__How best to import and organize

[hcaroselli]

Greetings all,

I am a recent convert to the Mac platform and I'm struggling with the best way to do set up a workflow. When I set up the Mac I imported my photo images to iPhoto.

Photoshop Elements 6 and Photoshop Lightroom 2 are the other applications I have on my computer. The Mac version of PSE does not contain the "Organizer" which is in the Windows version and that's fine; and LR2 has something called the "Catalog".

Here are some of my questions:

1. Is the LR2 catalog another full copy of all the image files or simply an index with thumbnail images? If it's an index what is the best way to keep it in sync with iPhoto?

2. How do I import the images from iPhoto into the Lightroom 2 catalog? When I try the LR2 import function, the iPhoto library is not selectable. I have been told iPhoto uses some sort of Apple proprietary software.

The bottom line is, what is the best way to set up an efficient workflow so I can use PSE6 and LR2? Should I forget about using iPhoto? iPhoto is however well integrated with other Mac apps so it would be nice to keep the iPhoto library too. Am I asking for the impossible?

 

[Denis Pagé]

First: Welcome to the forums Hector!

I am new to the Mac too and never used iPhoto since I use Lightroom since Beta1. But I can already answer that Lightroom is a database system and it doesn't copy a photo (unless you ask to export in a given format) nor does it touch the originals. When you import a photo into Lightroom, it just keep a pointer of the original's location and the data about what you want to do with it. So, once an image is imported, you can understand that it is preferable to never move the original outside of Lightroom but within.

I think I heard about Lightroom being able to import from iPhoto but I will let that one to those who did so or know better...

 

[Kiwigeoff]

I would say using iPhoto and LR is like having two cars, you should only attempt to drive one at a time!!

Welcome Hector.

The iPhoto library is a database similar to LR's. The image files will be stored somewhere in your "Pictures" folder. It is the "Pictures" folder that you would want to import into LR.
Re point 1, LR doesn't create new files (unless you ask it to and they will be stored where you direct) LR is a database with links/references to the files, What you see are "previews" generated from the files to reflect the changes made with LR and are stored alongside the catalog file in a ".preview" file.

 

[hcaroselli]

Thank you everyone

What a great place to come with my dumb questions. You folks have been very helpful.

I was able to build the LR catalog. After reading the responses to my post I realized the LR catalog and the iPhoto "catalog" seem to be very similar and the actual image files reside elsewhere; and that is how I was able to import them into the LR2 catalog.

Thanks again for your help. You helped me understand this stuff a little better. Now I can go forward and make newer bigger mistakes. :lol:

Ciao
Hector

 

[wblink]

What a great place to come with my dumb questions. You folks have been very helpful.
Now I can go forward and make newer bigger mistakes. :lol:
Ciao
Hector

W-E A-R-E- R-E-A-D-Y

Pick your time, place (it SHOULD be this forum) and there will be a team ready waiting for you.

That is my experience in a nutshell.