How to take a photo on a Mac
To take a photo on a Mac, open Photo Booth (it comes with every Mac), click the red camera button and wait for the three-second countdown. The photo is saved in Photo Booth; to get it into Apple Photos, drag it there. The free MacCam app does the same with one key press and saves straight into Photos.
With Photo Booth
- Open Photo Booth from Launchpad, Spotlight (⌘ Space, type “Photo Booth”) or Applications.
- Make sure “Take a still picture” is selected at the bottom left.
- Click the red camera button. After a three-second countdown the screen flashes and the photo is taken.
- To keep it in your library, drag the thumbnail into Photos or onto the desktop.
Hold Option while you click to skip the countdown, or Shift to turn off the screen flash.
Where the photos end up
Photo Booth keeps its pictures inside its own library in Pictures › Photo Booth Library. They do not appear in Apple Photos or iCloud Photos until you move them there yourself.
Using an iPhone or a webcam
If your Mac has no built-in camera, or you want a better picture, you can use your iPhone as the camera (Continuity Camera) or plug in a USB webcam. Photo Booth picks them from the Camera menu.
Easier with MacCam
Take a photo with MacCam
- Download MacCam from maccam.app and open it – it moves itself into Applications.
- Open MacCam. A short tour asks for camera access.
- Press Space. The photo is saved straight into Apple Photos, album “Camera”.
Questions
Does every Mac have a camera?
Every MacBook, iMac and Studio Display has a built-in FaceTime camera. Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro need an external webcam or an iPhone.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for taking a photo?
Photo Booth has no single-key shortcut. In MacCam you press Space.
Why is my photo mirrored?
The preview is mirrored so it feels like a mirror. Photo Booth saves photos mirrored too; you can flip them with Edit › Flip Photo. MacCam saves them the right way round by default.