Photo Library in Mac - iPhotos - how to back up in date order

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Level 1

8 points

Photo Library in Mac - iPhotos - how to back up in date order

Ok, So I have been trying to sort this out for a VERY long time.

I want a copy of my WHOLE Photo Library in an external drive. I want this to be done as files, not iCloud library, not weird files that I need a MAC system to operate in case one day I decide to migrate back to something else.

I have a LOT of photos. For a while I was able to back up using Image Capture - but I have so many photos (my current phone is at 400+GB) that image capture no longer reads it.

Also, because of the space saving toggle I used before, many of my photos didn't back up from Image Capture as not every photos was there ( I only learnt this late)

I have now set up the photos back up to keep originals in my Desktop from my iCloud, but my library only shows contents in weird number files and no chronological order. so I have no idea what photos were taken when and most of the files show the same dates?!

THIS IS A NIGHTMARE.

I like having my photos backed up as files in a folder in my external drives - for easy access, copy paste and reference. And I DON'T want to have to rely on a MAC operating system to access these images.

How, Who can help with this? I understand it's a Heavy/Huge amount of files - but is there any way to get this done? I'm happy to pay for this to be done for me if it requires special equipment/software, etc...

HELP PLEASE!

Thanks!

Posted on Dec 12, 2021 3:42 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

TonyCollinet

Level 7

23,861 points

Dec 12, 2021 11:18 AM in response to TasKai

Hi

If you are trying to access your files by "show package contents" STOP. This is not intended as a user accessible structure - and you can only cause problems (including loss of your images) by messing around in there.

If you want copies of your files as they were when you imported them select them, and then use (from the file menu) file>export unmodified originals for xx files.

Don't try to export all images in one step or photos will run into problems such as memory limits. Instead try to do it a few hundred at a time.

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Dec 12, 2021 2:44 PM in response to TasKai

In addition to what Tony says:

Images get their date and time information from the Exif metadata stored within the image file. This is how like Photos know when the image was taken. The Finder does not use this information - it's a file organiser, not a photo organiser after all.

There are application that will allow you to manipulate the exif data use it change the file data, or even rename the file using the date and time, for instance. I suggest you do this, as then the file name has the information, and as you seem to want to access the files from a variety of operating systems and devices, I would not guarantee that every app you choose will respect the Exif data.

This is one such app. There are others:

https://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderAttributes/index.html

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Photo Library in Mac - iPhotos - how to back up in date order

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