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Kirsty28865796om7v
Participant
May 29, 2023
Question

Using Lightroom mobile without syncing with the cloud

  • May 29, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 3261 views

I have been using Lightroom Classic for over 10 years, quite happily. I have over 650,000 images in my catalog. However I am looking for a solution where I don't have to lug around my MacBook Pro to download and back up photos while away from home.

I can easily shoot 3000+ photos per day on 45.6MP cameras - however I am considering buying an iPad Pro to use as a "lighter" alternative to dragging my laptop everywhere.

I have a SSD drive and dongle for downloading SD and XQD cards, and I would like to work on my images on location in Lightroom, then save changes to the SSD drive. I don't want to incur massive Adobe file storing costs, when really I don't want cloud storage at all, I just want to work on my images on an iPad while i am away, then somehow sync or copy the images into my main catalog when I return. I am not interested in backups in the cloud, because I have too many images to manage that way.
Am I forced to drag my MacBook Pro laptop around, just so as I can do some image editing when I am away?

Is the iPad a non-starter for using out in the field, without incurring massive Adobe storage costs, for the short period between being out in the field and back home on the desktop computer? Seems a big waste, or does Adobe just want to siphen even more money from there customers by forcing them to pay exhorbitant storage costs for the pleasure of using a smaller device in the field - like an iPad.

Can you save any changes you make while working on the ipad, such as save the changes back into the file  & then back up those photos to SSD external drive, then feed them back into your Lightroom Classic catalog upon your return?

Or do I need to find an alternative to Lightroom for the iPad to process images.

I mainly want to rename files, basic bulk editing, keywording, and sorting, so as to save time doing all of this when I return. Like I have been doing in the past with a laptop - just that the laptop is heavy to drag around.

I would be most grateful if anyone can tell me whether I am chasing a lost cause, or is there any cheaper alternative to massive Adobe storage costs, when you shoot large numbers of images and videos.

Many thanks

Kirsty

    2 replies

    Conrad_C
    Community Expert
    Conrad_CCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 12, 2024
    quote

    I have a SSD drive and dongle for downloading SD and XQD cards, and I would like to work on my images on location in Lightroom, then save changes to the SSD drive. I don't want to incur massive Adobe file storing costs, when really I don't want cloud storage at all, I just want to work on my images on an iPad while i am away, then somehow sync or copy the images into my main catalog when I return. I am not interested in backups in the cloud, because I have too many images to manage that way.
    Am I forced to drag my MacBook Pro laptop around, just so as I can do some image editing when I am away?

    By @Kirsty28865796om7v

     

    Unfortunately, that is still not possible with Lightroom on iPad/iPhone. The reasons are:

     

    Lightroom on iPad can work with external storage only as an import source. Once imported, all images will be copied to iPad internal storage (to a hidden cache location), only long enough to get the images uploaded to the cloud. It is impossible to bypass this at this time, and because of that, it is also impossible to have Lightroom edit originals while leaving them on external iPad storage.

     

    Lightroom desktop on macOS/Windows did add the Local tab. This is a major change, because it is now possible in non-Classic Lightroom to edit images in any folder (with some limitations) without ever uploading it to the cloud. It basically works the same way as editing images using Bridge and Camera Raw.

     

    Lightroom on iPad did add the new Device tab. But it’s very important to understand that the Device tab on iOS works differently than the Local tab on macOS/Windows. The Device tab is only an import source; as soon as you start editing an image selected in the Device tab, iPad Lightroom will import it and upload it to its cloud. In addition, the Device tab only sees the OS photo library, and cannot import from any location outside of the iOS photo library; for example, it can’t see folders in the Files app and because of that, it can’t work with external iPad storage.

    So although a lot has changed, not enough has changed for the iPad to meet the requirements in the original post of this thread. For full local editing without cloud dependency, a computer is still required.

    M
    maddog john
    Participant
    January 22, 2024

    Did you ever figure this out?  I would like to do the same. 

      J
      James35015252je6x
      Participant
      February 11, 2024

      I'm interested in this too.

        JohanElzenga
        Community Expert
        JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 11, 2024

        Not all the things mentioned by the OP can be done in Lightroom for iPad, regardless of whether you use cloud sync or not. For example: Lightroom for iPad can't rename files and its flat keywords are not compatible with the hierarchical keyword system of Lightroom Classic. Using an iPad on the road and syncing edits with Lightroom Classic when you get home is possible however, but it would be complicated (if even possible) without cloud sync.

         

        -- Johan W. Elzenga
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