Skip to main content
G
goCoreygoPhoto
Participant
August 12, 2017
Question

Archiving Lightroom Folders

  • August 12, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 5085 views

For each client, I import the raw images into a new/separate Lightroom folder. Once I've finished editing, I move the raw files to an external drive (meaning the Lightroom folder is now empty). Is there a way to archive the original Lightroom folder (at this point it's empty since I moved the raw files off the computer)? I ask because I want to be able to see/use those edits in the future if necessary by just locating the raw image files back onto my computer.


Any thought would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Theresa J
Community Expert
Theresa JCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 13, 2017

I agree with DJ. The better workflow is to put the images in their final location at the front end. Lr has no problem seeing, and working with images on external drives, as long as the drive is connected. I was just providing you a simple solution for your current setup.

    G
    goCoreygoPhotoAuthor
    Participant
    August 13, 2017

    Yes, I agree, thank you! But what If I wanted to mark that I was finished editing that photo deck (the folder in lightroom) so that was I know to move onto the next client????

    Theresa J
    Community Expert
    Theresa JCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 13, 2017

    I would just remove the folder from Lr. Then you don't have to think about it again.

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    August 12, 2017

    Don't develop a workflow where you put photos in one location (let's call this location A) to edit them and then move the photos to another location (let's call this location B) when you're done.

    Instead, either leave the photos where they are (location A), or better yet, when the photos comes straight out of the camera, put them in their final location (location B) and edit them from there. You will make your life so much simpler, and ... when you want to use the photos in the future, there's no need to locate them and then "just locating the raw image files back onto my computer."

    Why do all this work of moving photos when it's completely unnecessary?

    The solution above by Per Berntsen​ works well for photos you have already imported and edited in Lightroom. My discussion applies to new photos.

    I would not advise the solution above by Theresa J​, it is simply unnecessary to do the work to create catalogs and then delete photos from Lightroom and move things from here to there, and move them back later if you still want to use those photos; you get no benefits over the method I have described, and the method I have described is a lot less work, no moving of photos, no creating catalogs, etc.

      S
      shawntaylor
      Participant
      February 6, 2020

      If the final destination is an external drive, or in my case a server, isn't it better for lightroom to work from the files on your local machine initially?

       

      dj_paige
      dj_paige
      Legend
      February 6, 2020

      "If the final destination is an external drive, or in my case a server, isn't it better for lightroom to work from the files on your local machine initially?"

       

      Better? In what sense?

       

      If you mean is it faster, then no, the speed of the disk where the photos are stored has such a trivial effect on Lightroom Classic that you will never notice the difference. And even that trivial difference in speed is lost later because then you have to take the extra time to move the photos at some point to a different drive. When the photos come straight out of the camera, put them onto the disk where they will be stored; do not put them on disk 1 and then later move them to disk 2.

        Per Berntsen
        Community Expert
        Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        August 12, 2017

        There is no need to create folders specifically for Lightrooom - just import from whatever folder the raw files are in.

        Since the files are not "in" Lightroom, but are only referenced by the catalog, they can be anywhere on your computer, external drives included.

        Here's what I would do in your situation:

        1. Using your computer's OS (Windows Explorer or Mac Finder), move the folder you want to archive (not just the files, but the folder) to the external drive.
        2. Lightroom will now report the folder as missing by displaying a question mark on the folder.
          Right click the folder, choose Find missing folder, and point Lightroom the new location.

        You can now access these files normally from your main catalog, provided that the external drive is connected.

          G
          goCoreygoPhotoAuthor
          Participant
          August 13, 2017

          Thank you! I actually want to find a way to move the folder in lightroom when I'm finished w the photos in it so that way it's no longer on my to-do list. Any thoughts?

          ManiacJoe
          ManiacJoe
          Inspiring
          August 13, 2017

          Moving large numbers of files is best done outside of LR. For example, when moving a whole folder, use your computer's file browser, then "relocate" or "find missing" on that one folder in the LR Folders panel.

          LR will sometimes drop the ball when moving many files. When this happens, often times the files are lost forever.

          Theresa J
          Community Expert
          Theresa JCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          August 12, 2017

          Your best option is to export the Export the Folder as a Catalog and include the negatives. This will create a stand alone catalog with the images that you can archive. You can then remove the images from your catalog and the hard drive.

          Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
          Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices