Lightroom for wedding photographers - one catalog vs multiple catalogs

[@matthieulenz183]

Finally just going back to one catalog because of you. Since i did a new cat for each wedding i stoped posting or going back in old weddings. Thanks brother!

[@Jonny2won]

Could you please make a tutorial focused on how to Organize everything in ONLY one Catalog? I currently use your old method but I would like to move everything to a New Catalog with libraries, I have everything organized by folders like you and one catalog per each wedding. And I don't want to lose any files or make a mistake. Thank you!

[@TheAaronalden]

I was just having this discussion with my wife! Perfect! I think we will still start a new catalog, since we had a good break after having our son, and our current catalog goes back to 2015. But, this helps with planning our new system!

[@MagicWeddingPhotographer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mikenobleuk]

Mega helpful 🙏🏻 I’ve massively over complicated things with multiple catalogs but definitely going to consolidate everything back to one simple method now. Thanks

[@GenericPhotographer]

Very thorough, always enjoy your videos! I have also gone through a similar workflow with multiple catalogs and then switched to a single catalog in 2017, when I started using an ipad pro with lightroom mobile. This way, I can edit my weddings and anything in between on my ipad and have my imac at home without a NAS. Editing smart previews on my phone or ipad and have access to them all at any time, especially useful for traveling/destination shoots where I don't have to worry about losing any backups. Cheers!

[@JasonLawrenceNoel]

Thank you thank you sososo much ❤ much needed for me 💪

[@hoythausgsp]

Very helpful video!

[@JasonLawrenceNoel]

Do you have a video on your organization/folder organization for Lightroom. Or paid product? TY :)

[@hodgkissphotography]

I’ve been using quarterly catalogs for the past 10 years as I didn’t know they’d fixed the issue where I used to find it grind to a halt when it got massive (I shoot about 30-50k per yr). But I’ve always had that annoying trade off of having to wade through multiple external SSDs to find some thing! So this option looks great, but can I just clarify the process from the start with you before I begin… 1) import all ‘project’ RAW files on to MAC from camera - turn on smart previews & previews 2) after working on ‘project’ physically drag RAW file folder to external drive and go back into Lightroom to update their location. 3) delete just the ‘smart previews’ from the MAC leaving just the ‘previews’ -that point to the new location on the external drive?? Thank you 🙏🏻

[@TinasheKavumbura]

Skip to 10:38. You're welcome.

[@thomasstewart6970]

Great video mate! What's your backup procedure? I'd hate for a single catalogue to corrupt...

[@genswarc]

I open a new LrC catalog every year, and I use it for everything. I backup it to multiple places, the raws are also in two different places, but use them daily from a 2tb SSD. Usually that is enough for a year, after they go to hdd archives. I don’t have a NAS yet. But really thinking of it. :)

[@MagicWeddingPhotographer]

Love this. I wonder - do you ever have a need to go back to previous year catalogs?

[@genswarc]

@@MagicWeddingPhotographer Yes, a few times of course, for posting or so.. But only last year's. That's okay like this. I don't want to have only one catalog, to rule them all :-)), I feel more safe like this. I do more photography genre, than just 1 or 2, so my catalog is big enough like this at the end of the year, close to 100 gb. The smaller, the quicker, even on Mac. On Windows I think impossible to handle only 1 catalog, tipical bug to getting slower after a while. This was one of the reasons me to jump to Apple's world.

[@christophebouckaertphoto]

Thanks Magicians 🙌🏻. Is the MacBook Air your machine to editing all your photos?

[@alchizz]

Will this connect to Lightroom CC? Thank you, MAgic!

[@phanitsavannareach1629]

Thank you so much!!! loved it. as a wedding photographer do you recommend 2tb or 4tb ssd? it's hard for me to decide. or you have any solution if you decide to get 2tb ssd. if you can do a specific video for that, it would be amazing.

[@cosbot2854]

What light are you using as your key light v

[@tykimikk8605]

i got 1 folder for photos sub folders for types-of weddings, engagements, birthdays, fashion and on those folders i make catalogs per shoot. Why i work at my homestation and while on the move or outside. it is easier to bring my sync folder that i will edit on the go. I need to work on 1 or 2 engagement shoots at a coffee shop? i just copy those 2 catalogs on my laptop (i dont want to bring a slow external drive) and i work on those outside. that is faster and easier than syncing all of one large catalog that is 1tb in size. i can just bring my catalog with smart previews and go at a coffee shop. sometimes i even sync work in progress catalogs in the cloud and have it accessed when im outside. having all the catalog in one mixed with my work in progress and done work just looks unorganized

[@justinp17]

Thanks so much for this video! This is one of the best storage organization tips I've seen that makes sense. Just to confirm, you CAN access RAW photos in Lightroom from a NAS, but you CAN'T open catalogs from a NAS?

[@MagicWeddingPhotographer]

Hey Justin! Thanks :) And yes, correct - you can access RAW photos but can’t open LR catalog from NAS

[@zakjokela5377]

Great video Magic! I use a very similar strategy when it comes to LR but I haven't taken the step to set up some sort of network storage, I can tell that's the place I need to go next. Any suggestions on how to start that process?

[@MagicWeddingPhotographer]

I think with Nas storage there are only 2 major brands - Synology and QNAP and I find Synology more user friendly option. What I would recommend is getting unit that can be expandable (they end with + in the name) - I have older DS1618+ with one expansion unit DX517, which gives me 11 disk bays. And on top of that I can add 1 more expansion, so at the end of the day it could be up to 284TB, which I think is plenty :P

[@zakjokela5377]

@@MagicWeddingPhotographer Great, thank you! Looks that that is the next evolution of my backup system.

[@CiupaNezux]

@@MagicWeddingPhotographer any plans to make some videos with the synology workflow or other tips and trick . im sure theres a lot of photographers that wants to integrate the synology , it will be very helpful. ps: i just both ds1621+ and im planning to go with 10G connection so i can edit directly from NAS :)