How to Show Duplicates in iPhoto

If you're like many photographers, you probably have multiple copies of the same image stored in your iPhoto library. This can be a bit wasteful since you now have one extra file than you need (an additional, duplicated original 'behind' the edited version). However, it's a way to have your cake and eat it – both the original photo and an edited version side-by-side in Apple Photos.

To get rid of thumbnails, you can create an AppleScript that removes photos from your iPhoto library album whose width or height is less than 200. This script is outlined on the O'Reilly Network.

Here are the steps to show duplicates in iPhoto:

Step 01: Open the photo

Instead of wasting time looking for a Duplicate command in the main Photos browser window, you need to open the photo you want to duplicate by tapping it.

Step 02: Duplicate it

However, what you really want to do is duplicate the original so that you can work on a copy. But then there's another problem – where's the 'Duplicate' command?

Step 03: Check your duplicate in album view

We can now see that we've got two copies of the same photo. The one we want is the Duplicate button on the far left. This opens a screen where your chosen photo is selected and you have a row of apps to share to and another row underneath consisting of actions you can carry out.

Step 04: Check the outcome

Here we are. I've messed around with the Fade filter and some other settings, but that doesn't matter too much right now – this is just an example to show what happens. It doesn't much matter which one I work on since they're both the same, but I'll choose the second.

Overall, Apple Photos is a great way to keep all your photos handy on all your devices, and it practically looks after itself – you add a photo on one device, and very soon it's on all of them. Apple Photos is central to both Mac OS and iOS devices.

Iphoto show duplicates