Iphoto loosing original files

I have a NIkon d70 and shoot in raw. I thought iphoto was editing on JPG file and storing the original safely in its database, but it appears that it looses some of those Raw file. Which kind of annoys me.
Is this a bug?

Amaury,
Are you sure the original RAW files are going away? There are only a couple ways to recover the original RAW file. One is if the photo has been edited once through iPhoto. When doing this, iPhoto uses a JPEG version of the photo and you can then "Revert to Original" and get the RAW file back as the current view. You can also use the Share --> Export and select Original file to get the RAW file out of the iPhoto Library.
If you are really loosing RAW files, you may need to rebuild your iPhoto Library.
Hope this helped!
Sam

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Photos appear in iPhoto, but original files have disappeared. Anything I can do to recover them?

What it says in the topic. Specifically, I sorted through and deleted roughly 90% of the photos of a particular event, saving out the 10% I wanted to keep, before emptying the iPhoto trash. I then selected "File>Reveal in Finder>Original Files" in order to move the files to a centralized folder in which I keep the master files from every month. Mind you, I have gone through this process multiple times before and it has worked as expected. This time, however, when I used the "reveal in Finder" feature the finder window I already had open appeared, but nothing else happened. After some manual searching I found that all of the original files for the photos I had deleted from that event were still there, but the files for the photos I hadn't deleted were nowhere to be found (the opposite of what I did in iPhoto and what the library there actually shows). I have tried exporting the desired photos, but I only get a prompt saying that the original files cannot be found; I also cannot individually select any of the photos (only a giant triangle with an exclamation mark in it pops up) despite that all of the thumbnails are still there. Can anyone tell me what's going on or if there's anything I can do, or have I simply lost these photos forever?

in order to move the files to a centralized folder i
That's the problem. If you moved them rather than copy them to the other folder they were removed from the library and you're getting what's expected. In the future select the photos you want to store in the other folder and use the File ➙ Export ➙ File Export menu option with the Kind = Original selected. That avoids this kind of error.
Have you emptied the Trash bin in the Dock? With iPhoto 9 and later image files are moved to the Trash bin in the Dock when the Trash bin in iPhoto is emptied. If they are there you'll have to import them again into iPhoto and then delete the problem ones from the original event.
Rather than

How do I revert my iPhoto to the Original File?

I have Mac OS X - Version 10.5.8 - iPhoto 9
I have a numerious amount of photo's that look fine in thumbnail but when opened I am given a "!". I have done the suggested Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library. This did not work! But if I right-click iPhoto Library, click Show Package Contents I see there are files such as Originals, Modified, Library.iPhone, Library6.iPhoto, and Before Restore. Ok I compared the specific "!" photos. Example IMG_0057 comes up "!" in iPhoto. In the Original folder IMG_0057 is there and perfect, but in Modified IMG_0057 does not exist nor do the other photos that were showing "!".
SO I thought to just restore all pictures to the pictures in the Original Folder. Can this be done? How do I do this? Will this restore the photos back to that have "!" without loosing them all? Please share with me what I can do?!?!?!?

No it was never used on iphone or ipad. but I am sure the iphoto at some point was updated. Diane I did looking using iphoto Library manager but the version of Mac I have I believe is too old. That's why I am asking here because all other suggestions I have found seem to be wrong. I have backed up my photos but it was later after all this started occuring. Thats why I want to go back to the images in the original file......
Any other thoughts PLEASE?!?!?
PS I have no idea why this signed me in as a different user?!
Message was edited by: Kandycane18

Have thumbnails, iPhoto lost many original files!

This is the second time iPhoto has killed me, this time loosing some very valuable photos! I am using iPhoto 9.5 on Mavericks. I recently discovered lost pictures in an event from 6 months ago. It has the thumbnails so it looks fine on the surface but when I click on a picture and tried to look full screen at the photo (when it loads the original) I got a black triangle exclamation point error. This happens for all but 3 photos (out of about 200 original). I looked at a few other events in the same time frame and found another one missing about half of it's pictures. Haven't gone through the whole database to find out what else might be lost at this point. I looked in timemachine but it only goes back to November when I upgraded to Mavericks. It shows info that I have older dates but I can't access them, I guess Mavericks doesn't like Snow Leopard.
I then made a copy of my iPhoto library "just in case" so that if my next steps are disastrous I might have hope. I tried Command-Option starting iPhoto and tried Repair permissions, repair database and rebuild database. I didn't try rebuild thumbnails since I'm worried iPhoto will get rid of any thumbnails it can't find an original file connect to which means I'll lose even the thumbs.
Two questions:
Where does iPhoto save thumbnails? Any sort of order that means anything to humans? Is this going to be even remotely easy to sort so that I can have even a low-res copy of my pictures for memories??
Do I have any other options to try to fix iPhoto? It did this about a year ago as well (with an earlier version of iPhoto which prompted an upgrade) so I am rapidly losing faith in this program for something as important to me as photographs.
Thanks

1 - since you have a copy of your iPhoto library you are safe
2 - rebuilding thumbnails is safe - expecially since you have a backup
3 - by your thumbnails (and by default your priginals and your previews are stored in the iPhoto library in standard finder folders - you do not access them that way but they are there
4 - download iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ - and use its rebuild to create a totally new library leaving the existing one unchanged if you need it for the future
LN

When using Iphoto to import photo from existing folder, what happens if I delete the photo in Iphoto ? Will the original file in the folder be deleted too?

When using Iphoto to import photo from existing folder to iphoto, what happens if:
1. I delete that photo in iphoto? will the original file in the folder be deleted too ?
2. when importing, does the hard disk store 2 versions of the photo, hence occupying additional space in the harddisk?

1 - no -- iPhoto only manages fiel within the iPhoto library - it does not ever do anything with files outside the library
2 - No idea what you are asking - by default (and strongly recommended) iPhoto copies the original to the iPhoto library and you delete the source file outside the iPhoto library - iPhoto alwasy has at least two versions of every photo and some times three - it always have the original, a thumbnail and once a photo is modified a preview - this is not optional - if it is not what you want then iPhoto is not the correct progrtam to be using for phopto management
LN

How can I change the time of photos in info in iPhoto for iOS. I've done it in iPhoto for Mac but when I sync to my ipad the info field goes back to the camera time ignoring "modify original files" in iPhoto for Mac?

I used "adjust date and time" and"modify original files" to correct the time of photos taken on a camera used in Peru which was set to UK rather than local time. which is 6 hours behind. This was to bring them into line with shots taken with other cameras set to local time. This was using iphoto 08 on a Mac. I then synced to my iPad. The photos stayed in the correct order in photos but in iphoto (iOS version) the original dates appear (the camera dates) and so the photos are out of chronological order again. This looks like a bug but is there a fix?

don't know what you mean by "write to master" but speculate that it means modify the original times, in which case the taken times on the camera should no longer be present
No,I meant your using the option "modify original files" will do exactly that - change the capture date original master files stored in the iPhoto library. Only when you do that, the "date modified" of your original files will be changed as well, and it will now be the date of your manipulation of the capture date.
Oh - I hadnt considered that possibility - but of that were the case, why don't my manipulated photos go to the end of the sequence as I have done all the manipulation after the end of the holiday??
In photos the synced album maintains the chronological order which I set up on the mac by modifying the originals, as you said,
That is what the linked article is describing: "some apps may sort your photos in the order you specify in the app (such as iPhoto or Aperture"
The problem I have is that, in the album, iphoto (ipad) sorts them differently to both iphoto (Mac) and the photos tab on the ipad
In addition to albums and events, synced photos appear in a unified category called Photo Library (on iPad, this is the Photos tab). Photos are not duplicated. This category will also sort photos in ascending order by the date modified.
"on ipad this is the Photos tab" - but this displays as per the original sequence ignoring time adjustments - the manipulations seem to be ignored (but are reflected in the album in the photos tab) and the photos tahat have been modified stay in their original positiom - they don't get put the end
Because the library uses a different date - the date modified - the date of the last time the file has been changed in any way - any editing you do to your image, including adjust date and time will change the "date modified"
This may change the sorting of the database but it appears not to influence the order in the albums
In addition to albums and events, synced photos appear in a unified category called Photo Library (on iPad, this is the Photos tab). Photos are not duplicated. This category will also sort photos in ascending order by the date modified.
So how can i get my photos in date and time order in an album in iphoto for ipad?
Thanks for your help

I went into the original files in the iphoto library and organised the photos there, now when I try to look at the photos in iphoto the tiles are there but when I try to enlarge or put into a slide show a big grey explanation mark occurs?

I tried to organise my iphoto originals to it would be easier to back them up onto my hard drive, so I renamed them and grouped them in the orinigal file. Now when I go onto iphoto to view the photos in a slide show a big exclamation mark comes up and if I click on the photo to see the original file it can't find it. Any ideas?

You won't be able to run the rebuild function and restore your library becaue you renamed and regrouped your original photos from the Finder. I doubt if you can change the names back to their original names and put them back in the folders they were in originally so your only option is get your backup library and replace the one you damaged.
If you don't have a backup copy of the library from just before the problem that contains all of your photos you will need to start over from scratch as follows:
Start over from scratch with new library
Start over with a new library and import the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from your original library as follows:
1. Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
2. Open the library package like this.
Click to view full size
3. Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
4. Drag the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open iPhoto window.
Click to view full size
This will create a new library with the same Events as the original library but will not keep the metadata, albums, books slideshows and other projects.
In the future stay out of the iPhoto Library package and only access the photos using iPhoto.
OT

Is there a way to have iPhoto add location information to the original file

Is there a way to have iPhoto add manually assigned location information to the original file? After adding location information to about 20,000 of my 35,000 picture library, I generated a new library because of problems with faces. That fixed the faces problem but I was quite disappointed to see that the locations were absent. From what I can see, you can only do this by exporting the files (file - edit) and having the option checked to include the location information. Of course, if you select to have the original files exported (as opposed to creating 35,000 new jpegs), you do not have the option to include location information. Even if you did have that option, it would be a silly way to do it. Am I missing something?

No exporting is the only way - I believe that HoudahGeo - http://www.houdah.com/houdahGeo/ - will add them to the originals in iPhoto - check it out
LN

IPhoto '09 - original and (un)modified files

Hi there, just beginning to use this software and am confused.
I have my original photos on my hard drive. When I import them into iPhoto, I get two additional copies - one in the iPhoto Library Originals folder, and another in the Modified folder, despite the fact I have done nothing to modify them. So, I end up with three copies. Sure, I can delete the original hard drive ones, but then I still have two copies taking up scarce disk space.
Question is, why am I automatically getting an iPhoto Original copy and a Modified copy? Some googling tells me that if a photo has been rotated, this will be the case. But this is also happening for photos originally taken in landscape format. Does it, then, happen for any photo taken on a camera with an autorotate function?
How can I solve this problem so that I have just one (Original) photo in my iPhoto library (original original still available elsewhere, and a modified version only being created if I actually do something to the photo subsequently in iPhoto?
Thanks so much!

Okay, thanks, Larry. You know before you answered I did go ahead and delete the Modified folder to see what would happen (bearing in mind I have the original originals in two other places). (Sorry for the contrariness.) I deleted it while iPhoto was open, and it was simply instantly recreated, which was a bit of a surprise. Then I closed iPhoto and deleted it, then reopened iPhoto, and no Modified folder was created.
Everything looks good in the iPhoto library - SO FAR, of course - though a right-click does give the options for "Show File" (just points to hard disk root directory) and "Show Original File" (points to iPhoto Originals folder).
I am going to leave it like that and see if anything happens (if it does I'll report back for others to hear). Worst comes to worst, I just delete everything, create a new Library and reimport again. I won't rely on iPhoto as my only source of originals...
Thanks again.

Why is it that even after editing a picture under iPhoto, the original picture is still the file that is being exported?

Why is it that even after editing a picture under iPhoto, the original picture is still the file that is being exported?

because you are exporting the original?
SInce you give us no information at all we can only guess and that is the most likely
How are you editing the photo - iPhoto? An external editor? How?
how are you exporting?
Remember we are users just like you - not psychics
LN

After import from Iphoto some pictures are of very low quality. The original file in Iphoto is very good.

Final cut Express
I imported several pictures by using Iphoto. Some of them, not all, are of very low quality even if the original file is of a very good quality.

It sounds as though you may have imported the thumbnails but I can't imagine how.
It all depends on what you mean by very low quality.
Your iPhoto pictures will be around 4,000x3,000 pixels but when they are imported into a standard def timeline they will be around 720x540 which is a tremendous reduction.
They should still look OK but not as good as the brilliant hi-res originals.
Message was edited by: Ian R. Brown

Why is there a "modified" and an "Original" file in iPhoto Library?

I ran out of space on a 100 Gig drive today.. My iphoto library shows 23.9 gb on the bottom left hand side of the iphoto screen.. But when I look at the drive I find the "modified" file is 23.9 gig and the "original" file is 78 gigs.
Anyone know if I need both of those files?
Thanks. Gil

Gil
Yes you most certainly need both of those.
Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
iPhoto always preserves your Original file. When you edit, export or whatever, the app uses a copy for these actions. In doing this it’s working to the best principles of Digital Asset Management. So, in your Modified folder are the edited versions of the pics. This is why you can use the Photos -> Revert to Original command. It’s also the basis of the Non-Destructive editing feature.
If you don’t want this way of working then, simply, don’t use iPhoto. You simply cannot stop it doing this.
If disk space is an issue you can run your Library from an external disk:
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Regards
TD

Iphoto lost my original files

I have several folders in iPhoto, the one in question, I have opened several times, and have edited some photos. For reason unknown, I tried to open, and enlarge a photo to full screen image to view it, and I suddenly could not. I got a warning that iPhoto could not locate the original file. I neither deleted or anything else with these files other than some editing, they are recent pics.I can still share the pics in iPhoto, but can no longer open the files to full image to view. My concern is that iPhoto lost my originals, and it could happen to my other folders. I did backup my photos, but when I redownload to iPhoto, I get the same warning of "original files lost"? What can I do to fing the originals on my MAC book, and how to prevent in the future?

Are you running a Managed or a Referenced Library?
A Managed Library, is the default setting, and iPhoto copies files into the iPhoto Library when Importing. The files are then stored in the Library package
A Referenced Library is when iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing because you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. (You unchecked the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.

"Modified" vs. "Original" files in iphoto

What is the purpose of having the photos split into these two files in iphoto? When I download them off of my camera, it seems to put some of them in the "modified" files right away (the movies, mostly?)
Anyway, just hoping for an explanation as to the point of having the photos from one roll in two separate files. Also, if I put all of the photos from a roll into one file or the other manually (so that they are consolidated) how will this affect iphoto? Will it move them back?
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4)

You see movies in the Modified folders because of the way iPhoto files your video clips. It places the actual clip inside the Originals folder. When you import a clip iPhoto creates a jpeg of the first frame - that jpeg goes in the Modified folder. A thumbnail of this frame is also created and stored in the Data folder. When you view your library you are shown the thumbnail. When you increase the size to a certain point you are given the full-size jpeg. When you double-click a movie clip, the Original is opened with QuickTime so that you can play it.
If you shoot in camera RAW the system is similar. The RAW goes in Originals, a jpeg goes in Modified for display purposes, and a thumbnail jpeg goes in Data.
All this is nice to know, but it doesn't really matter. As PhillyPhan and Old Toad have said, you are supposed to use iPhoto to access those files once you import them into your library. Don't change the way iPhoto files them, and don't use the Finder to access them. See this from the iPhoto Help, under "About using the iPhoto Library":
"IMPORTANT: There is also an "iPhoto Library" folder located in the Pictures folder in your home folder, outside the iPhoto application. If you move, delete, rename, or otherwise touch files or folders within this folder, you may be unable to see your pictures in the iPhoto application.
"The files within this folder should only be manipulated by a customer care representative.
Perhaps you are used to file browsers. With a file browser you keep your files in folders, then organize everything into subfolders in whatever structure you like. Then you browse through those folders to find your files. You have to decide if that picture of your dog with your kid belongs in the folder for your dog, your kid, the date it was taken, etc. To have it in each place would necessitate keeping multiple copies. You can do this yourself by using the Finder to navigate through the folders, or use an application that assists with file browsing and perhaps offers sorting and tagging.
iPhoto is not a file browser, it is a database application. With a database application you import your files into the database. From that point, you no longer access those files from within their folders and subfolders. Instead, you open the application and access them from there. An advantage is that the photo of your dog with your kid can now be placed in your dog album your kid's album, your date-based album, your holiday album, etc. with no duplication of that photo eating up space on your hard drive. Plus, you have many features for tagging and sorting your photos so that you can easily find one picture or a whole group with a few clicks. This results in more power, using less storage, making iPhoto an efficient application.
If you need to use your photos outside of iPhoto, then use iPhoto to locate and select them, and export them to your Desktop. iPhoto knows which folders your photos are in and will always give you the most recent, full-size files. (You can rename and resize the copies during the export process, if you like.) This is handy for uploading to websites, attaching to email, or burning a CD for a photo developer. Trash the exports when done, since iPhoto retains the files.
To edit your photos in another application, set it as an external editor in iPhoto's preferences. Use iPhoto to select the photo, double-click to open it in your editor, then save (not save as) and the edited version is saved back into your iPhoto library.
Regards.

Original file gone, but iPhoto still shows preview

I have lost the original files but can still see previews when I look in the Last 12 Months import tab. I've tried to drag one to the desktop but I get an error that says, "Couldn’t open the file. It may be corrupt or a file format that Preview doesn’t recognize." I have upgraded from iLife 06 before losing the original files. Is there a way to get these back?

It sounds like a corrupt library
If you do not have a current backup of the library6.iphoto file to restore then Rebuild your library - quit iPhoto, backup your iphoto library and launch iPhoto while depressing the option (alt) and command (apple) keys and rebuild
if that does not work download iPhoto library manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ - and use its rebuild function
If that does not work you will need to create a new library - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library to the desktop (it's default location is in your pictures folder), launch iPhoto and create a new library, make sure the preference to split items imported from the finder is unchecked, and open the iPhoto library on your desktop and open the originals folder - drag each folder in the originals folder onto the iPhoto icon in the dock - this will retain your events without edits, keywords and projects
LN

Iphoto loosing original files

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