Q: copying photos from icloud onto my mac

Hello there, Jaypee14.

It sounds like you want to backup photos and videos from iCloud to your computer. The following Knowledge Base article offers up some great pointers on how to accomplish that very task:

Archive or make copies of your iCloud data

Photos and videos

You might already have a copy of your library in iCloud Photo Library and the last 30 days of photos in My Photo Stream:

• If you enabled iCloud Photo Library, your photos and videos are automatically uploaded to iCloud at full resolution. To make copies of these photos and videos:
  • In iOS 8 or later, tap Settings > iCloud > Photos. Then select Download and Keep Originals and import the photos to your computer.
  • In OS X Yosemite v10.10.3 or later, open the Photos app. Choose Photos > Preferences, then select Download Originals to this Mac.
  • If you want to download a few photos or videos, you can use iCloud.com to download the most recent version of photos and videos to your computer.
• In OS X, My Photo Stream photos are automatically imported to your Photos, iPhoto, or Aperture library, unless My Photo Stream and Automatic Import are turned off in the app's preferences. If you enabled iCloud Photo Library, you can find your photos in the All Photos folder instead of My Photo Stream.
  Use these steps to check your settings:
  • In Photos, go to Photos > Preferences > iCloud.
  • In iPhoto, go to iPhoto > Preferences > iCloud.
  • In Aperture, go to Aperture > Preferences > iCloud.
• In Windows, My Photo Stream photos are automatically imported when My Photo Stream is turned on in iCloud for Windows.

You can also use the steps below to manually copy your photos and videos. Any comments or likes attached to a shared photo aren't saved, and photos and videos saved from shared albums aren't full resolution.

Copy content from My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing on your iOS device

If you haven’t turned on iCloud Photo Library, use these steps to copy content from My Photo Stream in iOS 8.1 or later:

1. Open Photos, tap Albums, then tap My Photo Stream.
2. Save photos using one of these methods:
   • Tap an image to open it, then tap . To select more images, scroll the images left or right and tap the ones you want to save. Tap Save Image.
   • Tap Select, then tap the images you want to save. Tap , then tap Save Image.
3. Import the photos to your computer.

Use these steps to copy content from a shared album in iOS 8 or later:

1. Open Photos, tap Shared > Sharing, then tap the name of the shared album.
2. Save photos using one of these methods:
   • Tap an image to open it, then tap . To select more images, scroll the images left or right and tap the ones you want to save. Tap Save Image.
   • Tap Select, then tap the images you want to save. Tap , then tap Save Image.
3. Import the photos to your computer.

In iOS 7, use these steps to copy content from My Photo Stream or a shared album:

1. Open Photos.
   • To copy content from My Photo Stream, tap Albums, then tap My Photo Stream.
   • To copy content from a shared stream to which you subscribed, tap Shared, then tap the name of the shared photo stream.
2. Save photos using one of these methods:
   • Tap an image to open it, then tap . To select more images, scroll the images left or right and tap the ones you want to save. Tap Save to Camera Roll. (If you're using an iPhone 4S or iPhone 4, tap Next, then tap Save to Camera Roll.)
   • Tap Select, then tap the images you want to save. Tap , then tap Save to Camera Roll.
3. Import the photos to your computer.

Copy content from iCloud Photo Sharing in OS X Mountain Lion or later

Follow these steps to manually import photos and videos in shared streams to your Photos Library:

1. Open Photos and select the Shared tab.
2. Double-click a shared stream.
3. Right-click (or Control-click) a photo and choose Import.

Follow these steps to manually import photos and videos in shared streams to your iPhoto library:

1. Open iPhoto and choose Shared > iCloud in the Source list.
2. Select a shared stream under Family and Friends' Streams.
3. You can import all new content or choose which items you want to import:
   • To import all new content, click Add To, then click Import.
   • To import specific items, open the shared stream, hold down Command, and select what you want to import. Click Add To, then Click Import.

Follow these steps to manually import photos and videos in shared streams to your Aperture library:

1. In the Library inspector, select Photo Stream.
2. Double-click a shared stream.
3. Select the photos or videos you want to import.
4. To import the photos or videos, drag them to a project or an album in the Library inspector.

After you import your photos, you might want to back up your library. You can learn more about backing up with Photos, iPhoto, or Aperture.

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

Cheers.

Hello again, Jaypee14.

Thanks for the follow up and clarification on what you are trying to accomplish.

If your goal is to just to have a backup of your photos on your computer then the from the referenced  Archive or make copies of your iCloud data article should still be useful:

In OS X Yosemite v10.10.3 or later, open the Photos app. Choose Photos > Preferences, then select Download Originals to this Mac.

Alternatively, to reduce the amount of space your iCloud Photo Library is taking up on your iPhone, you may want to try the option mentioned in this article which will automatically manage the size of your library on your device:

iCloud Photo Library FAQ

Can I use iCloud Photo Library to save space on my device?

iCloud Photo Library automatically keeps all your photos and videos in the original, high-resolution version. Follow these steps to choose how you store your photos and videos on your device:

• On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap Settings > iCloud > Photos or Settings > Photos & Camera, then select a storage setting.
• On your Mac, click Photos > Preferences > iCloud, then select a storage setting.

If you turn on Optimize [device] Storage, iCloud Photo Library will automatically manage the size of your library on your device, so you can make the most of your device's storage and access more photos than ever. All of your original, full-resolution photos and videos are stored in iCloud while device-size versions are kept on your device. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them.

If you turn on Download Originals, iCloud Photo Library will keep your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device. Download Originals is the default setting for iOS devices with the free 5 GB storage plan and for all Mac devices.

You need an Internet connection to access an original photo or video that’s stored only in iCloud.

Another option you can look into is turning iCloud Photo Library off, on your iPhone, by navigating to Settings > iCloud > Photos and toggling the switch for "iCloud Photo Library" off. Then you can manually sync particular albums or folders to your phone:

Sync photos from your computer to your iOS device using iTunes

Hope you find this information useful.

Sincerely.