iCloud photo library and iPhone

[MrMister111]

I have enabled iCloud photo library (beta) and have optimise iPhone storage enabled (ticked).

So I want to clean up some space on my iPhone 6, so what I used to do was connect it to my iMac and copy the photos from my iPhone to my Mac. But now doing this (if I'm correct), wouldn't get the full resolution pictures would it?

So now do I have to goto https://www.icloud.com/#photos and then download from there? where do they goto on the Mac, as when I try this, unsure if its working

thanks

 

[MrMister111]

Anyone got iCloud photo library enabled?

 

[testcard]

I do, and I simply open up iPhoto on my Mac and download my pictures from iCloud Photo Library.

 

[MrMister111]

So you have to do it from the iMac now to get the full resolution pictures to keep, rather than use your iPhone that has optimised pictures is what I mean

Thanks

 

[testcard]

Correct. I store device optimised versions on my iPhone and iPad, but the full resolution versions I download to my MacBook Air in iPhoto.

 

[MrMister111]

Ok, now I understand better how this iCloud photo library works then thanks.

Good idea to keep lower resolution on iPhone.

Only trouble with this is I only have 20Gb if iCloud. Once the photos app becomes available to all, what happens then? My iPhoto library currently is about 100Gb?

What will you do?

 

[testcard]

Probably either pay for more iCloud storage, or else download and back up securely onto at least one external drive.

 

[MrMister111]

Probably either pay for more iCloud storage, or else download and back up securely onto at least one external drive.

The trouble is it's going to get really expensive. This is what I won't like with the be easy it works. I don't mind having all my photos on my Mac, how am I going to manage (along with others), with the ever expanding photo library of bigger megapixels, videos etc, iCloud storage will just be gobbled up?

 

[Cmd-Z]

Using the upcoming Photos app in 10.10.3 will be optional, as will be the use of "iCloud Photo Library" on your Mac and iOS.

As I understand it, you'll be able to continue using iPhoto on your Mac, and you can keep your photo library only on your Mac, and you can still transfer iOS photos directly to your Mac via a cabled connection (exactly as you can do now, if you turn off "iCloud Photo Library (beta)" in your iOS settings). If this is correct, then you'll still have Camera Roll on your iOS device, and a "My Photo Stream" in iCloud of your last 1000 photos/30 days. But then, you lose some of the convenience of the Photos/ iCloud Photo Library.

Even if you want to use the upcoming Photos app and iCloud Photo Library, you can split your Mac's photo library up where only a portion of your library is in iCloud and the rest remains local. How you would administer that over time I don't know ...