Moving photos from one computer to another in LR Classic

[jhallettbc]

For a recent trip, I installed LR Classic on my MacBook Air and downloaded my photos as I took them and did some editing. Now home, I want to transfer all the photos to my iMac where I keep all my photos on the internal SSD. On the laptop, I kept the photos in a folder outside LR. Using an external HD for the transfer, will the photos keep the edits I've made to them? Or do I have to transfer the catalogue as well? If so, what are the steps?

Thanks.

 

[jerrylwatson]

Copy the whole folder to the iMac. In LR launch the import, locate the folder, and choose Add as the import. All edits will be included.

 

[jhallettbc]

Great. Much simpler than I feared. Thanks.

 

[jhallettbc]

Copy the whole folder to the iMac. In LR launch the import, locate the folder, and choose Add as the import. All edits will be included.

I spoke too soon. I cannot copy the folder. I get the symbol saying it can't be moved. I have spent 20 minutes with Apple help and they couldn't figure out what the problem is. Any ideas?

 

[jhallettbc]

I called Adobe and the person finally figured out the problem. The external HD needed to be reformatted before I could copy the folder onto it. Computer problems!!

 

[Bill Fraser]

To clarify, are you saying there is no longer a need to transfer the photos and field edits by "export as catalog" off the laptop and the "import catalog" on the desktop?

 

[jhallettbc]

Yes, it was not necessary. Only the folder with all the photos--the edits were included. I guess you could use that as well but I didn't want a separate catalogue. Just to clarify, I keep all my folders outside LR. I did that originally when I first got LR in case I didn't like it and I was stuck with transferring photos without the edits. Perhaps you can do that now, but I'm pretty sure you couldn't do it then--about 10 years ago.

 

[Anjin San]

Copy the whole folder to the iMac. In LR launch the import, locate the folder, and choose Add as the import. All edits will be included.

Assuming it finds the originals…if the Mac drive is still named Macintosh HD it should find them but I’ve always renamed my drives. Export the catalog with originals to the external and then import that catalog into your main catalog. I usually import without moving the originals on the external and then move them to the main catalog storage location manually within LR. Export/import will transfer edits and keywords and all.

 

[jerrylwatson]

Assuming it finds the originals…if the Mac drive is still named Macintosh HD it should find them but I’ve always renamed my drives. Export the catalog with originals to the external and then import that catalog into your main catalog. I usually import without moving the originals on the external and then move them to the main catalog storage location manually within LR. Export/import will transfer edits and keywords and all.

I never have this problem because I use Windows for photography. I only have the Mac so I can develop software for the iPhone/iPad.

 

[Anjin San]

I never have this problem because I use Windows for photography. I only have the Mac so I can develop software for the iPhone/iPad.

Then as long as the drive letter is the same it should find the originals…but if moving them from one catalog to another one is the goal the export and import routine is the recommended way to do it.

 

[jerrylwatson]

Then as long as the drive letter is the same it should find the originals…but if moving them from one catalog to another one is the goal the export and import routine is the recommended way to do it.

I am not sure what you mean. When I travel, I have a folder on the laptop that I download raw files and edit in a temp lightroom catalog. When I get home, I copy the folder to the external thunderbolt NAS drive that contains my other images. I then import the folder into my main catalog.

 

[Anjin San]

I am not sure what you mean. When I travel, I have a folder on the laptop that I download raw files and edit in a temp lightroom catalog. When I get home, I copy the folder to the external thunderbolt NAS drive that contains my other images. I then import the folder into my main catalog.

That will work…but any edits you do in the temp catalog won’t get transferred to the main catalog which I assume you have on your main computer because those edits only exist in the temp catalog. If you’re just moving the originals to the NAS and importing them into the main catalog and don’t care about the on travel edits…that’s a fine solution. But maybe I’m misunderstanding your process.

You can also transfer the temp catalog and originals to the iMac and then open the temp catalog, find any missing originals as needed, switch to the main catalog and import the temp one and edits will be preserved…but that’s doing it the hard way. The export of temp catalog and originals into a new folder on the laptop, move that folder to the iMac and then import the exported catalog into the main catalog (either moving them during import or after import within LR to the NAS) is a cleaner, easier to not mess up solution…and I’m all over cleaner harder to mess up solutions. This is the method I use. Others put the main catalog and smart previews on an external SSD that moves between the 2 computers so ther is only 1 catalog…that works too and import on travel to a folder anyplace on the external SSD. Then back at home…within LR with the external SSD attached to the iMac…move the new originals to the NAS. Either of these systems works fine.

 

[jerrylwatson]

That will work…but any edits you do in the temp catalog won’t get transferred to the main catalog which I assume you have on your main computer because those edits only exist in the temp catalog. If you’re just moving the originals to the NAS and importing them into the main catalog and don’t care about the on travel edits…that’s a fine solution. But maybe I’m misunderstanding your process.

You can also transfer the temp catalog and originals to the iMac and then open the temp catalog, find any missing originals as needed, switch to the main catalog and import the temp one and edits will be preserved…but that’s doing it the hard way. The export of temp catalog and originals into a new folder on the laptop, move that folder to the iMac and then import the exported catalog into the main catalog (either moving them during import or after import within LR to the NAS) is a cleaner, easier to not mess up solution…and I’m all over cleaner harder to mess up solutions. This is the method I use. Others put the main catalog and smart previews on an external SSD that moves between the 2 computers so ther is only 1 catalog…that works too and import on travel to a folder anyplace on the external SSD. Then back at home…within LR with the external SSD attached to the iMac…move the new originals to the NAS. Either of these systems works fine.

I use sidecar xmp files.

 

[jhallettbc]

I am not sure what you mean. When I travel, I have a folder on the laptop that I download raw files and edit in a temp lightroom catalog. When I get home, I copy the folder to the external thunderbolt NAS drive that contains my other images. I then import the folder into my main catalog.

That's exactly what I did.