Where does iPhoto store imported photos?

You can use the media browser in the finder, or you can control click (right-click) on the iPhoto library file, select show package contents, and look in the originals folder.

Note - displaying package contents is not recommended - if you make a simple error you may damage your iPhoto library - the only safe way to access your photos is via the media browser - in the upload window in the lower left hand corner under media ==> photos ==> iPhoto

LN

In a nutshell: you can't access the files via the Finder. When you chose to use iPhoto you chose to make it your Photo Manager. Anything you need to do can be don either with or via iPhoto. It's your "Go-To" app for your photos.

There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto: You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.

(Note the above illustration is not a Finder Window. It's the dialogue you get when you go File -> Open)

You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:

There's a similar option in Outlook and many, many other apps. If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.

If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.

If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running:

For users of 10.6 and later: You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu.

Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.

For Users of 10.4 and 10.5 Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser

Other options include:

Drag and Drop: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.

File -> Export: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.

Show File: a. On iPhoto 09 and earlier: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected. 3.b.

b: On iPhoto 11 and later: Select one of the affected photos in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Reveal in Finder -> Original. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.

Send your comments to Apple via http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html

OT

No you don't. You just need to learn how to use iPhoto.

Photoshop: You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically. This is the only way that edits made in another application will be displayed in iPhoto.

And FCP can use the methods above

Regards

TD

Yes, but I need to backup all my photos. How can I drag & drop all my photos to an external hard drive?

Thanks,

HH

Best way is to not back you your photos but backup up your entire disk - Time Machine is one good choice - I use it for hourly backups and a daily clone for a daily bootable backkup

If you just want the iPhoto library you can drag it to the extrenal drive our set up an incremental backup fo rit

Or you can select the desired photos and export them from iPhoto to a folder on the external drive

LN

Thanks for your very quick response.

Actually I’m using Time Machine, but I have tons of trash on my hard drive. I just want to backup documents, photos and some other stuff. I want to get rid of everything else. I want to make a factory recovery and start from scratch but I have not yet made a recovery from Time Machine and I don’t know if I would be able to select what I want to recover and what not.

Thanks,

HH

Then you want to copy the iPhoto library intact as a single entity - drag it over

LN

My best advice is to install Windows on your macbook and handle your media with it, the way YOU want and not the way Apples decided that you have to, without having to deal with absurd programs such as iPhoto and the panoply of other time wasting toyish apps that are imposed to you by Apple.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Macbook for what it does well, but handling multimedia is definitely not the force of a mac (ironic with the reputation they brilliantly manage to have for their computers!) except if you are a amateur or if you have a few files to manage. But if you handle mass media and you understand the meaning of the word 'productivity' then shut down OSx and reboot in WIN7. And i feel entitled to my critics since I spent like 3K$ on Apple devices.

Sorry - but there is nothing decided for you and certainly iPhoto or any other Apple program is NOT "imposed" on you - Apple provides some great software for free or at low cost - if you do not like it then it is really, really simple - DO NOT USE IT

And IMHO anyone who advises using Windows on a Mac has no idea in the world of how things work or how to do anything -- why would anyone be stupid enough to pay Apple prices for hardware to run grossly inferior Microsoft software which will run just fine, such as it is, on must less expensive PC systems

Sorry that you are not happy but there is no reason to bring your lack of understanding to this forum

On the other hand at least Apple hardware is so much better than PCs that you can run either OS on it - with PCs you have no choice - run MS or nothing

LN

My best advice is to install Windows on your macbook and handle your media with it, the way YOU want and not the way Apples decided that you have to, without having to deal with absurd programs such as iPhoto and the panoply of other time wasting toyish apps that are imposed to you by Apple.

1. If you don't like iPhoto... don't use it. It's not imposed on you. You can use other apps for managing your media... or none at ll.

2. Before you give advice like this, maybe you should learn how to use your Mac - and the apps that run on it.

Drag & Dropping from iPhoto to an external HDD worked fine. Now I'm ready to restore the whole system.

Best,

HH.

I've been on the web for an hour trying to search for a workaround on how to easily access my photo files out of the massive iPhoto library. It's comical reading some of the great "defenders" of iPhoto up here. I love my Mac, but it is nothing short of mind numbing how Apple chose to disallow easy access to files.

This is purely an issue of Apple's philosophy, which is well-documented. Apple wants to control precisely how you perform a certain function, in this case, accessing your photos. They want you to do everything through iPhoto. Some may like it this way, I personally find it ridiculous. Neither opinion is invalid.

Anyway as soon as I figure out this workaround, which no doubt will include a different import methodology from my iPhone & iPad, I will likely be using Picasa.