HI Folks,
I have several large iPhoto libraries that I need to share over my local network. Apple's "solution", which is to pare down my photos or buy more iCloud storage is inadequate and laughable.
Anyone know of an app that has a 'home sharing' feature?
Thanks.
Sharing files over a network is simple and easy. Anyone can do it. The problem is that's not what you want, you want to share a complex database over a network, one that involves version control and significant ownership issues - (think of it this way, who "owns" the photo and therefore may be allowed edit it? What if two people edit at the same time?) - and that's not at all simple, and frankly, laughable or not, any solution you come up with will involve significant cost. Adobe's Revel is close, but that costs $7 every month, but it's not the same as sharing an editable library. It also works on a similar model to the iCloud Library, with a central server and client devices. Right now, if you don't want to use iCloud then the most likely way forward is with an app like Extensis Portfolio - the cheapest version start at around $2200.
Hi Terence,
Thanks for weighing in here. But I didn't say specifically that it needs to be editable by everyone. (Although MySql allows for this and is free. )
Rather, I want the feature that was available until iPhoto 9.5. Apple made a deliberate decision to nix this feature in favor of the iCloud route. The problem is:
1. not everyone has fiberoptic broadband internet
2. I don't want all my photos in the cloud
3. I have plenty of hard drive space here in my home
4. no way am I going to pay for a subscription service just so I can view my own pictures from another computer in my own house.
5. too much $$$ to pay for additional iCloud storage
I just want the functionality I had 3 years ago. I am tired of Apple nixing a feature only to add it back years later and touting it as a new feature. But I had hoped they might provide for this feature with the new Photos app. They threw out the baby with the bathwater.
The Gigs don't matter. It's the number of items.
It's an easy export: File -> Export, set the kind to current for what the old iPhoto Sharing gave you, but there are other possibilities.
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue.
And then install something like this, which is free
Actually, with Lychee you won't even need the export part...
I just want the functionality I had 3 years ago
Well it's not on offer from Apple in any form.
The old iPhoto Sharing meant that someone could
A: view the Library and
B: download a version from the share and edit it for themselves.
Set up a simple website. That'll do the same, and unlike the old iPhoto sharing, you can include video too.
Yup, I know that it's "not on offer". I just said that sometimes they add deprecated features back.
I have several iPhoto libraries. One of them is 300GB. Setting up a website for this would not be so simple.
I'd be interested in any thoughts about the solution I'm considering which is to put my Photos library on a shared drive. I'm running a Apple Mini as a file server with a Thunderbolt drive attached. I put my photos library on the Thunderbolt drive and shared the drive over the network. I can use the library from all of my Macs - even wirelessly on my Macbook and the response time very acceptable. The only gotcha I can see is that you need to be careful not to attempt to open the library from 2 machines at the same time.......
Two risks: poor performance one the share and library corruption if there's a dropout on the network when writing to the library file. It should not actually be possible to open the library with two clients, but if you did then yes, that would also be an issue.
I use Google Photos app as a work around. The Desktop app will syc with your iPhoto Library also, so you can view any and all of your photos in any browser in Mac OS X or IOS. Plex also has photo sharing built in. Now, wasn't that easy….. isn't all that you wanted was a straight answer!
Another year gone by, and still no solution. Bummer. Usually when Apple strips out a feature they eventually put it back in and tout it as a new feature.
iCloud is not an option for large photo libraries.
No feature has been removed as neither iPhoto nor Photos has ever been a network capable or multiple user program (both have always required a single user, local library) and iCloud Photos library is an option for libraries up to 2 TB - the fact that you choose not to use it does not mean it is not an option, it is
LN
Actually iPhoto did have this feature. It was somewhat limited but serviceable. They took it out inexplicably in 2012. (Actually I think they took it out in order to push iCloud)
It was a home sharing feature, similar to iTunes'. You could not edit, but you could browse all the photos, and then import one if you needed to edit it.
And in fact, iCloud Photos Library is not an option. I have too many photos, and not very good internet. It may come as a surprise to you that many people still do not have broadband. And no matter how good your internet is, It would still be a lot slower than a LAN connection.
I have several Macs, and a local network. I do not want to pay for yet another subscription. I just want what I had in iPhoto 4 years ago.
Been looking at this for years too. What Terence said is true sharing photos on network is easy. Sharing photo management on network is not. To my knowledge, all consumer stand alone photo management (tagging, sorting, searching, etc.) are single user. Corporate use digital asset management (DAM) and, as Terence mention, they cost a lot.
Well at least till now, it seems. Check out daminion (daminion.net). It looks promising. Haven't have time to try it out though, but looks good on paper. Home version cost 99-149USD for 1 or 2 concurrent connections to server (good enough for small family). More than 2 concurrent connection is not cheap though (around 500USD per connection ... still cheaper than corporate DAM).
I don't usually post on forums. But hope this will end your search.
This caught my eye a couple of years ago but it has some catches:
1. It has no editing facility at all. This makes sharing simple, but, on the downside, no non-destructive processing, no version control and so on.
Mac OS: via Web-client or Desktop-client via Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion
2. It's a Windows app and Mac access is only via a web browser, there is no native application. To get that you need Windows plus an emulation software like Parallels or Fusion, so that's now a lot more expensive.
3. In the case of the user above, with poor broadband, it's difficult to see how a web based product will help.
I am not computer expert, but I think copying albums between computers doesn't solve the problem. It creates two copies of libraries (possibly more) that access same files. This is nightmare as changes made by one library can possibly render other copies of library useless.
Like I said I have not tried this Daminion thing myself ... have no time atm (you can download trial). Once in awhile I will search net for this topic (been doing this several years). Yesterday stumble on this Daminion thing and this forum. Thought I would share this 🙂
1. It has version control (daminion.net/feature-tour/daminion-server/version-control). Regarding editing, I think it was not meant for just managing photos. Its main purpose is not just sharing, but managing and cataloging your digital files (including photo) so you can quickly find what you need among thousands files. For example search photo of me and my wife taken in France.
From what I gathered, editing is done outside Daminion. Have not try this, but I think it works something like this. Find what you want in Daminion. Daminion then gives you copy of file that you open with other program (like photoshop). Once finish editing you then give a new version to Daminion for storing (I think it keeps both new and old version of file). In a way this is more flexible as you can use different photo editing products.
2. Looks like it is only for Windows. For sure you need a separate Windows server to run its server side portion. Client side you use client app (for Windows only) or through web browser.
3. Access through web browser does not go through internet. Your web browser connects to your server (which is located at your home) through local LAN. So speed of your LAN is the limit, not speed of the internet. On possible downside you must test this on Safari (or whatever browser you using to check compatibility).
If you have time, try it (unfortunately atm I have no time for this). For my home use it fulfill most of my photo/video requirements (multi user access, cataloging, managing). Only thing is missing for me is light client for browsing cataloged photos/videos (something I can put on my iPad or HTPC or smart TV to show off my photos to guests ... imagined you can quickly show photos of you and your visiting friend on a trip several years ago quickly). But at least it has web client ... so can still access it from my iPad 🙂
Home Sharing: Share photos over local network without iCloud
