Doesn't Aperture back up everything, like all the master images, so is there really a need to import all the pictures to a Pictures folder? Also, I will probably start shooting in RAW so Aperture will come into play much more. My one question still stands though: What if I have an image in Aperture that I want to edit in Photoshop. How do I "export" the file for editing in Photoshop, and then take the edited photo back into Aperture with the changes made? Maybe I am just being a noob about this one, but any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I do something like this....
I first import the images to a folder in "Pictures" and I name the folder by the date and main justject like ".../Pictures/2007_01_15_VetsPark". I will then look at this folder in Finder and trash any really bad images. That means any image that is so bad I can see it's bad even in the thumbnail.
Next I copy this folder to a CDROM. This CD goes into a fire safe and is (hopefully) never touched again.
Next step is to import the folder into iPhoto. Here I will enter data, comments, keywords and rate the images and I'll make a second pass and delete more of the images. I do basic cropping and color/exposure correction here.
Some of the images get more treatment in Photoshop elements. PSE integrates well with iPhoto. All I have to do is double click an image to start PSE and then I do a "save" in PSE to put the editied image back into iPhoto
I backup the entire iPhoto library periodically
I also use "retrospect" to make incremental backups to a file server I have on my network. This lets me go back to almost any point in time and recover files. I like retrospect.
Future plans are to upgrade the computers. I have a G4 Mini now and will buy something bigger this summer. (Either a Mac Pro or a 24 inch iMac but I'd prefer it if Apple makes a "Mac", a machine to fill the gap between the mini and MP.) After the upgrade I will replace iPhoto with Aperture and PSE with CS3. I will wait for CS3 before I upgrade my Mac.
Actually if you are only doing photography there is very little the CS2/CS3 will do that PSE will not. I've asked a number of photographers what they use in CS2 that is not available in PSE and I don't hear much