I have iphoto 08 version 7.1.5. I copied photos from recent - last import into albums. I then deleted the photos and emptied the trash. Today all the albums are empty and the photos are nowhere in the library. Have I lost them all?

Hi Berkeley,

iPhoto has only one copy of each photo. They can show in Albums, Events, the Photos section, Last Import, etc. but it is the same photo being pointed to from each of those places. So, if you delete it, it is gone.

I'm afraid that you have lost those photos unless you still have them on the device you imported them from, or, if you imported them from your Camera Roll, if you have a backup from prior to the import, you would be able to restore your device from that backup and re-import them. Just remember, if you do that, to back up your device as it looks currently so you can "put it back" once you are done.

Sorry,

GB

Just to clarify what Gail has said:

iPhoto works similarly to iTunes. In iTunes every track is in the Library and each playlist references the track from the Library. That's why you can have a song on 100 playlists and not use any extra disk space.

In iPhoto, every photo is in the Library and each Album references the photo from the Library. That's why a shot can be in 100 albums and not use any extra disk space.

But in either case, if you delete from the Library then you're also deleting from the Playlist or Album.

On that note, Terence (hi!), I went in and did a little experimenting before answering this question, and found that if I clicked on the down arrow and then the trash can on a photo, it removed it. This was true whether I did it in an Album, Event, or the general Photos section. If I wanted to delete a photo from an Album without deleting it from my library, I had to go up to Photos in the top menu, and click on "Remove From Album".

Does that sound right?

Thanks for adding your (as always) insightful comments! 🙂

GB

Deleting Photos from an iPhoto Library

1 - from an Event or the Photos mode: select the photo(s) and use the Delete key to move the photos to the trash bin. Then empty the iPhoto Trash bin as follows:

2 - from an album, smart album, book, slideshow, card, etc: select the photo(s) and use the key combination of Command+Option+Delete to move the photos to the trash bin. Then empty the trash bin as above.

NOTE: deleting a photo from an album, slideshow, book, etc., with only the Delete key only deletes that photo from that item. Deleting a photo from an Event deletes ALL occurences of that photo in the library.

Thanks OT!

This is what I meant:

In this example, I'm in my Mid Summer 2011 Album. If I click on the little arrow (which displays when I hover over the corner of the photo), and then click on the Trash can, it appears to be removing the photo from my Library (as opposed to clicking on "Remove From Album"). Just was wondering if that is indeed what is happening - i.e., you can delete (or move to Trash) a photo from any location, and it deletes it from the Library?

Cheers,

GB

The key is where you're at in iPhoto.

If you're in the Library then deleting moves the object from the Library to the iPhoto Trash.

If you're in an Album then deleting removes it from the Album only, but not the Library.

The exception: if you use the command-option-delete keystroke, then objects will be removed from an Album and the Library.

OK, so I just tried it again. I went into an album and selected a photo and brought up the info on it so I could see the IMG_number. It was IMG_1563. I then went to Photos in the Library to locate it so I knew where it was. I went back to the Album and clicked on the little down arrow and then clicked on the Trash can.

I then went into Photos in the Library, and checked, and IMG_1563 was no longer there (it was there before I moved it to the Trash in the Album).

I checked my trash, and it is there.

Do you think the little Trash Can in the dropdown window is executing the Command+Option+Delete keystroke function? It is interesting that the same window has a separate option for "Remove from Album".

I'm confused 😟....

GB

Me too

This is what I get if I use the trash icon:

Are you in an Album or a Smart Album?

As you can see by Terence's screenshot that only removes the photo from the Album, not move it to the library. If you are in an Event or in the Photos mode that will move it to the Trash bin.

Regular album. I don't get any message. I'm on iPhoto 11 version 9.4.3 (720.91) and on Mountain Lion (which you would know if they hadn't taken away our device/software profiles.....) 😐

It just puts it in the trash and removes it from the library.....😕

If I click on the "Remove From Album" option, it just removes it from the album.

GB

OK, here are a set of screenshots with my step by step - maybe you will be able to spot where I've gone awry:

I find a photo in the Library that I will delete from an album:

I go down to my Albums and find the picture in one of them:

I hover over the pic so the little down arrow appears in the bottom right-hand corner. I click on it, then click on the Trash Can in the window that drops down:

Gone from the Album:

Gone from the Library:

In the Trash:

Whaddup with that?

GB

I'm on 9.5.1... so that might be the difference.

I get the same with my copy of iPhoto 9.4.3. That has changed with iPhoto 9.5.1. With iPhoto 9.5.1 we get this:

The photo is only removed from the album, not moved to the iPhoto Trash.

Most excellent - glad to know I'm not too crazy!!! Thanks for the help! 🙂

GB

Well thanks for stickin' with me on this! I'm glad it's the version and not ME!!! 😮

Thanks Terence!

GB