Export Original Raw Files WithOUT Sidecar XMP files.

[krinkly2009]

Almost daily I export original raw image files from Lightroom in order to do some processing in Photoshop. 

All I want is the raw file that was originally imported from my camera's card, and no adjustments, etc.

But what I find are the raw files plus an equal number of matching .xmp sidecar files. These .xmp files clutter up the folder and make one more step in processing as I have to select the original files for opening in Photoshop.

Thus my quesiton: How do I export original raw camera files from Lightroom Classic without the accompanying sidecar files? Aperture never added the .xmp files to my exports.

Thanks for any help.

[TheDigitalDog]

You don't want nor need to export anything. Simply use the Edit in Photoshop command. 

Or, if you don't want sidecar files, which are required for proprietary raws, convert to DNG; no sidecar files necessary nor generated. 

[jblo]

I've been using PS since it was just PS (no version) shipped on floppy disks, so I may be biased. The process works well for my workflow.

Since the elimination of "Coverflow" by Apple, I've found LR a great way to review photos.

So help educate and old guy. If I process a photo in lightroom, then 2 years later want acess to that processing again, how many files do I need to find? It seems to me I'd have to acrchive and locate BOTH the LR file AND the raw file. In PS I open the PS file, complete with layers, and edit or reoutput. The sidecar is automatically saved next to the raw file. All in one place. If I want to share the edited file with another person or system, I'm not sure how that would work without my LR catalog.

I'm open to new workflows if it makes things better, but am allways hesitant to commit to having to archve multiple files to maintain the integrity of a project. (for those who use premiere, if you have a project that links to After Effects, you also have to make sure you archive that AE project along with your premiere project and media. If you simply output the premiere project to a video file then your project will be intact. And god forbid Adobe makes the project linking unstable again 🙂  )

I'm open to new ideas. I keep hearing "You should ALLWAYS process in LR" Can someone explain the advantages of creating a new workflow using only LR?

Thanks for any insight.

[Rob_Cullen]

So firstly I assume that "LR" is referring to Lightroom-Classic with a Catalog you mention.

"locate BOTH the LR file AND the raw file"

It is a mis-understanding that photos are IN Lightroom-Classic.  The "LR file" you refer to is only a reference to the one raw file on the hard-drive. And when you do any Edits in Lightroom-Classic, all the edits are saved IN the Catalog. The raw file is not changed neither is another raw file created.

"In PS I open the PS file, complete with layers, and edit or reoutput."

You should be 'Opening' the raw file to Photoshop FROM Lightroom-Classic [Ctrl+E] and NOT opening from a Finder view.  Opening from Finder will add an XMP sidecar to the raw file as it opens through the ACR interface then to a Photoshop document, AND it does not add the new Ps image to LrC.

When Opening from Lightroom-Classic (LrC acts as your ACR) the edits are stored IN the Catalog and no XMPs are created, and when [Save] in Ps the new image is automatically added back to the LrC Catalog library.

" If I want to share the edited file with another person or system, I'm not sure how that would work without my LR catalog."

The only "edited file" you will have is the new Photoshop TIF/PSD. You can 'share' it from its folder location in Finder (Copy and Paste to wherever.),

OR if you view the new Photoshop TIF/PSD in the LrC catalog, you can EXPORT a derivative file in various formats- JPG, TIF, or 'Original TIF/PSD', etc.

CLASSIC to PHOTOSHOP

Moving Between Lightroom and Photoshop - YouTube