Open the Photos app and select the external drive. Then choose the desired photo gallery or view them directly.
Open the Photos app and select the external drive. Then choose the desired photo gallery or view them directly.
There seems to be a way to browse your photos without syncing them to iCloud, keeping your storage usage low. You could use a dedicated photo viewer or app that supports local storage, allowing you to enjoy your collection easily while staying within your 50 gig limit.
Switch to opening them directly in the Photos app on Mac. This avoids uploading to iCloud and keeps your photo collection organized within the app.
Running a MacBook Pro on Big Sur is fine, but using another photo manager is okay too—just avoid filling up your iCloud.
This guide explains how to adjust your photo preferences on a Mac.
You can still upload files to the cloud by choosing the correct folder, whether on the external drive or elsewhere.