Lr Catalog files Size/workflow?

Joe94

Joe94

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Name
Joe
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all,

Is the Lr catalog files the same size as the raw files associated, i.e if I have 1tb of images the catalog would be 1tb... OR am I Right in saying that the catalog file is actually a lot smaller than the actual images?

I ask because it suddenly accured to me, that I hope what I’m thinking is true, as I have a set up where my OS, programs (like Lr) & the Lr Catalog & preview files are stored on my iMacs internal 512gb internal ssd... but I am putting my actual RAW images files onto a larger external SSD drive straight from the SD card, as iv always been a believer that the internal drive should be left purely for running things. I then also use a couple of protable usb HDD drives to create a backup of the raw files/completed jpgs & the catalog/preview files.

This workflow seem to work, hopefully I have gone down the right route :)
 
Yes the catalogue is much smaller than the pictures that it references.
 
Your assumptions and conclusions are correct. The catalog only contains pointers to the image files loaded in the catalog. Catalog files are stored in a different directory than image files and may be (and often are) stored on separate drives.

I keep my catalog and image files stored on the same external SSD so that I can swap that drive between machines (desktop at home, laptop on the road.)

If you go to the command line on a mac, the du (disk usage) command will show folder sizes. (OSX is built on a unix platform) As you can see, the catalog folder (Lightroom) is a lot smaller than the image folder (Photo).

[523]>$ du -hd1
2.4G ./Lightroom
227G ./Photo

Edit: This is just my live catalog and images. I tend to keep that lean. I keep backups of everything, including images I've removed from the catalog, on a couple of different drives in case of catastrophe on any one drive.
 
Last edited:
drsilver said:
Your assumptions and conclusions are correct. The catalog only contains pointers to the image files loaded in the catalog. Catalog files are stored in a different directory than image files and may be (and often are) stored on separate drives.

I keep my catalog and image files stored on the same external SSD so that I can swap that drive between machines (desktop at home, laptop on the road.)

If you go to the command line on a mac, the du (disk usage) command will show folder sizes. (OSX is built on a unix platform) As you can see, the catalog folder (Lightroom) is a lot smaller than the image folder (Photo).

[523]>$ du -hd1
2.4G ./Lightroom
227G ./Photo
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for this & you extended explanation to help me understand, very much appreciated :)
 
Rapscallion said:
To learn lightroom i have found these two sites very useful

www.lightroomqueen.com

Lightroom Classic Catalogs - Top 10 Misunderstandings | The Lightroom Queen

Lightroom Classic has two primary functions - organizing your photos and editing them. Although its organizational tools are powerful, they're also the
www.lightroomqueen.com www.lightroomqueen.com

jkost.com

Julieanne Kost's Blog | Lightroom Classic Video Tutorials

Indepth tutorials, training, techniques, and shortcuts for working with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
jkost.com jkost.com
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
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