Integrate cloud into Lightroom Classic

While I am drawn to many aspects of LrCC on my laptop and iPad, including the the UI design aspects of font and spacing (and Generative Upscale), LrC is more powerful and feature-rich, so I use it when I need things like plugins, virtual copies, the Export module, and Print module. While I can access cloud files through the Collections panel, it is a bit of a headache with its long list of small, difficult-to-read album names. At least they are alpha-numeric, but without the folder names, it becomes a nightmare.

Lr Mobile for iPad has a great feature to allow the user to switch between “Cloud” and “Device”. Recommendation: Design the left panel of Lr Classic to allow users to easily switch between Local files (as we currently have in LrC) and Cloud files as they are structured in LrCC.

Even Import can be designed with a simple question: Do you want to import files Locally or to the Cloud? The first option is business as usual with LrC; the second opens a LrCC style folder/album structure on the right, but still allows import presets as set up in LrC; only the end location is different.

If it were up to me, I would also transition the old-looking LrC UI to the more modern, cleaner-looking LrCC UI. And, while you’re at it, provide a “Light” option for those of us who prefer working with the lights on rather than in a cave.

Leave LrCC as it is, for those who want to work solely in the Cloud and for use with iPad, but I think it’s well past time for pros to be able to switch seamlessly between Local and Cloud.