Time Machine and Lightroom?

I know its possible to keep "copies" of all images in Lightroom which doesn't take much space up, and keep the original file elsewhere - like on a external hard drive. But my hard drive are automatically connecting to Time Machine when doing backup, which makes a new date and adds new files to this, so when looking, I got lots of Finder windows, all with different dates (different backups)...... does this make any sense..?

Can I use my hard drive to direct LR too, for the original file?? My head can't get around this. Since the next backup, will create a new window.

I just wanted to get some more space on my laptop, which could easily be done if only keeping the original files from 2014 on the external hard drive. ....that is, if I dare ::what::

You can not direct LR to TM to access your original files. Think of TM as if it isn't there.

I use a MacBook Air while traveling. I maintain a catalog there. When I return home, I export the images to my primary catalog on my Mac Mini.

I do utilize Smart Previews for a couple smaller catalogs on the Air. Smart Previews work exceptionally well and IMHO are one of Adobe's cleverest ideas. For example, I have over 11k images in my "Europe" catalog. The Smart Preview size is only 11GB while the original full catalog is nearing 200GB!!

If it helps, about a year ago I documented my backup methods on my Mac Mini here.

Here is a video by Julianne Kost that I referenced when setting up my Smart Preview use. Hope it is useful!

This video describes a couple methods for working with a temporary catalog and merging to a main one. I found it helpful too.

wud said:

I know its possible to keep "copies" of all images in Lightroom which doesn't take much space up, and keep the original file elsewhere - like on a external hard drive. But my hard drive are automatically connecting to Time Machine when doing backup, which makes a new date and adds new files to this, so when looking, I got lots of Finder windows, all with different dates (different backups)...... does this make any sense..?

Can I use my hard drive to direct LR too, for the original file?? My head can't get around this. Since the next backup, will create a new window.

I just wanted to get some more space on my laptop, which could easily be done if only keeping the original files from 2014 on the external hard drive. ....that is, if I dare ::what::

Click to expand...

Let me make sure I understand your situation: You have your photos on your laptop hard drive and use Time Machine to create backups of your laptop hard drive on an external hard drive. The problem is there are several folders with your photos in them on your external hard drive because Time Machine has created multiple backups created at different times. Generally speaking you just want to keep your photos on the external hard drive to free up space on your laptop hard drive but Lightroom will want to catalog everything, including your numerous backup folders.

If I understand everything correctly my question would be... How practical would it be to have the hard drive in your laptop upgraded to a larger one? An upgrade like that is very routine and would solve the problem easily. The old hard drive can be copied to the new hard drive so all your software installs would still be there; it would be EXACTLY like your old computer, but with a lot more room to store photos. If that is not practical then things do get more complicated. In all honesty this points to one of the reasons I do not use Lightroom; it's cataloging function is both one of its best AND worst features and, quite frankly, is not designed to handle the needs of a professional photographer.

I suppose another option would be to use a second external hard drive -- call it Drive 2, while your Time Machine backup drive we'll refer to now as Drive 1.

Drive 1 would be used for backups only. If you wanted, it could be connected to your laptop only when you perform a backup of your laptop hard drive. Or, you could leave it connected all the time if Time Machine is set up to incremental backups but that's up to you; I don't know how you schedule your backups. Either way Drive 2 wold be used to store your photos, and nothing else, which frees up space on your laptop hard drive.

I fully admit this is not an elegant solution... The elegant solution would be to upgrade your laptops existing hard drive.

....

I've been slowly migrating my LR files off my main drive to a single external drive. I also bought an external hard drive to add to my Time Machine as an additional backup drive... TM alternates between the two drives and doesn't spend as much time analyzing and deleting old backup sets... Drives are cheap today...

Eduard said:

You can not direct LR to TM to access your original files. Think of TM as if it isn't there.

I use a MacBook Air while traveling. I maintain a catalog there. When I return home, I export the images to my primary catalog on my Mac Mini.

Click to expand...

Doesn't really help, as I don't have and don't really wanna have, a stationary computer

Maybe I should invest in a external hard drive more, and see if I can get it to work without using Time Machine? That way I would still have all files in 2 places (thats my main concern about only keeping the copy/smart preview in LR)..

What you might want to consider is keeping your main catalog on an external drive then copy it using something like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner. Downside is you would need two drives and possibly a location to store the second one in a secure place. If you took this approach, you could then use catalog merging and smart previews from your laptop's smaller hard drive.

Horoscope Fish said:

Let me make sure I understand your situation: You have your photos on your laptop hard drive and use Time Machine to create backups of your laptop hard drive on an external hard drive. The problem is there are several folders with your photos in them on your external hard drive because Time Machine has created multiple backups created at different times. Generally speaking you just want to keep your photos on the external hard drive to free up space on your laptop hard drive but Lightroom will want to catalog everything, including your numerous backup folders.

If I understand everything correctly my question would be... How practical would it be to have the hard drive in your laptop upgraded to a larger one? An upgrade like that is very routine and would solve the problem easily. The old hard drive can be copied to the new hard drive so all your software installs would still be there; it would be EXACTLY like your old computer, but with a lot more room to store photos. If that is not practical then things do get more complicated. In all honesty this points to one of the reasons I do not use Lightroom; it's cataloging function is both one of its best AND worst features and, quite frankly, is not designed to handle the needs of a professional photographer.

....

Click to expand...

Thats a good thought. I have been meaning to take the computer to see a repair shop, to see if it would be worth upgrading it again. Its from late 2008 and was upgraded with all kind of things when I bought it (as I needed it for running a huge video program), and I had it in for upgrade 3 years later. But lately its been running slower, no wonder, with all the mess I keep on it

I know computers aren't really meant to live that long, but this baby just keeps going and going.


Okay, thanks for explaining (and you got it right), that was my immediate thought but couldn't figure out if the path would just be directed to TM or to the right folder, on the right date.

I both like and don't like LR. It defiantly makes basic adjustments easier for me. The rest I do in PS.

wud said:

Thats a good thought. I have been meaning to take the computer to see a repair shop, to see if it would be worth upgrading it again. Its from late 2008 and was upgraded with all kind of things when I bought it (as I needed it for running a huge video program), and I had it in for upgrade 3 years later. But lately its been running slower, no wonder, with all the mess I keep on it

I know computers aren't really meant to live that long, but this baby just keeps going and going.


Okay, thanks for explaining (and you got it right), that was my immediate thought but couldn't figure out if the path would just be directed to TM or to the right folder, on the right date.

I both like and don't like LR. It defiantly makes basic adjustments easier for me. The rest I do in PS.

Click to expand...

Glad you quoted my post because I deleted it in trying to edit it...

GAH! Still waking up over here.

....

Eduard said:

What you might want to consider is keeping your main catalog on an external drive then copy it using something like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner. Downside is you would need two drives and possibly a location to store the second one in a secure place. If you took this approach, you could then use catalog merging and smart previews from your laptop's smaller hard drive.

Click to expand...

Or backup manually to a second hard drive? Meaning, only adding the exported original sized jpegs, when I finish working with a new shoot?

And still keep my Time Machine backup for everything. It's just so rarely I need the original file, when people ask about some images from say a year ago, I go to their folder containing the edited jpg.



Or wait? Using it for original files from LR? I don't know what I want anymore..!

Horoscope Fish said:

Glad you quoted my post because I deleted it in trying to edit it...

GAH! Still waking up over here.

....

Click to expand...

Lol, I have those fingers too sometimes.

wud said:

Or backup manually to a second hard drive? Meaning, only adding the exported original sized jpegs, when I finish working with a new shoot?

And still keep my Time Machine backup for everything. It's just so rarely I need the original file, when people ask about some images from say a year ago, I go to their folder containing the edited jpg.

Click to expand...

That is certainly an option too!

Eduard said:

That is certainly an option too!

Click to expand...

I just edited the post Oz Even though its afternoon here, I am clearly not thinking straight anymore.

Horoscope Fish said:

Glad you quoted my post because I deleted it in trying to edit it...

GAH! Still waking up over here.

Click to expand...

Like magic I undeleted it while you were getting more coffee.

Eduard said:

Like magic I undeleted it while you were getting more coffee.

Click to expand...

Awesome! Thank you...

The scary part is... I really *was* getting more coffee.
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