Photoshop Elements >
Opening Files >
3 - Using iPhoto: The iPhoto Library
1 - What Is It?
When using iPhoto, you're looking at the "card catalogue" of
the program.
The iPhoto Library is the "book stacks" of iPhoto.
The Library is where your actual files are located.
The Library contains two folders, Originals and Modified.
2 - An Example
Let's say you have a raw file in iPhoto called sapsucker.nef.
.nef is the Nikon file extension for raw files.
Your raw file may be .cr2, .dng, or another three letters.
When you imported or downloaded the sapsucker raw file into iPhoto,
the program created the JPEG version of the file: sapsucker.jpg.
So, you have two files in iPhoto.
You can see sapsucker.jpg.
It's the thumbnail.
You can't see sapsucker.nef.
What You See: |
|
sapsucker.jpg |
What's There |
sapsucker.nef
|
|
You set the iPhoto preferences so you can
edit the raw file in iPhoto,
not the JPEG version of it.
You edit sapsucker.nef in the Adobe Raw Converter, and then
open it in Photoshop Elements.
You do some more editing.
Next, you save it as both a Photoshop file and a JPEG file.
You change the file's name from sapsucker to sapsucker-edited.
This is how the iPhoto Library organizes these new files.
What You See: |
|
sapsucker.jpg |
What's There |
sapsucker.nef
sapsucker.xmp
sapsucker-edited.psd
sapsucker-edited.jpg
|
|
The .xmp file, above, is called a side-car file.
It contains the raw processing instructions for
sapsucker.nef.
3 - Where's the Library?
iPhoto is not a power-user program.
The Library is hidden to prevent people from mixing up iPhoto
by rearranging and deleting files.
That said, just look at the iPhoto Library.
Don't make any changes!
Do the following to go to the Library.
1) Go to Finder > MacIntoshHD > Users > Pictures > iPhoto Library.
Clicking iPhoto Library will simply open iPhoto.
Instead . . .
2) Right click the iPhoto Library.
Can't right click with your mouse?
Press and hold Ctrl, and click your mouse button.
3) Click Show Package Contents.
You're in the Library.
The important folders are Originals and Modified, mentioned above.
Your files in these folders are arranged as follows.
Year > Month/Day/Year
Your original files are in the Originals folder.
When you edit a JPEG file, the edited version is saved by iPhoto
in the Modified folder.
4 - Copy & Paste Elsewhere
Again, don't rearrange or delete files while in the Library.
However, you can copy and paste them elsewhere outside of iPhoto.
For example, you could pick out the best raw files from a trip,
and copy and paste them into a folder on your Desktop.
You would then edit and save them to the folder on your Desktop.
You would no longer be using iPhoto to manage these raw files.
5 - Multiple Libraries
iPhoto normally has a single library for your photographs.
You can create multiple libraries with
iPhoto Buddy and other
programs.
You could create a second library for only raw files.
6 - The Raw Keyword
iPhoto automatically tags raw files with
the keyword Raw.
To view the Raw keyword below the thumbnails, go to View > Keywords.
To group all raw files side-by-side in an Event folder, go to
View > Sort > By Keyword.
You can create a Smart Album where the keyword is Raw.
Your raw files will still appear in their Events folders, as
well as in the Raw Smart Album.
Create a Raw Smart Album
Do the following.
1) Go to File > New Smart Album.
2) Enter a name, such as Raw Files.
3) There are two drop-down menus, and a text box.
In the first drop-down menu, select
Keyword.
In the second drop-down menu, choose is.
In the the text box, enter Raw.
4) Click OK.
Now, raw files appear in their particular Events, and in the
Raw File Smart Album.
7 - Events
Events view, by default, contains a folder of each day a photograph
was made.
You can set Events to split photographs from a download into
folders according to week, as well as two-hour gaps or eight-hour
gaps.
Go to iPhoto > Preferences > Events > Autosplit into Events.
If you're using older versions of iPhoto, Events is like Film
Rolls.
When you upgrade to the current version of iPhoto, the Film Rolls
will be converted into Events.
8 - More
If you're working with raw files, go to
Raw Files & iPhoto.
