Advice needed: Mac tools, apps, & configuration for efficient photo processing

Oh, I forgot to add, that I also read that the camera needs to support some standard in order for you to be able to use this kit and the software on the iPad.

If that is true, then it just might make it worth it for me to buy an iPad and not care about the 3G service. ; I've been told the iPad is pretty much a doorstop if you don't have the 3G service plan[nb]Unless of course you have a lot of iBooks they don't need active data service[/nb] since you need it to run most apps and you aren't always near a WiFi hot spot when away from home.

 

I've read that some USB CF readers will work with the USB port; the iPad will reject any power draw over a certain amount however.... ; I have one that I use for downloading my pics at work. ; Can't test it until I get the kit in. ; Even the Apple store locally is sold out. ; So the wait begins.

The standard was the certain data transfer mode (for using the USB cable to connect) which I think is turned off by default on Nikon and Canon dSLRs - once you enable it it will work *okay*. ; I haven't used a camera connection kit since I tried it with the 1st Gen iPod Video. ; Basically it kept timing out but I think that was a result of the underlying system - it wasn't designed to be used for RAW files even though it accepted them (couldn't view)....

 

I have another Aperture question....

When I was thinking about this entire discussion, I was wondering if, in Aperture, I could set up two libraries (or more) but basically one holds the NEFs and the other organizes the JPEGs. ; The main reason I shoot JPEG in addition to RAW is so that I can get quick access to my photos without processing for my wife's crafting projects and my blogging and they would need organization just as much as the NEFs. ; But, if you suck them both into the same Library, then you'll appear to have duplicates and would have to make sure which file type you were opening when you wanted to work on a picture.

Or would there be another alternative I'm not thinking of

 

I don't believe so; but there is a setting in A3 to use the JPEGs as the primary preview file or something like that.

Personally for me, whenever I finally start my new 'method', the camera JPGs will probably be thrown away.

 

For me, the pictures I use in blog posts and the pictures my wife uses for her crafting projects don't need to be really high resolution, so often the JPGs suffice, but there comes a time when she'll want a picture printed at 8x10 or higher and it would need some post processing to get it "just right". ; That is why I've always stored both the JPGs and NEFs. ;

So, with that methodology, it would be obvious I would need to be able to organize both file types for easy searching and locating of what one is looking for.

I'm just trying to figure out a way to manage this endeavor. ; I used to just capture NEFs but the steps it took to get JPGs out of them was just too much extra time for my blogging and when my wife wants pictures for her scrapbook she doesn't want to them need me to convert them into a form she can take to Wal-Mart to get printed

 

Someone told me recently that I don't need to rush to Aperture 3 because if all I'm wanting at this point is to import and organize my photos, then iPhoto does everything Aperture 3 does from that standpoint and Aperture 3 doesn't do anything additional. ; They also said that when it comes time to but Aperture 3, there will be an option to import all those iPhoto libraries.

Is this correct? ; If at this time, I'm not interested in post processing (it's a time issue not a desire issue) should I just use iPhoto? ; I don't want to go iPhoto if I'm missing out on handy organizational tools that are only in Aperture

 

Ray, I got this from one of Apple's forums...

"The only organizational feature that Aperture has and I miss in iPhoto is the hierarchical structure of the set of keywords."

I thought that there was something about the DB file, and I think the metadata/keyword searching is available in Aperture but not iPhoto.

 

While I can see a usefulness for the hierarchical structure of keywords, it wouldn't be something I'd see as critical.

If your memory is correct on this, the metadata/keyword searching is crucial for what I want to do with the photos. ; I'll probably be needing to had many keywords to photos so that my wife can find just the right pictures for scrapbooking (and believe it or not I have several Disney bloggers who hit me up for photos). ;

I guess, I'll be downloading the trial. ; The family is going to Frisco this weekend so my wife can attend a scrapbooking party and I need to get cracking on organizing the most recent pictures taken with the kids....so basically all the pictures taken this year...haha.

Plus, then I might be able to finally post my trip report from May to Disneyland. ; It was written but it was never posted since I had no easy way to work with the photos

 

OK. ; Do people just import all their pics into one project in A3 or do they have different projects setup. ; If you have different projects, what logic do you apply on when you create a new project and why?

 

I use different projects and I'm about ready to use different libraries. ; The library could come into play when you want to separate things like Regular Shots, Family Shots, Disney shots (w/o family)....and conserve CPU power by only search across that library. ; While A3 you can switch libraries on the fly, you can't search across libraries except the one you have open.

For projects it depends on what I'm doing. ; If it's a Disney trip, I may split it into one project per day - just to keep it separate. ; For regular photos I may name a project to be several months and just import photos taken during those months into that project. ; If it's something special, like a dance recital or something, it may get its' own project..... ; but usually for something like that I'll just dump those pics into a new Facebook album with that title!

 

OK. ; So you can search across projects, but you cannot search across libraries. ; Got it....

So, I may have libraries for general photos, vacations, China Trip, etc. ; Then with the General Photos I can create a general project and then specific projects for things like Gymnastics, Zoo, etc

 

OK. ; Now I'm confused again.

You can only import into projects, right?

So how do the imported files get from a project into a folder under the project? ; So would a logical organization be "General" project and then under that project: ; Holiday/Easter, Holiday/Christmas, Zoo, Kids so you can get a hiarchial folder structure:

General
..Holiday
....Christmas
....Easter
..Zoo
..Kids
....Kai
....Kylee
Etc

?

 

You can have folders and then have projects in those folders

Although I think it'll be easier for you to have the pics import into a generic project and then have Smart Albums by those keywords. ; Esp. if you want to break the kids out.

 

OK. ; I have a headache. ; I've been spending the past two days on the Aperture forum on the Apple Support Site and now am more confused than ever.

I see I have folders, projects and albums (smart and dumb).

I'm not sure how these inter-relate. ; Are projects outside of folders and albums? ; I notice that when I import files into the Project and then create an album (dumb) and then move pictures into that, they are in both the Project and the Album but not sure if the files are duplicated or not.

I'm trying to get the best setup as possible since I have a clean slate and I have files scattered across multiple external hard drives.

I'm also not sure if I should do a referenced library or a managed library.

From my understanding a managed library is one where Aperture manages the file structure, while a referenced allows you to store your files anywhere you want.

I've read that if you ahve files already on hard drives it's suggested to do referenced, but since mine are in multiple locations, I'm wanting to consolidate all my files into one location so I'm still not sure which is better, referenced or managed.

It is also sounding like it's a pain to recover if you choose a path and decide later you did it wrong.

 

Okay - albums are separate from Projects. ; They allow you to have pics from multiple projects.

Folders are just like Windows folders - just a way of organizing projects and albums so you can conserve viewing space if you want.

Projects are where you work on photos.


Now as to the library - I have a mix of referenced and managed files. ; My older files are referenced - which means that if I move those files, Aperture won't be able to find them. ; The new ones are managed, and thanks to Scott, they are saved where I want them to be, but that file moving is handled by Aperture so it knows where everything is.

It is a pain if you decide to move your photos from one external HD to another, so you're right - now would be the best time to think about something like that.