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pdd1970 Author

Level 1

12 points

Size of Photos library far too large

I have 72GB of images, that's around 15,000 at full quality. I've always managed them myself by naming and grouping folders logically.

I thought I'd try this new Photos app but even with the 'copy images' option deselected the size of the image library is over 40GB when everything is imported!

Why is this library so large!? The summarize option is turned off as well.

40GB - come on, that's just ridiculous! What is going on? All I want to do is to be able to browse my images and have different collections.

Photos-OTHER, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Apr 22, 2015 11:09 AM

Best reply

léonie

Level 10

195,453 points

Posted on Apr 22, 2015 12:39 PM

40GB - come on, that's just ridiculous! What is going on? All I want to do is to be able to browse my images and have different collections.

Ctrl-click your Photos library and use the command "Show Package Contents".

Then check the size of the subfolders - Masters - Previews -Thumbnails - resources.

Which of these folders are large?

Photos needs Thumbnails, Previews, additional resources to speed up browsing, and if you are using iCloud Photo Library, it will keep optimised versions of your images.

View in context

21 replies

SLD

Level 1

103 points

May 11, 2015 9:37 AM in response to Anton08

Hello

My Photos for Mac library is over 250GB. Thank you for the notes.

With iPhoto and Fat Cat software, I used to be able to split iPhoto libraries and manage the size that way, making only the library I want to be active, active.

Now I see that with the System Photo Library, and no way to split libraries, Apple seems to be locking us into a single ever growing library that is synched to my iPhone, Macbook Air and iCloud.

I like being able to sync and see photos easily.

However, I'm curious, as I now have about a 250GB library for photos over the last 5 years, what is going to happen as this single library continues to grow over the next 5 years? I only have 64GB on my iPhone and it's already behaving slowly with Photos and the Camera app. Mt MacBook Air is filling up and the 250GB library is very slow. I upgraded my iCloud storage to accommodate, but that is just more expense.

If I could split and create a smaller System Library and off load older pics to an external that would be great.

Ugh

May 11, 2015 9:47 AM in response to 2raj

Yes, I confirm it happens only with referenced images.

I use referenced pics for the same reasons, but currently this option is completely useless

May 11, 2015 11:52 AM in response to pdd1970

Problem is going to be solved in 10.10.4 🙂

2raj

Level 1

47 points

May 11, 2015 11:55 AM in response to giopiar84

I wouldn't be so sure. I have found System bugs in the original Yosemite BETA that are still lingering around and yet to be fixed.

eelay

Level 1

8 points

Jul 26, 2015 3:13 PM in response to giopiar84

now is it fixed ? I'm tierd of testing over and over again if this is fixed or not.

Dec 12, 2016 7:05 PM in response to pdd1970

i noticed my 30k photos/1400 videos took three days to upload 700 photos...all from my phone...not a single pixel from my iMac.

i am paying the $ to get my iMac photo library to upload...i don't give a hoot about my phone as i import from phone to iMac daily.

so. i went to iCloud. i noticed you can manually DL pics but not videos. can someone tell my why no videos can be manually uploaded?

MANUAL download takes seconds. sure, i am bound to get carpal tunnel using the manual method, but IS MANUAL download a bad idea? if so, why?

lol, i just hit "pause for a day" and the downloading has started over, ffs.

Size of Photos library far too large