iMporting on an iMac (iPhoto and LR2.3 questions)?

OK, so I'm finally getting a mac. I now use LR2.3 on my PC and I like it a lot. But I'll also have iPhoto (09) on the new mac... So is there a way to import with one, but to have BOTH have access to the images in their own library? I don't want 2 copies of the actual image file, but having them in some smaller library file would be fine. Also, when I update my site, typically I make bordered JPEGs and keep them in a screensaver folder now on the PC. IF I had to, I could tolerate having those (made with LR2.3) be the only images in iPhoto.

Basically, iPhoto is easy and has some fun features my wife will like. But I'll import and edit in LR myself. Can both programs have all the pics in them? Also, can iPhoto handle RAWs? I can import with either program honestly, but I'd like all the images in both libraries.

Oh, and any advice as to how to move ~300gb of date from my external drives now into the mac would be great. Import with LR2 or iPhoto? Just copy, then import into one of the two? Thoughts?

Thanks.

anyone?

Hello,

So basically you want your LR PROCESS PHOTOS to be linked to your Iphoto library correct?

On your Question about RAW

YES!, it does read RAW file but it needs to convert it to JPEG to be able to show you the image (it opens the first time until you adjust and then it saves a copy)

Per what I have gather so far this is what you should do:

in your iPhoto preferences tell it not to copy items to the iPhoto library when adding them. That way when you import the folder(s) to iPhoto, it will create 4 KB aliases for each of the images. Also take in mind that it will not auto Refresh if you change the names of the folder or the File Name; it will result instead in a black screen with a gray circle and an exclamation mark indicating that its not able to find that file.

You can also tell IPHOTO that the photo editor will be LR and not Iphoto

Now since you are on a NETWORK PC / MAC

SHARE YOUR DRIVE (PHOTO DRIVE) create a user account for sharing purposes on the PC then select it as one of the accounts that will have access to the share info. Open the mac go to Finder and type the URL the PC is giving you in theory you should see the share drive then IMPORT without saving into IPHOTO (you will have to add the add network drive to your starup items for each time you restart...)

I was about to do this today... Because am on the same EXACT situation... Wife wants to use IPHOTO on the new MAC XD

Can you give me more detail on your last question?, I don't quite get it

the last Q was how to actually import. IE do I copy the photos onto the mac's HD, then import them to LR, or do I import them with LR?

and thanks for all the other info.

Well if you have all your photos into LR using PC I highly recommend that you use an External HD maybe MAC OS EXTENDED and use MACDRIVE for Windows (REMEMBER you have to install something to either read NTFS on the mac or MAC Extended on the PC) after you found a compatible file format.

1) I will use the external HD to place all the photos

Say D:\MYPHOTOS\FOLDER

then I will Share via network (EASIEST)

Open IPHOTO

Go into the FINDER and DRAG AND DROP the Files (REMEMBER place under PREF DON'T COPY FILES TO LIBRARY)

That should be it...