LR and spec me external storage

[scott199]

hi
I’m think I’m right in saying LR works the original file and doesn’t change or store the original, that would be on HD ?
So at present, I have LR set up to look at an import ‘to edit’ file on my mac desktop, I assume that I have to leave these in that file for LR to “see” them in future.

I want to free up HD space, so I assume I can have an external drive, import all pics to that and tell LR to look in that folder ??

If I’m correct in the above, I’m asking for recommendation for a drive and also back-up (if needed)

 

[Stephen L]

I have Lightroom CC Classic and the catalogue on the internal drive (1Tb SSD) on my iMac, with all image files on an external (TB3) drive. Because I wanted Thunderbolt 3 I chose a Caldigit drive. Even though I think the actual disk is only a 5400rpm model, it's still very quick.

 

[Gaz J]

I have my image folder and LR catalogue on a 500 GB SSD portable drive. My back ups are on 3TB 5400 mains powered external drives.

 

[scott199]

I have Lightroom CC Classic and the catalogue on the internal drive (1Tb SSD) on my iMac, with all image files on an external (TB3) drive. Because I wanted Thunderbolt 3 I chose a Caldigit drive. Even though I think the actual disk is only a 5400rpm model, it's still very quick.

So you import from camera card onto the external drive ? , use Lr to edit from that, then LR makes a file on your hd for catalogues and edits ?

 

[scott199]

I have my image folder and LR catalogue on a 500 GB SSD portable drive. My back ups are on 3TB 5400 mains powered external drives.

So basically you work (import/export) direct from the ext SSD ?, then manually move/copy everything to the 3tb for back-up ?

I’ve never had to look at anything like this, iCloud has/is my backup for general life, photography wise it’s always just been short shoots for fun, now I’m trying to move into slightly more pro type stuff (sports/football/MX) so I’m attaining 1,2,3,4x more pictures and want to organise handling now before I have thousands to worry about, at this point I have almost 0 I need to worry about, so now’s the time to come up with a solid work flow for the future.

 

[Gaz J]

So basically you work (import/export) direct from the ext SSD ?, then manually move/copy everything to the 3tb for back-up ?

I’ve never had to look at anything like this, iCloud has/is my backup for general life, photography wise it’s always just been short shoots for fun, now I’m trying to move into slightly more pro type stuff (sports/football/MX) so I’m attaining 1,2,3,4x more pictures and want to organise handling now before I have thousands to worry about, at this point I have almost 0 I need to worry about, so now’s the time to come up with a solid work flow for the future.

Yes but I dont have big volumes of images to sort. Several bits of software that will do auto back ups for you based around what’s changed in your image folders. I prefer to manually back up as then I know for sure that it’s there. Old fashioned but it works for me.

No one answer that works for every individual.

 

[Stephen L]

So you import from camera card onto the external drive ? , use Lr to edit from that, then LR makes a file on your hd for catalogues and edits ?

Basically, yes. The catalogue stays on the internal SSD and the files stay on the external drive. The catalogue keeps a record of the changes you are applying to the raw files. If you export a file you choose where it goes.

 

[Stephen L]

Also, I use Time Machine to another external drive, and Chronosync to yet another drive.

 

[scott199]

Yes but I dont have big volumes of images to sort. Several bits of software that will do auto back ups for you based around what’s changed in your image folders. I prefer to manually back up as then I know for sure that it’s there. Old fashioned but it works for me.

No one answer that works for every individual.

Thanks, I agree with manual backups, I’m getting better at deleting the rubbish, some I like but need a little photoshop work (in time maybe) then I’m left with keepers, it’s these I want to back up, so manually is fine for me.

It’s more so been out, get home and then ? I don’t want to end up with thousands on my hd, some worked, some not, some maybe one day, much rather this all be on external, do it while I’m away or move/change/upgrade computers etc.

 

[Gaz J]

When I sort in LR I use colour labels. Initially anything I want to look at further gets a yellow label. Then I delete the rest. Other ways to do the same thing though. Then anything I process gets a red label. I set the folder to sort by colour label. It sorts red, yellow, green, blue in that order so when I open the folder I see all the processed images first then the rest.

 

[Stephen L]

When I sort in LR I use colour labels. Initially anything I want to look at further gets a yellow label. Then I delete the rest. Other ways to do the same thing though. Then anything I process gets a red label. I set the folder to sort by colour label. It sorts red, yellow, green, blue in that order so when I open the folder I see all the processed images first then the rest.

Wish I was so organised! I do an initial cull on import, then that’s it till I decide to have a purge, during which I get bored and give up.

 

[rob-nikon]

I current use an external drive to store both the RAW files and lightroom catalogue. I’ve got a G tech 2TB pro thunderbolt external drive. Not exactly sure of the make up of the drive (I think it’s got 4 separate drives and a RAID setup that improves speed performance). I had the same problem where the internal iMac drive was getting full so I needed to move stuff off it to an external drive.

I wrote something for my website about my storage set up a while back:

https://spark.adobe.com/page/Os6kX8G8QcZoA/

 

[scott199]

When I sort in LR I use colour labels. Initially anything I want to look at further gets a yellow label. Then I delete the rest. Other ways to do the same thing though. Then anything I process gets a red label. I set the folder to sort by colour label. It sorts red, yellow, green, blue in that order so when I open the folder I see all the processed images first then the rest.

I use a simlar sort of thing, I go through and use pick or remove/decline x thing, have smart folder set up for this options, go through the remove/decline, check then delete all, go through picks and star rate them 5 and 4, maybe a 3 for a later PS edit, then depending what I end up with normally work on 5’s with possible 4 here and there if it’s domething I don’t have.

 

[scott199]

I current use an external drive to store both the RAW files and lightroom catalogue. I’ve got a G tech 2TB pro thunderbolt external drive. Not exactly sure of the make up of the drive (I think it’s got 4 separate drives and a RAID setup that improves speed performance). I had the same problem where the internal iMac drive was getting full so I needed to move stuff off it to an external drive.

I wrote something for my website about my storage set up a while back:

https://spark.adobe.com/page/Os6kX8G8QcZoA/

Cheers, that’s a good read and just what I was thinking, not sure how you set up lightroom to save the different files in different location, but I can work that out.

So now I’m asking for actual storage devices ? Will any old 3-4-5 tb external drive work on time machine and LR ?

 

[Stephen L]

Cheers, that’s a good read and just what I was thinking, not sure how you set up lightroom to save the different files in different location, but I can work that out.

So now I’m asking for actual storage devices ? Will any old 3-4-5 tb external drive work on time machine and LR ?

Yes, as long as it’s formatted in for your Mac. Speed isn’t an issue really, especially not for Time Machine, but the faster the better for the LR catalogue, which is why my catalogue is on the internal SSD drive.

 

[rob-nikon]

Cheers, that’s a good read and just what I was thinking, not sure how you set up lightroom to save the different files in different location, but I can work that out.

So now I’m asking for actual storage devices ? Will any old 3-4-5 tb external drive work on time machine and LR ?

I’ve set up Lightroom to save RAWs to the main external drive on import. Time machine is set up to backup to one external drive, the on site and off site backups are automated backups using carbon copy cloner.

the faster the better for the LR catalogue, which is why my catalogue is on the internal SSD drive.

good advice that. LR catalog needs to be on the fastest drive you have. For me that’s the main external drive as it’s some sort of RAID drive that’s faster than the imac drive.

 

[Stephen L]

I’ve set up Lightroom to save RAWs to the main external drive on import. Time machine is set up to backup to one external drive, the on site and off site backups are automated backups using carbon copy cloner.

good advice that. LR catalog needs to be on the fastest drive you have. For me that’s the main external drive as it’s some sort of RAID drive that’s faster than the imac drive.

Yes, RAID are faster than single drives. But internal i/o is always faster than external cables.