# Viewing/importing the Apple iCloud Photo Stream in LR on Mac



## kvdv (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi,

First of all let me just say that I use LR on a daily basis for management and editing of my RAW files.

Lately I also shoot jpg snaps with my iPhone 4 and all photos are automatically send to iCloud. When I get home, I open iPhoto on my Macbook and the photos are already there, no need to sync, etc.  It's so easy and it's a real big time-saver. Love it!

However, my girlfriend uses Windows and cannot access the photos in the iPhoto database. Moreover, I'm not a big fan of iPhoto.  So I was thinking of importing the jpg snapshots, made with the iPhone, in LR too.  LR is also great with offline usage : I can put new photos on the laptop while travelling, edit them, and later when I'm home I can easily move them to the NAS.  

One question remains:  it seems that LR can't work with Apple's iCloud Photo stream.  Is this true?

Setting LR to watch the iCloud photo stream folder is possible on the PC  where you can specify the folder using the iCloud app for Windows.  However, on the Mac there's no iCloud app and therefore, only iPhoto and  Aperture are able to see the photo stream.  :(

I hope someone is going to tell me about a workaround, a LR plugin or a  3rd party tool to get this thing going.  That would be awesome.
(Adobe's Carousel is not free and not cheap for non-professionals, so that's not an option for me.)


Thanks for the help.
Kris


----------



## RikkFlohr (Jan 5, 2012)

The easiest solution would be to install iCloud on the PC and have the photos sync there at the same time as they sync to your iPhoto on your Macbook.  Of course, then her PC gets all the photos-not just the photos you want her to get. 

All of my iPhone 4 photos are sent to my PC automatically via iCloud. I then have Lightroom watch the folder where they are placed an imported automatically.


----------



## kvdv (Jan 6, 2012)

Ok, this makes sense, and I'm pretty sure it would work, however:  she's going to have her own iPhone soon, so then what?
Can she install iCloud Control Panel on her Windows laptop and configure it to use two Apple ID's (my ID and her ID) ?

And what about families using one Apple ID for all family members?  Let's say she's going to use my Apple ID when she has her own iPhone.
How can she then work with two Photo Streams? The one from her iPhone and the one from my iPhone?  Unless.. all photos would be mixed together in one stream because we're using one and the same ID?
Although I can imagine that this would be a big problem in families where the parents see the children's photos in their photo stream .

Am I the only one who thinks it's not getting easier?  

-Kris


----------



## clee01l (Jan 6, 2012)

kvdv said:


> Ok, this makes sense, and I'm pretty sure it would work, however:  she's going to have her own iPhone soon, so then what?
> Can she install iCloud Control Panel on her Windows laptop and configure it to use two Apple ID's (my ID and her ID) ?
> 
> And what about families using one Apple ID for all family members?  Let's say she's going to use my Apple ID when she has her own iPhone.
> ...


iCloud only works with one AppleID at a time.  Families should not use a 'groupID'.   Home Sharing and Air Play are ways to get around this in your home network.  Since Apple dropped iDisk when they introduced iCloud, there is no way to share files in iCloud (yet?). Dropbox is an acceptable replacement for the time being. You can install Dropbox on iOS, OSX, Android, and Win.   Dropbox has Public Folders that anyone can access if they know the web URL.  The also have 'Shared' folders which you can designate a folder and by email address individuals you what to have access.


----------



## kvdv (Jan 6, 2012)

I just read the following:  ..."I do this with my wife. One apple ID to share apps, music, movies, etc for all our phones,  iPads, laptops... But we use a separate "iCloud ID" for each  device so you don't have to share/mix photos, docs, etc.. That's how we do  it."...


----------



## clee01l (Jan 6, 2012)

A Cloud ID separate from individual Apple IDs might just provide that solution you are looking for.  

One other point,  You can increase you free 5GB storage in iCloud by getting individual iCloud Accounts for each device.


----------

