How to upload processeed images from lightroom classic to Creative cloud for cloud backup

[eriks3]

My goal is to upload processed images from lightroom classic to Creative cloud for cloud backup storage. I'm finding lots of confusing information online. I'm experimenting with selecting processed images in Lightroom, clicking export, choosing a specific folder I've created within the Creative Cloud Files folder on my iMac, and exporting. When I log into my Creative Cloud account on line the images appear. They appear to be backed up on creative cloud.

The questions are.

Is this a viable approach for backing up all my images in the cloud?

Are the images I see after export within the Creative Cloud Files folder on my iMac taking up disc space? Or is this just a representation of what is in the cloud?

Can I access these images from within Lightroom or do I need to continue to sink to my backup images on my hard drive?

[Just Shoot Me]

This not what the Adobe cloud system if for. you would be better served using something like Dropbox or simply backup locally to external drives.

LR Classic only uploads Smart Preview to the Adobe Cloud system, LR Web. And you will soon run of of the allotted storage space Adobe give you with your subscription.

[eriks3]

"LR Classic only uploads Smart Preview to the Adobe Cloud system, LR Web. And you will soon run of of the allotted storage space Adobe give you with your subscription". Not true. I have exported files to the Creative Cloud folder from lightroom classic and they appear when I log onto creative cloud on line. I think there is lots of confusing misinformation about this topic. I would love to get some clarity on it.

I am backing up externally to hard drives. I want another redundant back up of my files that is cloud-based.

I would be purchasing 1 terabyte of space so I wouldn't run out of space.

It seems absurd to me that Adobe is offering terabytes of cloud storage but it cant be used for backup? I have to use another service like dropbox? It makes no sense.

[Just Shoot Me]

If you use Lightroom, Not Classic LR, then your Full Files get uploaded.

IMHO there are better online solutions than Adobe's Cloud Storage fpr backing up any of your files to the clouds.

[dj_paige]

I have exported files to the Creative Cloud folder from lightroom classic and they appear when I log onto creative cloud on line. I think there is lots of confusing misinformation about this topic. I would love to get some clarity on it.

Generally speaking, exported files from Lightroom can NEVER EVER be backups. Files uploaded to the cloud via Lightroom Classic are smart previews, and these can NEVER EVER be backups.

The originals must be backed up, not exported files, not smart previews.

Lightroom Classic does not provide a cloud backup.

[eriks3]

What is the point of Adobe providing a terabyte of storage space? 

Is Adobe seriously saying "we have no cloud backup strategy? Use one of our competitors like dropbox or iCloud to do that"?

"Generally speaking, exported files from Lightroom can NEVER EVER be backups. " I export files from Lightroom to Photoshelter all the time as cloud-based backups. 

[Just Shoot Me]

First as said above by dj_paige.

Exports from LR Classic should never be your backups of Original Files.

There are NO Files IN LR. LR Classic is a Database program. It make a record of the files you import as to where they are stored on your hard drives and what edits have been applied to them. The original file is never changed.

To back up your original files you make a Direct Copy of them.

To included all the edits you have done you Export it as a New File (hopefully a TIF file). If you then want to make a backup of those exported files you again make a Direct Copy of them to some other drive connected to your computer or to some Cloud Backup system.

[eriks3]

Just to be clear. These are final processed images, five star picks I'm talking about. Not entire catalogs. The goal is to backup the gems that have been selected and worked on. I use Photoshelter for this now but it is redundant with the new Adobe cloud-based structure.

I just spoke to an Adobe tech advisor. They informed me that my strategy is what they would advise to back up key processed images. Export images from Lightroom Classic to the Creative Cloud Files folder that resides on my iMac. These files become high res cloud-based backups stored online at assets.adobe.com. They can be downloaded if necessary.

They are not linked to lightroom. They are merely copies of important processed images. Core raw files are all stored on two 4 TB drives as usual.

[dj_paige]

I just spoke to an Adobe tech advisor. They informed me that my strategy is what they would advise to back up key processed images.

Okay, then we disagree with this person. Specifically, the uploaded images are smart previews, which are smaller (fewer pixels) than your original. If you ever, at any point in the future, have to restore this backup and you then want to make use of this image for some reason (such as printing, or sharing, or re-editing), you don't have the full size image, and so anything you do will have to be done with this smaller (fewer pixels) image; and whatever you do with this smaller image will be lower quality than if you had the original. So again, I claim this is not a true backup. A true backup is the original image, not a smaller sized version of the image.

[eriks3]

OK. I'll assume you are all correct. So, there is no way to utilize Adobe's new cloud-based system to back up viable high res copies of processed images? Somehow, they have created this new landscape that doesn't allow you to do that and I must continue to use other third parties like Photoshelter, Dropbox, iCloud etc to store my final processed images? If this is the case I'm astonished at the lack of foresight. 

The complexity of this issue and of organizing digital images, in general, is almost enough to make me give up serious photography. 

[john beardsworth]

You can use it just like you use Dropbox etc and put hi res files there in the same way. Those other services are not primarily intended as backup, nor is Adobe's. Remember that if you delete a file locally and the cloud service's copy is also deleted, that is not backup.

Companies like Backblaze offer backup.

[dj_paige]

If this is the case I'm astonished at the lack of foresight. 

But you did not puchase a subscription to backup software ... you purchased a subcription to the Photography Plan, and no one (certainly not Adobe) has ever claimed that Lightroom Classic is backup software. It is only in your mind that it might have been a backup solution; the other thousands of users have no such illusions.

[eriks3]

"It is only in your mind that it might have been a backup solution" Hilarious. What kind of a fool would assume a company like Adobe would devise a fully integrated solution?  And just to be clear I just spoke to someone at Adobe who validated my process as a back up solution.

[Just Shoot Me]

I think dj_paige is correct with hisa thinking. If you use LR Classic Collection to upload to the LR Web system then all you get is smart previews.

But as john_beardsworth states, and you (the OP), if you upload them to the Assets.adobe.com site, which is the CC Cloud system (Completely different from the LR Web system) then you are uploading the Full file size, resolution, whatever.

But as with ALL Online storage systems. IF YOU Stop paying all your images will disappear, be deleted, vanish into Cyber thin air.

That is the BIG reason I do not use any online system for backups or storage of any important data.

[eriks3]

"if you upload them to the Assets.adobe.com site, which is the CC Cloud system (Completely different from the LR Web system) then you are uploading the Full file size, resolution, whatever." Ok. So that is my assumption and that is what Adobe told me. So it is a viable approach to creating another layer of redundancy to back up key images without degradation?

"IF YOU Stop paying all your images will disappear, be deleted, vanish into Cyber thin air". Obviously. And as noted. I also back up to 2 external drives.

[john beardsworth]

"... I'm experimenting with selecting processed images in Lightroom, clicking export, choosing a specific folder I've created within the Creative Cloud Files folder on my iMac, and exporting. When I log into my Creative Cloud account on line the images appear. They appear to be backed up on creative cloud."

What you've done is export to a folder on your hard drive, which CC automatically stores online. You could do the same with Dropbox, for example. I'd describe them as copies of files, rather than backup. After all, if you delete the file on your hard drive, you also deleting the file online and will only see it in the online Deleted Items for a few months.

"Is this a viable approach for backing up all my images in the cloud?"

Viable, but not cost effective? And see the comment about whether it's backup.

"Are the images I see after export within the Creative Cloud Files folder on my iMac taking up disc space? Or is this just a representation of what is in the cloud?"

They are in a folder on your Mac, and they are copied to the cloud.

"Can I access these images from within Lightroom or do I need to continue to sink to my backup images on my hard drive?"

You can if you import them, and you'll be importing files that are on your Mac.

In general, I wouldn't confuse backup with copying files into cloud-synced folders.

[john beardsworth]

"Is this a viable approach for backing up all my images in the cloud?"

Viable, but not cost effective? And see the comment about whether it's backup.

"Are the images I see after export within the Creative Cloud Files folder on my iMac taking up disc space? Or is this just a representation of what is in the cloud?"

They are in a folder on your Mac, and they are copied to the cloud.

"Can I access these images from within Lightroom or do I need to continue to sink to my backup images on my hard drive?"

You can if you import them, and you'll be importing files that are on your Mac.

In general, I wouldn't confuse backup with copying files into cloud-synced folders.

[eriks3]

Thanks for all the advice and thoughtful feedback. Sticking to my years-long process of uploading final images to Photoshelter sounds like the way to go. I'm all for hacking tech but in this case the naysayers have convinced me that Adobe Creative Cloud is not suitable for backing up files.

[mattm29317480]

You can accomplish what you're looking for either on the front end or the back end of your process. It depends on what makes the most sense for you. 

From the beginning of your process:

- Import your RAW files into Lightroom CC, not Lightroom Classic.

- Sync Lightroom Classic with Lightroom CC.

- In Lightroom Classic, the synced files will show up in a folder named for the hardware you used to import the files. For example, iMac, or iPhone, Pixel, or whatever you used. (Lightroom CC's cloud storage is handled in folders that are permanently tied to your device. You can't organize those storage folders like you're probably used to in Lightroom Classic.)

- You can then make your adjustments and the RAW image and the metadata will be in the cloud.

- These files do not end up in your synced Creative Cloud Files folder or on Creative Cloud Web. They are in a Lighroom-specific location that you access through Lightroom CC, the Lightroom mobile app, or the Creative Cloud mobile app.

- This is a cumbersome process because Lightroom Classic won't store the original RAW files in the cloud. It won't even let you add RAW files to the cloud folders you can see along with your local folders. It just lets you to create synced collections of metadata.

At the end of your process

- Export whatever files you want to backup--JPGs or the RAW images plus the metadata Sidecar files--to your local Creative Cloud Files folder. This will sync to the cloud.

- You won't be able to open these from Lightroom Classic or Lightroom CC. You would need to import them again.

My personal workflow is to use the first method to get all of my files in the cloud. I shoot RAW with my phone a lot and this keeps everything in one place automatically. I use Lightroom Classic for my detailed editing (and because my plugins work with it), and I use Lightroom CC on my ipad or phone when I'm traveling.