When using "Download and Keep Originals", where do the photos go? Where are they stored?

They are stores in the Photos App on your Mac.

More specifically the PhotosLibrary.photoslibrary file in your user profile.

This is not a user accessible file. All photos are kept in there.

And no, using "Download and Keep originals", does not in any way save iCloud Storage (the above post is entirely wrong). It merely makes it so the full sized and original quality versions are kept on your computer. It affects nothing on iCloud.

If you don't want your photos to be uploaded to iCloud, then turn off the iCloud Photos option in the Photos App under the Photos Menu ➜ Settings ➜ iCloud.

click here ➜ Use iCloud Photos on Mac - Apple Support

stew112 wrote:

OK, but where? Where is the folder?

The Pictures Folder in your user profile.

More specifically the PhotosLibrary.photoslibrary file…

This is not a user accessible file. All photos are kept in there.

How do I access them? Through the Photos app?

Yes.

If I see them in the Photos app then do I have to export them to a folder on the hard drive?

If you want. But that just duplicates the space the take up? Any reason just having them in the photos App is not enough?

When you have iCloud Photos turned on, your photo is stored on the cloud as a copy of the photo. So when you turn this off, the photos from iCloud are downloaded to your device instead of iCloud, as their original copy. A good way to save iCloud storage!

1. Being in the Photos app means they are on your computer, not iCloud. Photos stores them locally as I said.
2. You can back up the entire photos library file if required. Ore yes, export them from the Photos app, and then back them up any way you want.