Keywords in Photos: am I alone?

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Level 1

8 points

Keywords in Photos: am I alone?

I am a heavy Photos user with 20,000 photos (non-professional) in my library. I've spent hundreds of hours editing, re-dating and keywording my pictures in Photos (and iPhotos before that). I had a very rough transition from iPhotos to Photos, randomly lost some pictures, lost random meta data. I'm running the current version of iOS and have been to the Apple store dozens of times trying to address all the inconsistencies in my Photos library. They have tried everything short of the nuclear option of wiping Photos and re-installing it new, not from a back-up, which is likely corrupted. This option is not feasible for me given I would lose all the work I've given to this labor of love. At this point, I'm just hoping someone smarter at Apple will address these glitches so I can save my sanity.

I'm coping with the loss of functionality in Photos as I wait patiently for features to be restored (batch changing titles, bulk date changing to one date, etc.) In the meantime, keywords are giving me fits. Keywords that I delete do not disappear and show up in searches. I have four keywords called "4 star" that all have different photos in them. I can sometimes manually put the various "4 star" batches of keywords into one "4 star" keyword, but a new keyword is frequently re-created. In other words, it's a manual fix sometimes, but only temporary. As per the issue of keywords not really deleting, the fact that the keywords duplicate like tribbles makes the problem even worse. I have at least a half dozen duplicate keywords at any given time. The replicating keyword snag does seem to be most prevalent with the "star" keywords that were formerly just Stars, but there are plenty of other duplicated keywords.

My question is: does anyone else have any of these issues, and if so, have you figured out any work-arounds? I am beyond frustrated. I've gone full-Apple and full-Photos for this project and I can't abandon it now. Any other chronic issues with Photos?

P.S. I've also submitted this to Apple Feedback but am not holding my breath.

iMac, iOS 9.1

Posted on Dec 4, 2015 10:59 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 8, 2017 2:33 PM in response to CoyJen

I see that you have not received any replies but I share your pain.

We have been running on an iMac an older version of iPhoto with many, many keywords associated with photos. Recently bought a MacBook Air and after running the iPhoto Upgrader, the new library in Photos might just as well be garbage because that id what it is. ALL..not one or two..but ALL the keywords have gone. Events had titles. Not any more. Just a random date.

So Apple can shove their new MacBook Air where the sun does not shine. They have lost a very dedicated aficionado over this fiasco. Luckily we bought it online and so under the Uk Distance Selling Regulations can send it back for a full refund.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,485 points

Dec 4, 2015 11:12 AM in response to CoyJen

Can you please tell us something about the origin of your Photos library? All my problems with keywords in Photos had their problem in Aperture and My Photo Stream.

Is your Photos Library a new library, created in Photos, with new photos that never have been in a different library, or did you migrate your library from somewhere.

If your library solely consists of new photos, and all keywords have been assigned in Photos, it should help to use the Keyword Manager and to click "Edit keywords". You can use the edit mode to delete all unused keywords.

But if your library has been migrated from a different library (iPhoto, Aperture) and you allowed Aperture to write the keywords to the original image files, you are stuck with the old keywords ad any spelling mistakes in them. Photos cannot remove keywords written to the original Master files.

I used exiftool from the Terminal to remove all keywords from the original master files and started over in Photos.

To install exiftool: http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/%7Ephil/exiftool/install.html

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

215,190 points

Dec 4, 2015 2:19 PM in response to CoyJen

Do you still have your original iPhoto library and am able to open it with iPhoto 9.6.1? If so I have a tutorial on how to write all of the meted to the original/master files in the iPhoto library so that you can use them to create a new Photos library and have that metadata available. Let me know if you want more info.

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Answer 4

CoyJen Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2015 10:34 AM in response to léonie

Thank you for replying to my cry for help! Half my photos came from iPhoto and the other half I have added directly into Photos. Most of the photos I am keywording are new photos, so it's not just an issue with previously keyworded iPhoto photos. I do note that the majority of the issues I'm having with replicating keywords are those I created originally in iPhoto. The former Star keywords being the worst offenders. As an example, see screenshot. The first "4 star" has 4 photos associated with it. The second "4 star" has 13 photos associated with it. The third (and I recognize the "s" is capitalized) "4 Star" has the same 13 photos as the second "4 star".

Then there is this:

I have a smart album with 629 "4 star" photos. The search is pulling up the "4 star" with 13 photos separately. I can manually un-keyword the rogue keyworded "4 star" pics but it's just a temporary fix, as the next time I start keywording, it'll create another "4 star". I can give you a non "star" keyword example, but it's just a mess!

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Answer 5

CoyJen Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2015 10:36 AM in response to Old Toad

I do have the original iPhoto photos, but it's only half my library at this point. I do believe I can open the old iPhoto library in 9.6.1, but do you think that would really help?

Thanks!

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Answer 6

Old Toad

Level 10

215,190 points

Dec 6, 2015 10:50 AM in response to CoyJen

Your first 4 star keyword has a space in front of it. Delete that keyword and assign the correct 4 star keyword to those photos. If you want a smart album to display only those photos with a 4 star keyword and no other create the album as follows:

See if that will get you what you want.

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Answer 7

léonie

Level 10

200,485 points

Dec 6, 2015 10:55 AM in response to CoyJen

Before you can do anything to fix the keywords, you need to find out, if the offending keywords are burned in into some of the original image files. There is simply no way to remove keywords that are embedded in the original files. They will return like a bad penny, every time you repair the library or edit a photo.

Keywords you added in Photos can be removed, but keywords in the IPTC fields of the original image files need to be removed by exporting the originals without the IPTC data and then reimporting.

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Answer 8

CoyJen Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2015 11:09 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for noticing the space! The 5 Star also has a space in front of it. I've corrected both. Would it help if I keyworded like you did above with stars instead of the word "4 star"?

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Answer 9

CoyJen Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2015 11:12 AM in response to léonie

Leonie- how do I figure out if the offending keywords are burned into the original image files? That is beyond my expertise! I need step-by-step instructions if I'm going to embark on that on my own. Thank you!

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Answer 10

léonie

Level 10

200,485 points

Dec 6, 2015 11:12 AM in response to CoyJen

The 5***** keywords are useful to search for "at least *** stars" in smart albums or searches, see this user tip:

How to Simulate Star Ratings in Photos

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Answer 11

léonie

Level 10

200,485 points

Dec 6, 2015 12:01 PM in response to CoyJen

If you suspect a photo to have the keywords burned in, because you cannot remove them, export the the original image file from Photos. Select the photo and use "File > Export > Export original ...".

Then select the exported photo and open it in Preview.

In Preview go to the "Tools" menu and click "Inspector".

The Inspector panel will let you examine the IPTC tags.

For example, this photo has the keyword "Lighthouse" embedded in the original image file:

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Answer 12

CoyJen Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2015 11:44 AM in response to léonie

An initial problem: as I started to look for suspicious photos, I went to Keyword manager to identify keywords that keep popping up like Whack-a-mole. When I search for the Terminator keyword, it doesn't pull up any photos. Keyword says there are photos that have the keyword, but search won't find them. I also notice a few deleted keywords have repopulated in Keyword manager out of no where overnight. I'm going to pull up a few photos I know were in iPhoto and see what that reveals, unless you have another idea in the meantime.

THANK YOU

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Answer 13

CoyJen Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2015 12:18 PM in response to CoyJen

Was able to confirm with some iPhotos imported photos that they have "deleted" keywords in the ITPC. Now that we've identified the problem, not sure how to fix this if I can't search for the deleted keywords. No doubt the majority of the 10,000 iPhotos imported photos have deleted keywords attached to them. I do still have the iPhoto library so that would be at least a discreet place where all those irritating photos reside. Of course I have been manipulating and editing the iPhoto photos for months now such that it wouldn't make sense to scrub half my library only to duplicate that work again. In other words, if I understand correctly, I'd have to wipe all the photos with keywords embedded to original files to get rid of the keywords but it'd also take my edits with it. Throwing out the bathwater with the baby. Please advise if I'm missing something.

Is there another fix other than continually deleting the offending keywords when they return from the dead? I can't be the only person who has had this issue. Seems like a big punishment for ppl who keyworded in iPhotos.

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Answer 14

CoyJen Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2015 12:28 PM in response to léonie

I also don't know *** is going on with the discrepancy in numbers and inconsistency with searches. Sometimes I CAN search for deleted keywords. This keyword just popped back up today: "BDM". I created it in iPhoto. I was able search for it:

Keyword manager advises I have 93 photos associated with this (deleted) keyword. When I conduct a search for BDM, it pulls up this:

*beating head against wall*

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Answer 15

léonie

Level 10

200,485 points

Dec 6, 2015 12:31 PM in response to CoyJen

I used exiftool to delete all keywords embedded in the original image files. But it is difficult to delete selectively keywords from the originals. I simply wiped them all.

Using exiftool requires to use the Terminal. You would have to be comfortable with using shell commands to try this.

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