Deleting RAW files from RAW&JPEG pairs in Photos for Mac
If you shoot RAW & JPEG pairs the pairs will be imported to Photos stacked as one photo. There is no command in Photos to delete one component of the pair.
If you want to keep only one of the pair and delete the other, you can only do so by exporting the pair with "File > Export > Export unmodified Original" and then reimporting only the component you want. The problem is, how to save the metadata and edits, if the originals need to be exported. Photos can now read sidecar files with metadata (on Sierra).
- My method to delete the RAW files from the pair is to export both the RAW and the JPEG with File > Export > Export unmodified original and make sure that the option "Write IPTC as XMP" is checked. This will write three files, the RAW, The JPEG, and the sidecar file with the metadata (locations, titles, keywords, descriptions).
- If the JPEG version has adjustment, I lift the adjustment from the JPEG in Edit mode with ⇧⌘C. Then I delete the photo from Photos and empty "Recently Deleted". The image has to vanish from Photos and iCloud completely before reimporting.
- Now I move the exported RAW file to a backup folder, just in case I want it later.
- Then I import the JPEG with the sidecar file with File > Import. The sidecar file will not highlight in the Import panel, but Photos will read it, if it is in the same folder with the same filename as the JPEG. Then I paste the adjustments onto the JPEG in Edit Mode with ⇧⌘V. The JPEG will be the nearly same as before - the same metadata, all adjustments that have been applied before. If you do not need to save adjustments as well, you can use the export and reimport method for many photos at once.
More on RAW & JPEG Pairs in Catalina: Photos for Mac: Importing Raw and JPEG pa… - Apple Community
This user tip was generated from the following discussion: DELETING RAW FILES IN PHOTOS OS X
