Q: Using iPhoto and Photos together
Is there anyway to use iPhoto and Photos together until I get used to the Photos interface?
Posted on Jan 6, 2016 12:31 PM
See this support document: Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support
When you opened the iPhoto Library in Photos, a new library has been created by Photos, formatted for Photos. This new library has nearly the same size as the original iPhoto Library. but the images in the new library have been created as hard linked files. They are sharing the disk space with the originals in iPhoto. So both libraries together do not need much more storage than one of them. If you delete either of these libraries, you will not free much storage.
I'd keep the iPhoto Library until you are ready to abandon iPhoto.
How can I keep my existing 14,000 photos on iPhoto and put any new ones into Photos? How do I do that? If I like Photos can I merge my iPhotos into it? Also, why am I getting two huge photo libraries in my Pictures folder. Do I need both?
Looking at your screenshot, you have already migrated the iPhoto Library to Photos, and all your older photos are available both in iPhoto and Photos. But if you import new photos they will only be added to one of the libraries, depending on the application you use for importing them.
Photos cannot merge libraries. If you want to import new photos you have to make up your mind, if you want them in the iPhoto Library or the Photos Library.
if you continue to import into iPhoto, you will have a full iPhoto library. And when you decide to switch from iPhoto to Photos you can delete the the current Photos Library you are using for testing, then open the iPhoto Library in Photos and migrate it again.
Posted on Jan 7, 2016 9:17 AM
