How to Import Photos Into the IPhoto Library

Using iPhoto can be a great way to keep digital photographs organized on your Macintosh. IPhoto offers Macintosh users a great way to import, organize and edit digital photographs in a single application. To start using iPhoto, the first thing to do is import photographs so follow these steps to complete this important part of the process.

Instructions

1. Plug in your media. Connect a digital camera using a USB or Firewire cable or insert a memory card into an active card reader. To connect the camera, first turn it off and then refer to the camera manufacturer's manual for instructions on how to activate it once the cable has been plugged in. When the Macintosh senses a camera attached to it, iPhoto will automatically launch into the import screen.

2. Select or omit the "Erase contents after transfer." Before you import the files you can choose to erase all the photos from the storage media once the import is complete. Select the "Erase contents" option in the import pane if you wish to do this. If you do not want to erase the contents, simply leave the option unselected.

3. Click "Import" in the lower right-hand side of the import pane. The import will start automatically and will show a progress bar alongside a thumbnail image of the photo that is being imported.

4. Unmount your media. To finish the process you need to unmount the camera or digital card that the photos are stored on. For a camera or memory card, simply drag the device's desktop icon to the Trash icon and wait for the computer to inform you that the device has been disconnected. Failing to complete this step runs the risk of creating an error and losing some of your relevant data.