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Vacation workflow

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Brewder

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2016
Messages
38
Lightroom Experience
Intermediate
Lightroom Version
Lightroom Version Number
6.14
Operating System
  1. Windows 10
Hello,

I'm trying to wrap my head around a solid travel/vacation workflow with LR 6.14.

At home I have a PC with NAS attached storage where all of my images live. I manage them all with LR 6.14 by importing to my local HD (which is a M.2 nVME drive)... Once I cull/edit the keepers, I use LR to move them into a folder structure on my NAS. Works perfect for me.

Now I purchased a MS Surface Pro tablet I want to take with me when I travel. How can I properly use LR 6.14 on this machine to cull/edit travel photos then import the NEF's and edits when I get back home into my existing folder structure on the NAS?

//Brew
 
I'm not a PC user. Have you installed LR6 on your tablet? I only ask because there desktop and mobile apps. Not sure if your tablet falls into the mobile device category with the different OS than your PC.
 
I'm not a PC user. Have you installed LR6 on your tablet? I only ask because there desktop and mobile apps. Not sure if your tablet falls into the mobile device category with the different OS than your PC.

This tablet runs Windows 10 Pro... same as my desktop so no issue there. :)
 
When I travel I create a new catalogue on my laptop and name it based on that trip. I store all my files on an external drive. When I get home I copy the catalogue to the external drive and plug it into the desktop. I then use the File - Import From Another Catalogue command and it merges the travel catalogue into the master one on the desktop. It also moves the files off the ED. All edits are retained.

I just started doing this after getting the subscription version so I assume Import From Another Catalogue is available with LR6.
 
When I travel I create a new catalogue on my laptop and name it based on that trip. I store all my files on an external drive. When I get home I copy the catalogue to the external drive and plug it into the desktop. I then use the File - Import From Another Catalogue command and it merges the travel catalogue into the master one on the desktop. It also moves the files off the ED. All edits are retained.

I just started doing this after getting the subscription version so I assume Import From Another Catalogue is available with LR6.

I'll do some testing with that method. Thanks!
 
I just joined the forum and recently stated using LR v6.14 perceptual license. I also would like to hear the results of your testing. Since I will be migrating many of my older photos into lightroom, I'll also want to ensure that the workflow will give the correct results moving a portion of my main catalog from my desktop onto the laptop for updates (working away from home) then back again into the desktop's main catalog when I'm back home.

I jotted some notes on a test plan for this once I read up on LR 6.14 functionality. Before i started testing, I googled using LR perpetual across 2 PCs and found very little information & workflows. Have either of you run across any workflows for these types of processes since I would imagine this is a very common usage.
 
Use an external drive and keep your files and catalogue on it. Plug into either PC.
 
That seems to be the general workflow methodology for 2 PCs, so I'll use the external drive as a basis. Is it possible to add additional steps to "robustly" get the external drive photo files & catalog into my file schema on the desktop? My desktop uses raid storage with a single catalog for LR6 organized by year.

Ideally I'd like to have all photos & LR database metadata/actions into a single catalog on the desktop with the existing file schema once I finish the majority of developing & management of the photos.

AND thanks for your help on this.... I wrongly assumed that workflows with 2 or more PCs was a common workflow with LR.
 
Oops on more careful reading I see you can use the Import From Another Catalog command. Is that correct?

Also for photos on my main LR6 Desktop catalog that I want to edit (or continue to edit) on my laptop, I can "Export as Catalog" those photos onto the external drive . Develop those photos as needed with my laptop.

Should I Delete those photos from the main Catalog, on the Desktop before I Import them back into the main Catalog?

Thanks again for your help!!!
 
Correct for the first question. As for the other part it would seem easier just to have all your files and catalogue on an external drive if you want to access everything from 2 computers. Just plug and play.
 
Zenon, thanks... I think I'll open up a new thread on a more general workflow. I have some reservations & concerns on heavy dependence on a large external portable drive for my main catalog.
 
Sharing a common external drive is not for everyone. As to your question on post #10. I've never used the "Export as Catalogue" command however when you use the "Import from another catalogue command" it moves all your files. I my guess is "Export as Catalogue" would do the same. If it moves files instead of making copies all is good. If it copies them I'm not sure if you need to delete the originals because the catalogue is pretty sophisticated and may do that for you. A handful of shots of you kitchen and some testing would tell you pretty quickly.
 
Export as catalog copies the originals to a folder inside the exported catalog folder (if you check the option to include the negatives). If you work with a 'travel catalog' you don't really have to use this (because you are going to import the entire travel catalog anyway), but it has one great advantage: if the original images are located (in a subfolder) inside the catalog folder, then Lightroom will use relative links rather than absolute links in that catalog. That means that you can move this catalog folder anywhere you like, without having to worry about 'missing images' because the disk name or drive letter has changed as a result of that move.
 
When you are preparing your tablet for your trip, don't forget to copy any presets that you depend on to the tablet, also. When I travel, I create a new catalog on my travel computer and copy any new presets. When I get home, I "Import from another catalog" using the Lightroom on my home computer. Depending on the organization of your folder structure, you may need to move the photos into the appropriate folders, but I keep them organized by trip, so I just move them to my main catalog.
 
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