Why can't I copy a picture into a new folder from iPhoto?

Not sure what you want to do - in iPhoto folders do not hold photos - they hold other folders or albums

Are you speaking of events? If so flag the photos and go to the destination event and add flagged photos to selected event

Are you talking about finder folders? If so export (file menu ==> export) the photos to the desired folder

If something else that I did not guess please describe more clearly what you want to accomplish

LN

And the answer was

Are you talking about finder folders? If so export (file menu ==> export) the photos to the desired folder

LN

some of my photos in an event, I'll right click and hit copy.... and I don't have a paste option??? greyed out in photo and doesn't show up at all on desktop.

i.e. if I wanted to paste into a different event in iphoto. or if I just want to paste to my desk top to say upload to a site (and I don't care about meta data). From what I can tell, seems most are taken with an iphoto that don't allow this copy/paste option. Any ideas?

Thanks.

If you want to export from iPhoto use drag and drop or the file -> export command. This User Tip

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921

has details of the options in the Export dialogue.

if I wanted to paste into a different event in iphoto.

You can't do this.

When you duplicate a photo you're creating a version (or virtual copy) of the photo. Both the first and the virtual versions point back to the same Master. The Master lives in the Event.

You can have different versions in Albums, as these too are virtual. A shot can be in any number of Albums and use no extra disk space. Having a shot in two Events uses double the disk space.

If you're determined to have a shot in multiple events then export the shot (file -> export) and then import the exported version back into iPhoto.

At heart, Events are organisation for those who can't really be bothered. They are automatic - based entirely on Date and Time the camera records the photos as taken. You can move photos between Events, you can Merge Events, you can Rename them and sort them in various ways.

Now it's time to look at albums which are much more flexible than Events as an organising tool.

Much appreciated, as usual, TD.

Yeah, my bad on copying from Event to Event. I really sometimes just copy pics to desktop to upload to Costco. So I don't care about meta data on those, after upload I trash them. So that is why I don't export them either (takes a few seconds longer and more steps).

But here is the thing.

See two screen shots. One has paste option, one does not. I don't get it?

Any ideas?

I didn't know about the drag and drop from iphoto, so thanks for that tip.

I really sometimes just copy pics to desktop to upload to Costco.

Why do that? For help accessing your photos in iPhoto see this user tip:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491

The first one allows you to upload without bringing the file to the desktop.

The problem with copy and paste in iPhoto is this: When you copy and paste some text it's clear what you're doing. Take that paragraph, copy it, and put it here. Same with a file. However with iPhoto, it's not clear what you're copying. Why? Well when you select a thumbnail in the iPhoto Window what is it you're grabbing? The thumbnail? The version of the file it represents? or the Original of the file it represents? That's the complicating factor - whatt you see in the iPhoto Window is not what you're actually trying to copy, and so you get variable results.

Regards

TD

ahhh... your point of what is actually being copied is a good one. And since drag and drop works, I guess I am good.

I looked at your link... unfortunately, Costco's horrible website wont' allow more than one pic to be copied at a time from iphoto by drag and drop.

I don't see your open/attach/browse dialog window? I went to finder, file, open and nothing happened. clicking file in iphoto doesn't have an open option.

thanks.

I went to finder, file, open and nothing happened.

FInder doesn't open files. Try it in, say, Safari, Word, Text Edit...

Imagine that.... it worked... even with Costco's horrible website.

You're a genius. Thanks.