Guide: How To Export Photos From Apple iPhoto Whilst Keeping The Event Structure

It is mainly aimed at fresh Mac owners who have just ventured into the world of Mac, and/or people who want to mirror their iPhoto database into a traditional PC style folder structure for backing up/transferring purposes.

This is a guide on how to export all your photos from iPhoto, whilst keeping all photos sorted like in the Events structure within iPhoto.

This is done via a script which creates folders named as the 'Event' which then sorts the relevant photo's into the Event folder that it belongs to.

The Script can be found here:-

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20081108132735425

Commands in Terminal:-

cd desktop = places you in the desktop directory.
ls -l = lists file permissions [x = executable]
chmod a+x iphoto_export_script.sh = makes executable
./iphoto_export_script.sh = executes the script.

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[MrRuss1009]

Nice one. Can't believe that something which should so simple is so complicated, but thanks for solving the problem and providing a clear guide.

[bullychris]

Thank you!

[jgenuard]

I found this video/technique very helpful. However I would like the event folders created in the format "yyyy-mm-dd Eventname" instead of just "Eventname", where "yyyy-mm-dd" represents the most recent modified date of the photos in that Event. THis format would allow the event folders to be sorted by date, which is helpful in finding photos and also when creating other backups. Would it be possible to provide a modified script that does this?

[chilloutsista]

great video. best explanation ever. BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM: terminal tells me that the "operation not permitted". i am the only administrator of this computer, so why not permitted?

[shuffleofftheplanet]

THANK YOU!!! I was feeling so angry after discovering that there was no way to do this in iPhoto.

[archey007]

After doing this, I still cannot understand why didn't put this simple thing into iPhoto..

Thanks alot!

[tixrus]

Can't believe this functionality isn't included in the app. I just got a second external drive for backups of my photos and music. (Primary copy of both photos & itunes resides also on an external). with itunes U can just copy the filestructure but now that iphoto has a proprietery format the functionality of this script is necessary. there a script to update your filesystem backup when you add new photos to your iphoto library?

[prashanthpillutla]

Thank you mate. I knew Mac wasnt for beginners and the faint hearted when I bought it a few months ago. A simple task like this needs so much workaround !! Thanks for taking the time to put up a nice and easy video...

Prashanth

[MakeupFanatic27]

Thanks so much, this video helped me out big time! ^_^

[smileylover41]

help omg i lost you after the you typed in desktop what do u push too make all that other stuff pop up?????

[StevensForSenate]

Hey Bullychris, quick question... first of all, thanks, but is there anyway to export them out so that you have the original date of the picture instead of the date of export?? that way I can track when the picture was taken? Or is that stored in the properties somewhere?

[goldendisney88]

Thank you for this video! You will definitely help me save a lot of time copying and pasting all my photos and organizing them in folders in hard disk. However, I was just wondering do I just keep on doing this whenever I copy even folders to external drive? Won't it affect any commands in my MAC?