Copies of Photos in Lightroom CC do not export at same file size as original

[adeslaurirs]

Hi

I am creating virtual copies of photos in Lightroom CC so that I can have one colour and one black and white version of the photos. When I go to export them to my computer hard drive I will get the following message regarding the black and white virtual copy - "this image can not be exported at full size because the original can not be accessed". Ultimately the second image is exported at a smaller file size. i want to export them all at the original file size like how it will in Lightroom Classic but want to do the same from Lightroom CC. Any help on how to make this happen??

Thanks!

[JP Hess]

If all of your images in Lightroom CC were synchronized from Lightroom Classic CC then they are smart previews. That means they are not full-sized images, and that is why you are getting that message. The only way you would be able to export full-sized images from Lightroom CC is if you imported them directly to that program in the first place. That way the full-sized images would be in the cloud. You cannot have full-sized images in the cloud when synchronizing from Lightroom Classic CC.

[adeslaurirs]

Thanks for your reply. I am importing them directly into Lightroom CC. What I am finding I need to do in order to get two full-size copies of the same image (one colour and one black-and-white) is the export the colour image from Lightroom CC and then import it into Lightroom Classic and then create all my black and white virtual copies to export to my hard drive, which is taking me way too much extra time.

[Jao vdL]

How are you making your copies? Lightroom CC does not have the concept of virtual copies. They are always full copies.

[JP Hess]

Yeah, and I'm curious about that. Have you noticed that when you make a copy of an image in Lightroom CC that the copy that shows up in Classic IS a virtual copy? At least it is with both programs on the same computer. I know, you're not supposed to do that.

[Jao vdL]

Interesting I hadn’t noticed that but that is of course the right thing to do. My guess is that in CC the original file behind the two copies isn’t actually a full copy either but that the “virtual“ nature is hidden from view probably because it is considered too difficult for the CC users.

[adeslaurirs]

I am using the right click and make a copy. What I am thinking is maybe the copy is not considered a "full size" copy until it has synced to the cloud and I need to wait for that to happen for exporting to my hard drive. Thanks for your reply!

[Jao vdL]

That’s probably exactly what it is. this is indeed a problem with CC. Very strange indeed that it needs to have the image completely synced in order to export.

[selondon]

Yep, right-clicking in Lightroom CC and choosing 'Make A Copy' will make an actual copy.

I have just tested and I did get the message that you described but that was because sync to the Cloud was not complete. After that it was okay and worked as expected.

It did then get it again though but it seems intermittent, even when sync was complete.