Mac 'Photos' - map to existing photos?

[shazchip]

Hello,

I love the Photos app, to crop/resize/retouch images. However, I am having to specifically Import any images that I want to do that with. I want to be able to : while browsing through photos in my normal folder organised system (outside Photos), see one that I want to fix and 'open it in Photos' then make the edit and it saves it in the original file. (Similar to what I used to do in Windows.. flick through, see problem image, 'open with' program like Paint or something, edit, save, close, voila done.)

Currently, I have to do it in a few steps - 1) make a note of photo location, 2) open Photos, 3) Import the photo from saved location, 4) edit it, 5) export it back to original location, 6) delete the original. It's a bit of a faff to say the least!

I checked Photo Preferences and can't see a way that the Library can be linked to any existing folders. I have thousands of photos from 10+ years and don't want to import them all into Photos. Plus they're already nicely organised at the moment into years+events folders, I would lose all that if I were to import all and have to do it all over again.

Any ideas? All thoughts appreciated!! I am pretty frustrated, having thought that the Mac would surpass my Windows experience in most ways :-(

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Photos is definitely not meant for that. You should be looking at a regular image editing application, such as Pixelmator, Photoshop or a dedicated photo manipulator app.

 

[shazchip]

Photos is definitely not meant for that. You should be looking at a regular image editing application, such as Pixelmator, Photoshop or a dedicated photo manipulator app.

Oh, umm, so what is Photos meant for? Just organisation?
Those others that you mention - do they work on the 'normal' file system?
Thanks.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Primarily organization, so you don't have to mess with file structure as you like. Other than that, iCloud sync. Photos is to photos what iTunes is to music, if you are using that.

Yes the other applications edit the files directly.

 

[simonsi]

I am pretty frustrated, having thought that the Mac would surpass my Windows experience in most ways :-(

It will, just not with Photo's. Choose the editor of your choice and you can do exactly that "open with" on the file - what kind of edits do you normally do? Preview, GIMP and there are others that you can use. I don't use Photos for anything other than Photostream sharing.

 

[shazchip]

It will, just not with Photo's. Choose the editor of your choice and you can do exactly that "open with" on the file - what kind of edits do you normally do? Preview, GIMP and there are others that you can use. I don't use Photos for anything other than Photostream sharing.

I have just discovered yesterday that Preview actually does do edits - just that the Toolbar with the editing buttons on (I normally crop / resize / brighten) has to be specifically enabled and so I never found it before. So, I'm happy using that! {I mean, at the moment I have Preview's green screen problem with latest OS update but that's a whole different issue...}