iCloud Photo Library

[jim31]

New user, Hope this is the correct Forum

Since installing OS X 10.10.3 some time ago, I decided it’s time to try the new iCloud Photos Library. However, when I open Photos, Preferences and choose the iCloud Photos Library, it tells me my Mac has 58GB of photos & video and therefore I need 200GB of storage.

I have about 2900 photos & around 30 small video clips. I find that hard to believe since my friend only requires 20GB of storage and has 18000 photos!

Using Finder, I have looked at my username/photos folder. In addition to a large number of .jpg files, it shows a 58GB iPhoto folder and a 52GB Photos Library.photoslibrary folder.

Appreciate if someone could explain why I have such huge folders in the Photos & iPhotos library.

jrwolfe@comcast.net

 

[mgroot]

I would assume the bulk of that 58GB is the videos, they eat up space fast

 

[trouble747]

I don't understand how iCloud Photo Library works. I have it turned on on my iphone and ipad, but not on my mac. Despite this, my mac still shows all of the photos from my phone--even though I never activated iCloud Photo Library in Photos. However, my ipad (where it is activated) does not show my iphone photos.

Anyone actually understand how this works?

 

[mgipe]

I don't understand how iCloud Photo Library works. I have it turned on on my iphone and ipad, but not on my mac. Despite this, my mac still shows all of the photos from my phone--even though I never activated iCloud Photo Library in Photos. However, my ipad (where it is activated) does not show my iphone photos.

Anyone actually understand how this works?

Not even the software engineers at Apple understand how this works.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

I don't understand how iCloud Photo Library works. I have it turned on on my iphone and ipad, but not on my mac. Despite this, my mac still shows all of the photos from my phone--even though I never activated iCloud Photo Library in Photos. However, my ipad (where it is activated) does not show my iphone photos.

Anyone actually understand how this works?

Your Mac, depending on settings, can still be receiving iPhone images via My Photo Stream, and they will be integrated into the Years/Collections/Moments views. Do you have a My Photo Stream album in Albums?

As to the iPhone and iPad... presuming the settings are correct, you ought to see the same images on both. You can go into iCloud.com to view the library. That can tell you if the iPhone images are actually getting into the library. If they're present at iCloud.com, then I'd suggest turning iCloud Photo Library off on the iPad, then turn it on again (if your iPad uses cellular data, be sure you have a wifi connection for this).

 

[trouble747]

Your Mac, depending on settings, can still be receiving iPhone images via My Photo Stream, and they will be integrated into the Years/Collections/Moments views. Do you have a My Photo Stream album in Albums?

As soon as I opened Photos (choosing not to set up iCloud Photo Library) all of my iPhone photos appeared in the main photo list, intermingled with all of the 'proper' photos I had already imported into iPhoto (I only used iPhoto to manage my DSLR photos). They're not in a separate "My Photo Stream" album, to my knowledge. But I'll check that.

Is there any way to undo this, or to NOT show iDevice photos in Photos? Would I have to have iCloud Photo Library turned off on all devices (as I mentioned, it's not even enabled on my Mac)? And when I do that, will my iPhone retain all of the photos that were originally on it?

As to the iPhone and iPad... presuming the settings are correct, you ought to see the same images on both. You can go into iCloud.com to view the library. That can tell you if the iPhone images are actually getting into the library. If they're present at iCloud.com, then I'd suggest turning iCloud Photo Library off on the iPad, then turn it on again (if your iPad uses cellular data, be sure you have a wifi connection for this).

iCloud.com definitely shows the thousands of photos from my phone. I'll have to try turning the setting off and on on the iPad again I guess.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

As soon as I opened Photos (choosing not to set up iCloud Photo Library) all of my iPhone photos appeared in the main photo list, intermingled with all of the 'proper' photos I had already imported into iPhoto (I only used iPhoto to manage my DSLR photos). They're not in a separate "My Photo Stream" album, to my knowledge. But I'll check that.

Is there any way to undo this, or to NOT show iDevice photos in Photos? Would I have to have iCloud Photo Library turned off on all devices (as I mentioned, it's not even enabled on my Mac)? And when I do that, will my iPhone retain all of the photos that were originally on it?

iCloud.com definitely shows the thousands of photos from my phone. I'll have to try turning the setting off and on on the iPad again I guess.

The main Photos view (Years/Collections/Moments) is intentionally an "everything, everywhere" view (just as it is in iPhoto's Photos view). The point is to be able to find any photo. So, if you have My Photo Stream enabled, those images will appear alongside the ones you imported from your DSLR. Since I've often used both my "good" cameras and my iPhones on the same shoot, and because the shot is more important to me than the camera (the best camera is the one you have with you), this pleases me. After the initial import(s) I'll have placed the new images in various albums, which is where I'd normally go when I want to access them in the future.

One approach to finding only your DSLR images would be to create one or more Smart Albums. You could, for example, set "Match the following condition" to be: Camera Model > is not > iPhone

 

[trouble747]

One approach to finding only your DSLR images would be to create one or more Smart Albums. You could, for example, set "Match the following condition" to be: Camera Model > is not > iPhone

Great idea, thanks!

(And I do have some good iPhone photos. My main concern is that I just have so much random junk.)