Aperture and Lightroom Libraries?

[Colin500]

<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]I've never liked the way the iTunes Library stored my Music by scattering it into different folders, so I was hesitant to let the Photo Libraries do all of the archiving on it's own. I also fear that a Library or Catalog could become corrupted. What's your current backup method for Libraries or Catalogs?


<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]

Hi, one general remark &mdash; I was the same, always wanting to organise everything "my way", rather than let iTunes and iPhoto handle the directory structure, however I found that it was a constant hassle, with me and the software having different ideas of how things should be done.<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]One day, I just started to let iTunes and iPhoto (now Aperture) do things their way, and in general life is easier now.


<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]If, however, you want to keep all photos in Aperture and Lightroom, it will be a bit awkward. You could import everything into Aperture and let it be the primary manager, and then access the raw files in the Aperture library from Lightroom, but I don't really know enough about LR and how it cooperates with externally managed files to judge whether this would work well in practice.


<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]You've probably got some strong reason to work with both applications, although I can't quite imagine doing that myself. Sounds a bit awkward if, for example, you want to make a photo-book and then have the versions of the photos that you want to include scattered over the two applications, and need to cross-import the versions, beyond sharing the masters...


The Aperture library is actually a directory which contains several sub-directories, of which one is a large hierarchy for the originally imported files. Modified files are not saved to disk, only the "instructions" on how to convert the original (master, in Aperture terminology) into the modified image (version, in Aperture terminology) are saved, and applied in real-time on demand (when viewing or exporting). Saves a bunch of disk space. Only the preview/icon JPEGs in low resolution are saved in modified form.


<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]For my part, I've got an iMac with a 1 TB hard-disk, and that's quite enough, because I try to keep my library clean by deleting as many photos as possible, but I'm not a pro, and my photos are not paid work, so perhaps my requirements are different...


As usual, the key is to keep everything as simple as possible, but not simpler ;-)


Ciao, Colin

[neuroanatomist]

Aperture makes a package like iPhoto, that's why I selected the option to store files in their original folder location

I don't use Aperture, but I do use iPhoto (and iTunes) and have never had an issue with library corruption (I've been using them since their original versions). I should point out that I only use iPhoto like an old-fashioned photo album, i.e. for looking over and showing off the printed copies (JPG files), while the negatives (RAW files) are stored elsewhere. Having said that, it's quite easy to find the originals if you need to, by simply ctrl-clicking on the application package, selecting Show Package Contents, then navigating. iPhoto sorts them by year then by Event within each year.


One other place to ask these questions would be the Aperture section of the Apple Discussions.


--John

[Richard Lane]

I forgot to ask you about your importing workflow. Do you transfer the .CR2 files from your CF card to a folder on the internal HD first, then import into LR3? Or do you import right from the CF card? I'm pretty sure you


If you import right from the CF card you are not given the option to "add" when importing to LR3 - just "copy as DNG" or "copy". If you import from a folder in the internal (or external) HD, you have all four import options available.


That being said...


Yes - even if you've imported the originals using the "add" option in the import dialog, youcan delete a photo from the catalog and the hard disk. You must be viewing the photo, however, from the "Folders" pulldown menu in the Left panel in the Library Module. If the photo happens to be in a collection and you are viewing it from there, and you hit "delete" there will be no delete dialog giving you a choice....it will just delete the photo from that particular collection - the photo will still be in the catalog.

Thanks for the follow up Damian.


I transfer the .CR2 files from the CF card to a folder on my hard disk, and then I choose an import setting in Aperture called, "store the files in their current (original) location."


It seems to make sense what your saying, because if you import the files directly into LR then that would represent the only location for those files so therefore when you delete them, they are essentially deleted from the disk as well as the Library since they are only in that one location.


So essentially what you have discovered is that if I would like to store the files in a folder on the hard disk and then add them to the library, then I will be able to delete them from the hard disk and the library, as long as I'm doing this from the library and not from the collections. That makes sense to me.


Thanks Again!


Rich

[Richard Lane]

Another option would be to decide your keepers/losers through DPP. I don't believe it imports images to its library, but rather, work on the files in their location. You can mark the ones you want to delete, choose them, click on Delete and watch them disappear. Of course, this adds to your workflow.


Good luck!

Thanks Deltasun! That would work too, but as you mentioned I'm looking to streamline the workflow.


Rich

[Richard Lane]

Hi, one general remark &mdash; I was the same, always wanting to organise everything "my way", rather than let iTunes and iPhoto handle the directory structure, however I found that it was a constant hassle, with me and the software having different ideas of how things should be done.<span style="font-size:11.6667px;"]One day, I just started to let iTunes and iPhoto (now Aperture) do things their way, and in general life is easier now.


You've probably got some strong reason to work with both applications, although I can't quite imagine doing that myself. Sounds a bit awkward if, for example, you want to make a photo-book and then have the versions of the photos that you want to include scattered over the two applications, and need to cross-import the versions, beyond sharing the masters...


The Aperture library is actually a directory which contains several sub-directories, of which one is a large hierarchy for the originally imported files. Modified files are not saved to disk, only the "instructions" on how to convert the original (master, in Aperture terminology) into the modified image (version, in Aperture terminology) are saved, and applied in real-time on demand (when viewing or exporting). Saves a bunch of disk space. Only the preview/icon JPEGs in low resolution are saved in modified form.


<span style="font-size:11.6667px;"]For my part, I've got an iMac with a 1 TB hard-disk, and that's quite enough, because I try to keep my library clean by deleting as many photos as possible, but I'm not a pro, and my photos are not paid work, so perhaps my requirements are different...


As usual, the key is to keep everything as simple as possible, but not simpler ;-)


Ciao, Colin

I may just let LR handle the organizing if it is unable to delete my stored images from the hard disk and the library at the same time.


I plan on just using LR3, I was planning on using both for just a couple of months until I get everything sorted out.


Thanks for the Aperture Library explanation. That helps!


I'm not a pro either, in other words I do not make my Living from Photography, however I do sell sports photos which takes up a lot of space at 8-10 frames/sec. My sports niche has lead to the sale of some of my other photos as well, so lately I feel that I need to get better organized.


Thanks Colin!





Rich

[Richard Lane]

...it's quite easy to find the originals if you need to, by simply ctrl-clicking on the application package, selecting Show Package Contents, then navigating. iPhoto sorts them by year then by Event within each year.


One other place to ask these questions would be the Aperture section of the Apple Discussions.

Thanks John!


I certainly feel better being able to see that all of the images are still there.


Rich