Lightroom not displaying any previous photos upon new login

[bethanyd76115816]

In the past, whenever I've re-opened Lightroom Classic, all of my previous photos are there in the Catalog and Folder sections. 

Now, whenever I close then reopen Lightroom Classic, it will only have the new photos I'm importing but loses all of the previous ones, and they no longer display. When I manually go pull in those older photos, Lightroom doesn't remember any of my edits or ratings.

Nothing has changed about my workflow. Do you know why this may be happening?

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Hi @bethanyd76115816 I edited your title - I dont think you meant "LinkedIn".

For your issue go to Apple System Preferences/Security and Privacy/Full Disk Access and making sure Lightroom is listed and active.

[bethanyd76115816]

Thanks, you're right I didn't. 

It was not listed - I just added it and turned it to active.

[melissapiccone]

I moved your post to the LRclassic forum. Are you sure you are opening the same catalog every time? Sounds like a new catalog is being created. 

[bethanyd76115816]

Thank you! No, I am creating a new catalog each time. I recently starting using a culling software, and I create a new catalog via each new import (i.e. each new photo session). Should I be using the same one? 

[kevin stohlmeyer]

@bethanyd76115816 yes you should be using the same one, not creating one for each import.

[Rob_Cullen]

@bethanyd76115816   Your description of the problem sounds like you are creating new Catalogs for each import.

How many catalogs (.LRCAT files) do you have in your Mac system?

[bethanyd76115816]

14 .LRCAT files 

[Rob_Cullen]

@bethanyd76115816  Catalogs are 'Databases', and like physical Address Books- the information you add to one catalog (address book) is not seen or available in another catalog (address book).

CATALOGS- HOW THEY WORK 

In this link- in particular:  (which, in my opinion, is not forcefully expressed!)

There are times when multiple catalogs might be used (eg. Professionals keeping personal work separate), but for the rest of us, its is 'ONE Catalog to rule'.

Should you want to see all your photos and editing in one catalog then you will need to select one catalog (even a new empty one) and merge all your 14 catalogs into that 'one' by using the [Import from Another Catalog..,] function in the File Menu.

It will take some planning on your part.

Catalog FAQ

In this link- How to import photos from a different Lightroom Catalog  there is a chapter on 'Importing from a different Lightroom Classic catalog' (Don't be misled by the aarticle heading that is about Photoshop Elements.) with the steps involved.