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Importing photos into iMovie

When I import photos (dragging) photos from the Photos app into iMovie it looks like it reverts to the original photo. So all color corrections, cropping etc is lost. The photos (thumbnails) in iMovie from the Photos library contains the changed versions, but when I drag the photo to the timeline it reverts to the original version. Very annoying. Is there a setting that I have missed?


Photos 8.0, iMovie 10.3.5, Macos 13.1

iMac 24″, macOS 13.1

Posted on Jan 17, 2023 1:54 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 17, 2023 11:29 AM

Yes, once imported into iMovie you can delete them from your desktop or wherever you've placed them. Photos imported into iMovie are stored in an Original Media folder in the iMovie library, where the iMovie app will refer to them. Nothing in the iMovie app itself is an original photo, but contains only editing thumbnails that refer to the original media in the library. iMovie does not refer to the photos that are still on your desktop.


The Original Media folder is a Finder folder. Thus your iMovie photos will be in the finder. The photos that you may have placed on your desktop are also in the finder, in a separate location, so deleting them will not affect the photos stored in the iMovie library.


-- Rich



3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 17, 2023 11:29 AM in response to johpo01

Yes, once imported into iMovie you can delete them from your desktop or wherever you've placed them. Photos imported into iMovie are stored in an Original Media folder in the iMovie library, where the iMovie app will refer to them. Nothing in the iMovie app itself is an original photo, but contains only editing thumbnails that refer to the original media in the library. iMovie does not refer to the photos that are still on your desktop.


The Original Media folder is a Finder folder. Thus your iMovie photos will be in the finder. The photos that you may have placed on your desktop are also in the finder, in a separate location, so deleting them will not affect the photos stored in the iMovie library.


-- Rich



Jan 17, 2023 9:46 AM in response to johpo01

Several other posters have reported the issue of Photos edits failing to carry over to iMovie. It seems to be a bug that has been observed since Monterey OS 12.3.


A workaround is to do a File/Export/xx photos from the Photos app to your desktop, and from there drag them into iMovie. The edits will carry over.


-- Rich

Importing photos into iMovie

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