macOS Photos Import Tool

A macOS GUI application for importing photos from network folders into Apple Photos library with automatic album creation.

Features

• Native macOS Folder Selection: Select multiple folders using native macOS dialog with Cmd+Click
• Automatic Photo Import: Imports photos directly into Photos.app using AppleScript
• Clean Album Names: Creates albums with folder names (e.g., "2018-Drako" not "Downloads_2018-Drako")
• Batch Processing: Process multiple folders in one operation
• Progress Tracking: Real-time progress updates and logging
• Network Folder Support: Import from network drives and local folders

Requirements

• macOS (tested on macOS Sonoma)
• Python 3.8+
• Photos.app

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/jtabeling/macos-python-osx-import-folders.git
cd macos-python-osx-import-folders

2. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements_macos.txt

Usage

1. Run the application:

python3 osxphotos_import_folders.py

2. Click "Add Multiple" to select folders
3. Use Cmd+Click to select multiple folders in the native macOS dialog
4. Click "Start Import" to begin importing photos
5. Photos are automatically imported and organized into albums

How It Works

The application uses AppleScript to:

• Show native macOS folder selection dialog with multiple selection enabled
• Import photos using Photos.app's import functionality
• Create albums automatically based on folder names
• Add imported photos to the appropriate albums

Technical Details

• GUI Framework: tkinter
• Photo Import: AppleScript integration with Photos.app
• Album Creation: Uses make new album named AppleScript command
• Folder Selection: choose folder with multiple selections allowed

Import Statistics

Successfully tested with:

• 63 folders processed in one batch
• Multiple photos per folder (ranging from 1 to 44 photos)
• All photos imported successfully with proper album organization

License

MIT License

Author

Jerry Tabeling