After you capture your images, the next step is downloading them onto your computer. The Import interface in Aperture 3 enables you to do far more than just copy the photos from the memory card to your computer's hard drive. It gives you a head start on organizing and optimizing your images as well. You determine where the images should be stored, whether to simultaneously create a backup copy of them, rename them or modify a time stamp, apply keywords or other metadata, and apply any adjustment presets. You can even view each image nearly full-screen to determine whether to import it.
Importing from a Memory Card, Camera, or Hard Drive
Touring the Import Panel
Using the Different Views in the Import Panel
Choosing Import Settings
Accessing Images from iPhoto
Dragging and Dropping Files into Aperture
Moving to Aperture from Bridge
We know that when you finish shooting you want to get your images into Aperture as quickly as possible so you can see the results and start editing. Aperture 3 offers lots of ways to import files, all designed to give you as much control of the process as possible while simultaneously making it as efficient and painless as possible. Most of the time, the files you want to import will be on a memory card. You can also import images that are already stored on your computer but that are not yet in Aperture, or that are on an external hard drive that's connected to your computer. You can even use Aperture to import video and audio clips in addition to your image files and keep them organized so they're easily accessible. Then you can play the video and audio clips in the Browser and use them in Aperture-generated slide shows.
Note
Currently, you can't use Aperture to make adjustments to audio or video files beyond basic trimming.
If your files are on a memory card, you have the option to use a card reader attached to your computer or to directly attach your camera to the computer using the USB cable that comes with most cameras. Using card readers enables faster image downloading in many cases and means that you don't need to rely on the camera's battery. Some computers offer built-in card readers that are convenient and fast.
After you attach your memory card, camera, or hard drive to the computer, you're ready to use the Import panel. We recommend that you set up Aperture Preferences to automatically open Aperture when a camera is connected by following these steps:
Choose Aperture
Click the Import button. The import-related preferences appear, as shown in Figure 2.1.
On the When a camera is connected, open pop-up menu, select Aperture. Aperture's import interface now will open automatically whenever you connect a memory card or camera.
To access the Import panel manually, click the Import button at the top left of the main Aperture window, as shown in Figure 2.2.
The Import panel contains a lot of powerful options in a concise and well-laid-out interface that's divided into several major sections. You specify where to look for the images in the upper-left section of the interface, and the Viewer displays the images found on the card or the content of the hard drive that you selected. If you don't select a card, camera, or external drive, then the Browser appears beneath the Viewer and displays a directory to the files on your computer and any drives that are connected to the computer.
The Import Settings pop-up menu contains presets and options that determine how the files are imported, where they're stored, how they're named, and more. We cover those in detail later in this chapter. To the right of the Import panel and beneath the Import Settings pop-up is the Aperture Library area where you specify where to store the images when they're imported. At the bottom right, the number of files to import is indicated followed by buttons to initiate the import or to cancel out of the Import interface.
When you first open the Import panel, it displays thumbnails of your images. This is the Grid view. You can control the size of the thumbnails by using the slider beneath the Viewer panel.
There are three icons beneath the Viewer that you use to control how the images are displayed. Choose the Grid view (refer to Figure 2.2) to see the images displayed as a series of thumbnails, choose the List view, shown in Figure 2.3, to view basic information about each file as well as a tiny thumbnail, or choose the Viewer only mode, shown in Figure 2.4, to display a single image at a time so that you can inspect it more closely.
Note
If you're in Grid view, double-clicking any image changes the Import panel to the Viewer mode. Double-clicking the image in the Viewer again returns it to the Grid view.
Each image has a check box that contains a check mark by default to indicate that image should be imported. Selecting or deselecting the check box toggles the check mark on and off. You can quickly select or deselect all images by using the Check All or Uncheck All buttons at the top of the Import pane. While in Grid view or List view, to select or deselect a group of images, follow these steps:
If the images are contiguous, select the first image, press and hold the Shift key, and click the last image in the group.
If the images are not contiguous, select the first image, then
With the images selected, click the check box of one of the images. All check boxes of the selected images will change accordingly, as shown in Figure 2.5.
In addition to selecting which images to import, you have a number of other choices to make about the import process, such as specifying a project for your images, choosing referenced versus managed files, renaming your images, changing the time stamp, applying presets, specifying what type files to import, how to handle RAW+JPEG pairs, running actions immediately after import, and automatically backing up the import. These choices help you to keep your images organized and increase the efficiency of your workflow as you customize the settings for your individual needs.
You need to decide whether you want to import the images into an existing project or to create a new project for them. If you set the default import location in the Import Preferences to New Project, then by default the Destination pop-up will choose New Project even if you already have a project selected in the Library Inspector. However, if you specify Selected Item in the Import preferences, then by default the Destination pop-up in the Import panel will reflect whatever project you've selected in the Library Inspector. If you have not yet selected a specific project or album, then the Destination pop-up automatically chooses New Project.
You can override the default setting in the Destination pop-up by selecting a specific project or album to import the images there, or by selecting New Project, as shown in Figure 2.6.
Figure 2.6. Choose whether to import your images into an existing project or to create a new project.
If you use a memory card to hold images that you take over an extended period of time, whether several hours, days, or weeks, the option Automatically split project is enabled in the Import interface.
Aperture can automatically split the import into several projects, one for each span of time. You can determine the time frame by choosing Preferences
As shown in Figure 2.8, the Viewer panel of the Import interface changes to show which images are in each project. The additional projects can be manually renamed in the Library panel after import.
Note
If you opt to use an existing project for the import, you can create a new album within that project to further organize your images while in the Import panel by pressing
Figure 2.7. Set Preferences to split the import into new projects according to the time frame in which they were captured.
Figure 2.8. Aperture can automatically divide your images into additional projects based on when they were shot.
When you import into an existing project, select the Do not import duplicates check box to avoid importing multiple copies of the same file.
The next choice in the Aperture library section of the Import interface is one of the most important. You tell Aperture whether you want to use referenced or managed files. Before you choose the setting in the Store Files pop-up menu, you need to be certain that you understand the differences between referenced and managed files. Although we covered the differences between referenced and managed files in Chapter 1, the topic is important enough, and at times confusing enough, that we feel it bears a little repetition.
When you choose to store your files in the Aperture library, you are specifying that you want Aperture to manage your files. This means that Aperture will store the managed files within the Aperture library. In addition, any versions of the image that you create will also be stored in the library, which makes it easy to keep track of both your original masters and the versions. You choose the location of the library, which can be on your hard drive or on an external drive or even on a device such as a Drobo.
Note
A Drobo is a type of external drive system containing two or more drives that creates automatic backups of each drive to protect against data loss in the event that a single drive fails. For more information, go to www.datarobotics.com.
If you opt to use referenced files, your master files are not stored within the Aperture library. Instead, they can be wherever you specify, such as the hard drive, an external drive, or a Drobo. Aperture imports thumbnails of the images and creates previews for the images and stores those within the Aperture library. In addition, any versions of the image that you create within Aperture are also stored in the Aperture library, including versions made using an external editor or plug-in. However, the masters will be in a separate location that you choose. As mentioned in Chapter 1, the primary difference is that you are in charge of organizing and keeping track of the masters. If you move them — for example, you decide to move the folder from your computer's hard drive to an external drive — Aperture won't know where to look for them, and you'll have to spend time helping Aperture find them using the Locate Referenced Files command, which we cover in Chapter 3.
Note
Because Aperture creates thumbnails (and previews if you've set Preferences to automatically create them, as mentioned in Chapter 1) you can use referenced files and not have the drive containing the masters attached to the computer (after you finish importing them, of course).
Note
If you opt to have Aperture not generate previews automatically, you can create previews later manually by choosing Photos
Most people find it a little easier to use managed files, unless their workflow requires referenced files. Both approaches work well, but referenced files require a bit more caution. In addition, sometimes it can be frustrating when you see a referenced file in the library but you can't export it or adjust it because the master isn't available.
Warning
In an emergency, you can directly access your managed master files without using Aperture. Control+click on the Aperture library in the Finder and choose Show Package Contents. Then click the Masters folder and all the subfolders. Eventually you will find all the master files. However, we don't recommend doing this except under dire circumstances because it's extremely easy to accidentally corrupt the library by moving or deleting a file.
After you decide whether to use managed or referenced files, you specify that on the Aperture Store Files pop-up menu, as shown in Figure 2.9.
Figure 2.9. Use the Store Files pop-up menu to choose managed files or to specify where to store referenced files.
To use managed files, choose:
In the Aperture Library. This moves the files into Aperture so that it keeps track of all master files as well as any versions of them.
To use referenced files, choose:
In their current location. This leaves the files where they are and points Aperture to them.
Pictures. This places the files in a subfolder there; use the radio button beneath the pop-up to either move the files or to create a copy of them. Then choose a name for the subfolder. We recommend choosing Project Name so it's easy to recognize which files belong to which projects.
Choose.... This places the files elsewhere on your hard drive or on an external drive. Specify whether to copy or move the files by selecting the radio button and then choose the name for the subfolder.
Most digital cameras assign filenames to your images that are a combination of letters and numbers that don't offer any clues about the images, so it can be very helpful to rename your images as you import them. That way, when you see the filenames you have an idea which images they are. This is particularly true when working with referenced files.
To rename files as you import them, follow these steps:
Click the Import Settings button in the upper right of the Import interface and choose Rename Files. A Rename Files brick appears on the right side of the Import interface, as shown in Figure 2.10.
On the Version Name pop-up menu, select one of the preset naming options that Aperture offers. If you choose Custom Name with an option, such as Custom Name with Index, a Name Text field appears in which you add the text for Aperture to use.
Select the Rename Master File check box if you want to rename the master files and not just the versions within Aperture. This is optional. If you select this option and then export a master file, the exported file shows the name you gave it rather than the name assigned to it in-camera.
To create a custom preset name to use for renaming your files, follow these steps:
On the Version Name pop-up menu, choose Edit from the preset options. The File Naming dialog, shown in Figure 2.11, appears in which you create a custom preset.
To add a new naming preset, click the plus button on the bottom left, and type a name for the preset over the highlighted name in the list of presets.
Drag buttons into the Format field to customize the format. To remove a button from the format field, click and drag over it to select it, and press Delete on your keyboard. If you choose a custom button, a new field appears that you can leave blank or fill with text. If you add text, then that text automatically appears when you choose the preset in the Import options. If you leave it blank, you can add the text during the Import process.
Click OK.
We commonly rename our files with a Custom Name plus Master Name. The Master File Name, which is the name assigned in-camera, provides a unique indexing number for the file as well as an easy way to identify the original filename in case you need to find it on a backup drive. The custom option enables you to add a meaningful name related to location or subject matter.
Most digital cameras record the time that you captured the file. The problem is that some photographers, including us, rarely take the time to change the time setting in the camera when they travel and photograph in different time zones. Admittedly, the time stamp is more important for some types of photographers than others. For photojournalists, it may be imperative; whereas for family photos, it may be purely optional. However, you never know when having the information will be useful, and Aperture makes it so easy to correct the time stamp that there's no reason not to fix it.
To ensure that the correct time is associated with the image, assuming that the in-camera clock was accurately set for your home time zone, follow these steps:
Click the Import Settings button in the upper right of the Import interface and choose Time Zone. Two pop-up menus appear, as shown in Figure 2.12.
Specify the time zone the image is currently in, which is normally your home time zone, using the Camera Time pop-up menu.
On the Actual Time Zone pop-up menu, choose the time zone to associate with the images. It's that simple!
You can use presets in many places in Aperture, including the Import panel, Adjustment Inspector, the Metadata panel, and the File Naming dialog. In each case, presets enable you to apply a predetermined combination of settings with a single click. That saves time.
The Apple engineers have created some default presets that they think will be useful to many photographers, but you can create your own as well, and we show you how to customize them. By taking advantage of presets, you spend less time on the computer.
The first place you encounter presets is in the Import interface. You can apply metadata presets and/or adjustment presets while you import your images, which means your images are already partially optimized and contain metadata when you initially begin working with them, and that's efficient!
To apply metadata while importing, follow these steps:
Choose Import Settings and select Metadata Presets. This opens the Metadata brick in the right panel of the Import dialog, as shown in Figure 2.13.
Choose None to apply no metadata.
Choose Basic Info to apply a default set of metadata options and then complete each field as you want.
Choose Edit to customize the fields in the Basic Info preset or to create an entirely new preset. Although you can use the Basic Info preset at the default settings, it is even more useful if you take the time to customize it. That way you can prefill some of the fields that remain constant, such as your contact information, as well as choose which fields to display.
Choosing Edit will open the Metadata heads-up display (or HUD), as shown in Figure 2.14. On the left side is the list of current presets, and on the right are all the possible fields that you can include in the preset. Any field that you select is included in the preset and unselected fields are not visible in the preset. If you add text to any of the text fields, then the text becomes part of the preset. We fill in our personal information and any other fields that remain constant such as copyright so we don't have to retype them each time we import images. We select other fields such as Keywords so that the fields appear within the preset, but we leave them blank so we can add text during import. Note that you can add fields that enable you to rate, label, or flag images as they're imported.
Of course, it's up to you to decide which fields to include, but we recommend completing at least some of the IPTC contact information as well as the Copyright field in the IPTC Status section. It's important to include a way to reach you and information about the copyright with the file itself. Otherwise, it's all too easy for an image to be used without your permission and/or become "orphaned," meaning no one knows whose picture it is.
Note
To type the copyright symbol, press
To create an entirely new preset, take these steps:
Click the Action pop-up menu (gear icon) at the lower left of the Metadata HUD and choose New Preset. A new preset appears called Untitled.
Type a name for the preset.
Select the fields to include and fill in any fields that remain constant. We created one called Contact and Copyright that contains just the copyright information and our contact information.
As shown in Figure 2.15, you can also duplicate or delete presets as well as import or export presets, which means you can create a preset on one computer and then export it for use on another.
Figure 2.15. You can manage your metadata presets via the Action pop-up menu and even export them for use on other computers.
To use a preset on another computer, take these steps:
In the computer containing the preset you want to use, access the Metadata preset dialog from the Metadata HUD as just described, and choose Export. A new dialog appears in which you choose a name for the preset (although most likely you won't want to change the name) and specify where to export the preset. We find it easiest to export to an external drive or thumb drive.
Connect the drive to the other computer.
Open Aperture and access the Metadata HUD.
Click the Action pop-up menu and choose Import. A new dialog appears containing a directory of your computer.
Select the drive containing the exported preset.
Click OK. Your preset is added to the list of presets. When you return to the Import dialog, your new preset or customized version of the Basic Info preset are available in the Metadata pop-up window.
Under the Metadata pop-up in the Import interface are radio buttons to Append or Replace the metadata. When you choose Append, the metadata is added to the existing metadata in the image, whereas Replace removes any metadata that already exists and replaces it with the information in the preset. Most of the time we opt to append the metadata.
You then need to add text to any blank fields. We often type the image location information as well as a few keywords that apply to all the images. You may want to add caption information, special instructions, or any other information you need, but not having to retype your contact and copyright information for each import session is very convenient. What's even better is the knowledge that every image in your library has the basic metadata applied as it's imported.
RAW files often seem to be a little flat and may seem slightly less saturated, which can be a bit disconcerting when you first view your images and may make you hesitant to share your images with others until you've fully optimized them. At other times you may realize that your white balance is off in a series of images, or perhaps you want to view them as black and whites. Aperture 3's Import Panel offers access to the default Adjustment Presets as well as your custom adjustment presets by choosing Import Settings
Figure 2.16. All the adjustment presets are available from within the Import panel although only one can be applied during the import process.
Only a single adjustment preset can be applied to each image during the import process, so often one of the Quick Fix presets such as Auto Enhance provides a good starting place for optimizing your images. You can apply additional adjustment presets after the images are imported by using the Adjustment panel.
You may prefer to create customized adjustment presets containing several of the adjustments you routinely use and have Aperture apply that preset during import. That way your images will look better when you're editing them and you'll have less work to do to optimize them. Keep in mind that you can create a variety of adjustment presets, each containing different combinations of numerous adjustments.
To modify an existing adjustment preset containing more than a single adjustment, do the following:
Click the Edit Presets option on the Preset pop-up menu in the Adjustment Presets brick in the Import window. Doing so will access the Adjustment Presets Manager shown in Figure 2.17.
Select a preset. The adjustments it contains will be listed in the panel on the right side of the dialog.
Click the minus radio button by each adjustment to remove one or more of the adjustments within the preset.
Figure 2.17. The Adjustment Presets Manager enables you to manage and customize your adjustment presets.
Note
Some sites such as www.maccreate.com offer numerous adjustment presets that you can download and then import. These presets emulate a variety of film effects — both color and black and white — as well as camera manufacturers' Picture Styles and more.
To create your own custom adjustment preset from scratch, follow these steps:
Create an adjustment preset by clicking on an image that's already imported into Aperture. Choose an image that has only the adjustments applied that you want to use for your preset, or even better, an image with no adjustments applied at all.
Apply the adjustments you want as part of the preset. For example, we often apply a combination of a Curve adjustment to add a small amount of midtone contrast, along with some Definition and some Edge Sharpening. It's a good idea to be fairly conservative as you set the sliders, although all adjustments that are applied via a preset can be tweaked by adjusting the sliders later in the Adjustments panel.
Go to the Presets pop-up menu that's in the Adjustments panel, as shown in Figure 2.18, and choose Save as Preset. The Adjustment Presets dialog appears.
Assign a descriptive name in the Adjustment Presets dialog so that later you remember exactly what the preset does. Your customized presets will appear in the list of adjustment presets in the Import panel in addition to the default presets.
If you make a series of your own presets, or download and import custom presets, you can group them together by doing the following:
Choose Presets
Click the Action pop-up menu and choose New Preset Group.
Drag as many presets into the new group as you want. That way you can keep your presets organized and easy to find.
By taking advantage of the metadata and adjustment presets in the Import panel, you'll have considerably less work to do later.
Because many digital cameras now include options to capture video and audio files as well as photos, Aperture 3 gives you the option to exclude certain types of files or to only include specific types of files while importing from your memory card. That way only the types of files that you're interested in appear in the Import Viewer, making it easier to quickly choose the files that you want to import. You don't have to wait while files that you're not interested in are imported, or spend time individually deselecting files in the Import panel.
To limit the types of files that Aperture imports, choose Import Settings
Some cameras offer the option to shoot in RAW+JPEG pairs so that each image is recorded as both a JPEG file and a RAW file. Aperture now offers more flexibility in how to deal with these image pairs.
Shooting in RAW+JPEG can be helpful in several types of circumstances. For example, if you've purchased a newly released camera and Apple has not yet updated Aperture to support that camera's RAW file you can still view and work with the files by using a RAW+JPEG workflow. Or perhaps you've applied a Picture Style in-camera to your JPEG files and want to view your images using those settings. You might also opt to shoot using both file types if you need to work extremely quickly initially to output files and want the convenience of using JPEG files, but you want the flexibility and power of RAW files to use later.
Begin by choosing Import Settings
The first three options allow you to import both file types of each pair, while the other options import only one type of file.
Figure 2.20. Aperture 3 offers choices of how to import RAW+JPEG pairs as well as options to import just one type of file.
Both (JPEG as Master). Both files are imported, but you actually see the JPEG file in the Viewer. Adjustments are applied to the JPEG version.
Both (RAW as Master). Both file types are imported, but you actually see the RAW version in the Viewer, and any adjustments are applied to the RAW file. This is the system Aperture 2 used when working with RAW+JPEG pairs.
Both (Separate Masters). This third option imports both the JPEG and the RAW files and treats each one as a master file. The advantage of this method is that you can easily remove either type of file later to save space. The disadvantage is that adjustments applied to one member of the image pair are not automatically applied to the other. Instead, you need to use the Lift and Stamp tools that we cover in Chapter 6.
JPEG files only or RAW files only. This is self-explanatory. If you choose one of these options and want to keep the mate, you need to store those files manually and remember where you put them.
Matching RAW files. This is a good option if you initially import just the JPEG files and do your editing based on them, and later you want to import the RAW files associated with just the JPEGs that you've kept.
Matching RAW files is a fantastic new feature because it enables you to automatically import just the RAW files that match the JPEGs that are in the project; the other RAW files are ignored without your having to manually select the files individually or re-edit the project. In addition, you can specify whether you want to import all matching files that Aperture finds, just those files that are unrated or better (so Aperture doesn't reimport images you've rejected but not yet deleted), or only the mates to the images that are visible in the project using the current filter. So if what you really want are the RAW files associated with just your five-star images, for example, those are the only RAW files that Aperture imports.
Note
When you use either of the first two options, you can access the other files after you import them by selecting the file and choosing Photos
Warning
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to delete just the JPEGs or just the RAW files from the pairs when they are imported as Both (JPEG as Master) or Both (RAW as Master). When you delete one, you delete the other, which means that if you're looking to conserve storage space at a later time, you can't delete just one type of file for image pairs.
In addition to being able to apply adjustment and metadata presets while importing, you can instruct Aperture to run custom AppleScripts immediately after importing your images. Although many users will never need this feature, for others it can be a huge advantage, particularly for those with customized workflows using repetitive tasks. You can create custom actions using AppleScript so that your images can be uploaded to FTP servers automatically on import, sent to the Web, inserted into a Keynote presentation, and so on. AppleScript can be used to automate just about any actions that you do repeatedly.
To apply an action, choose Import Settings
One of the disadvantages of digital images is that the media used to store them can fail. In fact, every hard drive will fail at some point, including the one in your computer. The hope is that day is far away, long after you no longer need that particular hard drive. But the harsh reality is that a hard drive failure can occur at any time. To protect against losing your images, you need to store them on at least two separate drives. We talk more about creating backups for your Aperture library in Chapter 10. However, you can create a backup of the files that you're importing during the import process. That way when you reformat the memory card to reuse it, you still have your files stored in two places. We strongly recommend that you take advantage of this feature.
To automatically back up your files on import, take these steps:
Connect a backup drive to the computer and choose Import Settings
Select the backup drive.
Use the Subfolder pop-up menu to create a folder for the backups on that drive. We recommend using the Project Name for the subfolder to make it easier to identify, but you can choose any of the presets, or click the Edit option to create a custom name for the folder. Aperture not only imports the files into the Aperture library, but simultaneously creates an external backup. That's efficient!
Figure 2.22. It's smart to create a backup copy of your files on an external drive as you import them into Aperture.
When you finish choosing your import settings, click Import Checked. The Import interface disappears, and you see your images in the Viewer and/or Browser, ready for you to begin editing.
If you've been using iPhoto and have decided it's time to move up to Aperture 3, you can import your entire iPhoto library or just import certain images. You can also use your Aperture library within iPhoto.
To import the entire library, in Aperture choose File
To create a duplicate copy of your iPhoto library, choose In the Aperture Library from the Store Files pop-up menu. Your original iPhoto library remains in iPhoto and a copy of it is stored in the Aperture library. This doubles the amount of hard drive space used because you have two libraries as opposed to one. One of the cool features of having duplicate libraries is that any change you make to an image in Aperture is reflected in the iPhoto library. (Of course, images that you import directly into Aperture don't appear in the iPhoto library unless you import them there separately.)
Because storage space is often an issue, many photographers prefer not to maintain duplicate libraries in Aperture and iPhoto. After importing the iPhoto library into Aperture, you can delete your iPhoto library. You still are able to use iPhoto with all your Aperture images in case you want to take advantage of some of the output features, such as calendars or greeting cards. To use Aperture images in iPhoto, open iPhoto, then choose File
It's also possible to import your iPhoto library into Aperture as referenced files. That way Aperture doesn't duplicate the master files but can access them to create versions. You see the files within both Aperture and iPhoto, but behind the scenes the master files are still stored in the iPhoto library. To create a referenced version of your iPhoto library, open Aperture. Choose File
You can also opt to create a referenced copy of the iPhoto library that is stored within Pictures or any other location that you choose. That creates a duplicate copy of the iPhoto library that is referenced by Aperture, so the master files are stored outside Aperture as discussed earlier in this chapter.
To create a referenced duplicate copy of your iPhoto library, follow these steps:
Choose Store Files
Specify a Subfolder name from the Subfolders pop-up menu. Any name that includes a / (forward slash) will create a hierarchy of nested folders.
To customize the subfolder name and structure, choose Edit. A Folder Naming dialog appears, as shown in Figure 2.24. For example, you would choose Project Name/Image Date to create a folder with the project name and subfolders for each date.
Click OK when done.
Click Import.
When you import your iPhoto library using any of the approaches we've covered, the organization of your iPhoto images and albums is maintained in projects in the Library Inspector. All the adjustments you've made in iPhoto as well as any keywords, ratings, and so on are also maintained.
If you prefer to use Aperture with only certain images, it's possible to import as many or as few images as you desire from your iPhoto library without having to import the entire library. To import select images from iPhoto, follow these steps:
Open Aperture and choose File
Navigate through the iPhoto Browser to select the images you want to import into Aperture, and
Drag the images onto the desired item in the Library panel in Aperture.
Alternatively, you can preselect the destination in Aperture by clicking it, then drag the images you've selected in the iPhoto Browser directly into Aperture's Viewer or Browser. The images will be imported into Aperture.
There are times when you may be looking through your Finder or your desktop or other place on your computer and come across one or more files you want to import into Aperture. Although you can choose File
If you've been using Photoshop for your image editing and organizing, it's likely that you've developed your own system for storing your images. For most photographers, this means they have a system of folders, most likely within Picture, but possibly elsewhere. Some photographers have elaborate setups of folders nested within folders. It's possible to import those folders into Aperture and maintain the same organization. However, you can't use the Import interface to import folders; you must choose File
From the Import Folders As pop-up menu, choose Folders and Projects to have Aperture create an overall Folder in which there are Projects for each folder that you're importing. Or choose Projects and Albums from the same pop-up menu to have Aperture import the folder as a project containing albums for each subfolder.
No matter which you choose, the overall result is similar to what is shown in Figure 2.26. Use the remaining options in the dialog to create subfolders if you choose, and to name any subfolders as well as to rename the images and specify how to handle JPEG+RAW pairs.
