iPhoto: How big is your library?

[Wingnut330]

Hey Folks,

I'm trying to determine if I want to continue using iPhoto or if I should make the leap to Aperture/Lightroom. Library size seems to be a consideration, so I'm curious how large your iPhoto libraries are.

I take a fair amount of pictures but not a ton. My library is around 6,000 images - all from the last 24 months. So I guess my average is around 250 . month. At that rate, should I consider a more powerful tool, or is iPhoto aight?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dalvin200]

I have about 7-8000 photo's but that's spanned over a 5-6 years!

iPhoto is adequate for me and the integration with .Mac is what keeps me to it.

I'm sure iPhoto can handle plenty more photo's.. > 15-20,000?

Hey Folks,

I'm trying to determine if I want to continue using iPhoto or if I should make the leap to Aperture/Lightroom. Library size seems to be a consideration, so I'm curious how large your iPhoto libraries are.

I take a fair amount of pictures but not a ton. My library is around 6,000 images - all from the last 24 months. So I guess my average is around 250 . month. At that rate, should I consider a more powerful tool, or is iPhoto aight?

Thanks in advance!

 

[tMac85]

i only have 2000 from the past 5 months. i wouldnt worry about iphoto to much, it can handle it.

 

[0098386]

I have 3500 from the last few years. I took a lot when I first got my SLR but I'm no pro or anything, and since my camera is a bit heavy it usually gets left behind during trips.

Also really annoyed at OSX losing a whole load of my pics. I plugged my memory card into my PowerBook and it somehow erased a good 300 pics from some days out with friends.

 

[ChrisA]

Hey Folks,

I'm trying to determine if I want to continue using iPhoto or if I should make the leap to Aperture/Lightroom. Library size seems to be a consideration, so I'm curious how large your iPhoto libraries are.

I take a fair amount of pictures but not a ton. My library is around 6,000 images - all from the last 24 months. So I guess my average is around 250 . month. At that rate, should I consider a more powerful tool, or is iPhoto aight?

Thanks in advance!

The reason you might move to Aperture is because it handles meta data better (alows access to more of it) and has finer control over adjustment. But if iPhoto works an you like it why move away from it? I think iPhoto should be able to handle 20,000 images.

Backup could be an issue? How are you backing up youe iPhoto library. Aperture has a nice built-in backup feature with "vaults" and it tracks wht's been backed up.

 

[Wingnut330]

Backup could be an issue? How are you backing up youe iPhoto library. Aperture has a nice built-in backup feature with "vaults" and it tracks wht's been backed up.

I have a Time Capsule and was just planning to use it for backups. Thoughts?

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

I have a Time Capsule and was just planning to use it for backups. Thoughts?

I'm unaware of any size restriction on your iPhoto files other than the obvious - the amount of disk space you have available.

Personally, I find iPhoto to be an excellent library manager. The key, IMHO, is being diligent in editing and tagging (keywords) as soon as you add items into the library. But that's true of any management tool.

As for backing up - I've been using Time Machine ... but it makes me nervous to rely solely on it, so I also (about once a month) do a manual backup of my critical files - including my iPhoto library.

 

[Kirbdog]

iPhoto '08 is supposed to be able to handle in the neighborhood of 250,000 photos. I currently have close to 30 000 RAW images in iPhoto in my iMac. I use iPhoto to do casual editing. For in depth editing I still use Photoshop and Aperture respectively. I do find that as my library grows it does take longer for everything to load and get going.

I do let Time Machine handle daily back ups and has been working flawlessly since day one. But I do still back up all my photos to a second external drive weekly and to a DVD once a month that I store in a remote location. In the event of a catastrophy I can replace a hard drive or a computer but not my years photographs.

 

[telf22]

i currently have 115,651 photos. but it is my job so i take alot.

 

[BigJohno]

Iv got about 15 thousand in iphoto and about 4-5 in Aperture.

 

[Wingnut330]

Awesome! Thanks for the all of the replies. I think I'm gonna go with iPhoto and PS Elements. I may upgrade later, but for now that's what I'm gonna try.

 

[telf22]

Awesome! Thanks for the all of the replies. I think I'm gonna go with iPhoto and PS Elements. I may upgrade later, but for now that's what I'm gonna try.

good choice. i've tried elements 6 and it is surprisingly very good.

 

[psingh01]

I have 64GB worth of pics. 33,467 files...I would say 30-40% are thumbnail size. To date I have just manually sorted by month using folders. I only copy them to my MBP when I want to edit, otherwise they are sitting safely on my PC's RAID array or in the backup external drive I have lol

 

[seenew]

just passed 20,000.

That's about 120GB, ranging from my first 3MP camera in 2003 to my current 12.8MP 5D. Most of the library is RAW files (didn't get really serious until about three years ago).

 

[147798]

I've got about 4K photos (though my rate of photo taking is increasing rapidly), and iPhoto and PSE. I think Ap/LR is better for finer adjustments, better RAW handling (though iPhoto isn't terrible) and great for things like stacks. Also, Ap/LR handle external photo libraries better. But you walk away from stuff, too -- like .mac integration, consumer-grade stuff (calendars, etc.) and a real clean, simple interface. I looked at both, and stayed with iPhoto/PSE6 (PSE6 was what did it for me)