Exporting from Lightroom 3

[vaphoto]

I have 2000 images on my MacBook Pro hard drive. To open up hard drive space I want to move these photos to an external disk. I used export as a catalog. I think all this did was to create a new LR catalog with the LR settings but it did not move the actual images, is that correct? I want to move the images to the external drive and retain all of the lightroom setting and remove them from my computer's hard drive. What is the best way to make this happen.
Thanks
Bob

[digitaldog]

Did you check Export Negative files? Bottom of the dialog that comes up after you select the Export command.

[john beardsworth]

I wouldn't use Export for this task.

Instead, always in Lightroom, go to Folders panel and its  little + menu and choose Add Folder. Create a new folder on the external drive. Then drag your existing folders to the new one.

John

[Hans Kruse]

I wouldn't use Export for this task.

Instead, always in Lightroom, go to Folders panel and its  little + menu and choose Add Folder. Create a new folder on the external drive. Then drag your existing folders to the new one.

John

Yes, this is definitely the right way to do this. This means that the pixtures are still within the Lightroom environment. This operation just moves the pictures. And what is also important the collections etc. are also maintained.

Export does not really make sense here, unless the pictures in Lightroom were deleted after export. I assume the user would like to still have the pictures in Lightroom including the edits and just move the RAWs and eventually associated PSD's etc. to the external drive. In that case dragging the pictures to a new folder on the external drive is what should be done. Remember also to make a top folder with all the picture folders underneath on that drive such that future moves will be easier.

[vaphoto]

Thanks for the help. I was successful moving the folders in LR3, you were right that is much better option than exporting.
Bob

[DrJim6]

I think that the proper way to do this is not to use the export command in the top menu, but to use the Export button at the bottom of the Library panel in Library mode (left part of the screen in Library mode). This way, you can export to any directory on any hard drive right away. Why this works and the Export command in the top menu behaves so counter-intuitively, is beyond me. Adobe people, could you please explain this?

[john beardsworth]

No, as I pointed out earlier, the proper way to do what the OP wants is not to use any export command.

[DrJim6]

John, you are right, to move files around, export is not the proper tool.

However, in the course of this discussion, the counter-intuitive behaviour of the Export command came up as it is represented in the Menu bar. And as became apparent from the discussion, many people have struggled with this problem as I have. Only recently did I find that the Export button at the bottom of the Library bar does what I and many other users would expect it to do while the Export command does not. All I was trying to do was to point this out and possibly help one or two other poor souls struggling with the same problem.

You are right in pointing out that the original question did not involve this anomaly. But the anomaly turned out to take up most of the space in the discussion, hence my reply to this side track.

[john beardsworth]

Maybe start a separate thread and we can deal with it there? I'm not sure what anomaly you're talking about.

[DrJim6]

John, In Lightroom 3 for Windows, the Export command in the menu bar brings up a dialog box which lets you export files only to a very limited choice of locations on your C drive. I store all my material on my F: drive and I cannot reach my F: drive from this dialog box because the F: drive is not offered as a choice for export. It is offered when I use the Export button. This button appears at the bottom of the Library bar, together with the Import button, when you are in Library mode. In fact, using that button to arrange your export brings up the exact same dialog box as does the Export command from the Menu bar, but this time with a full choice of export locations to all the drives that are available, even remote and network drives. I wonder why Adobe felt it necessary to limit the range of the Export command, while at the same time making it available through the export button... But maybe, this is just a windows thing, I don't know.

If you feel that transferring this item to a new thread would be beneficial, please do (I wouldn't know how).

[john beardsworth]

OK, we are going off topic, but I have seen a bug in this area that I've been trying to track down. In the dialog "browse for files and folders", can you simply type in F:/ in the Folder box at the bottom?

[DrJim6]

OK, we are going off topic, but I have seen a bug in this area that I've been trying to track down. In the dialog "browse for files and folders", can you simply type in F:/ in the Folder box at the bottom?

I could, but it was to no avail. Strangest thing happened, though: now, all of a sudden, I _do_  get the full choice of export destinations in the Export command and the it it therefore now functioning in exactly the same way as is the Export button dialog box. I'm baffled...

[john beardsworth]

As I said, there is a bug somewhere in there. As a matter of interest, do you have a lot of files on your Windows desktop? I suspect there's a link.

[DrJim6]

That I do. I estimate that there are around 100, plus around 35 folders.

[john beardsworth]

Thanks - I'm building up evidence!

[charlier]

Good thread, although I know that the export option has been discussed numerous times.

Now, just to be sure, since I do not want to break the Mac OS path in LR:

1) I want to move my LR photos and catalog from my Mac hard drive to an external disk, since my laptop disk drive is always getting full.

2) So, in LR 2.x or 3.x,  click "+" on the left navbar next to folders.  Here, I will name a new folder called the "Pictures".  Similar to the current name, but will put the new folder called "Pictures" on an La Cie external drive.

3) Now I will drag all the photos from my laptop hard drive to the external hard drive, within the LR interface.

4) Next, I will close LR and copy the "Lightroom folder" from my hard drive (this folder contains the .lrcat, previews, backups, etc) to my external hard drive using Mac OS.

Correct so far?
At this point, I have a choice, - remove my original LR folder/catalog (thousand photos, plus) on my hard drive or keep it.  FYI, I store RAW images with .jpg's as well.  While traveling, if I continue to use LR on my laptop, I assume that LR will automatically make a new catalog.  Can I merge this catalog with my external master LR catalog?    Or will it compromise my workflow?

Comments and suggestions are welcome. I understand the Mac OS and any I/O issues with large databases. 

Ever so thankful.  charlie

[john beardsworth]

Two missing bits. At the start, review your backup archive and ensure you are 110% covererd.

Second, after 4 you would double click your catalogue to restart LR. From then on, LR will automatically open that catalogue and not create a new on if you set the Preference (in Prefs>General) to Load most recent catalogue.

If for some reason it does create a new catalogue on your hard drive's Pictures, just close and delete it, and double click the real one as above.

John

[eliedinur]

I have a choice, - remove my original LR folder/catalog (thousand photos, plus) on my hard drive or keep it.

If you decide to remove the photo files and catalog from the internal, you will be left with just the one copy on the external, IOW no backups. For this reason you may want to consider running two externals, one your work drive and the other for backup.