Importing Images from iPhoto into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v3
Please read Getting Started: What Does “Import” Mean in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom? before proceeding with this tutorial.
Reader Question: “How do I import images from iPhoto into Lightroom 3? For the life of me, I just cannot find out how and I am no newbie…”
Great question! Working with both iPhoto and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
Lots of digital photographers get started with iPhoto since it is automatically bundled into the Mac operating system. To its credit, iPhoto is fairly intuitive and it does a fine job indexing consumer grade Jpeg photographs. It’s a good starting point, but it is not designed for the serious digital photographer. For professional grade image management Apple sells Aperture and Adobe sells Lightroom. Apple makes moving from iPhoto to Aperture very easy, but sadly the same cannot be said for photographers looking to move from iPhoto to Lightroom.
I don’t mean to say that moving images from iPhoto to Lightroom is hard or intimidating, but you have to understand that these two programs do not work together. Moving files from one program to the other requires “exporting” a copy of your image from one program and then “importing” that file into the other. To do this right, you have to understand which buttons to push and which file formats to use. This is especially true for digital photographer’s working with Raw files. Doing this right also requires a strong understanding of what the Lightroom Catalog truly is and how it works.
To see my method for moving files from iPhoto over to Lightroom please watch this tutorial video.
Whenever I answer this question in my workshops, I try explain that once you understand the full power of Lightroom that you are unlikely to go back to iPhoto. Again, this is not to say that there are not some great features in iPhoto but moving files back and forth between the two applications is a chore. I think of it as a progression. You can start with iPhoto, and when you outgrow it’s features, you can move onto Lightroom. Once you have moved up the ladder though it’s painful to go back down. It’s like trying to ride a bicycle with training wheels again!
I sure hope this helps and if you need additional assistance we are now offering personal tutoring and tech support via remote desktop software. Please contact us for more details.
*** For an alternative version of the iPhoto to Lightroom transition check out this video tutorial from Matt Kloskowski at lightroomkillertips.com.
Filed Under: (03) Importing • Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Tutorials
About the Author: David Marx is a digital photography instructor whose engaging teaching style inspires photographers of all skill levels. David is an Adobe Certified Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom Expert. David has led Adobe Photoshop / Photoshop Lightroom seminars and digital photography field workshops for The Rocky Mountain School of Photography, FirstLight Workshops, The American Society of Media Photographers, and the world-renowned Blackberry Farm Resort. To learn more about David's software seminars and field photography workshops, please visit 
I’m really happy to have found this thread.
Question — Can’t you combine the 1st two steps(JPGs and RAWs) into one step by just copying the “originals” folder of the iphoto package into the “Photos go here” folder on the destination drive?
Also, as another option, to free space on the computer, move your iphoto library to the destination drive and have it act as the “referenced” images from within Lightroom? That way both iphoto an Lightroom can “use” the same photos?
Just trying to find best way to move on from iphoto, use minimum amount of disk space, and also have everything on one drive for carbon copy to another backup drive.
Thanks!
Dear Scott,
Both of these are good ideas but sadly neither is guaranteed to work. Lightroom and iPhoto are not meant to be compatible. Grabbing the iPhotos originals folder only will cost you all your keywords, develop settings, etc since iPhoto does not save this info to the original file. Trying to reference the iPhoto library is hard since the Mac sees it as a package rather than loose folders. plus Adobe’s processing code is completely different than Apple’s so neither can directly read the others instruction sets.
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David Marx
This tutorial is great! I just got LR and am trying to learn how to navigate through videos and Scott Kelby’s book.
Unfortunately, when I try to copy my Modified & Originals folders from my iPhoto Library to my desktop, it only gives me to white looking sheets of papers with these titles on them. When I click on them, a dialog box opens that says “The alias “Modified” can’t be opened because the original item can’t be found.” Then it gives three options to Delete Alias, Fix Alias… or Ok.
Do you know why I can’t create the copied folders of the pictures?
Thanks!
Dear Jen,
My video tutorial avoid this frustration by exporting copies from iPhoto! You are running into trouble here trying to copy files out from inside the iPhoto Library package. If you want to go this route crack the package open with a right-click and then use the copy and paste commands rather than dragging.
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David Marx
Please tell me how if I can delete a photo from iPhoto which I’ve exported to Lightroom? Will the photo is Lightroom disappear, too?
Dear revdfw,
If you followed these tutorials then Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and iPhoto reference different files. Since each program is indexing a different file deleting, or changing, the image in one application should have no effect on the files in the other program. This is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because you can indeed delete from one without fear of loosing anything in the other program. It’s a curse because it means that you have multiple copies of each image on your hard drive and you can easily confuse yourself.
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David Marx
Thank you so much for all these great tutorials they are so helpful! As I am new to lightroom, I have followed you video with success, however this is the issue: I have Iphoto on an external drive, lightroom on my mac, and my catalog onmy external. After exporting the photos I want to work with and editing ect. The problem, is that I print at my schools’ lab and when I open my catalog I see the photos but it says they are offline and have a (?) meaning I have to go to the iphoto folder and find the original. My iphoto pictures are on the same external as my catalog but its quite frustrating! Please help
Thank you!
Dear Catherine K,
I think you are making your life more difficult then it needs to be. I think you need to consider your storage system carefully and decide a: where to keep your Lightroom Catalog and b: where to keep the images that the Catalog references. See http://thelightroomlab.com/2011/03/where-should-i-keep-my-adobe-photoshop-lightroom-catalog/ . It might make life easier if you store your images and your Catalog on your internal drive.
I suspect that you are getting all the missing file indicators (the question marks) when you go to school because your images are on the external drive and that disk is no longer connected. Keeping the file’s on the internal drive would prevent this problem. Assuming you have enough internal free space you could store your images on the internal then you could use the external drive for a backup. See http://thelightroomlab.com/2010/03/backing-up-a-mac-with-carbon-copy-cloner/
If you do not have sufficient internal free space to hold your images and your Catalog then you might need to bring the external disk with you when you go to school each day. Your other choice would be to prepare the files at home and then export a print-ready copy to your computer’s desktop. You could print these files without any troubles but making additional changes requires going back to the original file so it is not an ideal solution.
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David Marx
Hi,
I’ve been importing my photos, however, even though it is successful, there are a number of greyed boxes beside a large portion of the imported images. It doesn’t do it for every pic or I’d think that it was a setting I’ve changed. Searching the net for it seems to only reference people whose photos haven’t been imported. It doesn’t matter whether they are raw or jpg. Where might I look for what on earth could be happening?
Dear Ben,
I would bet money that you have the “Do Not Re-import Suspected Duplicates” preference switch turned on in the Import Dialog and that your greyed out images have indeed already been imported! If I am right then Lightroom is doing you a favor and preventing you from filling up your Catalog with multiple copies of the same images.
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David Marx
Hi Dave,
I am just starting using LR3, and set myself up by previously reading a lot of your tutorials – great stuff.
One question in regards to the import from iPhoto: Most users likely have their photos organized into albums in iPhoto by lets say destination/trip etc. Is there a way to maintain the content of those albums when importing or getting things ready to move them to LR3?
Looking through this tutorial it seems that you basically go by type (raw, jpeg etc.) and search you iPhoto library that way, however, can I keep my albums from iPhoto somehow alive or do I have to do the type of file import and than basically create new folders in LR3 and create basically a new folder structure/new albums to sort my 20000 photos?
Thanks,
Nils
Dear Nils,
Good questions. The closest match for iPhotos Albums feature in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom are collections and collection sets. Unfortunately you can’t just move an album from iPhoto to Lightroom but you could easily export a copy of all the images in that album from iPhoto into a single folder. You could then import this folder into Lightroom and immediately group all of the images into a new collection! It’s tedious because you have to go album by album but it is not hard work.
I should add here that the real power of Lightroom is not in collections but in metadata searches. My advice is to follow these steps and turn your albums into Lightroom collections but to also add meaningful keywords to all of your images. This way you can do a search that spans collections, years, camera, etc. and find all of the relevant images in seconds.
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David Marx
Hi Dave,
I’m wondering if you have any suggestions for people using Picasa (a free organizer & editor from Google) and/or Photoshop Elements Organizer? I’m not exactly sure how these programs manage changes or file locations, but I think Picasa is a lot like iPhoto…any edits are saved in the database, not with the file.
Would love to hear your ideas on this!
Thanks for the great tutorial videos….very well done!
Thank you so much for the lesson. I am wondering how to sort my iPhoto photos into Tiff, jpef, raw etc. I am working with iPhoto 5, so maybe it’s not possible, but to update it seems like I have to purchase.
Thanks again
Dear Kathryn,
Sorting by file type in iPhoto requires creating smart albums. I am not sure if you this feature was included in iPhoto 5 but if it is there then it’s easy. To sort out your jpeg files create a new smart album where the conditions are “filename” includes .jpg.” To sort out your tif files create a smart album where the conditions are “filename includes .tif.” I wish that iPhoto simply gave you the option to sort by file type but this short coming it’s easy to solve once you understand that smart albums are logic gates and that all your jpeg files share a common element in their file name….
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David Marx
David,
I’m in the opposite situation where I use LR regularly and occassionally I want to get images into iPhoto to share with family or to utilize some of the cool features of the program. So, in going from LR to iPhoto am I best to export file to a folder and the import from Iphoto or is there some other, better method?
Thanks,
Tim
Dear Tim,
My advice is to perfect the image in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom first and then export a copy for iPhoto. When exporting use either Jpeg with minimal compression or the tif file format for maximum image quality. Import these files into iPhoto and then you can use them for iBooks, etc. This way you get the best of Lightroom– the power and precision of the Develop Module–plus the ease of iPhoto. It’s a little extra hassle but not a lot of additional work.
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David Marx
opps the link:
http://lightroomsecrets.com/2009/03/moving-your-images-from-iphoto-to-lightroom/
Dear SKO,
Gene McCullagh article on cracking into the iPhoto container is excellent. It’s yet another way to get a copy of your images from iPhoto into your Adobe Photoshop Lightroom index. The trouble with Gene’s method, and iPhoto in general, is that much of your work can get lost in the import process. Gene’s method will not preserve your keywords, location information, etc because iPhoto does not write this information into your original files. Sadly, the only way to preserve this data is to follow my instructions and to export a copy of your image from iPhoto using either the Jpeg or Tif file format with the appropriate options turned on.
Have you tried importing images from the 350D using a card reader rather than through Canon’s cable? I am willing to bet that Canon’s stupid cable and feeble software are the cause of your frustration. See http://forums.adobe.com/message/2039985 for others with similar experiences.
For the record, I always use a memory card reader rather than the factory supplied cable to import my new images. Memory card readers make the import process so much cleaner and so much faster with the right card reader.
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David Marx
Lexar CompactFlash FireWire 800 Card Reader RW034-001
David,
I found this article which had a short cut for the export import process from iphoto to LR – i was wondering if using the export/import method that you describe captures location, keywords etc that i have created in iphoto?
Further – when i add my ancient but much loved Canon 350D into LR (via cable) I can only see the JPEG and not the RAW images… i can not find an option in LR to turn this on and am just a newbie LR.
Thanks
SKO
I went into this page to learn how to import and was glad to discover I already did (-:
davem,
really appreciate your tutuorials and availabiltiy.
i have a rather perplexing scenario i am hoping you might have some insight that is helpful.
i’ve been using LR3 with relative success, both from a workflow standpoint as well as a production standpoint. just a work in progress basically.
i also use iPhoto, and have a great deal of legacy images from before my life with LR. now, i’ve managed to migrate images that i felt made sense to manage and add to my LR3 workflow and database. where the rub is, ironically, relates to a need to have the ability to not only import images from my iPhone to manage in iPhoto, or even/also bring them into LR. and THEN, i’d like to sometimes send an image back to the iPhone for processing using iPhone exclusive iPhone apps. and, of course keep version control and workflow all organized. hehe
yeah, i know. sounds convoluted. but the truth is, that not only is the iPhone sort of the Holga or Diana of the current century, but also serves a great purpose to me in terms of creative processing. such that i wouldn’t want to forego the ability to process in iPhoto at any stage of the process.
as a basic scenario, lets say: i shoot some photos on the iPhone using basic Camera Genius. i’m shooting relatively high-res and then import into LOFI to toss a little Polaroid treatment to the image. then bring it into say Toy Camera or Pictone to tweak the styling a bit.
now, i will import it onto my machine via iPhoto. so, there the photo is, and i want to bring it into LR for fine-tuning: luminance noise reduction, sharpening, clarity etc. plus i can really see the image in 1:1 ratio so i have the best idea possible how it will look full size or even in print.
believe it or not, my question is really a workflow question. how do i do this, keep track of stages of production, prevent multiple instances of varying stages of processing, and keep the ability to view the image in LR or iPhoto? and, of course, move the images back to iphone if i want to edit further and then reintroduce it to its established position in my LR database.
ok, my head hurts now, does yours?
absurd? please help me drink the koolaid
-verve62
Dear verve62,
I can’t give you any firsthand advice on this one. Believe it or not, the iPhone is still not available where I live! You can bring one to Montana but you can’t actually buy one here yet :<. I don't think that there is anyway for you to accomplish all of this without having at least two versions of each file– one in Lightroom and one in iPhoto. You might find these articles though on Lightroom's Publish Services feature helpful though. Turns out clever people can use Lightroom 3′s Publish Services to control the photos on your iPhone and the albums on your iPad.
Best of luck and if you find an elegant solution please share it with us.
David Marx
First of all, let me say THANK YOU for the great tutorials! I have learned so much by watching & reading all of this great information. I just bought a new (and second) external hard drive after loosing 15,000 photos and I feel much better making sure that I am setting all of my equipment up correctly! MUCH appreciated!
I do have one question for you. Can you get the same results exporting your photos from iPhoto straight to the “photos go here” folder onto the external HD and then importing them to LR3? Basically, I want to remove all photos from my MacBook onto my external HD but still be able to view them when I am away from home and do not have my external HD with me. And still be able to edit when I am back at home using my ext HD. I think I was to set that up correctly since I left the catalog file on my external and internal HD.
Oh, and I think I am a little confused when importing the difference between copy as a dng, move, copy or add. If you don’t mind clarifying that or pointing me in the direction if you have a tutorial on that as well.
Thanks again,
Melanie
This is most annoying. Lightroom2 had no problem importing from the iPhoto database. You provided me a disservice by taking that feature away in Lightroom 3. If I had known, I would not have paid for the upgrade fee. As it is, Lightroom 3 will do me no good. iPhoto has some very FUN features for showing photographs to family and friends that LightRoom does not have.
Dear Thoma Deter,
I agree with you that iPhoto has some great features but Lightroom has never been able to read or write directly from the iPhoto Catalog. No version of Lightroom has ever been able to work directly with iPhoto hence the need for this tutorial video! Tighter integration with iPhoto is one advantage that Apple’s Aperture program has over Lightroom for Mac users.
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David
Thanks David!
I am a brand new MacBook Pro owner and am currently in a “learning mode”. You are absolutely right about selecting one program and sticking with it. I’d like to keep things clean and simple. I have been reading about the comparisons between Lightroom and Aperture on your site and others to help me make a good decision about which program to use. I’m still not quite sure because there are features of both that are really great.
To answer your question, though, I have not yet done any alterations of images in Aperture. I thought I would try it out first to help me make a comparison. When I purchased my new Mac a friend loaded Aperture which is the program he uses for his images. I have to say, it has some interesting features, such as the slideshow, book layout and light table. However, before I owned a Mac I was learning to use Lightroom on my PC, which I also really like. Up until now I have not had the computer capability to keep up with my love of photography and am working to make good choices. Your insights and the articles on your site have been very helpful. Thanks so much!
Dear Lisa,
Picking between Lightroom and Aperture is a tough decision. Both are professional grade products designed for serious digital photographers. For me the choice was an easy one since I make my living teaching to a cross platform world but my needs are different from most peoples. Either way I hope you enjoy the new computer and the fun of digital photography in these exciting times.
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David Marx
Hi David!
Your site is great! I’ve read your post and wonder if the same procedure applies for importing from Aperture3 to Lightroom3. I’m relatively new to working digitally with my photographs and just want to make sure that folders,keywords,etc.are preserved when transferring from Aperture to Lightroom.
Thanks for the help!
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
My advice on moving from iPhoto to Lightroom is not going to do you any harm with files that are also in Aperture but it’s not exactly the same. In the end, I think that you will want to pick one of these programs–Aperture vs. Lightroom–and stick with just that choice. Both are professional grade image management systems with their own strengths and weaknesses.
To answer your question properly I really need to know more about the work that you have already done in Aperture. If all that you have done is to organize your images into folders and to add keywords to them then you can let Lightroom add those folders and files into your index without moving or copying the files again. If this is all that you have done then there is no need to export a new copy of your files just so that you can move the copy from one program into the other. Both Lightroom and Aperture can index the same folder and create reference points to the same file.
On the other hand, if you have been making extensive alterations to your raw files using Aperture, or using some of Aperture’s cool layout / book design features, then we need to export a copy of your hard work and import this file into Lightroom. It’s not a hard process and it’s much like the steps that I show in the moving from iPhoto movie but it does add an extra wrinkle to the process.
I hope this helps get you going on the right track.
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David
Great thank you so much.
Hey thanks David. I dd try the Advanced and was able to transfer from one Catalog to other one. Two question first by selecting the .Ircat as you said do I have all the origenal Cr info. that I downloade to computer from camera and the RAW file and others info’s still available to me on the new location?
Also how can I place all the new photo’s in the already folder that I have chosen to photo’s go to? LR3 just created a origenal folder which I then draged and droped in to where I want it to be.
Thanks again
Dear Farshid,
If you merged two Lightroom catalogs together using the import from catalog option then you should have all of your info. All of your info means the original EXIF data (the shutter speed, aperture, etc) plus any metadata that you added. In addition, you should have all the develop settings that you used in the old catalog plus any collections, or virtual copies that you created. Merging one catalog with another brings in everything….
But as you have discovered their is a huge flaw in the way that Adobe designed this system. Sadly, you do not get the choice of how to arrange your new files when two catalogs are merged together using the import from catalog button. With this import system, Lightroom copies your files from place to place but it always maintains the original folder names. It’s stupid and poorly designed but it’s not hard to fix. All you need to do is select the files that you want to move from one folder to another within Lightroom and then drag and drop them into the right place within Lightroom’s Folders panel.
You might find the video tutorial in my post on Moving Folders with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom helpful here.
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David
Hi David, Thanks for the great video. I need to transfer my recnet shoot that is on my LR3 catalog on the external hard drive to LR3 home based catalog on also external hard drive. I have worked on some photos and don’t want to just export the DNG. What is the best way to do the export of 800 photo’s ? Do I start all over by importing the CR2 files and how do I import the origenal file and be able to do changes on them in futher is I need to do so?
Thanks
Dear Farshid,
Two methods.
Easy:
1. Select all your files and export them using the .dng format. Be sure to turn off the “minimize embedded metadata” switch.
2. Move these files to your other computer.
3. Import them but turn off the options to change their filenames or to add additional metadata on import.
Advanced:
1. Make a collection.
2. Add in all of your new images.
3. Right-click on the collection’s name and hit the “Export as Catalog” button.
4. Export the existing previews and the negative files.
5. Move all of this over to your other computer.
6. Launch your other Lightroom Catalog (the one on the desktop.)
7. Go File > Import from Catalog and select the .lrcat file that you just created.
Hope this helps.
David