Aperture 3 Users pleas help:)

I am fighting with my file organization.. I really do not like how Aperture automatically stores the photos I upload if I tell it to keep the files in the Aperture Library. It is not easily accessible and once you open the folders when viewing the HD each set of images is 3 folders deep with some names on them that mean nothing.. I know this does not come up in a situation when using Aperture but it is a pain when I want to transfer photos to another computer or just throw them on a hard drive ect.

How do you guys manage your files with Aperture?

Do you upload them into manually set up folders then direct Aperture to resource them.

Do you put them in iphoto then pull them out of there?

Do you just let Aperture stick them in their files and deal with it?


With your storage method, where are your edited versions kept? Are they located with the original, in a separate folder or what?


One more question: If using 2 computers to do your work are you able to stay organized with both computers having the same files? I have considered trying to use an external hard drive for all of my images so that my laptop and imac have access to the same material and I am not working from 2 separate databases. Right now I am in Turkey with my laptop but in 2 weeks I will be in CA and have my desk top available. I have 6000 Images on my laptop many that have been edited that will not be on my desktop.

Thanks in advance I appreciate any input you guys may have I am a bit OCD and this is driving me nuts.. LOL

I think I may have it sorted out on the organization side of things. I am putting them in my pictures folder with the project name as their sub folder. I will be honest as I have no clue how the rest of it will work in terms of saving edited files ect.

I copy all my photos to date-organized folders in my Pictures folder, then when I import to Aperture I select "save master files in current location" so they stay there.

Regardless of where the masters are though, any modifications you make live in Aperture. So if you want to just throw them (edited versions) on a hard drive, you need to use the Export function (which isn't difficult).

I went into an Apple store in Vegas a month ago, and they had some of their computers loaded up with A3 and I guess a demo on how Apple organizes their photos, I liked it, but I now don't recall exactly what they did. Check out some of the video footage from the A3 apple web page, where they showcase different photographers using it, you can pause the video on some screen shots to see how they are organizing them, I'm still trying to tweak mine.

I seem to always want to change it from one way or another...bugs me I can't settle on a way.

I let Aperture store everything in it's own Library - I haven't come across any reason to manually have to worry about my folder structure since doing this, back with Aperture 1.5, and it's one less thing I have to think about when I import things.

Aperture will let you place the files anywhere you like, so its just deciding on a workflow that fits your style, then telling Aperture what you want it to do.

pcj wrote in post #9982279
I let Aperture store everything in it's own Library - I haven't come across any reason to manually have to worry about my folder structure since doing this, back with Aperture 1.5, and it's one less thing I have to think about when I import things.

Aperture will let you place the files anywhere you like, so its just deciding on a workflow that fits your style, then telling Aperture what you want it to do.

I think we are talking about how to organize inside the actual program, like on the left hand side of the application, where you an create folders and projects and albums...not where the physical files are stored. At least thats what I'm talking about.

I read it as the OP was discussing where the physical RAW/JPG files live on his hard drive

For the Library structure itself, I have a year folder, then a month folder, then a Project per shoot. For non date specific stuff, I store a folder, with the projects inside it.

The hardest thing with Aperture is ensuring everyone is using the same naming conventions

pcj wrote in post #9982981
I read it as the OP was discussing where the physical RAW/JPG files live on his hard drive

For the Library structure itself, I have a year folder, then a month folder, then a Project per shoot. For non date specific stuff, I store a folder, with the projects inside it.

The hardest thing with Aperture is ensuring everyone is using the same naming conventions

I re-read it and you are right the OP was talking about where in the depths of the library file the files are actually stored. My bad, sorry, I apologize. And in which case I agree with you in your previous post, don't worry about where the files are stored. Unless you are choosing to use referenced files, which means they can be stored somewhere outside of the Aperture library file, such as a NAS drive or external drive. If you choose a referenced library, then let Aperture worry about how it stores them, you just worry about how they are organized in the application itself, so that it makes sense to you. Create folders and projects and albums based on your needs.

Guys, a few questions given the workflow below

1. Say if i was to use the "store in original location" option and leave the raw files on an external hard drive.

Question 1:: Does aperture then create a copy of every file in its library?

2. I don't process all the raw files in aperture 3

Question 2:: Can i still view them on my macbook when its not attached to the hard drive with the originals? Work on them and save off jpegs, or process to flickr etc?

aero.nz wrote in post #9991719
Guys, a few questions given the workflow below

1. Say if i was to use the "store in original location" option and leave the raw files on an external hard drive.

Question 1:: Does aperture then create a copy of every file in its library?

2. I don't process all the raw files in aperture 3

Question 2:: Can i still view them on my macbook when its not attached to the hard drive with the originals? Work on them and save off jpegs, or process to flickr etc?

Question 1. No, when you store them in the original location, this becomes a reference file, and Aperture uses a thumbnail inside the application that points to the original/referenced file outside of the application, stored on your external hard drive. Its basically a pointer to where it really is located.

Question 2. No, not really. You will be able to view the thumbnails but when you want to open it up full screen, edit, etc...it will want to know where the originals are located, and actually the thumbnails will have an icon on them showing you that it doesn't know where the original file is, when disconnected.

So you need to decide what is more important to you, having them stored outside your library due to space, or being able to work on them locally.
I thought it was important for me, at first, to have all my photos on my NAS storage setup, and just work and save to there, but instead, I've changed my thinking, and I import all my files locally to the Aperture library, and then export the masters out to my NAS storage, this then gives me two copies, one is a master back up (on the NAS) and one is the local copy I work with and edit, and that works well for me. After trying out using referenced files, the performance was an issue, so I decided local was better.

This might not be the same for everyone. Its just what I found to work good for me.

Thanks Chris! Nice explanation

aero.nz wrote in post #9995830
Thanks Chris! Nice explanation

Glad I could help. I feel I've taken enough of peoples knowledge on this site with photography questions, glad to contribute back with something I'm a bit more familiar with, the computers!