Locating photos

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Level 2

199 points

Locating photos

When I search for a photo by name or keyword, it shows up, but is there a way to show what folder that photo is in? I can't figure that out.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Oct 25, 2020 6:18 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

markwmsn

Level 6

16,715 points

Oct 25, 2020 9:55 PM in response to Cartoonguy

The Photos application does not provide a way to list the album (or albums) containing a given photo.

There were some user-written scripts that could do the job, but they no longer work properly in macOS Catalina (Photos 5).

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,525 points

Oct 26, 2020 5:12 AM in response to Cartoonguy

but is there a way to show what folder that photo is in? I can't figure that out.

The albums are not containing the photos, they are just referencing the photos. And a single photo could have been added to many albums. The library is containing the photos and that is why we can reveal the photo in the library, when viewing an album, but not reveal it in its album or albums. If a photo appears in ten different albums, which of them should photos open for us? Phots would have to display a list of albums.

I am using mainly smart albums based on keywords. Then I can tell the albums a photo is in by looking at the keywords.

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Answer 3

Oct 26, 2020 3:57 AM in response to TonyCollinet

It looks like the script has been updated for Photos 5.

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250002459

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Answer 4

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Oct 26, 2020 9:07 AM in response to léonie

It's simple, really. When you search for something in Finder, if it finds multiple items with the search criteria, it lists them all and you choose which one or refine the search further. In most cases, in Photos, a picture is in one album, or maybe a couple, but rarely ten or so. If I look for a photo and want to see more of the same, then it's really useful for me to see more of the same in one easy move. Why offer this feature in Finder and not in Photos?

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Answer 5

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Oct 26, 2020 9:08 AM in response to Russ New Boy

Oh, thanks. This helps, but I am unfamiliar with using scripts. I copied and pasted it into an Apple Script doc and ran it and it worked, but is there a quicker way to access the script from within Photos without going to this separate application?

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Answer 6

Oct 26, 2020 9:13 AM in response to Cartoonguy

Don't worry, I'm unfamiliar with scripts as well, I used them for the first time last week!

I believe you can package them up quite easily and then they show up in the Services menu within Photos, under the main menubar.

Leonie is a programmer and may be able to advise how to do this, or one of the other programmers here - I'm not sure I'm afraid.

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Answer 7

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Oct 27, 2020 11:25 PM in response to Russ New Boy

I found these very useful instructions which worked for me. https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/MacAutomationScriptingGuide/MakeaSystem-WideService.html

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Answer 8

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Oct 25, 2020 6:56 PM in response to Cartoonguy

When I said "folder", I should have said "album"

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Answer 9

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Oct 25, 2020 10:21 PM in response to markwmsn

Bummer. Very frustrating that I can't do this simple thing. Sometimes it amazes me how a very widely used app is designed without something I would consider a fairly basic function like that.

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Answer 10

Oct 26, 2020 12:08 AM in response to Cartoonguy

HI

Why is it you need to know what album an image is in (Maybe it is possible to achieve what you need a different way)

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