Hey there! I just went to mac one on one class that I paid for...and well let's say I really learned nothing. So I need some help.

I am trying to understand the basics. How is everyone storing their files? On my pc I have a folder with the clients name. Then I have subfolders, named Originals, Proof, Blog and Slideshow.
Today, the Mac Guy spent all this time showing me Iphoto and how I should organize in there, then at the end when I asked him how to do the above- he said no- that would be too confusing.
So, should I just create the folders on my hard drive? If so how do you view all the photos from that folder easily- in Bridge?

I have ton more to ask about my new mac book pro that I have had for almost 2 weeks (it actually collects dust sitting on my shelf )

But for now, I have a stupid 5d question:
Just recently I have notices that in all the "creative" modes: p, av, tv the little screeen uptop shows that my exposure is always under exposed by one notch....it didn't do this before and I am wondering why it is now!

And as a side note...I think the Mac people are very nice and mean well, but most of the questions I asked today and the day I bought it were answered by, I am not really sure.

I don't use iPhoto. I think it takes way too long to load and I hate how it saves pictures in like five different random places on my HD so it takes up more space than it needs to. And I don't understand why so many people like the way it divides pictures into rolls. I think it's annoying.

I just create a folder under Pictures on my HD. My folders and subfolders are basically:

Weddings > 2007 > [Couple's Name] > Originals | Slideshow | Album | Edited (and the edited pictures folder is divided into pre-ceremony, ceremony, formals, reception).

I use Bridge to view all the photos. Sometimes I just enlarge the picture icon inside the folder so I can scroll through them really quickly if I have a general idea of what I'm looking for that doesn't require a huge amount of detail.

Good luck! Let us know if you have anymore Mac questions.

On the 5d, did you set the exposure compensation down one notch?

Thanks hope- that was my plan as far as the folders thing goes- I forgot about my pictures though. I am so glad there are people that can help me thru things that seem so easy- but I just want to make sure sort of stuff Thanks.....Any ideas as to the 5d anyone?Or more opinions about organizing the files-Nope. The strange thing is, my brother's 5d does it to. He asked me about it, then about a week later, mine started doing it. It is really bizare- unless I somehow accidentaly changed a setting without realizing it.

Try this: turn the camera past the on button and then push the shutter half down and then roll the back wheel one click Clockwise.

Scottie! I LOVE you! Thanks a bunch! Wonder how I did that?

i use aperture - it is unbelievable at organizing your shoots.

i don't use iphoto either... in fact, i actually took it completely off my computer. there was no need for it (i organize in folders, though not so neatly as hope).

i use lightroom and love it, but i also enlarged the icons in my folders on the hard drive for easy scrolling outside of lr.

julie

Yes at the end- he kept telling me that is what I needed to get, but I thought- another expense and another thing to learn. So I put that aside, but do alot of you find Apeture to be helpful?

Your Welcome. It is actually a very handy little adjustment. You can force the camera to under or over expose. It has come in pretty handy with wedding especially because you have a white dress and black tux, and depending on where your metering is you can compensate for it. I use it all the time, but I forget to put it back sometimes and end up with bad exposures after I'm done w/it.

Carrie and I make folders. We don't use bridge (no need) so I am not sure of the complexities of viewing with it, so I can't help you with that. sorry. We use iView Media Pro (not available anymore) to sort and cull and do post production currently in photoshop CS (it's all I need at the moment so it's all I use). I completely agree about iPhoto. I don't use it and personally don't recommend it.

Sorry I couldn't be more help. Good luck and congrats on the Mac. I do know a good bit about them so feel free to ask away. If I can help (from a Mac perspective) I will.

I am glad to hear iphoto is a no no! Thanks everyone- and for the exposure thing, I guess I never realized you could use that in the creative mode....only manual. I think I had discovered that a while back....like a few years ago- but have only been adjusting exposure when in Manual. I think I get so used to doing things one way...I forget about all the possibilities.

That is the problem I am having with my Mac right now-so used to one thing, I am fighting or forgetting that there are so many other ways out there

Scott: You really are a genius!
At a recent concert I was shooting, I was having the hardest time with my exposures seeing that the bar was all the way to the left everytime. I thought it was just some extreme lighting conditions (and the lighting was pretty bad) but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what I had done.

I just tried your little trick Scott and blam-o, everything back to normal.

Somehow I must have dialed in that negative compensation and didn't even realize it!

OSP ROCKS! AND SO DO YOU SCOTT!

Thank you so much!

Glad I could help. Thats funny, cause thats how I found out about it. I spent an hour looking at blown highlights on my screen and decided to shoot manual for the rest of the night. When I got home I played with it till I figured it out.

DON'T USE IPHOTO to organize your images. It duplicates everything many times so it will eat up your HD. In my opinion, iphoto is ok for organizing photos for mom and pop but not in any professional settings.

Use either Aperture or Lightroom. This programs are created for professionals and will respond accordingly.

How do you organize them? It is totally up to you.

If you use Aperture you can either use a manage library in which Aperture take care of the internal organization or use a reference library in which you can organize them in folders as you did in Windows and Aperture will reference them in the program. If you do this keep in mind that folders within Aperture are not the same as folders in your structure. A folder in the Hd = a project. A folder within Aperture cannot contain images but it can contains project (which contains images), albums, smart albums, Light tables. It is just a way to hold things.

If you use Lightroom you can only do reference library which is exactly the same way you worked in Windows. Some like this better because they can see inside their folder. But some prefer the managae library method found in aperture and it has some benefits like easy backup and not be concern with the internal architecure of files.


So it is totally up to you. Depends which way you like better.

If you need any help, Pm me.

P.S. iphoto is good to do slide shows, books, calendar, cards, etc.