How Are Edited Photos Saved?

[purdnost]

If I transfer photos taken and edited with my iPhone to a folder on an external hard drive, are the edits baked into the images, or do I need the Photos app to view the edits?

Thinking about backing my photos up outside of the Photos app, but I want to back up the original, non-edited versions.

 

[Wando64]

Select the photos you want to save.
File/Export/Export Unmodified Originals

This will also save the RAW files, if present.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

If I transfer photos taken and edited with my iPhone to a folder on an external hard drive, are the edits baked into the images, or do I need the Photos app to view the edits?

Thinking about backing my photos up outside of the Photos app, but I want to back up the original, non-edited versions.

You can save the edited photos in any format you like (jpg, tiff, and so on).

a. To view the photos on your Mac, double-click on the photo and "View" (an app that's installed in your Mac) launches and shows you the photo. If you one to look at several photos all together, select the group of photos, and then double-click on them, and View will launch to show you the photos.

b. Or you can use the Edit menu, Select All, and then double-click over the selected photos. You don't need Photos to view your photos.

Ahh!...so many "photos", and "photos" within my response about Photos. I should go outside and take some photos.

 

[purdnost]

I’m trying to find out if edits made to the photos in the Photos app are applied to the original file, or if there’s a metadata file that accompanies the files. If I apply a b&w filter to a photo in the Photos app, then transfer all my photos to a hard drive using Image Capture on macOS, for example, and I open that file in an image viewer, is that photo going to be b&w, or it’s original unedited version?

 

[Wando64]

I’m trying to find out if edits made to the photos in the Photos app are applied to the original file, or if there’s a metadata file that accompanies the files. If I apply a b&w filter to a photo in the Photos app, then transfer all my photos to a hard drive using Image Capture on macOS, for example, and I open that file in an image viewer, is that photo going to be b&w, or it’s original unedited version?

Perhaps re-read my previous answer?

You asked how to save the original unedited version of the photo. That’s how you do it.

 

[robgendreau]

I’m trying to find out if edits made to the photos in the Photos app are applied to the original file, or if there’s a metadata file that accompanies the files. If I apply a b&w filter to a photo in the Photos app, then transfer all my photos to a hard drive using Image Capture on macOS, for example, and I open that file in an image viewer, is that photo going to be b&w, or it’s original unedited version?

Wando64 did answer it.

Originals are never altered in Photos (or Lr, etc). Edits are "applied" in the sense that the program reads the parameters and renders a preview you see in the application. In Photos those parameters—the edits—are stored in a database. Lr Classic does the same but also has the option to write those to XMP sidecars. I don't believe Photos can do that.

And what "transfer" are you talking about? copying the original from inside the library package? exporting an original? In general, if you have an original it's going to be the original; those edits—the parameters—are stored within Photos.

If you want something that automatically writes sidecars with that edit info I suggest you switch to Lr Classic or something simllar.

 

[MacNut]

Is Photos really designed for editing or more storage?

 

[purdnost]

I copied photos from my phone to my external hard drive using Image Capture and the edited photos are accompanied with .AAE files that contain the edit I formation. So, the edits aren’t saved to the original files (all edits are non-destructive). That was my question.