Running out of room on my computer!

[Vicki Tashman]

Operating System: Mac
Exact Lightroom Version (Help menu > System Info): Classic

Hello, I have run out of room on my computer (Macbook Pro) and need to figure out what to do. I was interested in using the new Lightroom cloud but I can't print from it (I'm a scrapbooker and print most of my pics). That's a deal breaker for me. I have 1 catalog with all my photos organized by year/month/event. I do most of my edits in LR (rarely use Photoshop) and then use their print capabilities. I don't know if I should separate the catalog into 2 year increments and keep old years on an external drive, or use a cloud based storage, like Google Photos, or set up my own home cloud system. Help! Thanks in advance!

 

[John Little]

The catalog is basically a database, which stores info about your actual photo files. One crucial piece of info is where the files are on your computer (or on an external HD). Importantly, the files do not all need to be stored in the same place. All LR needs to know is where each file is located. So, for instance, you could move your older photos (or ones you don't use so often) to an EHD, and tell LR where they are now located. The experts will probably tell you that it's best to move them using LR.

 

[Vicki Tashman]

The catalog is basically a database, which stores info about your actual photo files. One crucial piece of info is where the files are on your computer (or on an external HD). Importantly, the files do not all need to be stored in the same place. All LR needs to know is where each file is located. So, for instance, you could move your older photos (or ones you don't use so often) to an EHD, and tell LR where they are now located. The experts will probably tell you that it's best to move them using LR.

Thank you John! A friend suggested this to me today, but I was confused about the catalog. So I can keep all photos in the same catalog and then move the older ones? I've never done this before. Do I select all photos in each folder and then have LR move them? Thanks so much for your help.

 

[John Little]

Thank you John! A friend suggested this to me today, but I was confused about the catalog. So I can keep all photos in the same catalog and then move the older ones? I've never done this before. Do I select all photos in each folder and then have LR move them? Thanks so much for your help.

It's crucial to understand the difference between the catalog and the photos themselves. The catalog doesn't contain the photos, it contains information about them. Some of this info is "metadata", some is the location of the actual photos, some is a description of the edits you have done in the Develop module. There may be others. But as I said the catalog is a database about the photos. Most critically, if you back up the catalog (as is recommended) you are not backing up the photos themselves. See Lightroom Top 10 Gotchas (or stuff you wish you'd known when you started) for more details.

Victoria's book on LR (Shop | The Lightroom Queen) gives very clear directions on how to move the photos. I'll defer to her instead of copy-and-pasting her work. She explains that you can either move them using the operating system (I don't do Mac's but I assume you know how) then tell LR where they are now, or do simple drag-and-drop operations within LR. I'd look at her book or other sources for more lucid and authoritative explanations than I can give. Also I don't want to get it wrong and lead to a disaster on your end!

 

[Vicki Tashman]

It's crucial to understand the difference between the catalog and the photos themselves. The catalog doesn't contain the photos, it contains information about them. Some of this info is "metadata", some is the location of the actual photos, some is a description of the edits you have done in the Develop module. There may be others. But as I said the catalog is a database about the photos. Most critically, if you back up the catalog (as is recommended) you are not backing up the photos themselves. See Lightroom Top 10 Gotchas (or stuff you wish you'd known when you started) for more details.

Victoria's book on LR (Shop | The Lightroom Queen) gives very clear directions on how to move the photos. I'll defer to her instead of copy-and-pasting her work. She explains that you can either move them using the operating system (I don't do Mac's but I assume you know how) then tell LR where they are now, or do simple drag-and-drop operations within LR. I'd look at her book or other sources for more lucid and authoritative explanations than I can give. Also I don't want to get it wrong and lead to a disaster on your end!

Thanks so much!! I'll check her out. I appreciate your help.

 

[PhilBurton]

The catalog is basically a database, which stores info about your actual photo files. One crucial piece of info is where the files are on your computer (or on an external HD). Importantly, the files do not all need to be stored in the same place. All LR needs to know is where each file is located. So, for instance, you could move your older photos (or ones you don't use so often) to an EHD, and tell LR where they are now located. The experts will probably tell you that it's best to move them using LR.

Actually to Vicki,

Lucy, first look at your MacBook Pro to see what are the fastest connector options available. Then get an external hard disk with a connector for that connector. External disks are getting cheaper all the time, so "spend a little" to get a disk that holds well more than your immediate library of images.

Also to reinforce what John wrote. Keep your new images or the ones you are actively working on on the Mac' hard drive.

However you proceed, don't forget to do a backup of your image files, not just the catalog.

Phil

 

[Dave Miller]

I have recently moved my images to a remote 4TB HD which connect to my Mac via a USB3 connector and have not noticed any increase in time required to load images. This is backed up to a second HD on an hourly basis.The catalogue remains on the machines HD.

 

[clee01l]

I have recently moved my images to a remote 4TB HD which connect to my Mac via a USB3 connector and have not noticed any increase in time required to load images. This is backed up to a second HD on an hourly basis.The catalogue remains on the machines HD.

This is because LR works with Previews for most operations including some in develop. Previews are located in the same folders as the catalog. Original image files are accessed in the case where printing and exporting are involved. In the case of RAW files the source for LR comes from ACR Cache. Only if the RGB file does not exist in ACR cache doe ACR/LR access the original RAW to create a new RGB image.

 

[Zenon]

Just get an external drive and copy all your images to it and delete them off your Mac. I still keep my Lightroom catalogue folder on my HD and I moved the cache folder into the LR library folder. I have read you need about 100GB free hard drive space to keep LR running smoothly so you may notice some performance improvements if you do.

If you want to be mobile with your laptop and not chained to the external drive watch this.

How to use Smart Previews to view and edit photos in Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC

 

[Vicki Tashman]

Actually to Vicki,

Lucy, first look at your MacBook Pro to see what are the fastest connector options available. Then get an external hard disk with a connector for that connector. External disks are getting cheaper all the time, so "spend a little" to get a disk that holds well more than your immediate library of images.

Also to reinforce what John wrote. Keep your new images or the ones you are actively working on on the Mac' hard drive.

However you proceed, don't forget to do a backup of your image files, not just the catalog.

Phil

Thanks so much Phil! I've been using Time Machine to back up all my photos (and the rest of the stuff on my laptop) and then LR's backup for the catalog.

 

[Vicki Tashman]

Just get an external drive and copy all your images to it and delete them off your Mac. I still keep my Lightroom catalogue folder on my HD and I moved the cache folder into the LR library folder. I have read you need about 100GB free hard drive space to keep LR running smoothly so you may notice some performance improvements if you do.

If you want to be mobile with your laptop and not chained to the external drive watch this.

How to use Smart Previews to view and edit photos in Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC

Thanks Zenon for the tutorial link. Smart previews look great. My question is can I print using Smart Previews? I'm a scrapbooker and take my computer with me for a weekend getaway where I print all my photos (after editting and with a great portable photo printer) in order to scrap them. Smart Previews would be great if I could print them. I'm assuming that if I wanted an 8x10 print, it may not work because of the preview size, but anything smaller may work. What do you think? Thanks!