I have been importing photos from my iPhone via iPhoto for the past few months. Yesterday, while writing a blog, I wanted to embed a photo I had taken on my iPhone, which I knew to be in iPhoto.
Using Finder I opened Pictures, but could not open the iPhoto library folder. It was grayed out, if you will, which I’m guessing indicates I cannot access this folder (not unlike in Windows).
I found the photo in iPhoto and checked its location and it certainly was in the iPhoto library folder.
Is there a reason why I cannot access images stored in the iPhoto Library folder? Is there a setting I must change to be able to do such, or is there a different manner by which I could have pulled the image from iPhoto of which I’m not aware?
Thanks!
— forkboy1965
The iPhoto Library is not a folder. It is a "package." This is like a folder, but is sorta "sealed" as it is maintained by a program, like iPhoto. The idea is to not go into the package at all, but to use iPhoto to view the contents and export a photo out, as you did.
One reason they probably do it that way is the searching for images would be a pain. If you have a huge iPhoto library like I do, the hard drive sees the package as 1 file. Otherwise, I'd always be getting iPhoto photos in my search results as files.
Gary,
In the end I didn't use iPhoto at all to get the picture I needed. Before using iPhoto I had been using another Mac app to pull the pictures off my iPhone and had saved them in a special folder. Fortunately for me the picture I needed was in that folder.
But you say I could export the image from within iPhoto. Is this a right-click option or from a menu? And when I export is it like most any other export feature whereby I select to where I want to save the file (the desktop for instance)?
Exporting is one of iPhoto's major functions. Select the photo or photos, File, Export. Lots of options. Export the original raw photo, or compress it, etc. You can save it anywhere.
Thank you Gary. As usual you are the Johnny on the spot.
I guess that makes you Gary on the spot. Either way...thank you.
Also to note. You do not have to necessarily export that photo. You can just while in iPhoto simply drag that photo to your desktop and a copy is made. From there you can open with Preview or whatever and make changes save or whatever. I also recommend a free app called iMedia Browser. It is a great app to browse "all" your media stored on your mac. And like iPhoto you can simply drag then out as copies. Hope this was helpful.