Lightroom & Lightroom Classic Used Together

[defaultjhnuowgamkzh]

I have always used lightroom Classic on my iMac. Recently I have added Lightroom app to my iPhone and iPad and sync several collections/albums between them. I now want to add Lightroom (not Lightroom Classic) to my Macbook Pro. Will it behave the same as Lightroom on iPhone and iPad - just displaying collections/Albums synced?? I do not want to add to cloud storage by adding Lightroom to the laptop computer. Any help will be appreciated.

[JP Hess]

Although I don't use Lightroom extensively, I would suggest that it organizes images similarly to what you see on the iPad. It will import images and organize them in dated folders, and you can organize the images into albums. Images that are synchronized from Lightroom Classic will be handled the same way, but will be added to Lightroom as smart previews only. Explain what you mean by not wanting to "add to cloud storage" by adding Lightroom to the laptop computer. If you import images using Lightroom then that is precisely where the images will go.

[defaultjhnuowgamkzh]

I will only add images to Lightroom Classic (so I will store them locally). But I want to view and edit them on the MacBook Pro or the iPad. I want to have the same synced albums/collections on both iPad and MacBook Pro. I know I have not added to my creative cloud storage using the iPad version. Want to be sure same holds for adding Lightroom on Mac book pro. Want to be sure Lightroom on MacBook Pro is only using the smart previews.

[Jim Wilde]

Want to be sure same holds for adding Lightroom on Mac book pro. Want to be sure Lightroom on MacBook Pro is only using the smart previews.

Lightroom on your MBP will only use whatever you have added to the cloud. If you sync from Classic, only smart previews are uploaded and so that's what all the Lightroom apps are able to use. But if you import any images directly into any of the Lightroom apps, then they are uploaded in full original format and thus would count against your cloud storage allowance.

Bottom line: don't import any images directly into Lightroom and your storage allowance will be safe.

[Jim Wilde]

Will it behave the same as Lightroom on iPhone and iPad - just displaying collections/Albums synced?? I do not want to add to cloud storage by adding Lightroom to the laptop computer. Any help will be appreciated.

Yes, the Lightroom Desktop app is essentially a port of the LrMobile app to MacOS/Windows computers. There are some small differences, but nothing major, and no it won't add to your cloud storage unless you import photos into it.