Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

steveashe
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

Hello folks,

I'm going on a 3 week trip to England in a couple of weeks. I'd like to import my daily photos to a local copy of Lightroom Classic.

I've been reading up and it seems that its so easy to do.

I'll have Lightroom Classic on the laptop that I'm traveling with. I'll shut off my home desktop and home laptop, and just bring my XPS 13 laptop as my "travel" laptop, so I will only have 1 device "activated" with Adobe. I know I can have 2 activated.

Seems that all I have to do is create a library in Lightroom Classic on my travel laptop and import photos as usual. My laptop has a 1TB SSD - more than enough. Then copy my daily photos to an external drive (I have a Samsung 2TB external SSD) so I have a backup.

That about right? I don't want to deal with the "cloud" on vacation.

I'm looking for "the catch". Seems too easy :-)).

Apr 16, 2024 at 07:46 PM

mcbroomf
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

Yes that is the way though I store everything on an external drive (LRC catalog as well as images).

If you do it that way, when you get home connect your external drive to your desktop, open your main LR catalog and then import from another catalog. Navigate to the travel .lrcat and it will import all the edits as well as images.

Apr 17, 2024 at 05:45 AM

steveashe
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

Thank you mcbroomf. I appreciate your taking the time to answer me.

Apr 17, 2024 at 11:57 AM

mcbroomf
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

Another point worth mentioning;

When storing your travel photos on the external drive you use with the laptop, use the same organizational naming that you use on the desktop. If you do that then everything maps over without having to edit the folder structure. If you use a different naming structure you'll either have to rename folders after they move to the desktop, or you'll have to live with a different structure. If you want to rename them then you'll have to make sure your LRC desktop can find them once this is done.

Apr 17, 2024 at 12:34 PM

steveashe
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

When storing your travel photos on the external drive you use with the laptop, use the same organizational naming that you use on the desktop. If you do that then everything maps over without having to edit the folder structure. If you use a different naming structure you'll either have to rename folders after they move to the desktop, or you'll have to live with a different structure. If you want to rename them then you'll have to make sure your LRC desktop can find them once this is done.

I see. Seems like a good approach. I need to play a bit this week before I leave. So essentially you're suggesting that I set the catalog up on the external SSD rather than the way I usually do it, right on my desktop. And then import it to my main catalog when I get home. I haven't created a catalog on an external drive before, but the way you suggest it makes sense.

The main catalog (I keep local on my desktop) is Year/Subject/Date I keep all my photos on a NAS. Not sure if that's the "best" way to do it but I haven't a problem finding my photos since. I figured this out during covid when I had lots of time on my hands. Had to organize 20 years of photos. Arrgghh.

Thanks again.

Apr 27, 2024 at 09:14 PM

mcbroomf
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

Let's be sure we are using "desktop" the same way. When you say set the catalog up on the external SSD rather than the way I usually do it, right on my desktop you are referring to the Desktop on your laptop right? If so then that is correct. The reason is that the Import function from your main LR catalog when you get home needs to locate the .lrcat file from your travel catalog. If it's on your laptop you can't find it, so keeping it with the images on the external drive is easier. Not a bad idea to take 2 drives and duplicate them on the road as well, so that way you get a copy of the LR catalog as well as the images.

When you get home you connect that drive to your desktop and in your main desktop LR catalog use the "Import from another Catalog" option. The dialog window will have you locate a .lrcat file, and you locate the one on your external drive. This will import the images and all of the edits to your desktop catalog made within the travel catalog while you were away.

Sounds like you are well organized so I don't foresee any issues, but I would suggest making a small test catalog on an external drive with your laptop. Do some edits and give the import a try.

Apr 28, 2024 at 03:26 AM

sonofjesse2010
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

I would backup the pictures to a cloud if you could in case the laptop is stolen. I would also be sure the laptop is encrypted in case of theft.

Sep 11, 2024 at 09:15 PM

amv8
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

You could move your main LR catalog that is on your home PC onto the external SSD. Then you can have your LR catalog available with your travel laptop or your home PC just buy plugging it in to the computer you are currently using. During your trip you import your photos either on to the travel laptop or the SSD and just move them (from within LrC) onto the NAS when you get home. This way you don't have to worry about catalog file organization, etc. because you only have one catalog.

Sep 11, 2024 at 10:13 PM

Charlie52
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Using Lightroom Classic on 3 week trip

Make sure your laptop and backup SSD don't travel together in the same bag. If something happens to that bag, all is lost. I normally put the backup drive in my checked luggage.

Sep 21, 2024 at 05:43 PM


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