HT204655: Updating from iPhoto to Photos for OS X

Learn about Updating from iPhoto to Photos for OS X
SlickWatts
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: What is the way to find your actual photos on your actual Macbook HD once you have migrated to Photos?

What is the way to find your actual photos on your actual MacBook HD once you have migrated to Photos  I liked the access I previously had with Iphoto.  With Iphotos I could make decisions in finder and the app. Unless, I missed something and I am hoping I did.  Please don't tell me to use - show referenced file in finder.  That is greyed out and doesn't work for most of us.  If there is a sure fire way to get that working than good.  I would be probably satisfied.  But, if not I need to know where the photos are stored.  I use an Iphone 6plus for most photos.  Thanks!

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Jun 7, 2015 11:13 AM

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SlickWatts

Q: What is the way to find your actual photos on your actual Macbook HD once you have migrated to Photos?

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  • by Rysz,Helpful

    Rysz Rysz Jun 7, 2015 12:04 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 7 (21,001 points)
    iPad
    Jun 7, 2015 12:04 PM in response to SlickWatts

    If the Show Referenced files is greyed, then you likely do not have any referenced images. To double-check, create a Smart Album with a Photos, are, referenced rule.

  • by SlickWatts,

    SlickWatts SlickWatts Jun 7, 2015 12:17 PM in response to Rysz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 7, 2015 12:17 PM in response to Rysz

    Thanks for the response.  I am trying to reduce hard drive content, not really wanting to create more gigabytes, but how do I do that?  Is there a way to just get to the photos on my hard drive?

  • by Old Toad,Helpful

    Old Toad Old Toad Jun 7, 2015 12:14 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 10 (141,679 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 7, 2015 12:14 PM in response to SlickWatts

    You can't access the original photos in the Photos library with the Finder.  If you need the original version of the photo for use outside of the library just Option-drag the thumbnail to the Desktop.  That will produce a copy of the original image file for you to use.

    OTsig.png

  • by SlickWatts,

    SlickWatts SlickWatts Jun 7, 2015 12:19 PM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 7, 2015 12:19 PM in response to Old Toad

    Thanks Old Toad,  that sounds like a clunky way of sorting, deleting, re-sizing photos.   There should be a way to get to your photos on your hard drive.  Wish I never went to Photos at this point.  Only Apple can make this better?

  • by Rysz,

    Rysz Rysz Jun 7, 2015 12:31 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 7 (21,001 points)
    iPad
    Jun 7, 2015 12:31 PM in response to SlickWatts

    Photos is essentially a database. You should not access its files directly under any circumstances. Whatever it is you want to do with the files, do it via the Photos interface.

     

    Storage options:

    - Enable iCloud Photo Library. That will put all images on iCloud, at full resolution. You can then set Photos on your Mac to use an Optimized library. This will keep reduced-resolution images locally to free up storage space.

    - You can locate the entire Photos Library on an external drive.

     

     

    Get started with Photos for OS X

     

    iMore has a very detailed, well illustrated article on iCloud Photo Library:

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Jun 7, 2015 12:38 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 10 (141,679 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 7, 2015 12:38 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Only Apple can make this better?

    With your help:  tell Apple what missing features you'd like restored/added in Photos via https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Jun 7, 2015 2:26 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 10 (85,668 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 7, 2015 2:26 PM in response to SlickWatts

    For resizing simply export and use the size options there - you never resized images within the iphoto library in the past and you still do not - only during export

     

    LN

  • by SlickWatts,

    SlickWatts SlickWatts Jun 7, 2015 4:30 PM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 7, 2015 4:30 PM in response to Old Toad

    I did Old Toad, I told Apple what I wanted - right before I posted this.  I know, I am not the only one frustrated by this, just didn't see any posts, the way I wrote mine.  The chances of Apple giving me control back...0.34% Thanks!

  • by SlickWatts,

    SlickWatts SlickWatts Jun 7, 2015 4:32 PM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 7, 2015 4:32 PM in response to LarryHN

    LarryHN,  Don't know if that is true.   What was I doing before?  Reveal in finder -> Select all -> then use preview to resize and save.  Many photos I wanted to keep, but I didn't care about resolution.   

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Jun 7, 2015 4:42 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 10 (141,679 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 7, 2015 4:42 PM in response to SlickWatts
    What was I doing before?  Reveal in finder -> Select all -> then use preview to resize and save.  Many photos I wanted to keep, but I didn't care about resolution.  

    That's essentially a hack and not an Apple sanctioned method.  They certainly wouldn't add it to the new Photos library.  Doing that defeats the primary tenant of the iPhoto and all DMS (digital asset management) applications:  keep; the original file intact at all times as a digital negative.

     

    If that's what you want to do with the originals then a different app, one this is not based image management but on file/folder management, is what you might want to consider.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Jun 7, 2015 6:49 PM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 10 (85,668 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 7, 2015 6:49 PM in response to SlickWatts

    I guess I stand corrected - you certainly could do that but you are corrupting you library and it is a really bad idea - like driving you car into a concrete wall - you can do it but it will cause significant   damage and it is certainly not a good idea

     

    LN

  • by SlickWatts,

    SlickWatts SlickWatts Jun 9, 2015 5:23 PM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 9, 2015 5:23 PM in response to Old Toad

    Old Toad and LarryHN thanks for the information.  I know what you are getting at.  Photos surely wasn't for me. 

     

    LarryHN, I never drove the car into a brick wall because with Iphoto, the photos I loved, I wouldn't resize, and I then copied all the photos and videos to my external hard drive - it was easy and didn't clog up my MacBook Pro.   I could switch the library location.  But, one day, I was essentially pushed into Photos (that's how Apple rolls) with no keen access to my photos other than what is on the app or interface.  So instead of exporting months at a time (at the size I desired), I have to use the clunky database app Photos that in my opinion wasn't ready for prime time. 

     

    Now, all my Photos are on my MacBook Pro.  So I took Rysz's idea and exported them to my hard drive.  What happened of course, photos didn't make it to the hard drive, then there was an option to reveal in Finder and the list of photos/videos that get exported disappeared.  I wish there was a log, maybe there is, if any of you know where that is let me know.   But, exporting the whole Photos to a hard drive....was driving my car into a concrete wall.  

     

    What would any of you do at this stage?  Is there a log from my export?  How do you switch library location (I guess I can look that up if nobody answers)

     

    Thanks for all of your input so far.  The community is solid so far!!!

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Jun 10, 2015 9:42 AM in response to SlickWatts
    Level 10 (141,679 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 10, 2015 9:42 AM in response to SlickWatts
    So I took Rysz's idea and exported them to my hard drive.

    How did you export them?  How many at a time?

     

    But, exporting the whole Photos to a hard drive....was driving my car into a concrete wall. 

    Yes, with a lot of photos that could be a problem.  Did you try selecting maybe only 50 Moments at a time and export the originals with the option to create folders for each Moment?  Also the EHD must be formatted OS X Extended (journaled).

  • by SlickWatts,

    SlickWatts SlickWatts Jun 10, 2015 4:09 PM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 10, 2015 4:09 PM in response to Old Toad

    I selected all and exported them to a folder I created on my EHD.   If Apple creates and selects the app Photos as a Digital Management System, then they should have a solid platform to export the library or the contents of the library.  Give the user some flexibility.  We mostly use Mac's.  But, we have Windows machines, tablets, and phones to send data to our EHD.   Will I have to partition another hard drive in OS X Extended (Jornaled), seems like it?  But what are the odds that that export goes of without a hitch and transfers 98% of my photos and videos? 

     

    Also, I will try to move the library to my EHD and point Photos to access there, can I do that? 

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