How do you do an backup of Mac photos if you use the photo iCloud optimization feature?

[relieflp]

I like to backup my Mac photos to an external hard drive and put that drive in my safe box. But, if I optimize, then I don't have the full resolution photo on my Mac??

 

[EdwinG]

Your assessment is correct.

You will need to download the originals to your device to be able to back them up.

 

[gnirkatto]

I had the same question.
Now I'm sorta shocked.
I uploaded my entire (classic, in OS folders) picture library to iCloud photos (~23k pictures, 90GB).
Apple I'm sure you're doing a good job securing the content of your customers iCloud data. But with all due respect, I would like to have 1 (only one!) additional copy somewhere else, to be on the safe side.
Is there really no way?
Downloading them once, and then doing incrementals, from time to time, would be acceptable. But do I have to run handwritten notes, on when I started to make new pictures, after the last download/backup?
They can't be serious. There has to be a better way.

(P.S. of course I kept a copy of my 90GB after uploading them to iCloud. But I'm asking on principle. There might be others who don't have copies. And my concern on how to do incrementals with affordable effort also affects me. And what about all these many iPhone/iCloud pictures that I took long before the upload? I will never ever be able to determine which ones I don't have a backup for. If there is in fact no way, this is the only image management system that I've ever heard of, that does not allow for creating backups. Why? Our iCloud will never fail? Oh my.)

 

[gnirkatto]

OK I just discovered the option to load/keep the originals on the Mac, fine.
But I'll still have to EXPORT them in order to make a backup, I think?
Then I'll have to delete the export after the backup - or else the whole iCloud thing to save space becomes pointless.
And the incremental backup question remains unanswered.
And what about the 'catalog' (or whatever it is where they store keywords, indexes etc. - or is all written into each picture? Who knows.)

 

[circatee]

OK I just discovered the option to load/keep the originals on the Mac, fine.
But I'll still have to EXPORT them in order to make a backup, I think?
Then I'll have to delete the export after the backup - or else the whole iCloud thing to save space becomes pointless.
And the incremental backup question remains unanswered.
And what about the 'catalog' (or whatever it is where they store keywords, indexes etc. - or is all written into each picture? Who knows.)

I have a copy of all my photos going to Google Photos (yes, I know, people hate Google, but...).
This to me, helps as a 'backup', for me...

 

[EdwinG]

OK I just discovered the option to load/keep the originals on the Mac, fine.
But I'll still have to EXPORT them in order to make a backup, I think?
Then I'll have to delete the export after the backup - or else the whole iCloud thing to save space becomes pointless.
And the incremental backup question remains unanswered.
And what about the 'catalog' (or whatever it is where they store keywords, indexes etc. - or is all written into each picture? Who knows.)

The images that are present on the device are saved in your "Photos Library.photoslibrary" folder (default name, and yes, it is a folder). While I wouldn't mess with its contents, you can always copy that folder to another device (e.g.: USB Hard Drive) for backup purposes. I personally use Time Machine for those purposes, which will grab all my present data files.

 

[gnirkatto]

The images that are present on the device are saved in your "Photos Library.photoslibrary" folder (default name, and yes, it is a folder). While I wouldn't mess with its contents, you can always copy that folder to another device (e.g.: USB Hard Drive) for backup purposes. I personally use Time Machine for those purposes, which will grab all my present data files.

2 issues with that:

1. this would need to keep all originals on the Mac, but I would like to save space.
2. it will not protect from SW failures and related data loss.

I would like to have an option to backup originals from the iCloud once, and then do incrementals. But apparently, that option does not exist.

 

[EdwinG]

2 issues with that:
1. this would need to keep all originals on the Mac, but I would like to save space.

Yes, or putting all the originals (and the library) on another drive.
In my eyes, that's exactly the same as OneDrive or Google Drive's Photos.

2. it will not protect from SW failures and related data loss.

It does, because your Photo library copy is not being used the Photos.app. It's a static copy

 

[gnirkatto]

Yes, or putting all the originals (and the library) on another drive.
In my eyes, that's exactly the same as OneDrive or Google Drive's Photos.

That's why I said: "I would like to have an option to backup originals from the iCloud once, and then do incrementals. But apparently, that option does not exist."

It does, because your Photo library copy is not being used the Photos.app. It's a static copy

The library is a folder w content in a proprietary (or reduced size & quality) format. If the handling & management algorithms do wrong things due to a bug (before producing a copy), thereby producing a (partly) corrupted library, I might not even notice that it's (partly) corrupted, before backing it up.
And again, that's why I said: "I would like to have an option to backup originals from the iCloud once, and then do incrementals. But apparently, that option does not exist."