Renaming Photo File

I'd like to use iCloud to keep new photos synced, but this just doesn't seem practicable with Photos' (or, previously, iPhoto's) inability to rename the original file.

I'm about to move to Photos and I wanted to use syncing (which I haven't done) on the iPhone. The problem with this system is that changing the title in Photos leaves the file unsearchable at the Finder level. Maybe it's an EXIF shortcoming since EXIF doesn't store Title info. My concern is that if something goes wrong with my library or, more frequently, if I want to quickly find the original file and don't know if the picture is in Photos or not, I'm toasted. I can't do a Finder search for the title.

I have manually titled my pics before importing to iPhoto since iPhoto came out. It's always felt like an overly time-consuming process. It just seems that relying on Photos and having to launch Photos just to see if pics I want to use is even in my Photos library (i.e. for FCPx) is not effective.

Any thoughts? I'm really open to thoughts and how others have addressed this.

You should not be using Photos as you can not do what you want using it -

I'd like to use iCloud to keep new photos synced, but this just doesn't seem practicable with Photos' (or, previously, iPhoto's) inability to rename the original file.

You most certainly can use Photos to keep every thing synced - I do as do millions of people - and you could not do that with iPhoto since that was not a feature of iPhoto - it is one an many new features in Photos - sncing has nothing to do with changing file names adn with either PHotos or iPhoto you can never change the file names -

And there is no reason to since when you use either program they totally replace the finder for access to your photos - with Photos you can not directly access the photos adn with IPhoto it was not a good idea

You need to either learn to use Photos and use it correctly or use different software that works like you choose to

I have manually titled my pics before importing to iPhoto since iPhoto came out.

Of course that does work with iPHoto and still works with Photos - keep on keeping on

How others have addressed this - as I said - learn how Photos works and use it correctly or use other software some - go each direction

LN

Thank you very much for the quick and thorough reply, Larry.

sncing has nothing to do with changing file names

My concern here was that syncing would automatically put the file into the Photos Library, bypassing the option of renaming the original file first. Is there something that I'm missing (i.e. does Photos sync files some other way - maybe store them in a folder, but doesn't actually add them to the library until the user goes through them)?

I have no issue learning the nuances of Photos and look forward to familiarizing myself with the features. I'm concerned with being dependent on stability in Photos and its future replacements for finding photos. It's not as if Apple updates haven't caused library corruption for users in the past.

On the other hand, I had planned to keep non-family pics out of Photos so that the library size would be under control. I don't store video in iPhoto and hadn't planned to in Photos. In my old way of thinking, video and still pics should be managed independently. Quitting to switch libraries, then restarting Photos doesn't seem efficient. I didn't like switching libraries in iPhoto.

Thank you again!

Yes - all software has corruptions and that is the reason you always have backups - if you do not then you will lost things

To manage video and photos separately export the video form Photos and import to iMovie or your choice of video management program

In any case I repeat my initial statment

You should not be using Photos as you can not do what you want using it -

Photos is what it is and it is not what you want - why do you continue to play Don Quixote and tilt the windmill - it is not what you want and you need to fine something else - fighting reality will not get anywhere

Either accept Photos for what it is and use it or change to something else and use that

LN

Select the photo and export (file menu ==> export) - enter the file name you wish to use as the export file name - if the full export window is not showing click on the v to the right of JPEG to open the full window

LN

Photos is keeping the imported files completely unchanged, so you can revert all edits and metadata to the original file. That is why you cannot rename the file in Photos itself but have to export it with a new name as described by Larry.