Speed up Lightroom by Avoiding THIS Mistake When You Import

[@RellFGC1]

I’ve gotten into the habit of creating a new catalogue for each job I do, making sure to create it on an external where the photos will be. Keeping them together works best for me.

[@christopherodonnell]

Nice! I do that as well....not per job, but I have a catalog for each external drive. Since I often work from the previews, I don't have to guess which drive the images are on when I do need to connect to them. All the images in Catalog A are on Drive A, etc. Works great for me!

[@ericpecquerie4868]

We know this for years. But I believe new comers need those lessons.

[@christheking1]

Ok so I have always uploaded my photos from my memory card onto a specifically named folder within an external drive, but doing so using the import system from Lightroom. you are saying import to external hard rive FIRST then move them to Lightroom. how is that any different? thanks

[@mjpt57]

This is based on importing into LrC on the desktop computer (or laptop). What happens to your images when you use, say, Lightroom Mobile to import from the camera's SD card? It's how I often do it when out on the road as the iPad Pro is smaller and lighter (crucial in these days of airlines tightening down on carry-on allowances). When I get home I dump the SD cards onto my NAS but there's no link to the images from there.

[@steveescovedo1512]

I’m on an iPad, how do I get this cheat sheet he’s offered?

[@christopherodonnell]

Hi Steve - if you follow the link in the description, you can sign up and be emailed a link to the PDF. You can then download it to your iPad or just read it in your browser window.

[@stephenhadeenphotography]

Hey there Christopher! Not sure you even remember me but I was one of your earliest members of your LrC/PS courses! Although I already do this tip, it was great to be reminded of it and to know still a top way to do the imports. Just added you to my subscription list on YT. A great place for me to watch since I can enable the CC button. Hope all has been well for you!

[@christopherodonnell]

Hi Steve! GREAT to hear from you! Yes, AI has definitely come a long way with captions...they're pretty accurate now for auto-generated! Actually, you might find ChatGPT helpful for longer videos as you can download the transcript from KZbin, feed it to ChatGPT, and it can generate a handy bulletpoint summary (with timestamps) for reference. I use it all the time. Hope you're doing well and thanks for saying Hello!

[@David-ge3px]

Hi,After I import my RAW files from an external drive, should/or can the destination be on the same external drive?....sorry if I've missed something!

[@christopherodonnell]

Hi David! If you're importing directly from the external drive, then there should be no Destination selected. You should select ADD images to the catalog, not COPY. Copying is when you want to simultaneously import (add) the images to the catalog AND do something with the original raws on your external drive (i.e. copy them to another drive)...and the destination is where you want to put them. So in this case, selecting the same destination will copy those images to the same drive. Let me know if you have any questions!

[@margueritewhite3038]

So for those of us who have been using LR for years, is there an easier way to move those files to the external drive now that we have one? When I first started using LR, the external drives were not that good or big for us small photographers. The SSD drives are now affordable but moving and linking images is not easy!

[@christopherodonnell]

Hi Marguerite! Yes, absolutely. Since you've already established that connection to the catalog file, you'll have to use the Lightroom interface to move those image folders from their current location to the new external drive. This is typically done by first creating the new folder on your external drive (in the Lightroom folders panel so that Lightroom is aware of it), then dragging and dropping an existing folder into this new folder via the folders panel. You should first test this with a small folder (i.e. from a day's shoot), and then if all goes well, you can move onto bigger folders in the hierarchy. There's a few steps to this process which I've outlined in a PDF guide, let me know if you would like a copy and I can send it to you via email.

[@margueritewhite3038]

@@christopherodonnell Thank you! I'll try that and let you know if I need more details!

[@wmbrennan]

I can’t find your free course you talked about, I checked your videos but can’t see it, what am I doing wrong? Like your video and want to follow your work flow!

[@christopherodonnell]

Here you go! You can sign up for the free course here: creativeraw.com/course/ I appreciate the like and comment, thanks! It definitely helps especially since I'm just starting out on KZbin. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@MLC48]

Ya, I don't see it listed either.

[@christopherodonnell]

@@MLC48 Sorry, I had commented earlier with a link under here, but now it's gone so I think KZbin doesn't allow links in comments. In the Lightroom Cheatsheet (there's a link to that in the video description above), there's a link on page 16 for the free course.

[@beniciomoldenado2315]

Maybe I missed something. Your process will work okay for people getting started, maybe. What about those who have been using Lightroom for a long time. How can we move the "raw" files to a new location without messing up the catalog? Currently, my LRC library consists of a few different file types. I don't understand your logic. Even if a new user puts their raw files on an external drive, what if they outgrow that drive, or what if that drive fails? Is there any way to change the location of the raw files and tell the catalog where they now live?

[@christopherodonnell]

Hi Benicio - thanks for the comment as I am sure others are thinking the same thing. 1. This video is a short "heads up" for the next time you import images into the catalog. It would take much longer to show you how to move those image files retroactively after import. However, this is possible and Lightroom has some excellent tools to move your raw files to a new location and retain that connection to the catalog by pointing Lightroom to the new location. I have a PDF that I can email you which outlines this process, if you want to contact me through my website. But it's still a process to go through, so that's why I made this video so that you can avoid having to do this for future imports. 2. The drive failing and/or outgrowing the drive is outside the scope of this video. You should already have a solid 3-2-1 backup system in place for your image files where this isn't an issue. If your external drive becomes full, you get another. Remember: you don't have to be connected to ALL your image files at once in order to review/process them. What will happen when your internal hard drive becomes full? Hope this helps a bit...let me know if you have any questions!

[@EdMatthewsPhoto]

It's simple ..... you can either 1- Use the folder structure in the library module to drag your folder of images to the new location. You may need to right click on the top folder and choose "show parent" to see some of the hidden folders. or 2- Move the folder using explorer (or finder on a mac) . Lightroom will now complain that it can't find the folder ... all you have to do is to right click on the "missing" folder and tell lightroom where it moved to. As for importing images, I'd always recommend using Lightroom to move them to their final destination rather than copying them and then importing. I think you are too likely to leave some images behind if you copy them manually.

[@christopherodonnell]

@@EdMatthewsPhoto While your approach sounds simpler in theory, it doesn’t always translate that way in practice: 1. Yes, you can move the images after the fact using Lightroom’s interface, but you’re relying on Lightroom to handle the process, which introduces some nuances. There are a few precautions to keep in mind to ensure the images are moved (not copied) correctly. What you see in the Lightroom folder panel doesn’t always reflect the exact file structure and contents on your hard drive. 2. The folder auto-relink feature in Lightroom can be tricky and doesn't always perform as expected. In some cases, you may need to manually relink images or folders one at a time, which can be time-consuming. 3. The risk of missing files when copying them directly from the memory card before importing is no greater than when using Lightroom’s import window, so that's just a matter of making sure everything is selected. The method I recommend only takes a minute or two, and it’s based on my experience helping many photographers untangle a mess that stemmed from assuming Lightroom would handle everything as it's supposed to. Having Lightroom move/copy files on your hard drive(s) is not as reliable as doing it yourself, so this simple step can prevent potential headaches down the line.

[@MrHaroldo50]

While your process is well-explained, wouldn't it be more efficient to have Lightroom Classic import the images directly from the camera/card to the external drive?

[@christopherodonnell]

Yes, you absolutely can....and in an ideal world, this would be the simplest way to do it. But the reality is, this method leaves room for errors. And, unfortunately, Lightroom doesn’t always work the way we want it to. For example, I spent a few days last week helping someone get their catalog sorted because they mistakenly copied their images over to the wrong external drive listed in the Destinations folder, and didn't find out for a few weeks....so they had to copy them over to the right drive, and relink a dozen image folders one by one (which didn't work smoothly since the drive letters were the same). If they had copied the images over from their memory card before importing, they would have put them onto the correct external drive because the difference would have been more obvious outside of the Destination panel. Another common issue is that during bigger imports, the process can take a while to also copy those images over.....if the import stalls or Lightroom crashes, you have to manually check which images made it over and which ones didn’t. If you are only adding images during import because you've already copied them over outside of Lightroom, this speeds up the actual import process a LOT and reduces the risk of errors or failures. It also allows you to manually verify that all your raw files copied over successfully before importing them (and before your card gets rewritten). The bigger point is that catalog issues/missing images can usually be traced back to an error made when copying the RAW files during the import process, which could have been avoided if these steps were separated. By manually copying your images to an external drive before importing them into Lightroom, you gain full control over exactly where your files go. Because moving files after they’ve been imported is one of the main reasons images go missing or end up duplicated. There are some other reasons, but these are the big ones. I wouldn't recommend this without a lot of experience behind it, and I can tell you that the extra couple minutes spent copying your raw files separately from import will come back to you tenfold by not having to troubleshoot down the line. Hope this helps!

[@jayplatt8798]

@@christopherodonnell if you use Lightroom to move the files it is seamless. Just don’t move them outside of Lightroom. Aperture worked the same way.

[@christopherodonnell]

@@jayplatt8798 When it works, but it sometimes doesn't. I only use Lightroom to physically move my source files (move, not copy) when there's no alternative. If you copy those images to your external drive before import (which should take about 30 seconds to execute), it can avoid a big headache.

[@MrHaroldo50]

@@christopherodonnell I see your point. My work flow is pretty set after more than 10 years of LRC. One additional step that I practice is that the import is automatically duplicated to a second external drive providing an extra layer of image protection.

[@mofotose]

@@christopherodonnell Maybe a problem on Apple? I've been using that method since version 3 I think. Works flawless. But I'm not an Apple user.

[@gechaves2]

Thanks for your time.

[@weebler]

Coming from a video background this was second nature. Great video, I didn’t know preview could be working copies. Cheers!

[@christopherodonnell]

Thanks, glad you liked it! Working from the previews was a game-changer for me...no need to be tied down to your external drives!

[@whitehorseflyer]

Oh boy I could not have found this video at a better time. My hard drive is nearly full, LRc is so slow and I've just bought an external drive. So, my question is, when I have moved all of my files onto the external disc how do I let LRc know where they are? In future I will be doing exactly as you say, importing to the external.

[@christopherodonnell]

@@whitehorseflyer You are definitely not alone here, happens very often! After you have COPIED the source files from your internal hard drive to the external, you need to flip through them to verify they have copied over correctly before deleting those files from your computer - that’s a big misstep. And before you delete them, you need to point Lightroom to the same folders on your external drive by reconnecting them. You’re basically telling the catalog to look at the new location instead of the old. I have a print out that I can send you which details the entire step by step process.

[@whitehorseflyer]

Yes please that would be great. Thank you

[@christopherodonnell]

@@whitehorseflyer No problem! KZbin doesn't like me posting links in the comments...so if you click on any of the links in the video description, it will take you to my website. Click Contact at the top, send me a note, and I'll reply with a download link for the print out :)

[@kevingoza]

Could not find your download.

[@christopherodonnell]

Hi Kevin! The download link should have been emailed to you. Can you check your junk/spam folder?

[@WinstonBhagirath]

i value this info

[@jdqc]

LR has local files and cloud support with sync to all my devices. Freedom of choice where to store copies of my files too (local or another cloud). Why bother with LRC catalogues nightmare...

[@christopherodonnell]

I don't disagree with you, but there are a few reasons why the Classic catalog system still outperforms Desktop cloud....with the trade-off being the lack of flexibility that the cloud provides. You also have to keep in mind that Desktop wasn't a viable replacement for Classic until a few years ago (and still isn't for quite a few people). Many photographers have been using the catalog system for well over 10 years now, with hundreds of thousands of images...there's no incentive to switch all of that over to the Desktop version, especially when you can sync your catalog to the Desktop cloud if you want that flexibility. Classic is still part of the workflow for many photographers, even those who want the Desktop cloud.

[@drjtcmurray]

I often move my entire LR catalog and folders of images between between external drives as I buy larger drives. Key is to keep all the LR data files and folders of photos in a single folder. Any issues, just rebuild the catalog. Never had an problem. Also, I have a secondary external drive that allows me to back up my LR files, having all on a single external wiith no backup is a very bad idea.

[@christopherodonnell]

That works! Yes I copy all my images into a single "master" folder on the external drives. I don't spend too much time organizing the actual file folders on the external drive. My hierarchy goes Master Folder > General Locations (i.e. "Maine"> Date > Images just to segment them a bit, but anything more than that is unnecessary (and can be counterproductive) when you have the Library module and keywording.

[@drjtcmurray]

I use the ability to rename within LR. Just realised that I’m Mac based so Windows may behave differently. But if it allows, it saves so many headaches (I learnt the hard way).

[@christopherodonnell]

@@drjtcmurray File renaming is incredibly powerful and one of the most under utilized features...I probably should make a video about it actually.

[@garyrowe58]

Still confused ... i don't understand how an external drive is quicker than an internal one, how an external drive doesn't fail, and why having a lot of images on an internal drive slows everything down!

[@christopherodonnell]

@@garyrowe58 Hi Gary! No worries, all these are common questions. External drives are faster because you are freeing up your internal hard drive from unnecessary storage. When your internal drive starts to fill up, Lightroom will slow down (even before it is actually full). The more room on your internal drive, the better the performance. An external drive has no increased risk of failure than your internal drive. You should follow a 3-2-1 backup system so in the event that the external drive fails (not if, but when) you can easily restore your images from a backup.

[@garyrowe58]

​@christopherodonnell thanks, i keep my images on their own internal drive, and usually have a few terabytes free on it, so that should be ok. I put the Lr cache on one of my internal M.2 (non-system) drives too. And yes, i have the images replicated in the cloud and in a shed down the garden! .

[@christopherodonnell]

@@garyrowe58 perfect! Running the catalog file from an internal drive is fastest so I wouldn't put that on an external...but if you do decide to move your images to an external drive, you can edit and access the previews without needing your external drive plugged in. You only need to reconnect periodically to update the sidecar files with new edits, etc. or to access the original RAWs if you want true 1:1 detail editing.

[@atruewarrior8965]

Im glad the season is coming because all summer yall been posting the same ole shiiill lol.....i know its rought in the summer time but dayum lol

[@christopherodonnell]

The fall foliage is just starting here in New England....can't wait! I'm in the Boston area and we've been in a drought for about a month, but we had a wet spring/early summer so I'm not sure how that will impact the foliage ...but up north, I hear the color is coming in nicely!!!

[@tinplater]

Does all you say, apply to JPEG files?

[@christopherodonnell]

Yes it does!

[@tinplater]

@@christopherodonnell Why mention "raw files" a hundred times and not a word about JPEG?

[@stepspan7168]

I do totally different. I Import my files to a folder on my tablet, Lightroom imports them automatically then. Because i have a storage Plan on lightroom all my files are stored in the lightroom cloud when Importen to lighroom so that i can delete the files on my tablet and have access to all my files in all lightroom / Photoshop versions. Whe i have worked on a File all changes a visible on all lightroom versions on all my computers. Finally i save a DNG of the finalized File on a mobile drive.

[@christopherodonnell]

Good plan! The most important thing is to have multiple backups of the source file and Lightroom catalog...you can always untangle a messy catalog, but can't bring back source files or catalogs.

[@stepspan7168]

@@christopherodonnell...😁of course i have a backup storage with 2 harddrives where the files are saved simultanously

[@MarkFloyd7451]

I've never liked LR classic with it's troublesome, picky, easily corrupted catalog system. I also felt it was unnecessarily complicated. DXO Photo Lab 8 with its simple file browser and its powerful post processing tools is so much more fun to work with. Just my 2 cents.

[@christopherodonnell]

Totally understand, and I agree about the catalog. The Library module is pretty powerful though, as long as it works as intended!

[@SwissNetHawk]

Lightroom worked flawlessly for me from day 1 - which was version 1.

[@flipenheck1]

Never been a problem either

[@Nkaiihvy]

I think light room program is developed in wrong way…. Adobe has done blunder and not correcting it

[@krimke881]

Present as per usual 😁👌

[@daisylu5101]

On which way was developed in the wrong way 🤔💭???

[@heathermtaylor7683]

Hi Christopher, I happened upon your channel as I was trying to make sense of importing and organising my images in LrC. I decided to take you up on your kind offer of downloading the Cheat Sheet that comes with this video. And then, I found a whole host of courses, many of which you have offered us for free... It is rare to stumble upon such a generous human being. I have subscribed. Thank you so much Christopher 🌟.

[@christopherodonnell]

I'm happy you found the cheatsheet helpful, and hope you enjoy the courses as well! I appreciate you taking the time to comment....thank you for subscribing!

[@heathermtaylor7683]

@@christopherodonnell - Thank you for taking the time to help so many of us out. We appreciate your kindness. Thank you, Christopher 🌟.

[@jdqc]

Adobe catalog files are PAIN. Thousand of tiny files instead of a REAL single file database or container file. Management nightmare and HUGE performance impact opening and closing hundred of files.

[@jdqc]

Once again someone using LRC and not LR. Catalog pains and file management are simply gone with LR. Why still using LRC? About 98% of LR has everything LRC does today and even more.

[@jayplatt8798]

Because people don’t want pictures in the cloud for a number of reasons.

[@philadler9171]

LR doesn't allow for Metadata edits

[@robertstevenson8696]

64 gig of raw files per photo session is a tonne of file to move to the cloud

[@ApertureO9V]

@@jayplatt8798you do not have to load to the cloud, you can store locally