All Devices How in the world do you organize photos?

[AbSoluTc]

And folk still swear blind that ios is easier and simple to use. #priceless..
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So if my folder name is Turkey vacation 2019, and every pic I took there is in that folder, how am i somehow being limited in how I find those pics. The location and date are in the header. Sorted.
Your logic is failing miserably my friend!!

Folders yes, because now anyone in those pictures can’t be in another folder called dad or mom. In photos, you can have another album called Dad and photos from multiple locations can be in there.

There is also nothing stopping you from naming albums with location, date and year.

I’ve been on the PC side of things with many photos and no, I don’t want to spend my time organizing photos in folders again. It was a pita. It took me a while to warm up to how it was done in Photos but I like it. In life, simpler is better. I don’t want to control everything and it works for me. One less thing I need to manage.

Do what works for you.

 

[IowaLynn]

Google albums also use pointers, nothing is moved per se. Samsung Gallery does do copy and move of photo files.

I’ve always wanted the most current photos at the top. Only apple could think the best method was at the bottom. No option to change behavior.

 

[Super Spartan]

What I love about the iPhone photos app is that I don’t need to organise photos. I can find photos by searching for locations, people, subjects.... and the “for you” tab does a great job of surfacing pictures from past adventures that make me smile every day

That's nice if you were doing it in the Photos app, but in my example, when I open up Instagram and want to find that particular photo from last year's photoshoot, good luck for me trying to browse through thousands of photos to find it, Instagram does not give you the option to search by anything other than choosing recent or Photos then you're on your own, I can' pick a year, or a name, or anything. On Android, I simply browse through the phone or SD Card storage, navigate through the folder that I want, and pick the photo OR doing it vice versa, open up the File Manager, choose internal storage or SD Card, go to that folder, open up the photo and share it with Instagram (feed or story)

 

[AbSoluTc]

That's nice if you were doing it in the Photos app, but in my example, when I open up Instagram and want to find that particular photo from last year's photoshoot, good luck for me trying to browse through thousands of photos to find it, Instagram does not give you the option to search by anything other than choosing recent or Photos then you're on your own, I can' pick a year, or a name, or anything. On Android, I simply browse through the phone or SD Card storage, navigate through the folder that I want, and pick the photo OR doing it vice versa, open up the File Manager, choose internal storage or SD Card, go to that folder, open up the photo and share it with Instagram (feed or story)

You can. If you have albums. If you have no albums and only recent, then yes, it’s a bunch of files. It’s at the top.

 

[eyoungren]

In life, simpler is better. I don’t want to control everything and it works for me. One less thing I need to manage.

Do what works for you.

I agree with that statement. But I guess it's what comes down to 'simpler'.

You seem to be oriented towards a general search which is simpler to you. Wade through all the pics of 'dad' to find your photo because all of them exist in multiple albums.

It's much 'simpler' for me to find the specific (not general) picture I am looking for because I went directly to the specific folder that had it.

 

[profets]

I agree with that statement. But I guess it's what comes down to 'simpler'.

You seem to be oriented towards a general search which is simpler to you. Wade through all the pics of 'dad' to find your photo because all of them exist in multiple albums.

It's much 'simpler' for me to find the specific (not general) picture I am looking for because I went directly to the specific folder that had it.

Thing is, with all photos, albums, and search, there’s a few ways to find a specific photo no?

I can quickly search based on the person (people face recognition that’s built into Photos), location, albums I make for trips or events. Or usually I zoom out to years and drill down to a specific range of photos (my memory is a bit nuts with how I catalogue years and events in my mind).

When you need a photo and you go directly to the folder that has it, what is driving you to that specific folder? Is it based on an event? Or some year/date? Genuinely curious.

 

[eyoungren]

When you need a photo and you go directly to the folder that has it, what is driving you to that specific folder? Is it based on an event? Or some year/date? Genuinely curious.

I file things by type (as I've mentioned here already a few times). And those types tend to be fairly basic. The last true 'event' that my wife and I took pictures at was probably about 11 years ago. We don't take pictures really so my photo app consists of a lot of other stuff. If you were to look you'd think my computers and phones were probably my kids, which they aren't as I have two genuine human ones.

Anyway, when I go looking I already know the approximate time frame and what I am looking for (pics of my Mac in 2013 say). Since newer stuff is on top I know about where to start my search. Photos on the bottom will be 2011 because that's when I got my first iPhone. There may be older stuff, but those will be smaller photos that were imported from my HTC Touch Pro and those are obvious. But all pics of my Macs will be in the Macs folder and all pics of family will be in the family folder and so on.

But if my photo is loose in the camera roll then it makes finding it more difficult, because nothing I leave in there is organized and now I have to wade through other stuff to find it.

I have a general sense of where every pic I've taken is. That's easy to know when you don't take many pics. Thus looking in a specific folder and knowing top is current and bottom is ancient makes finding much easier for me.

 

[AbSoluTc]

I agree with that statement. But I guess it's what comes down to 'simpler'.

You seem to be oriented towards a general search which is simpler to you. Wade through all the pics of 'dad' to find your photo because all of them exist in multiple albums.

It's much 'simpler' for me to find the specific (not general) picture I am looking for because I went directly to the specific folder that had it.

I think we’re doing the same thing, just in different ways. I don’t have to wade through anything. Everything is sorted in albums. Makes it easy to find. I sort as I take them. Or when I am bored somewhere. So all my trips are sorted by destination, people have their own albums. Then I have other items like important where I take pics of docs or receipts I’ll need later. Put them in there. Album =/ Folder

 

[gsmornot]

I want tagging so that later I can search based on the keyword. The app will do some of that for me with places but I want to add my own tags to the photo.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Just an FYI. It’s probably semantics, but Camera Roll doesn’t exist anymore in iOS. It’s called Recents. Or at least it is if you’re using iCloud photos.

Personally I think the Apple system is perfect for me. I have Recents and a bunch of albums. Any photo can be ‘moved’ or ‘duplicated’ into any album. Any album can be deleted without necessarily deleting its photos from Recents. I hardly ever look in Recents unless I’m adding some new contents to albums (new or old).

It’s entirely flexible for my needs, but then again I don’t use any third party apps that need access to my photos. In the end, the iOS method is what it is. It’s not Android. If someone wants Android then they should use Android and quit complaining.

 

[Wildkraut]

Well, first ask yourself why you are taking photos. Do you want these photos to be viewable by future family members, etc.? Then the PhotosApp is the worst place to keep and sorting them.
You are wasting your time by sorting photos into a proprietary library data format and structure(Albums) which will 100% not survive the future. After 50+ years of taking and sorting pictures, you also will have a huge amount of data in a single place, which also will be hard to download from some apple cloud storage. You will realize in what kind of dead-end street you got, and the time you wasted by creating albums. Sorting pictures into old fashioned folders is the safest way to make sure you can still access and share them in the future. I personally see the PhotosApp just as a additional storage to have a handful of pictures, more of less like having a few photos in my wallet.

 

[eyoungren]

Just an FYI. It’s probably semantics, but Camera Roll doesn’t exist anymore in iOS. It’s called Recents. Or at least it is if you’re using iCloud photos.

OK. I'm using a 6s+ running iOS 9.0.2 Camera Roll is still there. I don't use iCloud Photos.

Personally I think the Apple system is perfect for me. I have Recents and a bunch of albums. Any photo can be ‘moved’ or ‘duplicated’ into any album. Any album can be deleted without necessarily deleting its photos from Recents. I hardly ever look in Recents unless I’m adding some new contents to albums (new or old).

It’s entirely flexible for my needs, but then again I don’t use any third party apps that need access to my photos.

Moved as in the Mac OS/OS X version of 'moved'. In other words, the photo is removed from the Recents (Camera Roll) and exists only in the album you put it in. What you're thinking about is 'copied', or duplicated, the other word you used.

If that works for you, hey guess what? Apple agrees with you!

In the end, the iOS method is what it is. It’s not Android. If someone wants Android then they should use Android and quit complaining.

This is a tired old argument designed to end all further discussion by casting everyone with a dissenting opinion as apostates. Doing so removes their legitimacy by making the one who uses it 'right' and everyone else 'wrong'. And if you're right and everyone else is wrong then you've won the argument by a mic drop.

No. It's the same damn argument as "Just go buy an Android." It is the social equivalent of telling someone, "Sit down, shut up and just eat whatever Apple offers you because Apple knows better than you do".

Well, people have a right to criticize aspects of the products they purchase. It doesn't mean they hate the whole product and it doesn't mean that they should toss it out because they dislike a small percentage of it. Throw the baby out with the bathwater is another equivalency.

One should not have to drink the Koolaid and agree 100% with everything Apple does in order to be approved and allowed to use the product.

If we all stopped 'complaining' then there would be no point in having a forum because any discussion about likes/dislikes would be seen as nothing but complaining and we've already been told to go stuff it.

No. I will whine and I will complain when I object to something Apple does I do not like. That does not make me an Apple hater and complaining about one aspect does not automatically mean I hate the entire thing.

 

[Jim Lahey]

OK. I'm using a 6s+ running iOS 9.0.2 Camera Roll is still there. I don't use iCloud Photos.



Moved as in the Mac OS/OS X version of 'moved'. In other words, the photo is removed from the Recents (Camera Roll) and exists only in the album you put it in. What you're thinking about is 'copied', or duplicated, the other word you used.

If that works for you, hey guess what? Apple agrees with you!


This is a tired old argument designed to end all further discussion by casting everyone with a dissenting opinion as apostates. Doing so removes their legitimacy by making the the one who uses it 'right' and everyone else 'wrong'. And if you're right and everyone else is wrong then you've won the argument by a mic drop.

No. It's the same damn argument as "Just go buy an Android." It is the social equivalent of telling someone, "Sit down, shut up and just eat whatever Apple offers you because Apple knows better than you do".

Well, people have a right to criticize aspects of the products they purchase. It doesn't mean they hate the whole product and it doesn't mean that they should toss it out because they dislike a small percentage of it. Throw the baby out with the bathwater is another equivalency.

One should not have to drink the Koolaid and agree 100% with everything Apple does in order to be approved and allowed to use the product.

If we all stopped 'complaining' then there would be no point in having a forum because any discussion about likes/dislikes would be seen as nothing but complaining and we've already been told to go stuff it.

No. I will whine and I will complain when I object to something Apple does I do not like. That does not make me an Apple hater and complaining about one aspect does not automatically mean I hate the entire thing.

Fair enough, but it’s not going to change, so ultimately all you can do is make the best of it.

 

[Super Spartan]

Guys, I sort of found a workaround for this, I uploaded all my photos to my iCloud storage, now when I open iCloud on my phone, they are listed in the same organized order, so I can navigate to the folder/date/pic that I want, open it, then hit the share button and share it with Instagram! BAM!! No more searching through thousands of pics to locate that one pic that I need!

 

[Khedron]

The problem with the folder approach is that you can't have photos appear in multiple locations (without duplicates of course). For example, I might have an album called "The Kids", and I might have an album called "St. Louis trip 2019". I can have the same photos in both albums without them being duplicated. It is a far more powerful way to organize your photos than the traditional folder/folder/folder way of doing things.

Yes you can. They're called symbolic links and have been around since 1978.

 

[DogCatMSMac]

I've always been an Android user and have all my pics in sub folders (ie. Photoshoot / Date) then for example if I wanna upload a photo to Instagram, I would go to that particular fold in the file manager, click on the photo that I want then share it to my feed.

With the iPhone, I have all my photos in a folder called My Photos but the sub folder hierarchy is gone so when I try to upload a photo in Instagram, I have to sit there and scroll for minutes through the random mess of photos until I find the photo that I want.

I'm sure iOS can't be that dumb. What am I doing wrong here and how do you guys go on managing such scenarios.

I have a bunch of picture directories on a Mac, each directory has a date and subject heading. I would like to import these directories into the Photos App using Albums to hold the photos of each year. I have successfully imported the years 2006 and 2007 into their own Albums in Photos and those Albums have sub-Albums of each separate date(originally a separate directory). When importing for the 2008 Album the pictures have somehow lost their separate directory definitions and are just imported together en masse without directory definitions into the 2008 Album. Trying to figure out how I could get 2006-2007 right but not 2008. Any ideas?
I'm still using Mojave, sounds like there may be another learning curve for 13 or Catalina so perhaps I should have waited a bit. Thanks

 

[Super Spartan]

I have a bunch of picture directories on a Mac, each directory has a date and subject heading. I would like to import these directories into the Photos App using Albums to hold the photos of each year. I have successfully imported the years 2006 and 2007 into their own Albums in Photos and those Albums have sub-Albums of each separate date(originally a separate directory). When importing for the 2008 Album the pictures have somehow lost their separate directory definitions and are just imported together en masse without directory definitions into the 2008 Album. Trying to figure out how I could get 2006-2007 right but not 2008. Any ideas?
I'm still using Mojave, sounds like there may be another learning curve for 13 or Catalina so perhaps I should have waited a bit. Thanks

When I imported my pics using the Photos app in iTunes for Windows last year, all the pics were imported but the folder structure was ignored, they all went into one folder it was a mess.

I've never used a Mac before (my laptop is yet to arrive) but my question is if one would import the photos which are all organized in folder on Catalina, will they retain the folder structure or it's the same as in they will all go into one single folder?

 

[itsmilo]

The way Apple does it is the way it should be done for technical handicapped people like my uncle.
He has the same photos multiple times across his PC and all over the place yet wonders why his computer is always full.

Single „point of truth“ with links from there to other folders is godsend

 

[AbSoluTc]

When I imported my pics using the Photos app in iTunes for Windows last year, all the pics were imported but the folder structure was ignored, they all went into one folder it was a mess.

I've never used a Mac before (my laptop is yet to arrive) but my question is if one would import the photos which are all organized in folder on Catalina, will they retain the folder structure or it's the same as in they will all go into one single folder?

Welcome to Mac! I think you will like it. There will be some learning curves but it's pretty easy. Coming from Windows a few things will be different. Advice - don't get upset or frustrated. Just ask questions.

This link should help answer your photo question - https://photofocus.com/software/how-to-import-folder-hierarchies-in-apple-photos/

 

[Super Spartan]

Welcome to Mac! I think you will like it. There will be some learning curves but it's pretty easy. Coming from Windows a few things will be different. Advice - don't get upset or frustrated. Just ask questions.

This link should help answer your photo question - https://photofocus.com/software/how-to-import-folder-hierarchies-in-apple-photos/

Thanks a lot, I will receive my laptop hopefully tomorrow and checkout that guide.