Move to Lightroom CC with more the 1TB of images

[linktree]

Hi,

I've been using Lightroom Classic for several years now with more the 1TB of images in my catalog.

My catalog is well organized and backed up to the cloud so I love the solution.

I really like the idea of Lightroom CC and I want to move to the cloud solution, I currently have the Lightroom and PS subscription which gives me 20GB of storage in the cloud, and even if I'll upgrade to the 1TB it won't hold my full collection... (and I don't have the money to actually pay for it now)

What are my options on moving to CC without moving all the images to the cloud?

Can I mark only some of the images to the cloud while keep others only local?

Should I work on both CC and Classic side by side? (can this be done?)

What is the best solution for my situation?

Thanx!

[JohanElzenga]

linktree  wrote

Hi,

I've been using Lightroom Classic for several years now with more the 1TB of images in my catalog.

My catalog is well organized and backed up to the cloud so I love the solution.

I really like the idea of Lightroom CC and I want to move to the cloud solution, I currently have the Lightroom and PS subscription which gives me 20GB of storage in the cloud, and even if I'll upgrade to the 1TB it won't hold my full collection... (and I don't have the money to actually pay for it now)

What are my options on moving to CC without moving all the images to the cloud?

Can I mark only some of the images to the cloud while keep others only local?

Should I work on both CC and Classic side by side? (can this be done?)

What is the best solution for my situation?

Thanx!

There are no options for moving to Lightroom CC without moving all the images to the cloud. Stay with Lightroom Classic. You can sync some images to the cloud (as smart previews) from Lightroom Classic if you want to show images on mobile devices, but you cannot selectively sync if you switch from Lightroom Classic to Lightroom CC.

[linktree]

Thanx!

If I install them side by side (is that possible?) can I use a workflow that new photos will be on both?

[JP Hess]

If you import images directly to Lightroom CC, you can have that program configured so that they are also downloaded to Classic. That way you have the full-sized images on the web as well as stored locally on your hard drive. And that is done automatically in one step. Using that type of workflow you can have full-sized images in Lightroom CC when you need them, and just share Smart previews that don't impact your cloud allotment at other times.

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

JimHess  wrote

If you import images directly to Lightroom CC, you can have that program configured so that they are also downloaded to Classic. That way you have the full-sized images on the web as well as stored locally on your hard drive. And that is done automatically in one step. Using that type of workflow you can have full-sized images in Lightroom CC when you need them, and just share Smart previews that don't impact your cloud allotment at other times.

This probably requires a bit more explanation. When you import an image into Lightroom CC, that image gets synced to the cloud. When you have Lightroom Classic installed (on the same computer or on a different computer) and you sync the Lightroom Classic catalog, then Lightroom Classic will download everything that's in the cloud but not yet in Lightroom Classic. That means that images imported in Lightroom CC will indeed download to Lightroom Classic, but it's not a matter of "have that program configured so that they are also downloaded to Classic". It's just a matter of syncing the Lightroom Classic catalog. Remember that you can only sync one catalog.

[JP Hess]

Well said, and thank you. I use Lightroom CC a little, but not yet a real fan.

[olev14886403]

The way I do it is to sync all the images from the Lightroom Classic to the cloud as then they are smart previews. That way I have the images there. Then I only import the newest images from 2017 and onwards into Lightroom CC as complete files.  It is very seldom I need full size images from 2003 to edit and send out. If that happens I can edit in Classic or import the full resolution file into Lightroom CC.

[alexeit20270339]

1. Are you absolutely sure that synced smart previews don't count against your 1TB? Is there a way to see which photos/folders count against your cloud quota in CC?

2. After you have imported your 2017 images into CC at full resolution, and you no longer need them in the cloud in 2018 or 2019, other than as smart previews, how/where do you offload them? It is possible that you have not had to do that, but you will, if you are not planning on expanding storage.

[JP Hess]

1. Yes. Synchronized smart previews do not count against your cloud allotment.

2. The only way to import full-sized images to the cloud is to import them using Lightroom CC. When you do that They count against your cloud storage allotment. The only way you would be able to clear that allotment would be to delete those files and then import them using Lightroom Classic CC, create a collection that can be synchronized. I don't believe that is a very practical method of getting smart previews back into Lightroom CC. Doesn't seem to be very sensible to me.

[alexeit20270339]

No, it does not. I am trying every possible way of asking the same question in multiple threads: after you have run out of 1TB in the cloud, what is your plan? It is possible you don't have a plan, which I am sure makes Adobe very happy. Because you will then simply pay for the second TB, then third, etc. Is there an alternative to becoming Adobe's cash cow?

[JP Hess]

What is my plan? I don't have one, because I don't ever plan to get to the point of needing more cloud storage. I'm not a heavy user of Lightroom CC. If you use it to the point that you use the entire 1 TB of storage space than you have two choices. You will either have to delete images that are stored in the cloud, or you'll have to purchase more cloud storage. It's that simple. I suppose in that sense it is a "cash cow", but surely you can't expect Adobe or any other company to provide unlimited storage space for free.

The real alternative to becoming subject to Adobe's cash cow would be to use Lightroom Classic CC and store all of your images locally. Cloud storage from any company costs. Why would you expect it to be free from Adobe?

[alexeit20270339]

Thank you, ideally I would like to hear from someone who is a heavy CC user, but not a willing $10/TB/month payer.

What I would want from Adobe is not to provide unlimited cloud storage, but to make it possible to have Lightroom CC catalog all out photos while only storing a small portion of the originals in the cloud, while the rest are stored locally and referenced, and to be able to easily move the originals from one storage to another. Wouldn't that be nice? But I am not holding my breath. I wanted to hear if people have come up with workarounds.

If I believed that Classic were here to stay, I would simply import into Classic and sync smart previews to CC. Heck, I wouldn't even need 1TB then.

But the truth is Adobe wants everyone on CC, and they will get us there by hook or by crook. I am just trying to plan for the future.

I did come up with a simple six-step process of changing full resolution CC photos to smart previews that allows to preserve edits and metadata. But again, it relies on Lightroom Classic and unlimited smart preview syncing, and I don't know if that's something we can rely on. Would you like to hear the steps? I promise, importing into Classic and syncing smart previews is soooo much easier.

[JP Hess]

I don't know where you get the idea that Classic is going away. Some users, apparently you included, feel that Lightroom CC is the up-and-coming Lightroom that is intended to replace the "old" Lightroom Classic. Classic is being developed and updated as aggressively as Lightroom CC is. I believe both versions are viable and will be around for years to come. But you'll have to choose for yourself. Personally, I'm sticking with Classic primarily. I dabble with Lightroom CC a little, but it just doesn't fill the bill for my needs. But then, that's me.

[alexeit20270339]

I don't know how you can assume anything else. Did Adobe have to rechristen it Lightroom Legacy to make the writing on the wall any clearer?

But hey, I like your brand of optimism much better than my grim realism. "Adobe will keep Classic around forever because it works so well for the users" rather than "Adobe will kill off Classic because it is easier to maintain one code base than two, and because CC will force users to pay for cloud storage, improving Adobe's revenue".

Based on this newly found optimism, I have been uploading smart previews of my tens of thousands of photos to CC, starting with the most recent. Even if it only works for a few years, it's still fun to have all your photos available everywhere and senseied for faces, content and whatnot. Plus the Web app "Best photos" feature, curiously absent from the CC desktop app.

And I do still claim that I found a way to convert full resolution photos uploaded to CC to smart previews, which uses Lightroom Classic. Based on that, I might start uploading all new photos to CC and when I get close to the 1TB, I will deploy my workaround.