e. keyword, titles, descriptions, etc. as well as your organizational efforts, i.e. albums, smart albums, slideshows, etc.

To open another library launch iPhoto with the Option/Alt key held down and select the library you want in the window that appears.

OT

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Answer 2

gschen Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 14, 2014 10:02 AM in response to Old Toad

Thank you for the reply. I have put so much effort into backing up so many pictures I just wanted to make sure I was doing it the prefferred way. I suppose professional photographers just back up many iphoto libraries. Again, thanks for taking the time.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

207,409 points

Apr 14, 2014 10:06 AM in response to gschen

Professional phoitographers woiuld not use iPhoto. They would use one of the professional DAM (digital asset management). Aperture is one of them as well as Media Pro 1. They generally download their files to a folder on the Desktop and copy that folder to one or two external hard drives for redundant backups. Then import them into their applicaiton of choice.

Do a search for "backup" by Terence Devlin and/or LarryNH to get some excellent descriptions of how to do multiple backups.

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Answer 4

gschen Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 14, 2014 10:14 AM in response to Old Toad

I guess that would be my original quesiton. Is it a better idea to download my pics to a folder then transfer my folders to backup hardrives, or import to iphoto and then back up iphoto libraries? I do not attach extra meta data, just organize my months which I could easlily do using folders.

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Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Apr 14, 2014 10:19 AM in response to gschen

Your choice - what works best for ytou and is easiest?

For most people having everything imported to iPhoto and backing up the iPhoto library best - but it is strictly a personal choice

LN

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Answer 6

Apr 15, 2014 10:23 AM in response to gschen

Have you considered Time Machine? You already have the external drive, and Time Machine is easy, automatic, and reliable.

But whichever backup solution you use, you should also keep a copy off-site (because your backup is worthless of your computer is stolen or destroyed by fire).

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