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How can I edit photos and discard the originals?

In nearly all my photos, all I want to keep is a cropped bit. When I export my edits to the Desktop and import them to Photos, then trash the originals, I get a message that I can't edit them. What I have to do is make Screenshots and import them. It used to me much simpler. Why has Apple done this?

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Apr 17, 2021 10:28 AM

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Posted on Apr 17, 2021 2:27 PM

How can I edit photos and discard the originals?


By not using Photos, which is an app expressly designed to do exactly the opposite of what you want: namely preserve the originals.


So, don't use a parametric editor like Photos, use a pixel editor like Photoshop, Graphic Converter, Preview et al.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 17, 2021 2:27 PM in response to Ewan Lamont

How can I edit photos and discard the originals?


By not using Photos, which is an app expressly designed to do exactly the opposite of what you want: namely preserve the originals.


So, don't use a parametric editor like Photos, use a pixel editor like Photoshop, Graphic Converter, Preview et al.

Apr 18, 2021 5:50 AM in response to Ewan Lamont

Why not a photo programme that does what the consumer wants?


You're not the only consumer and what you want is not necessarily what other consumers want. So there are two photo apps on your Mac. One for the folks who like non-destructive editing called Photos and one for folks like you who prefer to trash their original files. That's called Preview. There are advantages to both systems but you'll find most photographers prefer non-destructive. It means there's opportunities to fix mistakes :)


My motive is Memory management


I suspect you mean disk space management. For the ones who prefer non-destructive editing then there is the fact that disk space is inexpensive and running a Photos library from an external disk is simple.


In any event, the moral of the story is to use the right tool for the job :)

How can I edit photos and discard the originals?

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