MAC photos app faces storage

[neebah]

I just recently uploaded a copy of my photos library to the iCloud for viewing on my iPhone photo app.  I know that if I had a Mac and used the Mac photo app to store the faces that they are searchable in the iPhone photo library.  That being said does the Mac photo App Store the face tags in the file or in a proprietary database?  My photos are face tagged with Picassa and the tags are embedded in the files

[Phil Harvey]

You could just run ExifTool on the file to find out.

- Phil

[neebah]

Unfortunately I do not have a mac.  I have a windows pc, but use apple mobile devices.  I'm just curious how the Mac Photos App stores the faces

[Phil Harvey]

Well, I just ran the Apple Photos app (for the first time), imported a photo, tagged a face in it, then exported it again.  There was no face position information in the resulting image.  The only related metadata was the face name in XMP-dc:Subject and IPTC:Keywords.  I also searched the Photos library, and the information is stored in ./database/Library.apdb and database/Person.db, but not in any of the images.

- Phil

[neebah]

Would you be willing to send the sample. 

[neebah]

of both the image and database files

[Phil Harvey]

Here you go.  I've zipped up the three files that I mentioned.

- Phil

[neebah]

Thanks.  Another hopefully small request.  Can you check to see if a Picasa (MWG regions) tagged file has its faces recognized in the MAC app.  I doubt it.  but wanted to confirm

[Phil Harvey]

Sorry.  I don't have Picasa installed, and try to avoid installing Google software if at all possible (it is very invasive).

- Phil

[neebah]

Just wondering Phil.  Do you have a personal preference for face tagging software.  I don't like WLPG or Lightroom (because Adobe is just awful). 

[Phil Harvey]

No, sorry.  Being mainly a landscape photographer I don't have much use for face tagging.

- Phil