I cannot find individual photos to attach to emails or other documents

Question

Level 1

4 points

I cannot find individual photos to attach to emails or other documents

I have 'upgraded' my iMac to El Capitan. So far it has managed to lose an email account, which I've thankfully managed to retrieve, but now I cannot attach photos to any documents directly from finder. Pictures used to be just images I'd created myself or imported from other devices that didn't go directly into photos. Now Pictures seems to contain iPhoto library and a Photos library, but it won't open them out when I want to find an individual picture to attach. If I click on either library, it will only attach the whole library! All I've been able to do is go into photos (when it's not crashing on me), and save an image to the desktop, and then from there I can attach it to wherever it needs to be. Clearly, this is longwinded and time consuming and frustrating!

Hoping someone out there has a simple fix?!!

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Jan 15, 2016 12:32 PM

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Answer 1

May 29, 2017 11:21 PM in response to léonie

I am experiencing the same problem after upgrading to El Capitan 10.11.6. 3 days ago. I tried opening the photo browser in my mail but still cannot access all the photos there. It only shows a old photos.

I am currently copying the photos to my desktop the attaching from there,,, this is very time consuming. I can attach photos in my iPhone mail but not MAC.

Might anyone have an alternative solution?

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,645 points

May 30, 2017 4:16 AM in response to ALAGOJEFF

I am experiencing the same problem after upgrading to El Capitan 10.11.6. 3 days ago. I tried opening the photo browser in my mail but still cannot access all the photos there. It only shows a old photos.

Is your Photos Library enabled as the System Photo Library in Photos > Preferences > General? The option "Use as System Photo Library" needs to be grayed out.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,645 points

Jan 15, 2016 1:00 PM in response to Dcs61

Attach photos using the Media Browser.

For example in Mail you can use the photo browser:

If you click the Photo Browser icon you should be seeing all photo libraries in the browser:

Similar, when uploading to web pages. The file chooser should be showing a Media section the sidebar, where you can access the photo libraries.

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Answer 4

Dcs61 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 15, 2016 1:42 PM in response to léonie

Thank you for this, this has helped me at least find the photos! I can only drag them into the email, is that correct?

I haven't uploaded to the web yet, so can't figure out what I have to click on to replicate your screen grab above, but I'm more concerned about the emails.

Many thanks!

D

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Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

200,645 points

Jan 15, 2016 2:05 PM in response to Dcs61

I can only drag them into the email, is that correct?

Yes, you drag them from the photos browser to the email.

I am usually doing it the other way round. I launch photos, select the photos I want to share, and then click the Share button and select "MAil" to createa mail with the photos attached.

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Answer 6

Dcs61 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 23, 2016 12:09 PM in response to léonie

Hi Leonie,

I still can't access them now I'm trying to get photos to upload to eBay! I'm not getting the icon to access the photo library at all. It's so frustrating as this used to work seamlessly and now it's a headache!

Hoping you can help!

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Answer 7

léonie

Level 10

200,645 points

Jan 23, 2016 12:25 PM in response to Dcs61

Are you using Safari or a different web browser?

I'm not getting the icon to access the photo library at all.

Is your Photos Library enabled as the System Photo Library?

It should look like this in the Photos Preferences > General: "Use as System Photo Library" should be grayed out.

if your library does not show at all in the Media Browser, try to repair it.

See this Help Page: Repair your library - Photos Help

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Answer 8

Dcs61 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 23, 2016 12:34 PM in response to léonie

Hi, Thanks! I've checked the preferences, and it is greyed out, as you say. It looks exactly the same as your screen grab, although I've got summarised pics ticked. Yes, I'm in safari - haven't actually tried doing this in Chrome or Firefox, but maybe it will work there?

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Answer 9

léonie

Level 10

200,645 points

Jan 23, 2016 12:40 PM in response to Dcs61

haven't actually tried doing this in Chrome or Firefox, but maybe it will work there?

It is more likely to work in Safari.

Try to repair the library.

If that will not work, drag the photos from the Photos window to your Desktop and upload them from there to eBay.

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Answer 10

Jun 14, 2017 6:18 PM in response to léonie

Sorry for responding late,,I went for holidays. Yes, the option " Use as System Photo Library " is grayed out. I still cannot attach the photos to my mail.

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