[...] I have about 1,000 photos (yes, a small collection!) stored in iPhoto, in a fairly structured way: every one is a member of one album or another, and albums are organised into folders. [...]
I had very unpleasant experiences with iPhoto. So I needed a new photo management app and found
Photo Mechanic. Great cross-platform pro photo management app! Handles RAW+JPG, supports dual processors, links with your preferred graphic editors, and works within your existing (HFS+) folder/file system (unlike iPhoto).
Recommended!