Multi Location Workflow Suggestions

[flyingpointroad]

I've gone through the archives and not found an answer, so I thought I'd try here.

For the last few years, I've been working out of a couple of locations -- each with an iMac, a 4-bay thunderbay drive set-up and a Synology.  I also work remotely frequently and use a laptop.

Life is short and I'd like to simplify my workflow.  My thought would be to swap out the iMacs for external monitors.  I'd keep my images at the two locations and use Synology Drive to keep them in-sync.  (The two locations are a couple of hours apart.) I'd keep my catalog on my laptop with smart previews.  (2 TB drive)  My main library has about 155k images or so.

Practical or not?  Any suggestions on how I can make this easy?

Thanks.

[Rob_Cullen]

With your Catalog and Smart Previews on the Laptop (or connected external drive), you will not need the image files in two locations.

At location [A]  your laptop will have a connection to the full-size files on the Synology drive- everything works fully accessing the original image files.

At location [B] (or anywhere else, for that matter) your laptop edits will work with the (created) Smart Previews. Limitations will occur with a couple of functions, like sharpening & noise reduction, because of the smaller dimensions of the Smart Preview DNG proxy files..

[flyingpointroad]

Thanks, Rob.

The "good news" is that the Synology units should keep everything in sync, so I'll have full size images at both locations and four copies of everything across two locations.

Any suggestions on how to handle offsite events in terms of image workfow?  I've been creating a freestanding unique catalog on my laptop and then loading it into my "Master" after the event.  Continue doing that?  Or -- with my master now on my laptop --  load them into it and just sync the images when I get back?

[Rob_Cullen]

I am getting in 'deep' here as I do not use Synology (or similar).

However IF your Synology units do keep the files in exact sync Synology<>Synology, then you will only need the ONE 'Master' catalog on the laptop.

The laptop Catalog must recognize each SYnology as the exact same pathway to your files, otherwise you will be getting "Missing" folders and files when you switch the laptop from one system to the other.

Everything you do to use the original files in two locations is a workaround to use LrC in a manner for which it wasn't designed. ie. One user, One Catalog, One set of original files, and not designed to 'sync'.

Some reading for you here-

Catalog on multiple computers?

"Offsite" events could be handled by Importing photos to the laptop internal Drive (ie. in the 'Master' catalog). Then when connected to a Synology system- move the files within LrC:  Internal Drive > Synology Drive.