Where are my iphotos stored on my iMac?

Keith Doherty3

You need to read the whole thread, and indeed, stick around this forum and help the hundreds (and hundreds) of folks who have trashed their libraries and lost images because they used unsupported ways to access the images in iPhoto. You are absolutely correct to say that copying the files from the Masters folder will damage nothing. But, I'm afraid, that's like saying that a mechanic can work under the hood of a car and do no damage. True, but folks asking these questions are exactly the folks who have no knowledge or experience of iPhoto, and many of them are new to the Mac. So, it's rather safer to suggest to them that if they want a copy of their original file all they have to do is go

File -> Export and set the Kind to Original. How is what you suggest safer than that? I mean, that's really the epitome of no risk at all, no?

Again, it's perfectly possible for someone to try and access the Hard Disk of their Mac by taking the case off, removing it and putting it into another enclosure. But would you recommend that to the inexperienced user? Wouldn't you just say something along the lines of 'just use the safe and supported way'?

Back on page 2 I responded to user dttd and explained why we strongly caution against directly accessing the photos within the Library. You might read that response. I think it makes sense.

For a more complete explanation of how to access your files in iPhoto read this

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

(You neglected to mention the media browser at all in your account).

and this

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

has details of the options in the Export dialogue.

The point is, I'M NOT going to use IPhoto with Lightroom. My photos are in a file on my desktop where they are stored. When I pull up Lightroom I do not want that program to have to search for my RAW files in IPhoto. Lightroom knows where they live and I know where they live. Why have duplicate copies? I do all my editing in Lightroom and had no need to use IPhoto for editing. That is why in earlier posts I asked if IPhoto COPIED the photos or just pointed to where they lived.

Then why were you asking about iPhoto at all?

Because I have a week-old Mac, migrating from a PC and knew nothing about IPhoto. Learning, like everyone has to do when they change operating systems. You gave me my answer when you said IPhoto COPIES them from another place, not points to them. It was at that point I knew I didn't need them in IPhoto.

That is a perfectly good personal decision

However I do suggest that you try iPhoto with a hundred or so photos - most people (especially PC converts) find they love it once they learn how to use it - you might be one more

LN

Keith I hope you won't mind me adding to this post but would like your opinion. Seems like I've run into a bit of trouble with iphoto, I'm currently downloading photos and movies from my iphone which we know immediately puts them in iphoto library. Its stopped half way saying I've run out of space. I only keep iphoto and itunes on my mac, looks like a need a cull of either as I don't wish to delete any other applications. All my work is done and saved on separate hard drives. Can one have a maximum amount of images in iphoto ? I've just checked the size of library and its saying 115.66GB ! - this is only about 5010 items, assume this is right. Even if I manage to copy all to a separate hard drive, how can I or should I remove from original folders. My phone is now full up and camera rendered useless until I resolve this problem.

Any advice gratefully received, Thanks Ness

, I'm currently downloading photos and movies from my iphone which we know immediately puts them in iphoto library.

Only if you use iPhoto. If you use Image Capture you can put them anywhere you want.

Its stopped half way saying I've run out of space.

Regardless of whatever method you use you now have a major problem.

OS X needs about 10 gigs of hard drive space for normal OS operations - things like virtual memory, temporary files and so on.

Without this space your Mac will slow down as the OS hunts for space on the disk, files will be fragmented, also slowing things down, apps will crash and the risk of data corruption - that is damage to your files, photos, music - increases exponentially.

Your first priority is to make more space on that HD. Nothing else can be done until you do.

Purchase an external HD and move your Photos and Music to it. Both iPhoto and iTunes can run perfectly well with the Library on an external disk.

To move an iPhoto Library:

Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

1. Quit iPhoto

2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.

3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.

4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.

Can one have a maximum amount of images in iphoto ?

Yes. With iPhoto that amount id 1,000,000

I've just checked the size of library and its saying 115.66GB ! - this is only about 5010 items,

That sounds excessive. Do you have many large videos in there?

Even if I manage to copy all to a separate hard drive, how can I or should I remove from original folders.

Let's get this absolutely clear. If you move the Library the question is redundant. However, no one, not me, not Keith Doherty is saying anything about removing from the original folders. Keith takes about copying images out of there, I suggest exporting. No one is suggesting removing and doing so will corrupt your Library.

Regards

TD

Thank you kindly, I have already done this with itunes and will do so with the iphoto library, videos do take up a lot of room, guess that one of the reasons, where does the space go ...... Just left with a load of hungry applications as there is nothing else, I'll delete any I don't need. Just for the future can I set up my phone images to be saved direct elsewhere - like "Lightroom" for example, everything is so automated and all linked, I daren't tamper with it. and no I won't remove originals ;o) thank you ness

If you want to use Lightroom then you never use iPhoto. You just use Image Capture (in the Applications Folder) to get the images from your Phone/Camera/whatever to the location you want to store them and then add them to Lightroom.

I'm not sure if you know how Lightroom works, but I import my RAW files directly into Lightroom that stores them on my hard drive as I import them-one step. As I process them, the ones I want to save as JPEGs, are exported to my pictures folder. I've learned a lot about what I want to do and not do by reading these threads.

I'm not sure if you know how Lightroom works, but I import my RAW files directly into Lightroom that stores them on my hard drive as I import them-one step.

I'm familiar with Lightroom. However, LR can't import images from an iPhone or iDevice directly, so I give the answer that works for everything, and that's Image Capture. Experienced LR and Mac users are well capable of devising their own workflows.

As I process them, the ones I want to save as JPEGs, are exported to my pictures folder.

Not sure why you would do this. The Point of apps like iPhoto and LR, Aperture, Capture One and all of these lossless photo manager sis that you don't export unless you have a specific use for the image - to print, upload, use in a document etc.

I rarely import phone photos. They are just fun things I do with my phone. And I only export from Lighroom the ones I will use elsewhere.

Thanks. I read the link (thank you for posting), but I...:

So my (photo) "file" is not a "file"?

And if I export it Apple will create two versions? And use up all my disk space so I have to buy more from them? How daft and energy inefficient.

What's wrong with editing a photo to how you want it and keeping that ONE version that way?

Why sell a Macbook AIR with hardly any diskspace and then double the copies of photos? How sneaky and un energy efficient..

I still don't really understand where all my photos are. I can't seem to right mouse click on them, so if I want to get access to them as files I now need to export them ALL but end up with DOUBLE every photo as it creates Copies?

This is just daft.

What's wrong with just giving us access to the link of where they are stored to access them.

Thanks again for posting anyway.

I'm thinking back to Picasa. It just WORKED.

So my (photo) "file" is not a "file"?

And if I export it Apple will create two versions?

This is at the heart of iPhoto's lossless workflow. iPhoto will store just the original photo. If you edit the photo, it will store the sequence of instructions to create an edited photo. These instructions will only be executed, when you export the photo to use it outside iPhoto. The exported photo will be rendered starting from the original. This will ensure, that your edited photos will always have the highest possible quality, no matter how often you edit the photos, and you can revert to the original. Since there is o way to guess, which size and quality of the edited photo you may want, if you need the photo outside iPhoto to upload somewhere or print it, the rendered photo will only be created, when you actually export it.

iPhoto creates other internal copies of the photo are justto speed up things, to be able to share the photos to the Media browser. for screensaver,etc.

What's wrong with just giving us access to the link of where they are stored to access them.

Thanks again for posting anyway.

Because the edited photos do not exists, until you order them to be exported. Only previews with lower resolution do exist.

Thanks for this reply and great explanation.

I think in summary you said iPhoto does Not create actual file space using copies of photos after you edit and create a new version, but then you wrote "iPhoto create other internal copies"...? Not sure if this was just a sort of mistype-tricky to describe, but you still mean not actually a file?

Might be helpful if Apple might actually explain this to customers?

And also, a little annoying as I often edit a photo to bring down the size, i.e. use of disk space on my mac, but you are saying that it won't so thats a total waste of time. But why keep disk space using aspects of photos that I don't need? (e.g. I often trim bits I really don't need).

Thanks