Moving/Copying Photo Files From iPhoto Library

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Level 1

14 points

Moving/Copying Photo Files From iPhoto Library

I'd like to be able to move/copy photo files that are currently (I assume) in my iPhoto Library.

Yet when I go into Finder, I can't go any deeper than *iPhoto Library;* that is, I can't access any individual photo files or folders via the Finder.

I know I can export single files out of iPhoto, but I'd like to manage large numbers of photo files at a time.

Is it possible to use Finder to move/copy files in the iPhoto Library, or some other way?

iMac 24"; Macbook Pro 13", Mac OS X (10.6.1), 3.06 4GB 1TB; 2.53 4GB 250GB

Posted on May 12, 2010 6:55 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

May 12, 2010 7:44 PM in response to Penman61

Export is the best way - you can easily put the photos into an album and export the contents of that album all at once

You can go to the iPhoto library and right click on it and show package contents and have full access to the iPhoto library contents -- However this is strongly not recommended - you will have major issues getting the correct version of the photos - and if you make a mistake and modify any of the content or structure of the iPhoto library you will corrupt it and lose data

LN

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Answer 2

Penman61 Author

Level 1

14 points

May 12, 2010 7:57 PM in response to LarryHN

Thanks, Larry. I didn't realize one could export multiple files at once from an album.

I appreciate the help. 🙂

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

May 12, 2010 8:02 PM in response to Penman61

Glad it helped - and remember iPhoto manages photos not files - that concept is important - like for example when you put a photo in an album you do not create a new file - you create a database entry showing that the photo in in that album - so a photo can be in any number of albums with no increase in disk space

thinking of files makes it more difficult to understand iPhoto - thinking of managing photos using an SQL database (which iPhoto is) helps conceptually

LN

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Answer 4

Penman61 Author

Level 1

14 points

May 12, 2010 8:29 PM in response to LarryHN

That is conceptually very helpful in understanding why I couldn't initially copy/move "files." Thanks again. 🙂

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Answer 5

Mike734

Level 1

10 points

May 19, 2010 8:28 AM in response to Penman61

Can I ask more about this topic? I hate loosing the the original file/folders. I like iPhoto but I don't like the idea that I can't move my files to some other photo organizer in the future. Is there a way to abandon the iPhoto program in the future and still have my original photo files/folders. I recognize that, in doing so, I would lose the meta-data but I could live with that.

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Answer 6

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

May 19, 2010 8:33 AM in response to Mike734

Simply, arrange the pics into Events/Albums in the structure you prefer in the iPhoto Window and then File -> Export, set the Kind to Original and it will export your byte by byte copies of your Originals into folders with the same name as the Album or Event.

How hard is that? 😉

And of course, some apps, like Aperture, understand the iPhoto Library and can import it, including all the metadata and so on.

Regards

TD

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