Lightroom and multiple computers

[Nana2Callie]

I have Lightroom on both my laptop and desktop and am wondering how I can work on pictures on both.

1. Laptop would be for initial reviewing (uploading all photos) then deleting bad photos, correcting red eye, some cropping ,etc. Keywording would be so much easier while I'm in the family room with everyone else.

2. Desktop would be for more editing, etc.

Suggestions? Help please.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Check out the Export as Catalog and Import from Catalog features. Using an external drive, you can use these options to transfer files with their Lightroom edits from one computer to another.

 

[photo_chick]

I've yet to find a way to work on multiple computers using the same library that's not clunky and prohibitive to a good workflow.

 

[Pic Stitch]

Hi,

I use LR 4, and save all pics on a 1TB external HD. I am able to view and edit all of my pics on any of my Mac's [iMac, MB Pro or MB Air], as my library and catalog are all on the HDD. I save backups to my iMac, then to a disk from time to time [as Im not taking 100s of pics a day, so no need for the constant saving]. it works flawlessly for me. Good luck!

B-

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Hi,

I use LR 4, and save all pics on a 1TB external HD. I am able to view and edit all of my pics on any of my Mac's [iMac, MB Pro or MB Air], as my library and catalog are all on the HDD. I save backups to my iMac, then to a disk from time to time [as Im not taking 100s of pics a day, so no need for the constant saving]. it works flawlessly for me. Good luck!

B-

What kind of speed do you get within Lightroom having your catalog on the external drive? I haven't tried it, frankly, because of the advice not to do so by folks like Matt Kloskowski and Julieanne Kost. Do you switch computers often enough that it's worth the trade-off in performance?

For me, 99% of my editing occurs in my laptop. It's only at WDW that I use a different computer. So transferring photos between different catalogs only happens a few times a year.

 

[Pic Stitch]

First, please understand that I am NOT editing hundreds of photos at a shot. I'm a just casual hobbyist, that when I do sit to edit I'm going thru a dozen or two photos [or three sometimes?]. I haven't really noticed much slowness in editing on any of my apple machines using the XHD and my LR catalog/pics. The majority of my editing is done on a ~2008 MB Air, although I have used the same XHD on my 2008 iMac and even on a Windows 8 Asus laptop, flawlessly IMO! My suggestion would be to give it a shot with a small library and an inexpensive XHD [they are very inexpensive for 100 - 500 GB drives, and they are always useful to have around when dealing w/ photography, at least in my eyes]. You never know until you try, hopefully it's useful for you!! Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Cheers!

B-

 

[photo_chick]

Pic Stitch I think the size of the library is one reason why our performance experiences differ. I tried an external HDD and it chugs for me. I have 65,837 images in my library at this moment, and that's just for this year. I have a different library I use that has all of my images dating back to 1999 when I first started shooting digital. It is much larger. I do only keep the current year's images on my internal HDD and everything else image wise is on an external simply because I rarely touch those older images. They're available easily when I need them but not part of my daily workflow.

I've not thought of breaking my library down even further and working that way.

 

[Pic Stitch]

Whoa, Photo Chick, thats alot of pics for one year!! LOL. Agreed, that may be the reason / cause of your slowness in LR/XHD. Me personally, I would rather keep 1 large XHD for all of my pics [backing that up to discs], then have smaller externals, if not primarily for this reason, then to also have as an additional backup. Not certain of the OP'ers photo output, but for myself, a hobbyist, so far it seems to work! I'll let you know in a few years years when I have shot 65k worth of photos! LOL. Good luck, enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

B-