if I move a photo from photos app is it full size?

allsmilz wrote: to just move albums from the photos app to my storage device

What do you mean by "move?" There are lots of ways to transfer pictures. The best choice is with the File>Export dialog. You have to decide if you want to export the original files, or if you want to export the pictures with edits and added metadata.

If you want the edited versions, choose "File>Export>Export nn Photos" or "File>Export>Export Album" if you choose an entire album. You'll get this dialog:

For Subfolder Format you can choose "Moment Name" if you'd like to divide the pictures into subfolders by event.

If you sync your mac with iCloud, even if you have "Optimize Storage" checked, you'll get full sized images-- but it may take awhile for them to load.

If you want the original un-edited versions, choose "File>Export>Unmofdified Originals." You'll get the same subfolder choice.

By the way, dragging and dropping isn't really supported-- while it seems to work for many things, what you get by dragging an image someplace may change with different versions and different receiving apps.

If you export the unmodified original you'll get what you took.

If you export as a jpeg, i.e. edited version, you'll have these options in regards to image size and file size.

JPEG Quality determines how much compression is added to the image file. Maximum is no compression and is larger than the original jpeg file. High is about the same as the original .

Size determines the image size. Full size is the same as the original. You can make the image size smaller by picking another option in that menu. Saving as a JPEG edited file (even if it's not edited) will let you embed all metadata, IPTC, in the file itself.

> dragging and dropping

Do not drag and drop from Photos. It used to work as expected but not anymore. The output might produce even a low-res thumbnail or some other unexpected result. It seems to preserve the original ExifIFD:DateTimeOriginal but I was not aware it by default converts .heic to .jpeg.

The recommended workflow is to use Photos > File > Export Unmodified if you want the original (maybe with .xmp sidecar with nonstandard GPS tags you must work around for files in western and southern hemispheres...). The file dates should then be preserved ... unless you are maybe exporting from iCloud Photos.

Those fragile file dates is a FAQ in Apple's support communities. People frequently get mad when "metadata dates are reset to the current date when I just moved the files around". macOS Finder does has an option to show ExifIFD:DateTimeOriginal for images but to see that needs a minor effort which is greeted with a blank stare. Movie dates are even harder or impossible to check with the built-in tools.

I wish the file dates were automagically preserved unless pixel data or metadata were really changed.