Emailing photos from iPhoto - file size

I'm not understanding what happens to my image size when I try to email a photo from iPhoto. In iPhoto, I select an image and click the Email button. It asks for size and I select Actual Size (Full Quality) and show as being 2.1 MB.

Now when I actually compose the email, it embeds the photo but the message size is on 32 KB and if send, does not send as actual size of 2.1 MB. AND, when I send and receive the message, it shows as an attachment size of 19.5 KB.

Why can't I email a photo from iPhoto at actual size?

Thanks

Is the email image size set to "Actual Size"? It's at the lower right corner in the email compose window.

OK, now I'm really embarrassed I never noticed that before! Guess I just figured if you already selected that you want to send as actual size in iPhoto, that you wouldn't need to say you wanted actual size a second time...

Thanks.

Bah, don't be. You'd be surprised how many Mac users never notice it.

It really is a stupid "feature" - but I suppose it has its use.