Managing Pictures in iPhoto

Use iPhoto to download, organize, edit, and output your digital images. The program is quite straightforward to learn. Try the different buttons along the bottom and left side of the screen to see what they do. The Help files are also well written. This document supplements the built-in documentation.

Downloading

Setting up your environment
The first time you use iPhoto, you need to run a utility program to tell the computer that you want iPhoto to automatically load when a camera or camera card reader is attached to your computer. This program is called Image Capture. Run it before you attach any camera or card reader. It can be found in the Applications folder of your Macintosh HD. When you load it, it displays a dialog box saying "No Image Capture Device Detected." Ignore the message. Pull down under the menu (at the top) Image Capture to Preferences. Select the choice that says that when a camera is attached to load iPhoto. You can then quit iPhoto.

Notes:
If you installed software that came with your camera, it may automatically load when you attach your camera or card reader. This can be mildly entertaining. You'll now have several programs loading and competing for you to pick them to download into. Generally, you'll want to go to the Preferences for the non-iPhoto program and turn off auto loading.

If you do some photography work in a non-JPEG format (such as non-compressed TIFF), do not use iPhoto. iPhoto only works well with JPEG images. See IT for help in how to switch between programs in this case.

Importing Your Photos
Take some photos. Then either remove your media card and insert it into a card reader attached to your computer or attach your camera to the computer with whatever cable came with the camera. In either case, three things will happen. First, your card will appear on the desktop as if it were a new hard disk. Next, iPhoto will launch. Finally, iPhoto will switch into Import mode. You'll see a window like that below. Circled in red are the only two items you will click. First, (ordinarily), click on the button to erase photos after the download. Then click the Import button. Everything after this will be automatic.

After the download completes, you'll see a window like the following. iPhoto automatically shifts into Organize mode. (In the example, there were only two photos on the card.)

This is easy!

How to properly remove the card:

But now, you need to be a bit careful. To properly remove the card, note that there is that icon on your desktop for it. You must drag the icon into the trash can on the dock to safely dismount the card. The card is now empty and is ready to be placed in the camera for another round of pictures.

More info to come. This page is a work in progress!

Author: Bob Fry

June 28 2004