I've been using Google Photos for many years. When Google announced the end of its "free" photo upload service, I decided to import all of my photos into iCloud Photos. I had tried this once a few years ago. It was such a disaster that I gave up and turned iCloud Photos off.
I tried again. This time the import went smoothly. All of the photos that I imported are located in a single directory, including subdirectories on an external drive hanging off my 2017 iMac.
Unfortunately, I now realize that the import missed many, many photos.
For example, I was recently looking for photos taken in Guadalupe California. On the iCloud Photos map only five photos are shown in Guadalupe. Only two of those photos were taken in May of 2011. There should be more.
Looking at Google Photos I see a total of six photos taken in Guadalupe in May of 2011.
When I look at the source of those photos on my external drive I see that I took nine photos nine photos in Guadalupe that day (May 27, 2011). The three that Google missed on the map all had incorrect geolocation data (thanks iPhone 4).
If I search Google Photos by date, all nine are there.
If I search iCloud Photos by date, only four are there.
Bottom line is that the iCloud Photo import silently failed to import over half the photos I took that day.
Sad to see that Apple is such a poor custodian of my photo library.
I tried again. This time the import went smoothly. All of the photos that I imported are located in a single directory, including subdirectories on an external drive hanging off my 2017 iMac.
Unfortunately, I now realize that the import missed many, many photos.
For example, I was recently looking for photos taken in Guadalupe California. On the iCloud Photos map only five photos are shown in Guadalupe. Only two of those photos were taken in May of 2011. There should be more.
Looking at Google Photos I see a total of six photos taken in Guadalupe in May of 2011.
When I look at the source of those photos on my external drive I see that I took nine photos nine photos in Guadalupe that day (May 27, 2011). The three that Google missed on the map all had incorrect geolocation data (thanks iPhone 4).
If I search Google Photos by date, all nine are there.
If I search iCloud Photos by date, only four are there.
Bottom line is that the iCloud Photo import silently failed to import over half the photos I took that day.
Sad to see that Apple is such a poor custodian of my photo library.