Photo sync

[Juan23467271lqc0]

I just started using Lightroom Classic to edit photos.  How can I sync just the collection that I completed to Lightroom cloud?  When I try to sync the collection, Lightroom cloud transfers all 30k+ photos from cloud to Classic therefore my hard drive and I dont want all those photos in Classic.

[john beardsworth · Accepted solution]

That's how Lightroom Classic works. If you enable sync, it assumes you want anything in the cloud to sync down and be recorded in the catalogue.

If you already have those 30k photos on a local hard drive, you could first import them into Lr Classic and then enable sync. Lr Classic should then match up the cloud files with those already on your hard drive, preventing duplication.

[Theresa J]

It works this way because Lightroom Classic requires that the originals for everything in the catalog reside on a hard drive.

If you want to selectively sync Collections to the Cloud, follow John's advice. Use Lightroom Classic instead of Lightroom to manage your photos. Syncing a collection from Classic only uploads smart preview files. The orignal files always stay on the drive.