Automatic import from iPhone camera roll and iCloud

[robertom48218215]

Automatic Import from iPhoto Camera Roll (iPhone 13)

Hi all. On my Apple iCloud I have thousands of photos. If I would switch on the automatic import now would all the photos imported or only the new ones?

I am asking, because I have already imported most of the pictures from iCloud. In iCloud I have taged the imported ones with "Expoted".

Thanks for help! 

[selondon]

As far as I know, it would only import the new ones (although have read reports in the past of the whole lot being imported, although I don't think that's how it's designed to work). 

When using importing from iCloud (especially older photos in the Camera Roll), it's worth checking if Optimise Phone Storage is turned on in iOS Settings. This will keep smaller files in your Camera Roll, whilst the higher res are stored in iCloud. I'm still not clear on how Lightroom Mobile deals with these files (if it tiggers the iPhone to download the full photo from iCloud, before import to Lightroom - I doubt it though). Maybe @Charlie.D or another member of staff can clear this up.

[robertom48218215]

Hi selondon. Thanks for your answer. Before switching "on" the automatic import I have to be sure that only the new ones are imported. Otherwise I get in trouble. And yes, the iCloud optimization is "on". Thanks for that also.

Another question you can maybe help me with (or better, 2 questions):

- In which folder are the pictures from the camera roll stored in LR?

- Is "full quality" stored and is metadata also stored?

Thanks a lot.

[selondon · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The Album that the Camera Roll auto imports into can be set by tapping the three dots next to the chosen Album and selecting Auto Import from Camera Roll.

The EXIF data is stored in the files but I’m unsure about any tags you may have manually entered in the Camera Roll.

As for whether Lightroom imports and stores the full resolution photo, then yes it does, but this depends on the source.

This brings me back to the Optimise iPhone Storage, where I probably wasn’t that clear.
If this is turned on, then some photos in the Camera Roll will only be the low res versions (the full being stored in iCloud). Ideally, most people would want the full resolution imported into Lightroom, and I still can’t confirm that, when Lightroom requests the file for import, the full res gets downloaded from iCloud prior to this. My hunch is it doesn’t….. I’ll get some confirmation and get back to you.

[robertom48218215]

Selondon, thanks a lot for the hint regarding the iCloud and the topic of full resolution and optimized storage. I was not aware of that. Maybe I'll test it (what does not harm my LR catalog) and then tell here.

The only question remaning is the one if all or only new ones are imported.

[Jim Wilde · Accepted solution]

The "Auto-add" function in LrMobile is intended to automatically import any NEW images added to the Camera Roll from the point in time that the function was activated, i.e. it is not expected at the time of the "auto-add" activation that any existing images in the Camera Roll would be automatically imported into LrMobile.

The potential problem, however, is the ongoing use of iCloud and the optimise storage option. My understanding is that any images that were in the Camera Roll at the time of "auto-add" activation in LrM, and which were thus not automatically imported into LrM, could subsequently be replaced by lower res versions in the Camera Roll by iCloud....and I would expect that LrM would detect those new low-res versions as "new" images, and so would auto-import them. It's for that reason that I personally keep iCloud for Photos disabled on all my iDevices (and I recommend that all Lightroom Mobile users do the same). 

[robertom48218215]

Hi Jim. Thanks for your answer. Yes, as selondon suggested I created a new folder "iPhone 13 Roberto" and activated the "Autoimport" to this folder.

And it's as you said, only new one (pictures taken from that moment on) are imported.

What I have seen so far:

iCloud optimisation is activated and the full resolution is imported from "Fotos"-App to LrM. Metadata is synched. Great news!

My "leading" Photo-Management Software is Lightroom Classic. Looking at LrC, pictures are also synched full res to my LrC. I find the same folder I created in my iPhone (the folder "iPhone 13 Roberto" as a Collection) and I will now from time to time move the pictures from "iPhone 13 Roberto" folder/Collection to the folder in LrC or my catalog. 

One "goodie" is, that I do only get pictures and no "Printscreens" made on my iPhone into LrC. That because of LrM ability to differ/choose between Photos, Printscreens, Videos in the "Automatic Import Seetings".

Well, all in all a great solution that I found today. This replaces my old workflow I had before of exporting from "Fotos" on my Mac and then Import them to LrC which is synched (via collections) with lr. I had to tag them afterwards in "Fotos" with "exported", to keep track which ones I already exported from "Fotos" (iCloud) to LrC. That step also is not necessary anymore 💪🏼.

Thaks again for your help!

[selondon]

Hi again Roberto,

Charlie,  a member of the Lightroom Team recommends that you have 'Download and Keep Originals'  turned on in Apple Photos setting (if you have enough iPhone space). This would guarantee that the full resolution photos get imported into Lightroom when using iCloud. Alternatively turn iCloud off as per Jim's advice.

Apple even advise in their documentation that when using iCloud and wanting to share full resolution photos, that you tap Edit beforehand to pull down the full resolution from iCloud: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph961b96c4d/ios

That's useful if you want to import a few, but obviously not when you want to work on multiple ones.