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How do I password-protect an iPhoto album on MobileMe Gallery?

I really like how iPhoto works with my Apple MobileMe account on the Web and the gallery it produces is very cool. My friends, in particular, really tell me they think it looks cool and makes it fun for them to see the photos I upload. Problem is, sometimes I want to create password-protected private albums, not just have everything I upload available to the general public at large. How do I do that in iPhoto?


Dave's Answer:

I'm a busy photographer myself, taking thousands of photographs annually, and you're right, it is definitely fun to be able to click a button or two and share your best work with your friends and family (and clients, for that matter). Not every photo album, however, is appropriate for the general public (and Google Image Search, for that matter).

I've used a variety of online photo album utilities and have to say that I don't think Apple did a very good job of implementing this particular feature in MobileMe: what it has is clunky and definitely non-intuitive. But it's workable. So let me show you how to get from here to there.

First off, on the lower right of iPhoto you should see your usual list of external site icons:

iphoto external site toolbar

Select a gallery, album, or even use Cmd-Click to select a specific set of photographs you want to publish to your private album, then click on the MobileMe icon.

You'll see something like this:

iphoto publish to mobile me

If you click on "Everyone" in the area "Album viewable by..." you'll see your options:

iphoto publish to mobile me viewable

This is where I wish there were more options. For example, I'd like to be able to define what in security circles we'd call concentric access rings: just me, my immediate family, my extended family, family and friends, and then everyone online. MobileMe doesn't support that, so to create a password-protected album you will instead have to choose "Edit Names and Passwords..."

At this point I create an account called "family" and specify the password I want everyone to share:

iphoto publish to mobile me accounts

Click "OK" and the photos will be uploaded and the album is uploaded and made available.

If you then log in to MobileMe, you'll see in your administrators view the album shown with a tiny padlock icon:

mobileme gallery albums

Try to view the album without having logged in, however, and it prompts you for an account/password pair before letting you proceed:

mobileme gallery album login

Just what we want. It's just a bit more awkward than I'd like...


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Categorized: Mac OS X Help   (Article 9020, Written by )
Tagged: apple iphoto, mac os x, mobileme, photo sharing
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Reader Comments To Date: 2

john said, on December 14, 2010 8:33 AM:

There's hasn't been too many comments as "amazingly" it isn't really that "awkward"

Peggy Manfredi said, on August 18, 2011 1:24 AM:

I really dislike Mobile Me because it is too confusing. I'd like to easily send photos to certain people, but not everyone, and do it a lot easier than the way it is set up. Once an album has been designated for "Everyone" is there a way to go back and change this setting.

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











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