Author: Tim Grey

Today’s Question: I have a full hard drive and am getting a new one. I always use Lightroom Classic. What is the best way to move my pictures (all under Pictures) to a new external hard drive?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend using the “Export as Catalog” command in this case, because doing so will help minimize confusion or errors in the overall process of this migration.

More Detail: There are, of course, a variety of approaches you could take when upgrading your photo storage to a new and larger hard drive. You could create a new empty folder on the new drive from within Lightroom Classic, for example, and then move photos and folders to that new folder. However, this can sometimes be problematic, especially if there are any issues moving any of the photos.

Instead, the “Export as Catalog” command can help streamline this process. This command enables you to copy all photos in your entire catalog to a new storage location. It also results in a new catalog, which isn’t really necessary, but can be helpful in terms of transferring photos to a different storage location without the risk of any photos or folders becoming disconnected from the catalog.

To use the “Export as Catalog” approach, start by going to the menu and choosing Edit > Select None, so that no photos are selected. With the “Export as Catalog” command you need to either select all photos or no photos in order to export all. Selecting all images can be problematic because you might, for example, have a filter set that causes only a portion of your photos to be displayed.

With none of your photos selected, you can then go to the File menu and choose the “Export as Catalog” command. In the dialog that appears, navigate to the external hard drive that you want to migrate your photos to. In the Save As field at the top of the dialog, enter a name for the new storage structure. The name you enter will be used as a main parent folder for all of the folders containing your photos and catalog. That name will also be used for the new catalog being created as part of this process.

The key to getting your photos copied to the new hard drive is to turn on the “Export negative files” checkbox. This is perhaps the most poorly named checkbox in any Adobe software application (and one of these days I would love to meet the person who decided on this name). The “Export negative files” checkbox actually means “Export source photos”. In other words, this is what enables you to copy your photos to the new location along with the new catalog. Click the Export Catalog button to initiate the process.

When the export is complete, quit Lightroom Classic and navigate to the external hard drive through your operating system. If you prefer to have the catalog on an internal hard drive, you can locate the folder that contains the “LRCAT” catalog file as well as all of the supporting files, and move the folder containing the catalog files to the desired location on your internal hard drive.

You can double-click the “LRCAT” file (the file with the “.lrcat” filename extension) to launch Lightroom Classic with that catalog. Once you have confirmed that everything is in order and have backed up the external hard drive that now contains your photos, you can delete the original photos on your internal hard drive.

From that point forward, just be sure to only use the new catalog that was created as part of this process, treating any copies of your prior catalog as purely a backup copy.

Today’s Question: If I accidentally moved some photos on the hard drive outside of Lightroom Classic, if I just move them back will Lightroom find them again?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, if you accidentally move photos outside of Lightroom Classic so they appear missing within the catalog, as long as the photos are put back in the same folder and those photos retain the same filenames, Lightroom Classic will no longer show those photos as missing.

More Detail: Lightroom Classic manages photos through the use of a catalog, which keeps track of the filename and folder location of each photo. If you make changes to the filenames or folder structure for your photos, those photos will show as missing within Lightroom Classic.

In Lightroom Classic when a photo is missing it simply means that the photo can’t be found in the expected folder location with the expected filename. This could be a simple matter of an external hard drive being disconnected from the computer, for example. Of course, if you move (or rename) photos or folders outside of Lightroom Classic, that will cause confusion within the catalog with photos appearing as missing.

In this situation, you can indeed simply move the photos back to where Lightroom Classic is expecting them. As soon as the photos are back in the correct folder with the correct filenames, the photos will no longer appear as missing within the Lightroom Classic catalog.

It is also possible to simply reconnect missing folders or photos within Lightroom Classic. But if you know you’ve moved photos outside of Lightroom Classic, you can just move them back to where they belong, and make sure to remember that when you want to move or rename photos or folders that should always be done from within Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: Other than the lighter weight and being more expensive, what are advantages of carbon fiber versus aluminum tripod?

Tim’s Quick Answer: A carbon fiber tripod will provide a lighter weight while offering equal or better stiffness, will generally dampen vibrations better, and is very durable. The primary disadvantage, of course, is that a carbon fiber tripod will be significantly more expensive than a comparable aluminum tripod.

More Detail: Carbon fiber offers an excellent ratio of strength to weight. So, while carbon fiber is often described as being a lightweight material, that doesn’t tell the full story. The real benefit in my mind is that carbon fiber is able to provide a strong and sturdy platform for your camera even at a low weight.

An aluminum tripod can be made to be just as sturdy as a carbon fiber, but with equal strength and sturdiness the aluminum tripod will be heavier. An aluminum tripod that is as lightweight as a comparable carbon fiber tripod will not be as strong or stable. For example, I’m sure every photographer has seen a lightweight travel tripod that is not sturdy at all and can’t support heavy camera gear.

Carbon fiber will also dampen vibrations better than aluminum, which in some cases can help ensure sharper photos. In addition, carbon fiber is more resistant to corrosion than aluminum.

Needless to say, all other things being equal, a carbon fiber tripod is going to be more expensive (and sometimes much more expensive) that a similar aluminum tripod. And just because a tripod is made of carbon fiber does not mean it is a great tripod.

If you’re not comfortable spending more money for a carbon fiber tripod, you can absolutely find an aluminum tripod that will serve your needs very well. But if you are comfortable spending more, carbon fiber does provide benefits compared to aluminum.

Today’s Question: If you label folders primarily based on travel locations, what do you do for random shooting instances, such as perhaps something local?

Tim’s Quick Answer: When I capture photos that don’t really fit into my normal folder structure for organizing photos, I use a separate folder structure that suits that type of photography. That could include, for example, a general “Snapshots” folder for more casual photos I capture randomly in various scenarios.

More Detail: As a general rule I recommend that photographers use a folder structure based on the way they think about their images, that is relatively simple and easy to implement, and that is consistent.

For me that generally means creating folders for individual trips, since typically my photography involves travel. For other photographers the folder structure might be based on client name or even by date.

Of course, regardless of the strategy you generally use for defining your folder structure, there are bound to be exceptions. If you’re not careful about how you deal with those exceptions, your folder structure and overall organization can turn into a bit of a mess.

Most of my folders containing photos are defined based on the location I was traveling to or a general reference to a trip. For example, that might mean “Italy 2019” for a trip to Italy in 2019, or “Cross-Country Road Trip 2011” for my drive from Seattle to New York.

I will often also capture images that don’t involve traveling to a particular location, or that don’t have a particular theme. For example, I might capture photos randomly when exploring around town or out on a bike ride. There’s no need to have a folder for each individual outing in this type of situation, as that would only create clutter.

So, I use a hybrid structure where photos that are captured somewhat randomly when not on a photo trip or without a particular theme. I tend to think of these types of photos as “snapshots” rather than “real” photo, and so I use a “Snapshots” folder for this purpose. You could even create a folder such as this for each calendar year, depending how many photos you might put into this folder structure.

The point is that it is perfectly fine to have photos that are exceptions to your normal folder structure, as long as you define an alternate folder structure for those exceptions that will still provide a streamlined and organized way of managing those photographic exceptions.

Today’s Question: How do you expose for scenes with bright sky and darker land if you don’t use a variable ND [neutral density] filter?

Tim’s Quick Answer: For high contrast scenes I prefer to use bracketed exposures that I will later blend into a high dynamic range (HDR) image, rather than using a graduated split neutral density (ND) filter.

More Detail: It is somewhat common to have a situation where there is a wider range of tonal values in a scene than a camera is able to capture in a single normal exposure. That means that without dealing with the high contrast in some way, you’ll end up with a photo that has lost detail in the highlights, in the shadows, or both.

There are two basic ways you can overcome this issue. The first is to use a graduated split neutral density filter. This is a filter that is darker on one side and more clear on the other side, with a smooth gradation in between. This type of filter enables you to hold back some of the light for the bright sky, for example, while not holding back any of the light in the darker foreground.

The problem with a graduated split neutral density filter is that the gradation often won’t provide an appropriate transition for the foreground versus the sky. For example, if you have a tree or other object extending above the horizon, the top of the tree would appear darker than the bottom of the tree due to the effect of the graduated filter. That can look rather artificial and distracting in the photo.

Instead, I prefer to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image in situations like this. I simply make use of automatic exposure bracketing (AEB) with two stops of separation between the individual exposures in the sequence. I can then assemble those bracketed exposures into a single image representing the full tonal range of the scene, using software such as Lightroom Classic, Camera Raw in Photoshop, or Aurora HDR (https://timgrey.me/aurora). This approach provides much greater control and flexibility compared to the use of a graduated split neutral density filter.

Today’s Question: I have 10 catalogs in Lightroom Classic. Can I get them all in one catalog?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can indeed merge multiple catalogs into a single primary catalog, so that the primary catalog becomes your only catalog for managing photos with Lightroom Classic.

More Detail: The basic concept of merging catalogs in Lightroom Classic is relatively straightforward. You start by opening the catalog that you want to have as your primary (or only) catalog in Lightroom Classic. Then go to the menu and choose File > Import from Another Catalog.

In the dialog that appears you can navigate to the location where the other catalog is located and select it for import. I recommend using the option to add the photos where they are currently stored, rather than copying the photos as part of this process. You can then move photos and folders as needed after you have merged your catalogs.

Of course, it is possible that some of your catalogs may be from an older version of Lightroom Classic, in which case those catalogs will need to be upgraded first. You can upgrade an outdated catalog by simply opening it with the current version of Lightroom Classic and following the prompts. I also recommend making sure that the catalogs you intend to merge are in good condition, such as ideally not having any missing photos, before you merge into a primary catalog.

I cover the process of merging catalogs, as well as cleaning up a variety of other organizational and workflow issues, in my comprehensive course on “Cleaning Up Your Mess in Lightroom Classic”. You can get more information about this course on the GreyLearning website here:

https://www.greylearning.com/courses/lightroom-mess

Today’s Question: Can you just drag the photos into any folder you want in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can drag-and-drop to move photos in your Lightroom Classic catalog from one folder to another, and those changes will be reflected on your hard drive. In fact, it is important that photos or folders only be moved or renamed within Lightroom Classic, as doing so directly through your operating system will cause Lightroom Classic to lose track of the photos updated outside the catalog.

More Detail: One of the most important “rules” to follow when it comes to managing your photos in Lightroom Classic is that updates to your images or folder structure should be made within Lightroom Classic, not directly through your operating system or other software. This is especially important when it comes to moving or renaming photos or folders.

Within Lightroom Classic you can drag-and-drop to move selected photos to a different folder. You can also drag-and-drop a folder to move it into a different folder. And if needed, you can create a new folder in order to re-organize your photos or folders.

If you click the plus (+) symbol to the right of the Folders heading on the left panel in the Library module, you can choose “Add Folder” from the popup. In the dialog that appears, navigate to the location where you want to create a new folder. Then click the “New Folder” button at the bottom of the dialog. Enter a name for the new folder and click the Create button. Then click the Choose button, and the new folder will appear on the Folders list.

You can then continue dragging and dropping photos as needed to improve your organizational structure. You can also right-click on a folder and choose the option to rename the folder or rename photos by selecting them and choosing Library > Rename Photos from the menu. And again, just be sure that all of this work is done within your Lightroom Classic catalog, so Lightroom won’t lose track of your photos and folders.

Today’s Question: Can you move an image from Lightroom Classic on your computer to your smartphone in order to use the Lightroom mobile app?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can make a photo in a Lightroom Classic catalog available in the Lightroom mobile app by adding the image to a collection that has synchronization enabled. Changes you apply within Lightroom mobile will then automatically synchronize back to your Lightroom Classic catalog.

More Detail: Lightroom Classic revolves around local photo storage, meaning you manage the overall storage and folder structure for your photos directly, such as with external hard drives connected to your computer. However, you can still leverage cloud-based storage by synchronizing photos to the Adobe Creative Cloud.

In Lightroom Classic photo synchronization to the cloud is managed through the use of collections with synchronization enabled. First, you’ll want to make sure that synchronization is actually enabled for your Lightroom Classic catalog. To do so, click on the cloud icon at the top-right of the Lightroom Classic interface. On the popup that appears, look for a button at the bottom-left that says “Pause Syncing”. That means that synchronization is enabled already. If the button says “Start Syncing”, it means that synchronization is paused, so you’ll need to click that button to enable synchronization.

Next, add photos to a collection within the Collections section of the left panel in the Library module, creating a new collection if needed by clicking the plus (+) icon to the right of the Collections heading on the left panel in the Library module and choosing “Create Collection” from the popup.

Once you have a collection that contains photos you want to synchronize to the cloud, you’ll want to make sure synchronization is turned on for the collection. To the left of the collection name within the Collections section of the left panel you want to make sure there is a sync icon to the left of the collection. This icon looks like a double-headed arrow, somewhat similar to a lightning bolt.

If you don’t see the synchronization icon, click on the empty box that will appear to the left of the collection when you hover your mouse over the name of the collection. That will turn on synchronization, and the photos within the collection will start synchronizing to the cloud.

You can then use the Lightroom app on your mobile device (or point a web browser to lightroom.adobe.com) in order to view and update the synchronized photos. Any changes you make will synchronize back to the images within your Lightroom Classic catalog.

Today’s Question: Can you add your own sky photos to the sky replacement panel in Photoshop?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can add your own images to use as replacement skies with the impressive Sky Replacement feature in Photoshop.

More Detail: The relatively new Sky Replacement feature is related to the also new Select Sky command. Both use sophisticated technology to identify the specific area of a photo that represents the sky. In the case of the Sky Replacement feature you can then select a sky to put in the place of the sky in the image you’re working on.

For example, you could take a photo with a rather drab sky and replace it with a clear blue sky or a sky featuring a beautiful sunset. There are a variety of sky images included with the Sky Replacement feature, which you can choose from as replacements for the sky in the image you’re working on.

In addition, you can add your own sky image to the Sky Replacement feature, so that you can create a composite image from source photos that are all your own.

Start by opening an image with a sky you want to replace, and then choose Edit > Sky Replacement from the menu. Click the Sky popup, where you’ll be able to see the various sky images that are included with Photoshop by default.

To add your own sky image, click the Create New Sky button (the plus icon within a square) at the bottom-right of the popup. In the dialog that appears, navigate to the folder that contains the sky you want to use, select the sky image, and click the Open button.

You can then adjust the other settings for blending the replacement sky into the existing image and click the OK to apply the change. A series of new layers will be added within a “Sky Replacement Group” layer group, representing the updates applied in order to replace the sky. My experience has been that this feature provides very impressive results, for situations where you’d like to replace the sky in a photo.

Today’s Question: If I lose XMP sidecar file, does the raw capture file contain that same XMP info?

Tim’s Quick Answer: No, metadata updates are not applied to the original raw capture by software such as Adobe Bridge, Photoshop, or Lightroom Classic. Therefore, if you lost an XMP sidecar file (and your catalog in the case of Lightroom Classic) you would lose the metadata updates and adjustments for that photo.

More Detail: When you apply metadata updates or adjustments to a raw capture, those updates are not actually written to the source raw capture. The idea is that the raw capture represents the original unprocessed image, and you don’t want to risk corrupting that file by making changes to it.

Instead of updating the source raw capture, updates are written elsewhere. In Lightroom Classic by default any updates you apply are only saved within the Lightroom Classic catalog. Other software such as Adobe Bridge or Photoshop will write those changes to an XMP sidecar file automatically. And in Lightroom Classic you can enable an option to automatically write updates to an XMP sidecar file (in addition to the catalog) in the Catalog Settings dialog.

Note, by the way, that the XMP sidecar file is a file with the same base filename as the original raw capture, located in the same folder, but with an “xmp” filename extension rather than the extension used by the raw capture format for your camera.

If you lose an XMP sidecar file for a raw capture, you will lose the metadata updates for that photo. As long as you have the raw capture file, of course, you will still have the photo, just not the metadata without the XMP sidecar file. An exception to this would be with software such as Lightroom Classic, where the metadata is also written to the catalog file.

So for Lightroom Classic users, if you lose an XMP sidecar file for a raw capture, you would still have all of the updates within your Lightroom Classic catalog, and the XMP file could be created again. For photographers using other software, it can be important to protect the XMP sidecar files in addition to your source raw captures.