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How Can One Find Image Files Lightroom Stores on Local Hard Drive?

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LBPhoto

New Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2021
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12
Lightroom Version Number
Lightroom 6.1
Operating System
  1. macOS 12 Monterey
Is there any way to find the individual image files on the local hard drive, perhaps in the cache?

It appears that LR mainly stores image files in the Cloud but some number of images may actually be stored in a “cache” on the local hard drive. The size of the cache is adjustable via the LR settings. I’ve run out of Cloud storage, so I assume any images I’m importing into LR are going into the LR cache on the local hard drive. I tried performing a global search of my hard drive for a file name of one of the images I imported into LR and it did not show up. It appears that LR has some proprietary storage of files that excludes them from being visible in the computer’s file system. I’d be grateful for any references that may be available to details on this topic.
 
Are you still able to import new images if the cloud storage allowance has been filled? I'd assumed that wouldn't be possible as the cloud is the primary location for storing your images.

In terms of the local location of any originals, that is determined by the Lightroom Preferences>Local Storage tab. The default location would be buried within the "Lightroom Library.lrlibrary" package which is stored in the user's Pictures folder, though many people change the location for the originals to a separate drive. So if you haven't changed the originals location, you'll find them inside that package.
 
Running out of cloud storage will eventually come to the notice of Adobe and you will be asked to increase your subscription. Local cache is temporary and the storage of Local Copies of the originals does not include any Lightroom Adjustments and these local copies of the originals are not easily searchable.
.
 
Are you still able to import new images if the cloud storage allowance has been filled? I'd assumed that wouldn't be possible as the cloud is the primary location for storing your images.

In terms of the local location of any originals, that is determined by the Lightroom Preferences>Local Storage tab. The default location would be buried within the "Lightroom Library.lrlibrary" package which is stored in the user's Pictures folder, though many people change the location for the originals to a separate drive. So if you haven't changed the originals location, you'll find them inside that package.
I thought that was odd too… I am able to import images but I have been getting the warning that I’m out of cloud storage and I need to increase my subscription. I think the answer may be in that local cache storage that I mentioned and that clee01l referenced in the other reply - that it’s likely temporary and even if I was able to import now I don’t have confidence that those images are not going to be removed if the cache needs to be cleared.
I think you also re-confirmed my conclusion about the accessibility to the original images - they are buried within the LR library file(s) and will not be seen if looking for them via the computer’s file system, for example, using“Finder” on the Mac. Thank you for confirming for me!
 
Running out of cloud storage will eventually come to the notice of Adobe and you will be asked to increase your subscription. Local cache is temporary and the storage of Local Copies of the originals does not include any Lightroom Adjustments and these local copies of the originals are not easily searchable.
.
I receive that notice you mention constantly but I’ve resisted paying the monthly increase amount because I’m still using LRC and haven’t decided how much I need the cloud storage feature. I like the LR interface better than LRC but all my work is in LRC which still works fine. I wish Adobe would add a couple of more features into LR and then I’d probably break down and switch to LR all the way. Thanks for confirming the temporary nature of the cache - I won’t rely on that to keep originals especially now that I’m out of cloud storage.
 
I think you also re-confirmed my conclusion about the accessibility to the original images - they are buried within the LR library file(s) and will not be seen if looking for them via the computer’s file system, for example, using“Finder” on the Mac. Thank you for confirming for me!
They are easily accessible using Finder....simply right-click on the Lightroom Library.lrlibrary package and select "Show Package Contents". Finder then shows the folder structure inside that package and you can browse the structure to find the "originals" sub-folder (if you haven't changed the originals location via the Preferences).
 
They are easily accessible using Finder....simply right-click on the Lightroom Library.lrlibrary package and select "Show Package Contents". Finder then shows the folder structure inside that package and you can browse the structure to find the "originals" sub-folder (if you haven't changed the originals location via the Preferences).
Thank you very much! I did not know about that feature.
 
Adobe allows you to go over the amount of available storage; they will not say (at least to me) how ,much you can go over and for how long. They basically pause sync until you get back under the limit.
From a LrD and LrM perspective; when you surpass the limit of available storage, and get a warning from Adobe, you are effectively in limbo. Images have already been synced, you still have the search and other functionality available. Images which have not synced are effectively treated as offline images., and held locally until space is available and sync has been restored. LrD and LrM will both then "import" the images and hold them locally until sync status restored. You can import as much as you have space for locally.....
The downside, the local cache for LrD/LrM can become corrupted. So far, based on comments this seems to be very rare, but I would not depend on the ability to recover images from the local cache.

I tested a number of these cases when I was switching over last summer. Let me know if you have a specific scenario you are concerned with and I can possible provide an answer on what the behavior was last summer.

Tim
 
Adobe allows you to go over the amount of available storage; they will not say (at least to me) how ,much you can go over and for how long. They basically pause sync until you get back under the limit.
From a LrD and LrM perspective; when you surpass the limit of available storage, and get a warning from Adobe, you are effectively in limbo. Images have already been synced, you still have the search and other functionality available. Images which have not synced are effectively treated as offline images., and held locally until space is available and sync has been restored. LrD and LrM will both then "import" the images and hold them locally until sync status restored. You can import as much as you have space for locally.....
The downside, the local cache for LrD/LrM can become corrupted. So far, based on comments this seems to be very rare, but I would not depend on the ability to recover images from the local cache.

I tested a number of these cases when I was switching over last summer. Let me know if you have a specific scenario you are concerned with and I can possible provide an answer on what the behavior was last summer.

Tim
Thank you Tim for those details. Just curious and to make sure I’m on the same page - do you ever use LrC or just LrD/LrM, which I take to be the desktop and mobile aspects of Lr (the cloud version)?

I don’t have a specific scenario at this point but it’s good to know you have results to share if needed. I’m basically trying to determine how my switching from LrC to LR would impact my process.
 
I tried performing a global search of my hard drive for a file name of one of the images I imported into LR and it did not show up. It appears that LR has some proprietary storage of files that excludes them from being visible in the computer’s file system.
Just for perspective…this is similar to what Apple themselves do with Apple Photos. When Apple Photos imports media, it organizes them inside a macOS package file (Photos Library.photoslibrary) that is not casually browsable in the Finder unless you know the macOS advanced Show Package Contents command. But there are serious warnings that altering anything in that package might corrupt the Apple Photos library…just like Lightroom.

If you enable iCloud Photos, then Apple Photos works even more like Lightroom, because Apple Photos uploads all originals from any device to iCloud for permanent storage, and all devices (macOS and iOS) become temporary download caches for originals only while they’re being actively edited.

I only bring this up because compared to other cloud-centric photo apps, Lightroom isn’t doing anything particularly different or special. It’s actually consistent with the general way other companies design their cloud-centric photo services. I think Google Photos also works the same way.

In these services, local photo locations are hidden from the user quite intentionally, because if photo organization is to be synced across devices, the one thing it cannot allow is to be tied to the specific limitations of any desktop or mobile OS file system. So the organization you get is virtual, and the real organization is hidden and cryptic but something every device can handle.

I don’t have a specific scenario at this point but it’s good to know you have results to share if needed. I’m basically trying to determine how my switching from LrC to LR would impact my process.
If viewing the local folder location of files is extremely important, like you have to be able to browse them in the Finder or Adobe Bridge so that other software based on local files can easily import the images, then you would be better off sticking with Lightroom Classic. In Lightroom Classic, you can always see where a selected image is on the desktop by choosing Photo > Show in Finder. But Lightroom doesn’t have that command because the permanent location of originals is not local, only in the cloud; local originals are only cached and might not be there tomorrow.
 
Thank you Tim for those details. Just curious and to make sure I’m on the same page - do you ever use LrC or just LrD/LrM, which I take to be the desktop and mobile aspects of Lr (the cloud version)?

I don’t have a specific scenario at this point but it’s good to know you have results to share if needed. I’m basically trying to determine how my switching from LrC to LR would impact my process.
Correct, I am completely in the cloud ecosystem and do NOT use Classic.
Here are the common abbreviations and meaning behind components of the cloud ecosystem:
LrD = Lightroom Desktop (Mac and Windows)
LrM = Lightroom Mobile (Android and iOS)
LrW = Lightroom Web (Web Browser)

When using the cloud based solution, when you import images in LrD and LrM the images are locally cached and NOT backed up until sync is complete. With LrW, when import is completed, they images are on the Adobe servers so in theory are automatically backed up in real time.

I used @johnbeardy Smart Workflow when I used Classic; for almost a decade. I switched in Summer 2021 after spending months working out my processing flow. I did a few things to make the leap.
  1. I contacted Adobe and wanted a trial period. They effectively gave me three months free of 1TB storage on the Photography Plan with Classic so I could do the testing.
  2. I cleared the enough of my schedule that I could run both systems side by side for the three months.
  3. I accepted that it would take multiple conversion efforts; and that somethings are easier in Classic. As a result, I split my effort into multiple phases.
    1. First was work out how I was going to handle image processing. I do NOT generally do things in a single session, this is a hobby. So I needed a very interrupt driven flow. I believe I posted that somewhere, if not, I can post it.
    2. I wanted to know the major risk points in my flow. The result, I had to purchase a few extra camera cards. When traveling, I occasionally have a slow or no internet connections. I therefore needed to keep the cards with original images available until sync is complete. This step was where I was testing the software and ran through a number of scenarios.
    3. Data migration, I found that there were a number of "missing" functionalities in the new ecosystem that I was effectively counting on with Classic. For example, I had loaded my wife's older images into my library. Most of her "meta data" was in the folder names, which does not come across in the migration. I had to wipe the local "library cache" and settings for the cloud ecosystem and delete my online library before each attempt.
    4. I had to make a serious and dedicated effort to "clean up" my library or migrate the external information (such as folder names) into the images which would be migrated.

Tim
 
Correct, I am completely in the cloud ecosystem and do NOT use Classic.
Here are the common abbreviations and meaning behind components of the cloud ecosystem:
LrD = Lightroom Desktop (Mac and Windows)
LrM = Lightroom Mobile (Android and iOS)
LrW = Lightroom Web (Web Browser)

When using the cloud based solution, when you import images in LrD and LrM the images are locally cached and NOT backed up until sync is complete. With LrW, when import is completed, they images are on the Adobe servers so in theory are automatically backed up in real time.

I used @johnbeardy Smart Workflow when I used Classic; for almost a decade. I switched in Summer 2021 after spending months working out my processing flow. I did a few things to make the leap.
  1. I contacted Adobe and wanted a trial period. They effectively gave me three months free of 1TB storage on the Photography Plan with Classic so I could do the testing.
  2. I cleared the enough of my schedule that I could run both systems side by side for the three months.
  3. I accepted that it would take multiple conversion efforts; and that somethings are easier in Classic. As a result, I split my effort into multiple phases.
    1. First was work out how I was going to handle image processing. I do NOT generally do things in a single session, this is a hobby. So I needed a very interrupt driven flow. I believe I posted that somewhere, if not, I can post it.
    2. I wanted to know the major risk points in my flow. The result, I had to purchase a few extra camera cards. When traveling, I occasionally have a slow or no internet connections. I therefore needed to keep the cards with original images available until sync is complete. This step was where I was testing the software and ran through a number of scenarios.
    3. Data migration, I found that there were a number of "missing" functionalities in the new ecosystem that I was effectively counting on with Classic. For example, I had loaded my wife's older images into my library. Most of her "meta data" was in the folder names, which does not come across in the migration. I had to wipe the local "library cache" and settings for the cloud ecosystem and delete my online library before each attempt.
    4. I had to make a serious and dedicated effort to "clean up" my library or migrate the external information (such as folder names) into the images which would be migrated.

Tim
Wow, that’s thorough planning and execution. I think eventually we’ll all need to migrate to cloud. I agree - the metadata is a weak spot in the whole process. I ran into that in LrC - there is no proper place to maintain free-form notes about images, except perhaps the “instructions” field, which is not available in Lr.
Thanks again for all the input - it helps me.
 
Just for perspective…this is similar to what Apple themselves do with Apple Photos. When Apple Photos imports media, it organizes them inside a macOS package file (Photos Library.photoslibrary) that is not casually browsable in the Finder unless you know the macOS advanced Show Package Contents command. But there are serious warnings that altering anything in that package might corrupt the Apple Photos library…just like Lightroom.

If you enable iCloud Photos, then Apple Photos works even more like Lightroom, because Apple Photos uploads all originals from any device to iCloud for permanent storage, and all devices (macOS and iOS) become temporary download caches for originals only while they’re being actively edited.

I only bring this up because compared to other cloud-centric photo apps, Lightroom isn’t doing anything particularly different or special. It’s actually consistent with the general way other companies design their cloud-centric photo services. I think Google Photos also works the same way.

In these services, local photo locations are hidden from the user quite intentionally, because if photo organization is to be synced across devices, the one thing it cannot allow is to be tied to the specific limitations of any desktop or mobile OS file system. So the organization you get is virtual, and the real organization is hidden and cryptic but something every device can handle.


If viewing the local folder location of files is extremely important, like you have to be able to browse them in the Finder or Adobe Bridge so that other software based on local files can easily import the images, then you would be better off sticking with Lightroom Classic. In Lightroom Classic, you can always see where a selected image is on the desktop by choosing Photo > Show in Finder. But Lightroom doesn’t have that command because the permanent location of originals is not local, only in the cloud; local originals are only cached and might not be there tomorrow.
I use Apple Photos too. The packaging of all the images in the Apple Photos library used to be a sticking point for me but I’ve eventually accepted the fact that you noted: it’s about the flexibility of being able to work on multiple platforms. I generally use Apple Photos for images that come directly from my phone, and I use LrC or Lr for images downloaded from my camera. The editing functions in LrC or Lr are much better than with Apple, so any serious work for me will always be done in LrC or Lr. I’ll eventually end up using Lr. It’s just taking me a while to come around to that.
Thanks again for your support.
 
I use Apple Photos too. The packaging of all the images in the Apple Photos library used to be a sticking point for me but I’ve eventually accepted the fact that you noted: it’s about the flexibility of being able to work on multiple platforms. I generally use Apple Photos for images that come directly from my phone, and I use LrC or Lr for images downloaded from my camera. The editing functions in LrC or Lr are much better than with Apple, so any serious work for me will always be done in LrC or Lr. I’ll eventually end up using Lr. It’s just taking me a while to come around to that.
Thanks again for your support.
Perhaps late getting into this conversation, but excuse me if some of this has been mentioned. I found early that Apple Photos was in conflict with a good Lightroom workflow. I have all Apple devices and have been a Lightroom user since v2. I imported all of my mobile device photos into LrC to maintain integrity. When the Adobe cloud came along I looked at a means of incorporating Lr and the Adobe cloud into my workflow For the most part, I have succeeded. I have a large collection Lr Albums available everywhere including as LrC collections. I use my iPadPro as the front end and almost always import my camera card images into LrC via Lr.
I disabled or removed the Photos app on all of my Apple Devices and no longer use iCloud Photos. On mobile devices, I default to the Lr camera or have auto import set up to auto import any Photos camera pic to a Lr Album where that eventually make their way into LrC.
 
I use Apple Photos too. The packaging of all the images in the Apple Photos library used to be a sticking point for me but I’ve eventually accepted the fact that you noted: it’s about the flexibility of being able to work on multiple platforms. I generally use Apple Photos for images that come directly from my phone, and I use LrC or Lr for images downloaded from my camera. The editing functions in LrC or Lr are much better than with Apple, so any serious work for me will always be done in LrC or Lr. I’ll eventually end up using Lr. It’s just taking me a while to come around to that.
Thanks again for your support.

I really dislike the Apple Photos app and only use it because I am forced to. Trying to find something I didn’t add in the last few days is a nightmare. Even though it shares the Lr paradigm that photos are stored in “All Photos”, and Albums are just organizational, hence the ability of a single photo to be located in multiple albums without multiple copies, the Adobe implementation seems stable and consistent, while Apple’s seems buggy and inconsistent. Albums aren’t sorted and can’t be sorted. There is no concept of a folder hierarchy to store Albums and Subfolders.

iOS/iPadOS force most apps to use the Photos library to store and upload apps. They all sort the results differently.

I wish Adobe made storage pricing more flexible and affordable.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I disabled or removed the Photos app on all of my Apple Devices and no longer use iCloud Photos. On mobile devices, I default to the Lr camera or have auto import set up to auto import any Photos camera pic to a Lr Album where that eventually make their way into LrC.

I would love to do something like this, but I don’t know how you use photos in other iOS apps without the Photos app. Sure, you can use the share feature in LrM, but not all apps are accessible that way. And most apps don’t use the Files storage app as a data source. Last, Adobe Cloud storage isn’t integrated into the Files app anyway.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I would love to do something like this, but I don’t know how you use photos in other iOS apps without the Photos app. Sure, you can use the share feature in LrM, but not all apps are accessible that way. And most apps don’t use the Files storage app as a data source. Last, Adobe Cloud storage isn’t integrated into the Files app anyway.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Since I only use the Adobe Cloud, the iPhone Camera is opened by LrMobile app. If I need a photo for a phone app, (e.g. Messages), I open Lr then share it to the app (Messages) or the Camera Roll or Files. IOW, the image needs to be imported to the Adobe Cloud before it can be used by a phone app. This might not be so slick as a Photos image being shared with other phone apps but it works and does not impact my Adobe Cloud workflow.
 
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