Merging photos from multiple computers (in Lightroom) and Iphone onto external SDD

[Sandra26581678pkuo]

Hi all, 

I want to merge all my photo libraries onto an external SDD as the size has become too large for one computer to hold (over 100,000 photos). I have two lightroom libraries on two separate computers (with different photos) and photos from an Iphone that I also want to merge into one single lightroom libary on an SDD. 

1- Starting with the Iphone, can I upload the photos directly to the SDD to be readable in lightroom on my computer, or do I have to upload them first to my computer in lightroom, and then to the hard drive, which will obviously.be a longer process? If I can do the first option, how do I do that?

2- One of my computers is using a very old version of Lightroom (older software version). If I merge that library as well as the newer lightroom one from my new laptop onto an SDD, will the current lightroom app recognize or see the photos from my old computer/app when I work from the hard drive? How do I make sure?

Thanks in advance. Backing up has been my weakness for far too long...  

[dj_paige]

Are you talking about Lightroom (Lr icon) or Lightroom Classic (LrC icon)? What version NUMBER?

[Sandra26581678pkuo]

Hi there, 

The Lightroom version on my new computer is LrC v. 11.5. The Lightroom version on my old computer is LR v. 6

I want to merge photos from both onto one location on an external hard drive, and add the photos from my Iphone. 

Thanks so much for all your help!! 

[dj_paige]

I would first get your Lr 6 catalog up and running in Lightroom Classic. If it involves moving it from one computer to another, here are the instructions: https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/ Please read carefully and follow the instructions exactly, do not make up extra steps, do not skip steps. No matter how bad you might want to import your photos into Lightroom Classic, this is not a step and should not be done. In fact, Importing in this case is wrong and will make things worse.

Once that is successful, you can import the photos directly from your iPhone into LrC and onto your SSD in one step. This is just a standard import, you set the Destination folder in the Import dialog box to somewhere on the SSD. 

[Sandra26581678pkuo]

Ok, this is great. Thanks so much. And if I read the instrctions correctly, it means I can get my LR6 catalogue working on my new machine in LrC, but not actually saving the photos from LR6 onto my new computer, but rather on a hard drive? The issue is my new computuer does not have enough space, but if I read the instructions correctly, this shouldn't be a problem if I want to save directly onto the hard drive. Is that right?

Thanks a bunch!!

[dj_paige]

Perhaps you mean something different than I do by using the word "save". The instructions I gave you a link to do not use the word "save". If your computer doesn't have enough space and you have an external hard drive, you can COPY the photos to the external hard drive (there is no "save" here) and then direct Lightroom Classic to use the photos on the external HD, as explained in sections 5 and 6 of the document I linked to.