MacBook Newbie - Trying to understand Photos app

[Kxbronco]

I just got my first MacBook Air M1 a week or so ago. I‘m moving from a Windows 8.1 laptop. I’ve got all of my data migrated to the MB and am now looking at 20 years worth of pics. I’ve got all my pics in folders based on dates (for the most part) so I have a bunch of folders. I’ve managed them all manually on the Windows laptop. All of the pics are on an external drive.

So far I’ve added the Pictures folder on the MB, the folder that appears to have the app in it, to what I think is called the sidebar in Finder. I’ve copied all of the folders with pictures in them into the Pictures folder. Surprise, surprise, when I go into the Photos app there are no pictures in the Library. I think that’s because I didn’t “import” them, but this is all new to me. I’ve been watching some YouTube videos and am kinda getting an idea of the Library and Album concepts.

Being a newbie I’ve got a bunch of questions and am hoping for some insight from the forum. Questions are:

1. Is there a good online tutorial for beginners?
2. Any online tutorials with real life, getting started examples?
3. What‘s the best way to import all my pics?
4. Is there away to import my pics (grouped into folders primarily by date, with some grouped by where they were taken over multiple days i.e. Arches National Park, Zion NP, Grand Canyon NP) and not lose how they’re grouped? Maybe the folders could be converted into albums.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[lcubed]

you may want to ask this question in the digital photography sub-forum.
depending on how you want to use the pictures, you might or might not want to use a different program.

 

[Ruggy]

You need to open the photos app go to 'File' then 'Import'' and point it at folder or photos you want to import.
If you take photos on the phone or a device logged into your apple account, then they will appear automatically otherwise, you have to import them.

Assuming the photos have exif data which includes things like date and location, then once it's finished its work and indexed them, they will be automatically indexed by date- 'Library' or location which would be a 'Memory' of Arches National Park for example or 'Places' also indexes by location but over all time.

 

[HDFan]

So far I’ve added the Pictures folder on the MB, the folder that appears to have the app in it, to what I think is called the sidebar in Finder. I’ve copied all of the folders with pictures in them into the Pictures folder. Surprise, surprise, when I go into the Photos app there are no pictures in the Library. I think that’s because I didn’t “import” them, but this is all new to me.

You need to import the files into Photos which can be as simple as dropping the photos into the app.

I would decide how you are going to organize your photos before doing the import. You also need to decide whether they will all go into your library or be added by reference (keep original location).



If you don't put everything into the Photos library (by reference, not checked in image above) it is

1. easier to find them as they will be on your filesystem
2. may be easier to create your 3-2-1 backup
3. But you have to be careful - you can't move them or rename them. That will break the pointers.

One professional photographer that I took classes from has the workflow of always naming his files before he imports them. In your case you could use the finder to add to the filename Arches National Park, Zion NP, Grand Canyon NP, etc. before the filename. For example Arches National Park 2021.10.26-2021.11.08 IMG-0304. This way you have multiple ways to search for a file. I keep the original filename as when problems occur the sequence number helps me find other related files if they got improperly renamed.

The disadvantage of importing by reference is they will not be included in iCloud Photos.

If you decide that you want to use a library since they are not in folders finding a specific picture is difficult since the name is not associated with the file:



The other factor with a library is that it can get very large which can fill up your boot disk. That can be resolved by moving the library to an external drive. This file can get large. I put just some of my photos there and the size > 450 GB.

 

[orbital~debris]

I've been using Apple's photo software since the first version of Photos' precursor – iPhoto.

There have been a few changes to how you can interact with and organise your photos over that time. The current version of Photos seems to be a good mix of options.

With that in mind, my advice is to copy all of your photos to the Photos library, and only set up (or replicate) albums where they are essential.

Using the metadata embedded in your photos, along with on-device photo analysis (objects & people), Photos will do a lot of the heavy lifting to help you organise your photos. Like much of Apple's software, it is more powerful than it first appears…

If you let it do its thing, you can get great results with the photo–surfacing features like Memories. The search function is versatile as well.

A great starting place is Apple's built-in Help (open the Help menu when in Photos, or search macOS Help if accessing from the Finder). It's also available on the web: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/photos/welcome/7.0/mac/12.5
Apple include a section covering how to bring in photos and videos.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

A couple of suggestions:

First suggestion.
- connect your external photo drive to the Mac
- open Photos
- go to the menu bar, and under "Photos", choose Preferences.
- in the preference panel, go to "importing" and UNCHECK "copy items to the Photos library".
- close preferences.

Now you can "import" the photo library on the external drive, and Photos will not copy the pics into the Photos library file (which is in your home folder). It WILL maintain other info in the Photos library file (which isn't actually "a file", it's a a folder with a lot of other things in it).

This keeps your home folder from getting "filled up" with the master pics.
However, you must keep your external drive (the one with the masters on it) BACKED UP, as insurance against loss.

Next suggestion:
You might be interested in a free photo browser named XNViewMP:

Powerful Image Viewer· XnView MP | XnView.com

XnView, one of the best and popular image viewer. It allows you to view, manage, resize and edit your photos.

www.xnview.com

I use this for very simple photo browsing, it will work fine with your existing folder/file hierarchy (on your external drive).

Again, it's free.

 

[bogdanw]

I’ve got all my pics in folders based on dates (for the most part) so I have a bunch of folders.

Don't use Photos, it will make a mess of your carefully arranged photos.
Try XnView suggested above or other viewer.

 

[orbital~debris]

- in the preference panel, go to "importing" and UNCHECK "copy items to the Photos library".
- close preferences.

Now you can "import" the photo library on the external drive, and Photos will not copy the pics into the Photos library file (which is in your home folder). It WILL maintain other info in the Photos library file (which isn't actually "a file", it's a a folder with a lot of other things in it).

This keeps your home folder from getting "filled up" with the master pics.

Don't use Photos, it will make a mess of your carefully arranged photos.

My view on the advice above is that it's for people who like micromanaging their photos. If that's you, great – try the advice above.

On the other hand, the immense power of modern CPUs means that your Photos app can work wonders keeping your photo library maintained and creating opportunities to see photos you otherwise might overlook.

It's tricky to convey, but if you commit to a hands-off approach with your photos (deleting bad shots aside) you really do start to reap rewards (and save yourself a lot of photo admin time).

 

[BotchQue]

Gary from Macmost does some wonderful videos on doing just about anything Apple, he releases 1 5-to-10 minute video every day, and he's the only EweTuber I support via Patreon; just a wealth of knowledge. I suggest you subscribe on EweTube since you're a mac noobie.

EDIT: To the OP, I just watched the above video and it sounded like he answers all your question.

 

[HDFan]

Inside and Out of Apple’s Photos for Mac

What happens in Photos stays in Photos? Doesn’t have to! (*Updated for macOS Monterey*)

appinitio.medium.com

 

[gilby101]

With Apple's media software (Photos, Music, Books) you are not supposed to want to 'understand' them. Just to use them.

Seriously, if you want to feel in control of your photos, you are better not to use Photos. Get the photos onto your Mac (use Finder or a smart app like PhotoSync) and then either a) manage them as they are in Finder (possibly using add on software like XnView), or b) load them into a professional DAM like Lightroom.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

I just got my first MacBook Air M1 a week or so ago. I‘m moving from a Windows 8.1 laptop. I’ve got all of my data migrated to the MB and am now looking at 20 years worth of pics. I’ve got all my pics in folders based on dates (for the most part) so I have a bunch of folders. I’ve managed them all manually on the Windows laptop. All of the pics are on an external drive.

So far I’ve added the Pictures folder on the MB, the folder that appears to have the app in it, to what I think is called the sidebar in Finder. I’ve copied all of the folders with pictures in them into the Pictures folder. Surprise, surprise, when I go into the Photos app there are no pictures in the Library. I think that’s because I didn’t “import” them, but this is all new to me. I’ve been watching some YouTube videos and am kinda getting an idea of the Library and Album concepts.

Being a newbie I’ve got a bunch of questions and am hoping for some insight from the forum. Questions are:

1. Is there a good online tutorial for beginners?
2. Any online tutorials with real life, getting started examples?
3. What‘s the best way to import all my pics?
4. Is there away to import my pics (grouped into folders primarily by date, with some grouped by where they were taken over multiple days i.e. Arches National Park, Zion NP, Grand Canyon NP) and not lose how they’re grouped? Maybe the folders could be converted into albums.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

My reply is based on the premise that I do not use the Photos app to organize and store my images.

You say that until now you have managed your images manually using folders that you have created. I advise you to keep doing that.

The Photos app is in part a database that will change the name and metadata of the images you import. Some people want an app to do that. I do not.

As you are already comfortable managing your images manually, I urge you to continue to do that on your new Air. Simply use an app like Adobe Bridge, Photo Mechanic or XNView MP, as has already been mentioned above. XNView is basically a copy of Photo Mechanic, so the following applies to both: they allow you to import, view, sort, cull, rename, add metadata (keywords, captions, etc) arrange, duplicate and move your images as desired. But you are in control of where the folders are, what the files are called, etc. Searching for files is done through the Finder, and not a database. So no one is altering your image information but you.

Good luck!

 

[HDFan]

The Photos app is in part a database that will change the name and metadata of the images you import.

Not if you import by reference.

 

[gilby101]

Not if you import by reference.

There is still a database of metadata, changes, etc. Photos is a DAM, just maybe not to everyone's taste.

The import by reference, whilst useful to those that understand it, is a tricky complication for the majority of users.

Ps. I really like the "Inside and Out of Photos for Mac" article you linked earlier.