fourwheelcycle
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Q: How to Export Photos to Another Mac

While on a recent vacation I transferred photos from my camera to my Mac Air each day and began to do some initial photo edits.  When I got home I wanted to transfer all my photos and editing work to my main Photos Library in my iMac.  However, all I could figure out how to do was to export the the photos in their current state (some edited, some not yet edited) or to export the unmodified originals.  I ended up exporting the photos in their current state, but of course now I don't have the originals in my iMac Photos library.

 

I suppose I could do a separate export of the unmodified originals, but I expect if I do that there will be no link between the individual originals and their separately exported edited versions within my iMac Photos Library.

 

Is there any way to transfer both the unmodified originals and their linked current state versions from my Mac Air to my iMac?

MacBook Air, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), Retina iMac 27

Posted on Jun 17, 2015 5:49 AM

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fourwheelcycle

Q: How to Export Photos to Another Mac

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  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jun 17, 2015 6:21 AM in response to fourwheelcycle
    Level 10 (108,869 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 17, 2015 6:21 AM in response to fourwheelcycle

    The only way I know to transfer photos with edits between libraries on both macs is to use iCloud Photo Library.  But that would require to sign up for enough iCloud storage to hold all your photos. iCloud Photo Library will sync all edits and titles, keywords and captions between the two macs. That is what I am using to get the new photos with all edits from my MacBook Pro to the iMac at home.   iCloud Photo Library FAQ - Apple Support

     

    Or you could simply copy the Photos Library with all edited versions from your Mac Air to your iMac. This will result in a second Photos Library on your iMac.  You can switch between both libraries by double clicking the library you want to open.  Or use a tool like PowerPhotos to browse both libraries without having to switch between libraries.

    See.  Fat Cat Software – PowerPhotos

  • by fourwheelcycle,

    fourwheelcycle fourwheelcycle Jun 17, 2015 9:14 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (5 points)
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    Jun 17, 2015 9:14 AM in response to léonie

    léonie,

     

    What a coincidence that you answered my post - I just found a script by Toad based on another script by you to sequentially number titles in Photos albums.  I used the script to number photos for this trip.  As you noted in one of your posts, the script does not work very consistently.  I had to run it several times to get through all 293 photos from my trip.  I had another script written by someone else for iPhoto that always worked quickly and perfectly.  I put in a request for Apple to create this capability within Photos - I wonder if/wen they will ever do it.

     

    Are you in Germany?  I just passed trough the Munich airport to get to Copenhagen and then to Bergen, Norway.  I think Munich is the best airport I have ever been in.

     

    The problem with copying my Photos Library from my Mac Air to my iMac is that then I would have a separate iMac Photos library for every vacation.  I want to get everything into one library.  I can open the packages in my Mac Air and iMac Photos libraries to see all the individual folders and files.  There may some way to copy just the right files for the original and edited photo versions from my most recent vacation from the Mac Air Library into the iMac Library, but I have no idea which ones are needed to make it all work properly on the iMac, so I am not going try. 

     

    For now, I will just make do with having only the current state photos in my main iMac Library.  I hate to lose the unedited originals, but I am not a serious photographer and these are just vacation photos so I can get by with just the current state versions.  I still have all the originals on my camera SD card, so I can save them in a separate folder if I want to.  However, they would not be linked to their edited versions in Photos, so I'd have to edit each photo again from scratch even if I just want to make a slight change, like getting back some of the cropped-out image.

     

    I'm surprised Apple didn't make it easier to transfer both the original and edited versions of photos in a single export step.

     

    Thanks for responding.  It was great to hear from someone who wrote the helpful numbering script.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Jun 17, 2015 9:19 AM in response to fourwheelcycle
    Level 10 (85,648 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 17, 2015 9:19 AM in response to fourwheelcycle
    There may some way to copy just the right files for the original and edited photo versions from my most recent vacation from the Mac Air Library into the iMac Library,

    No

     

    You NEVER directly access the contents of the library and you NEVER make any changes of any sort to it

     

    I'm surprised Apple didn't make it easier to transfer both the original and edited versions of photos in a single export step.

    They did As Léonie explained

    The only way I know to transfer photos with edits between libraries on both macs is to use iCloud Photo Library.

     

    When you use ICPL as she suggested your entire library is available to all devices and any changes made by one device are reflected on all devices - it it totally trivial

     

    LN

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jun 17, 2015 9:33 AM in response to fourwheelcycle
    Level 10 (108,869 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 17, 2015 9:33 AM in response to fourwheelcycle

    You're welcome Thanks for the compliments.

    Yes, I am in Germany.  And you will enjoy Bergen. It has such a beautiful harbour.

    Bergen2010_1_38.jpg

     

     

    The problem with copying my Photos Library from my Mac Air to my iMac is that then I would have a separate iMac Photos library for every vacation.  I want to get everything into one library.  I can open the packages in my Mac Air and iMac Photos libraries to see all the individual folders and files.  There may some way to copy just the right files for the original and edited photo versions from my most recent vacation from the Mac Air Library into the iMac Library, but I have no idea which ones are needed to make it all work properly on the iMac, so I am not going try.

    Apple's professional photo application Aperture supported this.  It was perfect for travelling. I could start a new library on my MacBook Pro while on the road, and later merge this library with all edits into the main library. But Aperture is no longer developed, so I switched to iCloud Photo Library for now.

  • by fourwheelcycle,

    fourwheelcycle fourwheelcycle Jun 17, 2015 9:53 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 17, 2015 9:53 AM in response to LarryHN

    LarryHN,

     

    Thanks for letting me know that fooling around with the contents of the Photos library packages is not something to be done.  I was not planning to try it, but now I won't feel bad that perhaps it might have worked.

     

    I have two problems with the ICPL.  My main concern is that I try hard to keep all of my personal info out of the Cloud because eventually every Cloud location will get hacked.  I prefer to keep my info on my own computers where a burglar would need to break into my house to get at it - unless I accidentally download an app with a hidden key logger!  My second concern is that I am very cheap and I don't want to pay Apple for their iCloud storage.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jun 17, 2015 10:00 AM in response to fourwheelcycle
    Level 10 (108,869 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 17, 2015 10:00 AM in response to fourwheelcycle

    I expect that  Fat Cat Software – PowerPhotos will pretty soon allow us to merge libraries, like their previous tool iPhoto Library Manager could do.  Right now, they can only browse multiple libraries, but they are at it, and if it can be done. at all, they probably will be able to provide the tool.

  • by fourwheelcycle,

    fourwheelcycle fourwheelcycle Jun 17, 2015 10:15 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 17, 2015 10:15 AM in response to léonie

    léonie,

     

    Thanks.  I'll watch them.

     

    Steve

  • by dave_561,

    dave_561 dave_561 Jun 16, 2016 11:35 PM in response to fourwheelcycle
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 16, 2016 11:35 PM in response to fourwheelcycle

    I've read it other post they said you can use iPhoto Library Manager (https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/)

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Jun 17, 2016 5:14 AM in response to dave_561
    Level 10 (108,869 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 17, 2016 5:14 AM in response to dave_561

    IPhoto Library Manager works with iPhoto Libraries, and Power Photos is the successor for Photos Libraries.

     

     

    If you already own iPhoto Library Manager you might be entitled to a free upgrade to Power Photos. Check the fatcatsoftware page.

  • by fourwheelcycle,

    fourwheelcycle fourwheelcycle Jun 17, 2016 5:29 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 17, 2016 5:29 AM in response to léonie

    Thanks leonie.

     

    I'll download the trial version of Power Photos and see how it works.  In the meantime, I now keep my master Photos library on my iMac and don't do any edits while I'm on vacation.  I bought a MacBook to replace the Mac Air as my "meetings and vacation" computer and its screen is fantastic - it makes the Mac Air seem like old technology!  While I am on vacation I transfer photos from my camera to the MacBook and only edit to the extent of deleting copies and keeping the best version of each photo.  When I get home I transfer all the originals to my iMac for editing, titling and numbering.