diff --git a/backend/app/routers/photos.py b/backend/app/routers/photos.py
index b86adc2..9c76500 100644
--- a/backend/app/routers/photos.py
+++ b/backend/app/routers/photos.py
@@ -745,8 +745,16 @@ def _generate_proxy_webp(src_path: str, dst_path: str) -> None:
                         from io import BytesIO
                         img = Image.open(BytesIO(thumb.data))
             except Exception as e2:
-                logger.error(f"RAW preview extraction also failed for {src_path}: {e2}")
-                raise HTTPException(status_code=415, detail="Unable to decode RAW file")
+                # Last-resort: iPhone "Apple ProRAW" / Linear DNG isn't a
+                # Bayer-pattern RAW — LibRaw rejects it. The file IS a TIFF
+                # container with a developed RGB image inside, so PIL opens
+                # it directly. Same fallback covers misnamed TIFFs.
+                logger.warning(f"RAW preview extraction failed for {src_path}: {e2}; trying PIL TIFF fallback")
+                try:
+                    img = Image.open(src_path)
+                except Exception as e3:
+                    logger.error(f"PIL fallback also failed for {src_path}: {e3}")
+                    raise HTTPException(status_code=415, detail="Unable to decode RAW file")
 
     # HEIC/HEIF — pillow-heif registers a PIL plugin
     elif ext in {'.heic', '.heif'}:
diff --git a/backend/app/tasks/thumbs.py b/backend/app/tasks/thumbs.py
index cd70e34..f466d6f 100644
--- a/backend/app/tasks/thumbs.py
+++ b/backend/app/tasks/thumbs.py
@@ -74,9 +74,19 @@ def process_raw_image(filepath: str) -> Image.Image:
                 # Convert numpy array to PIL Image
                 return Image.fromarray(rgb, 'RGB')
         except Exception as e:
-            logger.error(f"Error processing RAW file {filepath}: {e}")
-            # Try to extract embedded JPEG preview
-            return extract_raw_preview(filepath)
+            logger.warning(f"rawpy failed for {filepath}: {e}; trying embedded preview")
+            preview = extract_raw_preview(filepath)
+            if preview is not None:
+                return preview
+            # iPhone "Apple ProRAW" / Linear DNG has no embedded preview and
+            # LibRaw rejects it as not-a-RAW. It IS a TIFF container with a
+            # developed RGB image inside, so PIL opens it directly.
+            try:
+                logger.warning(f"embedded preview missing for {filepath}; trying PIL TIFF fallback")
+                return Image.open(filepath)
+            except Exception as e2:
+                logger.error(f"PIL fallback also failed for {filepath}: {e2}")
+                raise
     else:
         # Use exiftool to extract embedded preview
         return extract_raw_preview(filepath)