Photos: can't "Show Referenced File in Finder"

Yes, I agree with Loavenbruck, Apple is making it inordinately difficult to access our own information, as a long term Mac user the "find file in finder" function was one of my most used functions in iPhotos. Photos were stored within the library in quite easy to access folders, organised by year and import, they then became hidden in unintelligible folder names (however still discoverable by the iPhotos program) but now with Photos we have lost the link between our photos and where they are stored.

I think that it is part of a transition/push to make the majority of personal data and information cloud based and subscription accessed. Millions of people on the planet paying 1.49 per month for quasi compulsory iCloud subscriptions is big business.

Unfortunately, backing up my photo library is not simply a matter of drag and drop to a hard drive, however I am working up the courage to export and organise a large volume of data and leave Photos to what it appears to be designed for, backing up an iPhone.

RCR, the reason I want to see the photo location in the finder is to discern where my photos are and other information when I find a duplicate. I am leery of deleting a duplicate unless I understand what is going on.

I think that it is part of a transition/push to make the majority of personal data and information cloud based and subscription accessed

It's not. But there is a good reason why the option is not available in a managed library. If you use this command you risk corrupting not only the Photos Library but also the iCloud Photo Library and any libraries on linked devices. So, whereas with iPhoto if you broke one library that's all you did. With the iCloud Photo Library the consequent damage is much greater. So it's not about pushing you anywhere, it's about protecting the data from an inexpereincd user.

Any experienced user can access the data on the disk quite simply - but why would you?

Unfortunately, backing up my photo library is not simply a matter of drag and drop to a hard drive

Yes it is. That simple. But from this I'll guess that you don't want to back up the Library, only the original photos? If so, exporting will achieve exactly the same thing. This:

leave Photos to what it appears to be designed for, backing up an iPhone

suggests that perhaps you haven't quite grasped what the app is for and what it does.

the reason I want to see the photo location in the finder is to discern where my photos are and other information when I find a duplicate

Where are you seeing these supposed duplicates? Basically, if they're in Moments then they duplicates. Not necessarily the case in Albums.

I completely agree. Whenever I used the iPhoto Reveal in Finder feature, it was only so I could easily and instantly drag the file's icon to another app. Perhaps to Photoshop, or Quicktime 7 or some other application. If I ever manipulated the image, I just saved as to a file in my home directory. Never once had a problem with library corruption, and if that is indeed the case - they could very easily set the file's permission to read only! Problem solved! No library corruption possible and we get the number one feature I used in iPhoto: Reveal in Finder.

It is super frustrating when "upgrades" are more of a downgrade.

Whenever I used the iPhoto Reveal in Finder feature, it was only so I could easily and instantly drag the file's icon to another app. Perhaps to Photoshop, or Quicktime 7 or some other application

So, you never knew how to use iPhoto either, particularly the External Editor feature.

If I ever manipulated the image, I just saved as to a file in my home directory.

So, you had a photo manager that you didn't use? And duplicates all over the place?

Learn how to use the app. Install the External Editors extension. Use any app you want to edit the images and manage them in the Photo Manager - using it for the job it's designed to do.

Or:

Use a Referenced Library (tho' you can't use the iCloud Library if you do this). Then that command works like you want it to.

Or: File -> Export does exactly the same job...

Or... just don't use the app. It's clear you don't understand what it does and what it is for. Your usage is just making life unnecessarily complex for yourself.

Terence Devlin wrote:

Whenever I used the iPhoto Reveal in Finder feature, it was only so I could easily and instantly drag the file's icon to another app. Perhaps to Photoshop, or Quicktime 7 or some other application

So, you never knew how to use iPhoto either, particularly the External Editor feature.

Well I was aware of the external editor feature, however, I preferred the flexibility of dragging the icon to the application of my choice. It was far more flexible (external editor was fixed to only one application choice). And what makes you think I didn't know how to use it? I was using a feature of the application "Reveal in Finder". If it wasn't meant to be used, why would Apple have it there in the menu?

Ever since the Mac was conceived, dragging an icon to an app icon has been a fundamental feature. Now in Photos, it lets you drag a photo icon to an app icon, it acts like it is going to open, but doesn't. That is just un-Mac like. I have been using and developing for Macintoshes professionally for over 20 years so I think I have a feel for drag and drop.

If I ever manipulated the image, I just saved as to a file in my home directory.

So, you had a photo manager that you didn't use? And duplicates all over the place?

Ummm no - the photo manager part worked just fine for me. It allowed me to import all my photos in one place, create collections, view by dates and events, search, etc. etc.

And no I didn't have duplicates all over the place either. Most often I would just *view* the image in an external application. In the rare event that I made changes, it was likely saved as a new file format that would be likely be incompatible with iPhoto (eg Photoshop document perhaps with layers etc) and was not an identical duplicate at that point.

Use a Referenced Library (tho' you can't use the iCloud Library if you do this). Then that command works like you want it to.

Or: File -> Export does exactly the same job...

File -> Export does not do the same exact job. For one it creates a duplicate, and most the time I just want to *view* the image in a different application. Why is that so wrong? And for two, it is far more tedious and time consuming compared to just revealing the file.

There was all this talk in this thread that it can't be done because of data corruption. That is just hogwash. Again - the originals permissions could be set to read-only, then it would make people like me happy. (apparently I am not the only one out there that did it all wrong according to you and would very much like the feature back).

I was using a feature of the application "Reveal in Finder". If it wasn't meant to be used, why would Apple have it there in the menu?

And by exactly the same logic if Apple removed it then it is meant NOT TO BE USED - which is exactly the case - it is not a valid way to access photos and with Photos because of many background processes and iCLoud Photo Library it will not even work correctly

The reason it was removed is because IT IS NOT TO BE USED - you need to use the correct, support methods to access photos in Photos

LN

So, rather than viewing the images in iPhoto you dragged them from the Finder to view them in other apps?

Yes, that workflow makes a lot of sense.

Definitely agree and support what 3DTOPO is saying as I'm sure would all the other people that started this thread.

Exporting a file does not give you the original, it changes the date which is probably the most important detail when searching at directory level, our photos are going to be around with us our whole lives, bigger than a single hard-drive or an iCloud subscription and around longer than my loyalty to a brand or operating system. We should be able to store them and locate them as we choose.

As Photos no longer serves its purpose as a photo library in that respect I have returned to the tedious task hand sorting them into years and folders. Looking into other applications that will do the job and I'm sure there are a few. So long iPhotos, you were good while you lasted.

Exporting a file does not give you the original, it changes the date which is probably the most important detail when searching at directory level,

Factual error no. 1. The date of the Photo does not change. The date on the file might, but that's of no relevance. Take a second to learn the difference betwwen file data and photo data. (1)

We should be able to store them and locate them as we choose

Factual error No. 2: Read the thread. You can. Anyway you choose. Different decisions have different consequences, of course, but you can store your files any way you want.

(1) Remember a File is just a container. That Word file is not a novel. It's a box with your novel inside it. That Jpeg is not your Photo. It's not even an image format. It's a compression format designed for holding images. Your photo is inside it.

There are two kinds of metadata involved when you consider jpeg or other image file. One is the file data. This is what the Finder shows. This tells you nothing about the contents of the file, just the File itself. The problem with File metadata is that it can easily change as the file is moved from place to place or exported, e-mailed, uploaded etc. Photographs have also got both Exif and IPTC metadata. The date and time that your camera snapped the Photograph is recorded in the Exif metadata. Regardless if what the file date says, this is the actual time recorded by the camera. Photo applications like iPhoto, Aperture, Lightroom, Picasa, Photoshop etc get their date and time from the Exif metadata.

When you export from iPhoto to the Finder new file is created containing your Photo (and its Exif). The File date is - quite accurately - reported as the date of Export. However, the Photo Date doesn't change. The problem is that the Finder doesn't work with Exif.

So, your photo has the correct date, and so does the file, but they are different things. To sort on the Photo date you'll need to use a photo app.

Thank you! Thats great!

I agree. This is horsebleep.

The wife and I are actually looking at selling our Macbook because of this.
We had one for 8 years and loved it! But that was with iPhoto's where we could drag and drop whatever photo we had, imported or not.

I can't believe someone within Apple decided this was a great idea. I really hope whoever made that ridiculous decision was fired and then set on fire.

I've been very happy with both our Mac's for stability and performance.

But honestly, this may be a deal breaker. My wife is somewhat of an amateur photographer. She loved using the mac for uploading photo's and touching them up with Photoshop.

But now, it's nearly impossible to do so.
So now we import the files on my work Dell laptop, save them to a USB key and transfer to the Mac to work on.
Ridiculous.
Oh, and speaking of USB's, it's awesome how the Mac decides when it wants to recognize the external drive. Sometimes it works, others it decides to give me the finger.

Apple is so arrogant that it feels it can take 10 steps backward and expect its consumers to swallow it whole and ask for more.

You do know that the final version of iPhoto (9.6.1) can still be run if you don't like the new Photos application, right?

Well aren't you charming.

I can't believe someone within Apple decided this was a great idea. I really hope whoever made that ridiculous decision was fired and then set on fire.

Think the same standard should be applied to whatever job you do? That customers should be able to wish such things for you?

Why would you need to be able to find the file in the Finder to use it with Photoshop? That wasn't necessary - nor even desirable - with iPhoto and it's the same with Photos. Perhaps if you can describe the workflow you had with iPhoto we can point you in a direction.

And, of course, if you read the thread, simply running a referenced library gets back what you want.