How to get photos out of Iphoto and Aperture and into normal files.

Perhaps you should try to understand how iPhoto and Aperture work. They ARE normal files, neither iPhoto not Aperture change them in any way. In Aperture they have a “preview” image stored, but they do not do anything to the original file that isn’t a change you used the app to make yourself. Maybe some careful time spent reading the manuals and help files will help you. Any files in iPhoto that you have lost the original for can be exported from the share menu. If you search on a photo name you will find all instances and all directories/folders where that image appears on your system.

It is correct that I didn’t read any manuals. I did get Help from the genius’s they couldn’t find my lost files nor could they find a way to read blanked photos. My problem is that Iphoto and Aperture arbitrarily multiplies photos and also I have many files that Iphoto has a place setting but cannot read the file. In some cases I have been able to get photo shop to read the photos. This doesn’t work often enough.
I just want to get all my original or master files out of Aperture and Iphoto libraries. I think these libraries can only be read by the corresponding program. I need to have confidence in what I have. I want to find a way back to what I had in terms of file storage before I unfortunately gobbled everything with iphoto.

@darylrush

Ok. They will usually be in a folder called “users/xxxxx/Pictures/iPhoto Library” where xxxxx is your username. (Just go into your “Pictures” folder and look for the “iPhoto” folder.)

If that doesn’t work – if the storage area has been changed then put a new photo into iPhoto and name it something unique. Search for all instances of it using Spotlight. It will be in whatever folder is being used for storage – along with all your other images.