getting original full size photos into Creative Cloud storage —HOW?

[mikeseb]

My setup is this: around 32k photos, digital RAW, scanned-film TIFF, and JPG files, around 1.3TB in total, stored on a USB-C SSD attached to my desktop computer. I have a TB speed up/down broadband connection, so no speed issues with the pipe itself.

I have these images cataloged in LR Classic, and I've synced Smart Previews of them to Creative Cloud storage, so I can access them from the various LR CC clients (desktop, iPhone, iPad.)

I upgraded to the 2TB cloud-storage plan, in hopes I could upload all the original, full-size image files to Creative Cloud. Once LRCC has more feature-parity with LR Classic, I'd likely switch fully to the CC version and leave LR Classic behind, with my original images thus safely cloud-stored, downloading only Smart Previews to local devices for editing.

Problem is, so far I've run into various difficulties trying to get the files uploaded. I've read various Help and Community postings but still hazy on how best to do this. When I try to add the originals via LRCC on the desktop, i quickly run into "inadequate hard drive space" issues, which I suppose happens because LRCC has to make temporary copies somewhere of the uploaded files as it's adding the images.

I've also tried to upload via Lightroom CC on the Web, perhaps to bypass the desktop app's limitations. I seem to get duplicate images in LRCC when I do this, or the web interface freezes.

If someone could help me figure out a workflow I'd be grateful. Otherwise, there's not much point in paying for 2TB storage. Thanks all!

[JP Hess]

The only way to get a full-sized images into what you call Lightroom CC (not Lightroom Classic) is to import them directly into that program. You cannot create collections in Lightroom Classic, synchronize them and send full-sized images in that manner. That isn't how Adobe has designed things to work and it isn't going to change as far as I know. If you don't have enough disk space to send your full-sized images then you will have to send them in smaller batches or find some method to provide more disk space because Lightroom Classic will not provide any path to help you accomplish your goal of putting full-sized images in the cloud.

You seem to have the attitude that putting your images in the cloud is like putting them in a vault for safe keeping where they will never be lost. That is faulty thinking, and having them in the Adobe cloud should not be considered to be your one and only copy of your images. Even if you have them there you should also have a backup stored somewhere else, either another cloud storage service or stored locally on a hard drive connected to your computer.

[mikeseb]

Thanks for your reply, Jim.

I completely hear you about not relying on CC as my only location for file storage. I have backups on a Synology drive and in Wasabi, as well as Amazon Prime storage  (yeah, belt and suspenders), so I should be good, backup-wise.

It may be that I'm not philosophically approaching the use of LR Classic vs LRCC (cloud based) in the right way. I have used Classic since v.1 and I'm comfortable with its interface and feature-set. However, I also appreciate the ability to edit photos on my iPad, so I'd hate NOT to use LRCC on its various client devices. I can see myself migrating solely to the cloud-based versions once some as-yet-undefined degree of feature parity exists between them.

Any advice welcomed on how to approach this.