Mac Picture Capture App

  

Transfer images in Image Capture on Mac. Connect your device to your computer, then turn the device on. In the Image Capture app on your Mac, select the device in the Devices or Shared list. Use the buttons at the bottom of the Image Capture window to view the thumbnails as a list ( ), or to see.

Image Capture is a handy photo utility app that is pre-installed on your Mac device. Its primary use is to help you import photos from an external photo device like your iPhone to your Mac.

While this app works just fine for most users, unfortunately some are having problems with it. Some said that Image Capture does not work on Mac. Others reported that Image Capture crashes unexpectedly in the middle of an important task.

If you are among those users who have been in a situation where Image Capture is not working, then this guide is for you. In this post, you will learn how to fix Image Capture problems and how to use the app to become more productive. Let’s get started.

3 Solutions to Fix Image Capture Issues

Sometimes, restarting your Mac can help fix your Image Capture problems. However, what works for others may not always work for you.

That is why we recommend you try the solutions below one at a time until you find one that fixes your problem:

Mac Picture Capture App

Solution #1: Disable Your iCloud Photo Library.

What you should do first is to check your iPhone’s iCloud Photo Library. If it is enabled alongside the Optimize Storage feature, then this only means your photos are set to save on iCloud instead of your iPhone’s storage.

With this kind of setting, Image Capture might not be able to see the photos stored on your iPhone. Every time you view a photo, it needs to be downloaded from iCloud first before you can view it on Image Capture.

To solve this problem, try disabling iCloud Photo Library and the Optimize Storage feature on your iPhone.

Here is how you disable iCloud Photo Library:

  1. Open your iPhone and go to Settings.
  2. Scroll down and select Photos & Camera.
  3. Toggle off the switch next to iCloud Photo Library to disable it. By doing this, the Optimize Storage feature will automatically be disabled as well.
  4. Wait for your iPhone to download all your photos from iCloud.
  5. Connect your iPhone to your Mac again. Check if the photos are already showing in Image Capture.

Solution #2: Update Your Mac.

If iCloud Photo Library is disabled and Image Capture is still not showing your iPhone photos, you might need to update your Mac. It is likely that your macOS is not compatible with the iOS version of your iPhone.

For instance, if your iPhone is running on iOS 12, then the photos you will take will inherit the HEIF file format. This format cannot be opened or transferred on any Mac devices running on macOS 10.12.

Now, if you’ve updated your iPhone to iOS 11 or any later version and want to transfer photos, make sure to check your current macOS version first. If it is not compatible with your iOS version, consider updating your macOS to the most recent version or at least to one that’s compatible with it.

Solution #3: Install a Reliable Mac Cleaner Tool.

Oftentimes, problems with Image Capture arise because of Mac errors triggered by junk and unwanted files that are consuming a huge chunk of space on your system.

Mac Picture Capture App Software

Over time, cache files, unnecessary file logs, diagnostic reports, broken downloads, and iOS updates accumulate on your drive and take up valuable space. Deleting them can free up space, restore your Mac’s efficiency, and get rid of app problems.

To delete system junk quickly and efficiently, install a reliable Mac cleaning tool.

How to Use Image Capture on Mac

Now that you know how to fix problems with Image Capture on your Mac, it’s time to start using it and be productive!

Let’s explore these three common uses of Image Capture, so you can soon use it to your advantage:

1. Importing and Deleting Photos from an External Device

Yes, it is possible to import photos from an external device to your Mac with Image Capture. Here’s how:

Importing Photos Directly to a Folder

  1. Plug the source external device into your Mac.
  2. Open the Image Capture app.
  3. Decide whether or not you want Image Capture to delete the photos from the external device after import.
  4. Start importing the photos by clicking the Import All button. You can also select photos one by one and click Import.

Deleting Photos in Bulk

  1. Plug the source external device into your Mac.
  2. Open the Image Capture app.
  3. Select the photos you wish to delete from the external device.
  4. Click Delete.

2. Creating Contact Sheets

If you like to have a closer look of the photos you stored on your device, you have the option to display them together on one contact sheet. The best part is that you can easily generate a sheet without even closing the Image Capture app.

Here’s how:

  1. Connect the source external device into your Mac.
  2. Launch the Image Capture app.
  3. Select all the photos you like to add in your contact sheet.
  4. Navigate to the Import To dropdown menu.
  5. Select MakePDF.
  6. Hit the Import button.
  7. If you wish to change the layout of the contact sheet, you can choose a different one from the Layout menu. Go to Layout and select New Layout.

3. Scanning Documents

With Image Capture, scanning documents is as easy as pie. In fact, you need not use the app that comes with your scanner because your Mac will automatically install the latest scanner software for you.

The moment you connect a scanner to your Mac, you can find it listed under the Devices section of the Image Capture app. However, in some rare cases, you might need to manually set it up by going to System Preferences and then Printers & Scanners.

Once the scanner is already up and running, all you need to do is hit the Scan button and your documents will be scanned.

In the event that you want to change the format of the scanned file, you just have to click on the Show Details button next to the Scan button. From there, you can modify the file format.

A Simple Yet Handy Native Mac App

Although Image Capture is not one of the most popular Mac apps out there, we cannot deny the fact that it is handy in its own little way. For you to appreciate it, you will probably have to open it when you need it.

But as with other native Mac apps, you also need to remember that it is no stranger to bugs and problems. If you encounter one, just relax. We already have the possible solutions above.

Do you know other ways to fix “Image Capture Not Working” problems? Have you got other brilliant ways to use this app? Share it with us below!

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  • January 02, 2020
  • 18 min to read

Most free photo editors available on the App Store are quite basic, offering just a limited number of filters and allowing you to easily and quickly liven up your photos before posting them on social media.

But if you’re an aspiring or professional photographer, you probably need a more powerful app with a broader set of tools to use your creativity to the fullest. Besides, you probably use your Mac for photo editing because working on a large screen makes it possible to adjust the slightest details.

1. Apple’s Photos (Built-in app)

Apple’s Photos app is included for free on all recently released Macs. It does a good job at organizing your photos, but its collection of photo enhancement tools leaves much to be desired. Hopefully, our selection of the best free programs for photo editing on Mac will help you choose the right app to suit all your creative needs.

2. Luminar (7 days trial)

Luminar is another full-featured photo editor that’s popular with both Mac and Windows users. It can work as a standalone app as well as a plugin for such popular programs as Apple Photos.

Luminar uses Artificial Intelligence to enable sophisticated yet quick photo enhancements. Among these AI features are Sky Enhancer, which adds more depth and detail to the sky in your photos while leaving other areas untouched; Accent AI, which analyzes a photo and automatically applies the best combination of different effects to enhance your image; and Sun Rays, which allows you to place an artificial sun and adjust the lighting to your liking or make the sun rays already in your photo look even more incredible.

Luminar has over 60 filters you can apply to your photos to enhance them in a moment. Luminar also provides a set of powerful tools for cropping, transforming, cloning, erasing, and stamping, along with layers, brushes, and many more incredible features. Luminar supports the Touch Bar on the latest MacBook Pro, making photo editing even more effortless and pleasing.

3. Photolemur 3 (Free Version with watermark)

Photolemur is a relative newcomer on the photo editing market but it has all the chances to win the favor of beginner photographers and hobbyists. Running on Artificial Intelligence, Photolemur is a completely automatic photo enhancer, meaning that it does all the editing for you in no time. It has the simplest interface, with only a few buttons and sliders to adjust the enhancement to your liking and view the before and after results.

All you need to do is choose a photo (or a few) that you want to improve, drag and drop or import them using the Import button, and let the program make enhancements. After it’s done, you can compare the edited version with the original image by using the before–after slider and, if you want, adjust the skin tone or even enlarge the eyes using additional sliders. Pretty easy, huh?

Photolemur also offers a number of impressive styles to touch up your photos and give them a sophisticated and professional look. With this app, you don’t need to stuff your head with photo editing nuances and terms. Just run Photolemur and watch the magic happen!

4. Aurora HDR (14 days trial)

As you probably can tell from the name, Aurora HDR is designed to help photographers enhance their HDR photos, making them even more detailed and beautiful. It’s an ideal tool for editing your photos, with an extensive collection of more than 20 tools including details, tone, mapping, color, glow, and vignette. Each tool has its unique selection of controls to adjust its effects.

Aurora HDR enables you to work with brushes, layers, and masks, and provides a number of automatic AI tools for recognizing and removing noise, enhancing colors, lighting, and details, improving clarity, and adding contrast to dull areas while leaving other areas untouched.

Aurora HDR does a great job dealing with difficult lighting situations and creating full-of-life images while being easy to use.

5. Pixelmator (Trial 30 Days)

Pixelmator is a photo enhancer beloved by many Mac users, as it offers a good combination of a modern and simple interface, the ability to work on multiple layers, and powerful features that take photo editing to a whole new level. With so many editing tools, brushes, and effects, you can enhance your photos to your liking. You can choose between two versions of Pixelmator – standard and pro – depending on your needs. The standard version is great for basic photo editing with its selection of essential tools and filters, while the pro version is packed with extra brushes, tools, and effects that let you push your creativity to new boundaries. You can decide which version is suitable for you according to what features you’re looking for in a photo editing app.

6. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 (Trial link)

Photoshop Elements isn’t as affordable as other photo enhancers for beginner photographers. But luckily there’s a trial version available, so you can check it out before deciding whether this app is worthy of your money. Photoshop Elements acquired many powerful features from Photoshop, only Elements is simplified for amateur photographers and enthusiasts. It includes a good number of effects and filters, plus automated editing options for improving lighting, color balance, and exposure, and even opening closed eyes and reducing the effects of camera shake.

In addition to all of these awesome features, Photoshop also offers editing modes for beginners, intermediate users, and experts. Beginners will probably prefer Quick mode, as it focuses on essential tools to quickly enhance your photos by improving color, lighting, and other basic settings. Guided mode provides intermediate users with step-by-step guidance with more professional features like artistic effects, skin tone correction, and background replacement. Expert mode gives you full access to the app’s really powerful editing features and is ideal for creating stunning images.

7. Affinity Photo (Free Trial)

Affinity Photo’s interface may seem overwhelming at first, especially for novices, but when you come to grips with it you’ll find that the app is just what you’ve been looking for. Its numerous professional tools, effects, and filters encourage you to get creative with your photos. Among the coolest features Affinity Photo has to offer is a before and after view to compare the original photo with its edited version.

Affinity Photo works with 15 file types, including common ones like PDF, PSD, JPG, and GIF as well as some less popular ones. The app amazes with its abundance of basic and top-notch editing tools, allowing you to tweak your photos using all possible kinds of instruments. Affinity Photo allows you to edit HDR photos, apply artistic filters and effects, play with masks and layers, and create breathtaking compositions by combining several images in one. If you find its interface a bit much and are afraid of getting lost in all those advanced tools, you should probably look for something more suitable for your level. But Affinity Photo is worth mastering.

Image Capture Software For Mac

8. Google Photos

Google Photos is a popular cloud storage service for photos and videos. It can’t boast countless masterly tools like other photo enhancers that we review in this article, but it includes some fundamental features like filters, color adjustment sliders, and transformation tools.

Although Google Photos may not be that helpful when it comes to editing photos, it does a pretty good job at storing high-resolution images and videos with 15GB of free online storage, compared to iCloud’s mere 5GB (which you can upgrade to 50GB for a monthly fee). If you’re planning to go on a trip and take plenty of photos, then it might be smart to sign up for Google Photos to use that extra storage space when you come back.

9. PhotoScape X (Free)

A relatively new photo editing app, PhotoScape X has been gaining popularity with many Mac and PC users since its release in 2008. Its interface is simple but unconventional, with a number of tabs running along the top of the window. Each is responsible for a specific stage of editing. The Viewer tab allows you to browse and organize your photos. After you pick a photo, you can switch to the Editor tab, which includes a broad set of instruments, filters, and effects and a useful feature that enables you to compare the adjusted photo with the original.

The next tabs, including the Batch tab, mainly concentrate on editing and renaming multiple photos at once. The GIF tab allows you to easily create an animated GIF from a group of selected photos.

The downside of PhotoScape X is a lack of selection tools, so all changes are applied to the whole image rather than to a selected part.

10. Gimp (Free)

Gimp is a free open-source photo editing app that has been on the market for over 22 years and is available for Windows, Mac, and even Linux. Unlike many free apps, Gimp doesn’t have any ads or in-app purchases. Its grey interface might seem a little old-fashioned and it may be a bit sluggish when it comes to complex effects, though.

Gimp offers a vast collection of advanced tools that hardly any free photo editor can boast. It has numerous enhancement options such as clone and heal brushes, layers and channels, accurate selection tools, a number of transformation instruments, and, of course, color adjustment controls. Gimp is one of the most powerful tools for enhancing photos and is beloved by so many users for its price (free) and versatility. But if you can’t come to grips with Gimp’s interface, it may be worth paying some cash for a more user-friendly program.