Transferring images from iMac into Photos on MacBook Pro

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Level 3

578 points

Transferring images from iMac into Photos on MacBook Pro

MY CIRCUMSTANCES:

After editing RAW images in Capture One and exporting them as JPEGS, (all on my iMac), I regularly transfer a folder (with sub folders) via external drive plus cable to my MacBook Pro. Both machines are running the latest OS X version.

I then open that folder on my laptop in Photos so I can display and slide show them for mobile portfolio purposes. I do no image editing whatsoever in Photos.

Currently I am in the habit of date titling the transferred folder.

I do not use iCloud for any image storage as it would be too expensive and I need to be selective regarding my images. I only use iCloud to automatically coordinate Calendar between all my OS and iOS devices.

MY PROBLEM:

When I start to display images in Photos on my laptop from my latest dated transferred (copied) folder with subfolders, Photos forces me to relink every folder and image I want to display. This is of course very tedious and doesn't look good in front of a client.

I would be grateful for any advice in solving this problem - Many Thanks.

Robin

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Sep 7, 2017 2:23 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

200,651 points

Sep 7, 2017 2:38 AM in response to Red Robin

Are you importing the photos from your folder on the external drive into Photos on your laptop as referenced photos? Or what ydo you mean by "Forces me to relink ...".

It would be much easier to import the photos as managed to Photos. If you keep the Photos Library on your external drive, it will not use extra storage on your laptop.

However, Photos should not lose the connection to referenced images in your folders and subfolders, unless you mdify or move the photos between sessions. If you are using referenced photos in Photos you must not rename them, move them or modify them in any way after you imported them to Photos. If you did not touch the files and folders in any way, and still Photos is asking you to reconnect the photos, it may be a problem with the file system or the permissions. Prepare your external drive as described here: Sharing photo libraries among multiple users - Apple Support

In particular, make sure the file system is MacOS Extended (Journaled), the "Ignore ownership on this volume flag is set to avoid permission issues, and do not eject the drive while Photos is running.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,778 points

Sep 9, 2017 12:32 AM in response to Red Robin

If you create named/dated folders on your Mac with edited photos in it you can import those folders into your Photos library as albums with the same name as the folder by using this user developer Applesript: Import Folders of Image Files into Library as Albums

You can download a compiled version of the script as an application from this tutorial site: P01 - Applescripts from Photos’ User Tips Compiled as Applications

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Sep 9, 2017 12:33 AM in response to Red Robin

Photos is not the program you want - you need to find one that works the way you what to work and it is not Photos

Photos simply does not work well with referenced photos and you will continually have issues if you use referenced photos rather than managed photos - Disadvantages of a Referenced Library in Photos

And Photos is not a photo viewer - it is a photo manager (and is very good at that) so the basis or your plan is incorrect - again a reason you need different software

LN

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Answer 4

Red Robin Author

Level 3

578 points

Sep 9, 2017 4:36 PM in response to Old Toad

Thank you, OT.

My workflow after RAW conversion and editing in Capture One (I used to be an Aperture user) is to export the finished image as a JPEG to the appropriately named folder on my hard drive. Different subject images are exported one at a time immediately after finishing (batch post processing is not appropriate as every image is different). Consequently it is not practical to keep track of which are the newly added images in a subfolder when it comes to later copying the master folder to my laptop for viewing.

So even maintaining a managed library in Photos.app would be made even more tedious by moving and deleting album folders every time and dealing with duplicates etc.

I have now installed Photo Viewer by iFotosoft and it is very straightforward and very fast loading. It also automatically updates my folders each time an album folder is selected. Navigating, including slideshows on the fly is really easy - It's a well designed program fit for purpose. There is no extra work needed in finished image updating and maintenance - Bye bye Photos.app! Time to trash its Photos Library yet again.

I may in the future buy Media Pro SE for overall digital asset management but Photo Viewer does exactly what I had hoped Photos.app would do. The extra work and tedium necessary for using Photos.app for my needs unfortunately kills it for me.

Thank you everybody for advising and helping me - It is much appreciated.

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Answer 5

Red Robin Author

Level 3

578 points

Sep 8, 2017 9:36 AM in response to léonie

Thankyou Leonie.

When you say "referenced photos" I don't know what "referenced" means. Please note that I do not and will not run Photos.app on my iMac where all my RAW conversions and image editing is done. I am only interested in using Photos.app as a viewer of my final image outputs (JPEGs) and only on my retina laptop.

When I say "forces me to relink..." I mean that I have no other option but to find and reconnect Photos.app to my folders of photo images in order to display them in Photos.app. I can now understand that renaming the folder to state the latest date of its contents, had broken the link to Photos.app.

Keeping Photos Library on my external drive would restrict me to keeping that drive physically connected by cable to my laptop and that would be impractical - I mostly use my laptop on my.... lap. So I much prefer to keep the Photos Library on my laptop and it could live on the 256 Gb SDMicro card fitted in a SD card adapter flush-fitting in the SD port of my 2015 MacBook Pro Retina.

I have trashed my original Photos Library so I could make a clean start with a new one (not buried so deep in Pictures folder). In my case I create Albums according to subjects. In the next day or so I will try updating those Photos.app Albums by importing the same named folder with extra new images inside but with the folder title unchanged.

This might solve my problems. If not, I shall return!

I am hoping that Photos.app will allow me to smoothly update my Albums in the app when I transfer and import my folders of images (keeping the same folder titles) as they become added to from my iMac. If not, I shall be looking for a third-party app which better suits my needs (if one exists) but I like the options to read the metadata etc.

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Answer 6

Red Robin Author

Level 3

578 points

Sep 9, 2017 12:44 AM in response to Old Toad

Your Applescript sounds ideal, OT, but the big question about it for my purposes is what happens later to my user-created Albums listed in Photos.app when I run the script again to import the same named folders but which then contain additional image files?

Does the script then create yet another set of folders and sub folders listed in Photos.app?

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Answer 7

Red Robin Author

Level 3

578 points

Sep 9, 2017 1:27 AM in response to LarryHN

Thanks Larry. Leonie's 'Disadvantages of a Referenced Library' which you linked to explains the referencing subject and its limitations very well.

You may well be right in suggesting that Photos.app is not the program best suited to my needs. It surprises me though because surely what I am wanting it to do is not that unusual > To be able to easily and quickly import updated images to the contents of Albums already created and listed in Photos.app, and hence be able to either view them one-by-one or in a slideshow. And as an added bonus to be able to throw up EXIF data.

The interface of Photos.app strongly suggests that it offers more than just 'managing' photo files for amateur photographer consumers but it now appears to be rather limited. I hasten to add that I am not a professional photographer as I do not making my living from photography (I am a retired-but-hardwired professional Art Director).

If this is the case it's not surprising that serious amateur and professional photographers are so critical of Photos.app. < Unfortunately. I wish it were otherwise because I generally love Apple products.

'Photo Viewer' by iFotosoft is looking like a better program for my purposes of just viewing and presenting my final images on my laptop : https://www.ifotosoft.com/photoviewer.html

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Answer 8

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Sep 9, 2017 6:44 AM in response to Red Robin

If this is the case it's not surprising that serious amateur and professional photographers are so critical of Photos.app. < Unfortunately. I wish it were otherwise because I generally love Apple products.

Photos is NOT a professional program - it is a free consumer program aimed at the iPhone market where Apple makes most of its money

'Photo Viewer' by iFotosoft is looking like a better program for my purposes of just viewing and presenting my final images on my laptop : https://www.ifotosoft.com/photoviewer.html

Good - glad you found what you are looking for

You are welcome

LN

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Answer 9

Old Toad

Level 10

215,778 points

Sep 9, 2017 1:20 PM in response to Red Robin

It will create a duplicate folder in the library and import all of the photos again. However, Photos will detect duplicates and give you this option to not import them:

The new photos will be imported into a duplicate album with with a sequential number added:

You'll have to move the photos from the (1) album to the original album and delete the (1) album.

Or you could just drag the new photos in your folder on the hard drive the album in Photos. They will be imported into that album.

However the best way would to be convert you library to a managed library and then just drag the new photos into the album of your choice in Photos.

Since you're using Photos in a professional endeavor maybe you should consider using a professional DAM (digital asset management) system in conjunction with Capture One. An obvious choice would be Media Pro SE from the same developer. I use it as my primary DAM and Photos for special projects like books, calendars, slideshows, etc.

MPSE has a demo version that you can try out. It does have a learning curve but is very goo with "managed" image files which can be on nearly any type of EHD or server.

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