HT204264: iCloud Photo Library

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gregfromeast lansing
Level 1 (5 points)
iCloud

Q: All photos are kinda low res Jpegs in icloud photo library.

My photos are all raw in iPhoto, but when I got to look at them or download them from the cloud they are Jegs. I want to store the raw ones in the cloud and not take up so much space on my computer, but so far I don't see them there.

Posted on Jun 25, 2016 8:47 PM

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gregfromeast lansing

Q: All photos are kinda low res Jpegs in icloud photo library.

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  • by Rysz,Helpful

    Rysz Rysz Jun 25, 2016 9:22 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing
    Level 7 (20,274 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 25, 2016 9:22 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing

    If you're using iCloud Photo Library, you have Photos app, not iPhoto.

     

    iCPL is a syncing service, not an off-site storage or backup service. You need to develop a different strategy.

  • by gregfromeast lansing,

    gregfromeast lansing gregfromeast lansing Jun 25, 2016 9:23 PM in response to Rysz
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 25, 2016 9:23 PM in response to Rysz

    I am confused. It says it does exactly that.What am I missing here?

    Conserve disk space on your Mac

    If you have a large photo library, you can set iCloud Photo Library to conserve disk space by keeping small thumbnail versions of photos on your Mac, instead of the full-resolution photos.

    • Choose Photos > Preferences, click iCloud, then click Optimize Mac Storage.

    With this option selected, whenever Photos determines that your Mac has limited storage space, older full-resolution photos are removed from your Mac, leaving only smaller thumbnail versions. (As long as your Mac has adequate storage space, the full-resolution photos are kept on your Mac.) Whenever you edit or change a photo, iCloud automatically downloads the full-resolution version again, so you always have access to the original photos. If you later want to restore all your original photos back to your Mac, select “Download Originals to this Mac.” Restoring the original photos may take some time, depending on the size of your photo library.

  • by Rysz,

    Rysz Rysz Jun 25, 2016 10:00 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing
    Level 7 (20,274 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 25, 2016 10:00 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing

    Yes, keeping an Optimized library conserves storage space. It's a useful feature on iDevices and secondary computers, like laptops. It is not a good practice for your main computer, say your desktop.

     

    You should always keep copies of all your original images locally. You should also keep a local backup of that full-resolution library on an external disk. Treat iCPL as an off-site copy for syncing purposes.

  • by LACAllen,

    LACAllen LACAllen Jun 25, 2016 10:11 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing
    Level 5 (4,596 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 25, 2016 10:11 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing

    It's not clear what your issue/question is.

     

     

    What does this mean? What are them and what is there?

     

    but so far I don't see them there.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jun 25, 2016 11:55 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing
    Level 10 (105,801 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 25, 2016 11:55 PM in response to gregfromeast lansing
    but when I got to look at them or download them from the cloud they are Jegs

    How are you downloading from iCloud?

     

    Photos is storing the original RAW files in iCloud, but it cannot show a RAW image as RAW file.  It needs to develop the RAW.

     

    To export your original full resolution RAW files select the images in Photos use the command "File > Export > Export unmodified original file". Photos will write the RAW files to a folder you select.  Don't use drag and drop or copy and paste. That will only give you JPEG preview files of the edited versions.

     

    If you select photos in the Photos.app at www.iCloud.com to download them, they will download as JPEGs, because the currently edited version will be rendered as a JPEG.