Understanding Photos

 

Camera Roll.


Photos and video in the camera roll usually comprise of photos and video taken on that device, however photos can be added to the camera roll from almost anywhere.


Photos and video are stored in full resolution, they are backed up during back ups to either iTunes or iCloud and can be downloaded to a computer when the device is connected (like a camera) by USB.



(Camera Roll) Albums.


While these are typically referred to as albums within iOS, it should be remembered that albums made from camera roll photos are not the same as albums synced from iTunes or shared streams.


Photos must be in the camera roll to be included in an album, the same photo can be added to more than one album, they are not duplicated when added to an album they are simply linked to the original. Subsequently, if the original photo is removed from the camera roll, it will also be removed from any album it is in.


Albums can be considered to be backed up during back ups to either iTunes or iCloud. Essentially, it’s the links that are backed up, but the outcome is that the albums will be restored along with the camera roll.



(iTunes) Albums.    


These are the albums that are on your device by virtue of being synced via iTunes on a computer, they can’t be deleted directly from the device, they are not backed up during back ups to either iTunes or iCloud.



My Photo Stream.


With My Photo Stream enabled, any photos you take are copied from your camera roll to the cloud, from where they are copied back to your device and placed in your ‘My Photo Stream’ album. Other devices including computers can sign in and enable My Photo Stream using the same Apple ID and become part of the My Photo Stream sharing arrangement, so that all devices share all photos.


Only photos (no video) can currently be shared using My Photo Stream, photos in My Photo Stream are stored on your device in addition to any originals in the camera roll. Photo Stream in the cloud keeps full resolution copies of the photos, the cloud shares them to computers in full resolution, photos shared with mobile devices may be reduced in size.


My Photo Stream is not backed up during back ups to either iTunes or iCloud.


My Photo Stream in the cloud only keeps photos from the last 30 days (subject to a 1,000 photo limit). When My Photo Stream syncs the photos to your device they will stay there (subject to a 1,000 photo limit) until deleted, which means you may well have more photos in your My Photo Stream album on your device than there are in My Photo Stream in the cloud. The consequence of this is that if you turn My Photo Stream off and on again on your device (or enable it for the first time), it will only be populated with photos from the last 30 days, which may not be all the photos that were previously in the My Photo Stream album on that device.



Shared Streams.


Shared Streams can comprise photos from your camera roll, albums or my photo stream, they can also include video. They are shared to the cloud and can be shared with your other devices, other people’s devices or with anyone through a web site portal.


Shared Streams are often used just to share between one’s own devices, maybe because they aren’t subject to being removed after 30 days and aren’t removed when the original is removed, or perhaps just because of convenience


Photos may be reduced in size and video is reduced in size, compressed further and limited to 5 minutes, these reductions apply on all devices, Shared Streams are not backed up during back ups to either iTunes or iCloud.