Editing/managing Lightroom files on a laptop computer

[jclin10]

Greetings

My entire Lightroom library is on my desktop computer. I’d like to take some of those files on a trip, for which I’d like to put them on my laptop so I can work on them. When I’m done working on them, I’d like to return those files to my desktop, back to the complete library.

How do I do that? I’m sure it is an easy thing to do, but I’ve never done it before.

thanks!

[cmgap · Accepted solution]

There's a few things you can do.

1. Export the images as a catalog onto an external drive with the following options selected

2. Plug the EHD to your laptop and copy the catalog and image files to your laptop

3. Upon return import the images from this catalog back into your desktop catalog

Another option:

1. Make a collection of the images that you want to edit while you are on your trip and

2. Sync that collection

3. Login to your lightroom.adobe.com account in a browser and edit your images here. The changes you make will sync to your desktop catalog.

You may find one of these options works better for you than the other – try both with a few images before you decide.

[jclin10]

Thanks!

If I delete, make edits, add keywords to the files that I move, will those be captured when I import those files back into the main computer library?

Also, if I make a collection out of the files that I've moved, will that collection be imported when I import the files back into the main computer library?