May 06, 2017 If you only want to download the photos from your iPhone, but not not upload all photos from your Mac to iCloud, create a new, empty library and make it your iCloud Library on your Mac. All photos from the iPhone will then download to this new library, and you can export them and import to your main library.
Which iPhone model do you have and which version of iOS on the iPhone?
Nov 11, 2018 Here's the steps you need to take to download your photos and get them into Google Photos, whether you're using a PC, a Mac or if you do everything. Photos Support. Get help with missing photos. Get help with Photos for macOS. Get help with the Camera app. Transfer photos from your iPhone. You can move photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac or PC. And with iCloud Photos, your photos are available on all your devices.
Which model is your Mac and version of macOS is on your Mac? Which version of iTunes? If not all devices have been updated to the most recent versions, importing by USB connection may not work.
I want my pictures on my mac only, not my phone, not the cloud. How the heck is this done?
Since your photos are already in iCloud Photo Library, stop using iCloud Photo Library on the Mac.
Apple How To Download Photos
See: https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.2/?lang=en#/phtf5e48489c
Stop using iCloud Photo Library
Upload Photos From Iphone To Imac
Important: If you turn off iCloud Photo Library, you’ll be prompted to select “Download Originals to this Mac” in the iCloud pane of Photos preferences, so all your original photos can be downloaded from iCloud to your Mac. Be sure to allow time for your originals to download before turning off iCloud Photo Library completely.
- Choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud.
- Deselect the iCloud Photo Library checkbox to turn it off.
After you turn off iCloud Photo Library, the Photos app on your Mac can’t access your photos or videos stored in iCloud. Any edits you make to photos on your Mac won’t appear on your other devices, and any new photos you take will not be added to Photos on your Mac. Your library remains in iCloud and available to other devices that use iCloud Photo Library.
To turn off iCloud Photo Library on all your devices, open the iCloud pane of System Preferences, click the Manage button, then click Photo Library. Click “Disable and delete.” Your photos and videos will be deleted from iCloud Photo Library in 30 days, unless you click Undo Delete before that time.
Do not use the 'Click “Disable and delete”' option, until all photos have downloaded to your Mac and you made the first backup. After that you can use “Disable and delete” to erase the photos from your iPhone.
After you stopped using iCloud Photo Library on all devices, you can either download new photos to your Mac using a USB connection (https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.2/?lang=en#/pht6c803201) or with My Photo Stream.