Apple Photos vs Filesystem

PhotoCuller supports both Apple Photos libraries and filesystem folders, but behavior differs in a few important areas.

Quick Comparison

Editing and Metadata

• Filesystem items can be written according to your metadata write settings (embedded and/or sidecar behavior).
• Apple Photos items keep ratings/rejection, flags, color labels, and IPTC edits in PhotoCuller’s own metadata store. These are not edits to the Photos caption/keyword fields or the original files’ embedded metadata.
• Favorites update the actual Photos favorite state. Date and GPS changes made through EXIF Corrections update the date/location of the Photos library item, not the embedded EXIF of the original file. Camera, lens, exposure, orientation, and comment overrides are not supported on Apple Photos sources.

Select a Photos item, wait for its metadata to load, then edit IPTC and click Apply, or use EXIF Corrections > Apply Corrections for date/location changes. Batch edits follow the same source limits. See Metadata Editing.

Sync PhotoCuller Metadata

On Mac, open Settings > iCloud > Apple Photos > PhotoCuller Metadata for Apple Photos. This option is enabled by default and can be turned off independently of Photos library synchronization.

To see PhotoCuller ratings, flags, labels, and IPTC on another device, use the same iCloud account, make the same iCloud Photos items available there, grant Photos access, and leave this option enabled on both devices. Sync needs connectivity and may take time; check the receiving device before continuing an edit or export. A separately imported file with the same name is not the same library item.

Turning this option off keeps local PhotoCuller metadata but stops its synchronization. This feature does not upload photos or rewrite their embedded metadata; favorites and Photos date/location changes are managed by Photos instead.

If you rely on metadata round-tripping with other tools, use a workflow that writes metadata to exported files or sidecars, then verify the result in the receiving tool. Copying an original out of Photos alone is not a backup of PhotoCuller’s metadata.

Deletion Behavior

• Filesystem: direct delete commands use Move to Trash when the source supports it. Otherwise they use Delete Permanently. This can matter on cards, external drives, and network storage; check the action’s label rather than assuming Trash is available.
• Trash failures: if Trash fails and permanent deletion is supported, PhotoCuller can offer Delete Permanently for the failed items. Choose Cancel if you want to keep them. This is not an automatic fallback.
• Apple Photos: Delete from Photos deletes from the library, not just the current album. Recovery is through Recently Deleted in Photos while the items remain there.
• FTP and supported camera deletion: these sources have no Trash; deletion is permanent.

Direct photo-delete prompts are controlled by Settings > General > File Actions > Confirm before deleting photos, enabled by default. If you turn it off, direct delete commands can run without a PhotoCuller confirmation. A system permission prompt may still appear. Locked filesystem items are excluded from these commands.

Quick Transfer and Move Behavior

• From filesystem sources, quick transfer supports Copy and Move. Move + Skip can still remove source files when a destination filename already exists; see Quick Transfer safety.
• From Apple Photos sources, quick transfer is copy behavior only.
• Apple Photos Quick Transfer uses Export choices: All Files, Originals, Original JPEG Only, RAW Only, and Edited Only; see export options.
• Quick Rename is filesystem-only and is not available for Apple Photos items.

Workflow Output Options

For Apple Photos source workflows, use Photo Version to control asset variants:

• Original
• Edited
• Both

For filesystem sources, this control does not apply. Export can download resources that are only in iCloud.

For an unprocessed Apple Photos export to a folder, enable Include XMP Sidecars on the workflow destination to carry PhotoCuller metadata alongside the exported media. Do not assume Quick Transfer carries that metadata: its Apple Photos export does not add PhotoCuller’s metadata or create XMP sidecars. Processing and metadata-stripping steps can change the delivered result, so test one item and retain its sidecar when handing it off.

In a saved graph, Apply IPTC Template can target Outputs, Source Items, or Both. Source Items updates PhotoCuller’s metadata for the library item, not Photos’ own IPTC fields. Output EXIF corrections affect exported working files; source EXIF corrections are limited to Photos date/location. See Workflows.

EXIF Statistics and Downloads

Apple Photos supports camera, lens, ISO, and other EXIF statistics. These counts can be incomplete until full metadata has been read. Check EXIF Statistics in the right panel and use Scan Remaining to load the rest of the active source, not just the selection. The confirmation warns that this accesses full assets and downloads photos stored in iCloud. Allow time, network access, and local storage; see Statistics.

Recommendation

• Use filesystem when you need full file-level control (move, rename, rotate, locking, sidecars, direct file operations).
• Use Apple Photos when your library is already organized there and you want culling + workflow processing from album context.

See Also

• Getting Started
• Workflows
• Quick Transfer and Rename
• Metadata Editing
• Statistics