Q: Photos from Photos app not accessible in iMovie 10.0.8

I too was unsuccessful, but I then realised you do not need to go to 'Import' within iMovie to navigate to your photos (because if you do, it is greyed out), it is simply in the 'Libraries' bit on the left of the main iMovie screen, staring us in the face....'Photos Library'!

Assuming you have version 10.0.7 of iMovie, I suspect yours will be there too.

This does not solve my problem, but I found a dialog box that told me out that you can only use a Photo Library if you are also connected to iCloud. Since this library exceeds my iCloud storage (and I'm doing this for a friend with her work computer) it turns out by upgrading to Photos from iPhoto, my movie making chore has become A NIGHTMARE as I have to drag every photo I want to use first to the desktop instead of having them accessible in iMovie automatically.

I hate Apple since Jobs has died. This kind of behavior seems to thwart me regularly now. Usability is plummeting.

Arg.....

Just noticed "Years" tab to right of "Photos Library"...

I am posting this as a reply to some of the other posters, who seem to have gone through the same issues as I have right now. Strangely enough the "solution" was an easy click, hinted at in the post before mine, but since the post was only a hint and didn't spell out the solution completely, I prefer to write this down.

1. My photos library wouldn't show any content in iMovie. I could see the tab on the left, but in the window next to it, no content would show.

2. After reading the posts in this thread, I looked up the Preferences section in the photos app, and indeed the "Set up as System Library" tab was greyed out. I went through the suggestions made by lawrence, but that didn't change anything on the iMovie side... in the process I figured out WHY the "Set up as System Library" was greyed out: because the active library WAS the system library ALREADY. When opening photos with option click, the choice window confirmed that as well. So there was actually no problem at all with the System Library setting. I was looking at the wrong place (mislead by the posts).

3. I had overread the last post in the thread by Andrewid, stating that he just noticed "Years" tab to the right of "Photos Library"... when reading it first I had thought "so what", but then it dawned on me that the solution to all my problems was actually right there, with only a click. The "years" tab was indeed there and to its right it said "all years", i believe... when clicking on "all years", I suddenly got the choice to choose a year and all my photo library was available (again) ... I say again, because it had been available in iphoto, before upgrading. Alternatively, you could also click on "years" itself, and choose between "My Albums", "Albums", "Years", "Collections', 'Moments', 'Places', 'Faces' and 'Shared'... either way, i finally got access to all my photos library again.

Hope this helps the other posters.

OMG Finally the correct answer Thank you Lukeoo

People disregard all the other incorrect answers this one is correct.:

go to 'Import' within iMovie and look on the left hand column it is simply in the Photos Library' on the left of the main iMovie screen, staring us in the face....'Photos Library'!

I have the newest upgrade to  10.1 v iMovie, I suspect yours will be there too.

I have no idea what you mean. To the right of where? I have nothing that says either photos library, or years. In libraries I simply have All Events, and iMovie Library

me either... thought i was the only one. Been using iMovie for many years. This is crazy! I have imovie 11, vs 9.0.4

I am having all the same issues. I have iMovie 11, vs 9.0.4. for the life of me, I cannot find the photos library on the left. I only see the photos that I used to be able to select before they all disappeared. Well almost all. There are a few sily photos from Photo booth. That is all that is left, that I can find. So, to add to all my questions about how to fix the crazy problems since El Captain came along... Where is this photo library?

Also, while I'm asking, how can I drag and drop from my desktop of a file? It doesn't work any more either.

First, thank you for the helpful tip. I tried your suggestion, but I'm concerned about creating another library on my Mac when the first one has so many pictures that would be precluded from the fix. When I held the option key, my primary library showed that it is the "System Photo Library" in parenthesis, however, the option to select it as such in preferences is greyed out. Any ideas on why this would be?

Hi, I had this problem too.

I have set the Photos library as my system library from within Photos app and it still wasn't showing up in iMovie.

However, I found a solution - if you open Photos then open iMovie the Photos library shows up on the left.

You can then quit Photos if it is using valuable memory!

However if you already have iMovie open then open Photos it does;t show up.

Hope this helps as it works for me.

Hi, I have just wasted an hour looking for the Photos Library and then diligently working my way through the very informative suggestions in this thread. Only problem was that the Photos Library did not show on the left hand side, just my old iPhoto Library. But Phil Weyman's answer provided the solution for me. Phil I have found that once the Photos library appeared I could subsequently open iMovie without having to open Photos first.

Many, many thanks

Kathy

This fixed it for me. I have been going crazy trying to get Photos to be accessed and had no idea to loo there. Thank you!

And thank you fro me too on Gabriola Island. (21 Jan 15. I had to reboot to get Photos Lib to show up in iMovie but it works just fine now. Ta muchly lawrencefromedmonds

Paul

Paul's answer explained to me why the Photo library was greyed out and tried his suggestions. But the reason Photos wasn't showing in iMovie Library was because the Photos app needed to be opened before the iMovie app as Phil described. Daft isn't it.

Thanks, you guys

You're right. Much better to open Photos first then iMovie. Rebooting is unnecessary.