ok, i really need help from someone that is a lot more skilled (which would be about anyone! lol) that uses pse 3 on a mac and uses iphoto as well...i need a way to oganize and find all my digi stuff and i understand that there is a way to use 'smart folders' and tiger spotlight...i just can't figure it out and haven't really been able to find any support on the .mac or apple sites.

i really need to talk to someone!! (sound like a woman on the edge...i am! lol)

ty, ty, ty!
deann

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deann
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Deann,
I'm really hoping that someone answers you. I have been wondering the same thing. I am a fairly new Mac user and I have stuff all over my desktop because I don't know what to do with it. Thanks for asking this very important question!!

I'll try to help. I have PSE3, although I've recently switched from iPhoto to iView. But I have a pretty good feel for iPhoto.

In order to use Spotlight or Smart Albums effectively, I strongly suggest that you use keywords to tag your photos. To add to your list of keywords, go to iPhoto>Preferences>click on Keywords>click the Add button. In order to organize my digital stuff, I use tags that describe the type of element (Backgrounds, Ribbons, Frames, etc.) and color (Color-Blue, Color-Red, etc.).

Then in order to tag your digital stuff, click on the picture, then go to Photo>Get Info. Click on Keywords, then check off the keywords that you want for that digital element.

After you've tagged your photos, you can specify Smart Albums to organize your elements (to see all your Backgrounds, for example). You can also use Spotlight, which will search for keywords. Spotlight will also search the comments box. You might want to use that box to type the designer's name, the kit that the element is from, or whatever.

Let me know if you have more questions. I'd be happy to help.

Kelly

Thanks for this thread. I'm in the same boat and I really need to get all my stuff organized so that it's easier to see what I have.

Quick question: So do you import EVERYTHING into iPhoto first and then tag them? I have a hard time having ALL that stuff out in the main "gallery" in iPhoto all the time!

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I have the same question. You put everything in iphoto and then tag them?

Also what is iview? Is is something you recommend for a mac?

Thanks so much for answering the question!

One of the reasons I switched to iView MediaPro is because iPhoto only allows for one Library. However, you can use iPhoto Buddy to have a multiple library feature. You can find it here:
http://www.nofences.net/iphotoBuddy/

This way you can keep your photos separate from your digiscrapping stuff.

Kelly

PS - Sorry I just jumped in without ever introducing myself. I'll post an intro in a new thread somewhere. Is there a place where newbies should go?

One more thing about iPhoto - I wouldn't ever really use the main Library to view anything. It's waaay too slow. It's far more efficient to use Albums and Smart Albums to narrow down what you view at any given time. Like I said, you can use iPhoto Buddy, but unless you have thousands and thousands of images, you can probably get by on one Library and several Albums.

As for iView Media Pro, I'd say that it's sort in between iPhoto and Aperture, leaning more toward Aperture, but much cheaper! Here's a link
http://www.iview-multimedia.com/

I just got it, and there is sooo much to learn, but so far, I'm loving it. It's PERFECT for organizing digi stuff as well as photos, because you can keep separate catalogs, even of images that are offline (on DVDs, CDs, external hard drives). I think it's laid out much better than iPhoto, but having said that, I got by with iPhoto for years very happily.

Kelly

Kelly,
Thanks for the help. I noticed that iLife06 is out. It would be very interesting to see if iPhoto6 supports more Libraries. I looked at it on the apple site and it didn't seem to.
Thanks Deann for asking the question and Kelly for the answers!