Attaching photos to places like facebook/yahoo/gmail

Question

iPhoto library is grayed out when attempting to attach photos in internet-based applications such as facebook or yahoo. Photobooth pics can be selected. As a workaround, I can move a picture to desktop and then find it and attach it.
I don't understand why the picture folder cannot be used as it contains .jpg files. Are they somehow locked and is there a way to either automatically redirect or save to a new location so these photos are automatically there when attempting to attach?
Any ideas here?

Answer 1

molive44
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
I don't understand why the picture folder cannot be used as it contains .jpg files. Are they somehow locked and is there a way to either automatically redirect or save to a new location so these photos are automatically there when attempting to attach?
With iPhoto 7 (iLife 08) the old iPhoto Library Folder is now a Unix Style Package File. The change was made to the format of the iPhoto library because many users were inadvertently corrupting their library by browsing through it with other software or making changes in it themselves.
There are no user serviceable parts in the iPhoto Library. Any time you access it with the Finder or some other application you risk damaging it.
There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
For 10.5 users: You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Apple-Click for selecting multiple pics.
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
To upload to a site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. If you're using Gmail you can use THIS
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto. With 10.5 you can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
Or, if you want to access the files with iPhoto not running, then create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use THIS
Other options include:
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
All of these are a:faster and b: safer than rooting through the iPhoto Library Folder.