Once you've migrated your image library from iPhotos or Aperture (or both), you'll probably want to add all the images from your iPhone or iPad and get everything organized so you can quickly find pictures from specific dates and events in the future.

To help you accomplish both of these tasks, we've written up a tutorial that provides an overview of how to import pictures into the Photos app on OS X Yosemite and gives a few suggestions for how to organize your collection.

How to add and organize photos for os x 2

Importing Pictures

  1. Connect your device (iPhone, iPad, or digital camera) to your computer using the USB connector and open the Photos for OS X app.
  2. Select "Import" from the list of tabs at the top of the screen in the app.
  3. Select the images you wish to add to the Photos app, or select "Import All New Items" to add everything from your device.

Imported images will automatically be added to the "Last Import" album in Photos. You can see your photos using a number of different views, including the main Photos tab, which displays all pictures that you have added to the app and any pictures that you have taken using an iOS device that is connected using My Photo Stream.

Just like the Photos app on iOS, pictures in Photos for OS X are organized by Moments, Collections, and Years. To navigate between these timelines, click on the arrow buttons in the upper right corner of the app while in the main Photos view, or select a different view from the tabs at the top of the app.

How to add and organize photos for osx yosemite
The "Shared" album houses photos and albums that you have shared with other people and those that have been shared with you. Select a shared album to see all pictures and add new photos to the album. Comments, Likes, and new pictures added will appear in the Activity section.

Under the Albums tab, you will see a list of albums that are created automatically within Photos for OS X, which may include All Photos, Faces, My Photo Stream, Last Import, Favorites, Panoramas, and Bursts. You can also create your own albums here, using the "+" button on the menu bar.

The Projects tab is where you will find books, cards, calendars, prints, or slideshows that you have created using Photos on that specific Mac.

You can also search for photos within the Photos app by typing the keyword you wish to filter into the search bar in the upper right corner. You can find groups of photos based on names, dates, locations, and more.

How to add and organize photos for os x 3

Adding Photos to Albums and Creating Albums

  1. With the Photos app on OS X Yosemite open, select "Albums" from the list of tabs at the top of the screen.
  2. Click on the "All Photos" option.
  3. Click on the pictures you would like to add to an album. You can select multiple pictures by using the command + left-click or grab a large group by using shift + left-click.
  4. Click the plus (+) button at the top right corner of the Photos app.
  5. Select "Album" from the dropdown menu.
  6. Select the album you wish to add the pictures to, or create a new album and name it.
  7. Click "OK."

Creating Smart Albums

You can create a variety of Smart Albums based on specific conditions. When created, any image that fits the criteria will automatically be added to the Smart Album. You can create Smart Albums based on such categories as the date, a specific description, Face tags, file names, keywords, camera models, shutter speed, and more. Each category includes a condition, such as "Photos is RAW" or "Camera Model is iPhone 6."

How to add and organize photos for os x 1

  1. With the Photos app on OS X Yosemite open, select the "Albums" from the list of tabs at the top of the screen.
  2. Click on the plus (+) icon in the upper right corner of the Photos app.
  3. Select "Smart Album" from the drop down menu.
  4. Name the new Smart Album. It is a good idea to name the album after the action it will be based on. For example, "Edited Pictures" or "iPhone Photos."
  5. Select the condition you wish the Smart Album to produce. You can include multiple conditions. For example, "Camera Model is iPhone 6" combined with "Photo is Favorite" will aggregate all photos taken with an iPhone 6 that have been favorited.
  6. When you are happy with the conditions you have set, click "OK."

If the Smart Album did not produce the results you were looking for, you can adjust the conditions by selecting the gear icon under it in the Albums view.

If you have a large amount of pictures in Photos for OS X Yosemite, it is a good idea to begin organizing them. A great starting point is to create albums that make it easier for you to access events that you have customized yourself. Smart Albums are great for automatically sending certain pictures to a designated folder.

When your photos are better organized, you will be much more likely to look at them again in the future. It is like the difference between opening a shoebox full of loose pictures or a nicely bound photo album with pictures displayed by date.

Top Rated Comments

TMRJIJ Avatar
133 months ago
If you migrated from Aperture and need instructions for organizing your images in Photos, you already failed.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
133 months ago
The name of your iPhone is "F_ing iPhone is Who"?

Am I the only one who saw that in the screenshot in the article?

Edit: Not even allowed to post the name of your iPhone in the comments. I had to change the - to an _ for it to post.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newagemac Avatar
133 months ago
indeed, iCloud Photo on the other hand is too confusing and does too much of one thing and too little of other things
If you can't understand iCloud Photos, you must not be very good at this whole computer thing. I mean, you turn it on and all your photos are on every device. It works EXACTLY like IMAP email. It really can't get any simpler than that.

The old way worked like POP email where you have to figure out where a photo is and you could delete it on one device and it stupidly still showed up somewhere else. Edit a photo and it used to mean you have two different photos in different locations. Photo stream didn't do 2 way sync and your library would get all out of whack with reality on various different devices.

The iCloud Photos way is WAY better and much easier to understand. One single unified library just like how your Gmail, iCloud, Exchange email works.

When I delete an email in gmail, it's gone. I don't have to worry about it showing up on another device or another computer. iCloud photos works the same way.

----------

All photos taken on my phone go to Photo Stream, which Photos on my Mac saves to the hard drive. Perfect cable-less way for my Mac to be my digital hub of photos.
Except if you make an edit to a photo, update folders, make new albums, delete something, or do anything at all with your photos, now your library is all out of whack in different places because Photostream does not do a true SYNC. It's just a one way street. iCloud Photos is so much easier to understand and works better.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
133 months ago
how to delete duplicate photos:

step 1.) can't

how to exclude certain videos and albums

step 2.) you cant either
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darnovo Avatar
133 months ago
how to delete duplicate photos:

step 1.) can't
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theBB Avatar
133 months ago
so how do i get rid of the downloaded full resolution picture once i have viewed it and no use for it anymore on my iDevice without it being deleted everywhere? if i download random pics just to view them its gonna fill up my iPhone after a while.
You don't have to do anything. If you need storage space on iOS device or Mac, it automatically replaces the full resolution pictures with smaller preview ones starting from the ones that you have not viewed for the longest time (assuming you told it to optimize storage rather than always keeping full size versions.)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...