Camera Labs

I have over 30k photos (mainly older P&S) all organized in top level folders (i.e. Holidays, Vacations, Car Shows, Motorcycles) then in subfolders (and sometimes even sub-sub folders)

I just transferred everything to a portable 320gig drive.....(also burn them onto multiple DVD's for the safe deposit box, I'm a backup fiend)

for software I have iPhoto, and Lightroom,

where do I start? I currently have a couple hundred photos in iPhoto (on my local drive) now....and want everyting to be in 1 library, or simply have an "archive" library that is on the 320, and archive every couple of months or so.....just trying to get my head around it.

some questions...

1. Can i have multiple libaries in iPhoto? Recommendations for "organizing" in iPhoto (how would you do it based on my current organizational scheme with folders, subfolders)

2. I just wanna use Lightroom for editing....i think...although being able to "tag" photos would be good (can iPhoto do this? if so how do I "mass" do it to all my old photos)

3. Right now, when i Import to iPhoto, i actually "copy" the photos, I don't like having multiple "originals" etc. etc. (more of a statement than a question)

point me in the right direction. Something tells me I should use lightroom for organizing and editing, but I'm just a little scared to take that dive. what I want is something that will be able to keep my file format the same, on the portable drive, and read "it" as a library of sorts, without duplicating pictures and what not.

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http://randallpmcmurphy.blogspot.com

if you are using mac just download to a folder on your desk top and then place or move to your other drive....... use as many sub folders as you like...... use a date or place as reference

iphoto is not the way to go.......

I think iPhoto can import from location. Not sure how to answer your other questions though.

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Graham
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