Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: I have Lightroom Classic on two computers (Mac and Windows). I do all the rating, color label, flags and some editing on Mac and save the metadata to file before I switch to the Windows computer. Then I read the metadata from file to bring back all the metadata I updated but none of the updates come through. What did I miss here?

Tim’s Quick Answer: While it is possible to save metadata updates to the file in one Lightroom Classic catalog and then import the metadata changes in another catalog, I recommend that you instead move the catalog along with the photos between the two computers.

More Detail: When you save metadata directly to the source image files, that metadata can be accessed by other applications, including another instance of Lightroom Classic on another computer. However, there are two problems with depending on this approach to update metadata for two catalogs.

First, saving metadata to the source images (such as by using the Metadata > Save Metadata to Files command) does not preserve all updates in Lightroom Classic. For example, if you add images to a collection or create a virtual copy, those updates will not be preserved with this approach. Furthermore, if you don’t ensure that metadata was saved to the source images before moving the files to another computer, some metadata updates may not make it to the destination catalog.

Instead, in this type of scenario I recommend moving the Lightroom Classic catalog to an external hard drive along with the photos. You can then open the catalog from either computer by moving the hard drive between the computers. Just make sure that the volume label (Macintosh) or drive letter (Windows) remains consistent, so that Lightroom Classic will be able to locate the drive with your photos on both computers.

You can learn how to move a Lightroom Classic catalog to a different storage location in the article on the Ask Tim Grey blog here:

https://asktimgrey.com/2026/04/13/move-and-rename-catalog

Today’s Question: Do you have a recommendation for the location for a new Lightroom Classic catalog?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you only need to work with Lightroom Classic on one computer, I recommend putting the catalog on the internal hard drive for performance and convenience. If you need to access your catalog from more than one computer I recommend putting the catalog on an external hard drive along with your photos.

More Detail: Generally speaking, I recommend keeping the Lightroom Classic catalog on the internal hard drive of your computer. This helps optimize performance, since an internal hard drive is generally going to be faster than an external hard drive (though not always!).

In addition, having the catalog on the internal hard drive ensures it is always available, so you can open the catalog and review photos and update metadata and more even if the source files aren’t available. For example, if you keep your photos on an external hard drive, you don’t even need to have that drive connected to the computer to work with many features in Lightroom Classic, provided the catalog is on the internal drive.

The primary reason I recommend putting the catalog on an external hard drive is if you want to be able to switch between more than one computer with that catalog. In that case I recommend keeping the catalog and photos together on the same external hard drive. That way you can simply move the hard drive between computers and open the catalog from that drive in Lightroom Classic. You just need to be sure that on both computers the hard drive is assigned the same drive letter (Windows) or volume label (Macintosh) so Lightroom Classic will find the drive and therefore the photos in the expected location on both computers.

Today’s Question: I’d like, for simplicity, to move my Lightroom Classic catalog to a new folder and rename it. Can you provide guidance on this?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can rename the catalog easily within Lightroom Classic using the Rename Catalog command. You can then quit Lightroom Classic and move the folder containing the catalog files to your preferred location.

More Detail: Adobe recently added a Rename Catalog command, making it very easy to rename the Lightroom Classic catalog and all associated helper files. Simply open Lightroom Classic with the catalog you want to rename and then choose File > Rename Catalog from the menu.

In the Rename Catalog dialog, enter your preferred name for the catalog. If you’re certain that there aren’t any photos within the folder structure that contains the catalog, you can also turn on the “Rename parent folder” checkbox if you want the folder containing the catalog to have the same name as the catalog. Click the Rename button to apply the change, which will also cause Lightroom Classic to restart.

To move the folder containing the catalog files, you first need to know exactly where that folder is. If you’re not sure, in Lightroom Classic choose “Catalog Settings” from the Edit menu on Windows or the Lightroom Classic menu on Macintosh. Go to the General tab and click the Show button toward the top-right of the dialog. That will open a window in your operating system with the folder containing the catalog highlighted.

Be sure to quit Lightroom Classic before moving the folder containing the catalog. If you don’t have a full backup of the catalog, it is a good idea to copy the folder to the new location, then rename the folder in the original location to indicate it is now a backup copy.

You can then open the catalog folder in the new location and double-click the primary catalog file that has a filename extension of “.lrcat”. I also recommend going to the General tab of the Preferences dialog and selecting the renamed catalog in the new location from the Default Catalog popup. That will ensure that this catalog will always be opened by default whenever you launch Lightroom Classic.

Today’s Question: Can you apply more than one preset to an image in the Develop module in Lightroom Classic, or would applying a second preset cancel out the first preset?

Tim’s Quick Answer: This depends on which adjustments were saved as part of each of the presets. If there is no overlap between the presets, then you’ll get the full effect from both. If the second preset includes some of the same adjustments as the first, those adjustments from the second preset will replace the same adjustment settings from the first.

More Detail: When you save a preset in the Develop module in Lightroom Classic you can choose which adjustments are included for that preset. You could, for example, include all Develop adjustments in a preset, or you could include only a single adjustment in the preset.

If both presets include all adjustments, the second preset will completely replace the adjustments for the first preset. For example, let’s assume that the first preset converts the image to black and white along with a variety of other adjustments included. If the second preset includes the Treatment adjustment that is set to color rather than black and white, applying that preset will convert the image back to color.

If, on the other hand, each preset includes only a small number of different adjustments, you could apply both presets to the image without losing any of the effects from the first adjustment. For example, if the first preset only includes the Clarity and Dehaze adjustment, and the second preset only includes a Post-Crop Vignette adjustment, applying both presets would cause all three effects to be applied without losing the effect of either preset.

Of course, the challenge is knowing which adjustments the preset includes to begin with. That’s why it is important to use meaningful names when creating a preset. For example, when I create a preset that only includes a small number of adjustments, I’ll use a name that reflects that the preset is limited in scope.

For example, if I create a preset that only includes the Post-Crop Vignette adjustment with a dramatic frame effect, I might save it with a name like “Strong Framing Vignette ONLY” with the “ONLY” on the end indicating that this preset only includes the vignette effect.

Today’s Question: I have several folders in Lightroom Classic that show zero photos. Is it safe to simply right-click these folders and choose “Remove” from the popup menu?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend first confirming that the folder is truly empty, but if it is then it is indeed safe to remove the folder using the Remove command in Lightroom Classic.

More Detail: While it is safe to remove a folder that Lightroom Classic shows doesn’t contain any photos, I recommend first checking if there are any files (including photos) in that folder on the hard drive that aren’t reflected in the Lightroom Classic catalog.

If you use the Remove command on a folder that is truly empty, the folder will be removed from Lightroom Classic and also removed from the hard drive. If the folder is not empty the Remove command will remove the folder from Lightroom Classic but will leave the folder and its contents on the hard drive.

To check the contents of the folder first right-click on the folder in the Folders list on the left panel in the Library module in Lightroom Classic. From the popup menu choose “Show in Finder” (Macintosh) or “Show in Explorer” (Windows). This will bring up a window in the operating system with the applicable folder highlighted. Double-click that folder and review the contents.

If there are files in the folder, you have several options. You can leave the folder where it is and remove it from Lightroom Classic as noted above. You could also move the folder to a more appropriate location on your hard drive, such as to keep it separate from your photo storage. You could also delete the contents of the folder, and then remove it from Lightroom Classic.

If the folder contains photos that you want to include in your Lightroom Classic catalog, you could use the Synchronize Folder command to import those photos. Back in Lightroom Classic right-click on the folder and choose “Synchronize Folder”. Wait for the Synchronize Folder dialog to update reflecting the number of photos that are not in the catalog, which will be shown to the right of the “Import new photos” checkbox. Also turn on the “Show import dialog before importing” checkbox is turned on. Then make sure that checkbox is turned on, and that the “Remove missing photos from catalog” and “Check for metadata updates” checkboxes are both turned off. Then click the Synchronize button.

In the Import dialog configure the settings as desired to import the photos. In most cases I recommend not applying any changes at this stage, meaning you should not apply a Develop or metadata preset, for example. Then click the Import to add the applicable images to the Lightroom Classic catalog.

Today’s Question: Is the new Assisted Culling feature in Lightroom Classic suitable for bird and wildlife photography? Your comments have referred to using it for people photography, but wouldn’t it then work well for animals?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The Assisted Culling feature in Lightroom Classic is not currently a good option if you want to use the eye detection features for birds or wildlife, but it is still usable when it comes to evaluating whether the subject is in focus.

More Detail: The Assisted Culling feature in Lightroom Classic provides a tool for evaluating images to help you more quickly identify favorite versus outtake photos. The options for evaluating whether the eye is in focus and that the eyes are open, however, are specifically intended for photos of people in the current iteration.

At the moment, Assisted Culling is mostly focused on evaluating photos of people, not birds or animals. But that mostly relates to the two options for evaluating the eyes. The Subject Focus feature will work for photos that do not contain a person but that contain a key subject that stands out clearly or a wider scene where there is distinct sharpness and detail.

Over time, I am confident that Adobe will update the Assisted Culling feature so it is more useful across a broad range of photographic subjects. It has already proven quite helpful when it comes to evaluating a large number of portraits, for example, so you can more quickly narrow the photos to those you are most likely to consider favorites. I’m sure the image analysis will continue to improve, and to expand to be useful to a wider range of photographers.

Today’s Question: In what situations would you convert from 16-bit to 8-bit?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Only when necessary. I recommend keeping your primary image file in 16-bit per channel mode, and only converting to 8-bit per channel when creating an image for sharing, such as when saving a JPEG derivative image to share online.

More Detail: When you process a raw capture, such as with Camera Raw in Photoshop, I recommend converting to a 16-bit per channel image rather than 8-bit per channel to maximize potential detail and fidelity, and to minimize the risk of any posterization (the loss of smooth gradations of tone and color). I only recommend converting to 8-bit per channel mode when it is necessary, such as when saving a derivative image in a format such as JPEG that doesn’t support (or require) a higher bit depth.

If you’re completely finished applying adjustments to an image that had been saved in the 16-bit per channel mode, and you want to reduce the bit depth to reduce overall file size, the risks are not too great as long as you only do so for a color (not black and white) image and you make sure to flatten the image first (assuming the use of layers in Photoshop).

For black and white images, I would never convert the master image file to 8-bit per channel because doing so carries considerable risk of posterization in the image, leading to potential banding and other problematic visual artifacts.

But overall, I recommend keeping the master image in the 16-bit per channel mode, and only using 8-bit per channel mode for derivative images created for sharing. Even in those cases, it isn’t generally necessary to use the explicit step of converting to 8-bit per channel mode, such as by using the Image > Mode > 8 Bits/Channel command in Photoshop. For example in Photoshop you can simply use the “Save a Copy” command to save as a JPEG in 8-bit per channel mode because 16-bit per channel is not supported in that case.

Today’s Question: I have the dreaded “corrupted catalog” message [in Lightroom Classic] and have looked online at how to fix this. I am reluctant to try to fix this issue with so little knowledge of how the catalogs work. I fear causing more issues.

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can generally recover a corrupted catalog using tools built into Lightroom Classic. Failing that, you can recover from a catalog backup.

More Detail: There are two messages you may see if the Lightroom Classic catalog is corrupted. If you are presented with the dialog that includes the “Repair Catalog” button, click that button to see if Lightroom Classic is able to resolve the issue for you.

If you don’t see that button, you can launch Lightroom Classic while holding the Alt key on Windows or the Option key on Macintosh, which will bring up the Select Catalog dialog. Choose the applicable catalog from the list within the dialog and turn on the “Test integrity of this catalog” checkbox at the bottom-right of the list. Then click the Open dialog.

If neither of the above provide a solution, your best option is to recover from a recent catalog backup. By default those backups are stored in a “Backups” folder in the same folder as the catalog files. The backup will be a ZIP file that you can extract the catalog files from. Then open the catalog by double-clicking the file with the .lrcat filename extension.

Another option that may work is to create a new catalog and then use the “Import from Another Catalog” command to import the corrupted catalog into the new catalog.

Worst case, you could simply create a new catalog and import all existing photos using the Add option at the top-center of the Import dialog, making sure that you don’t apply any changes such as a metadata preset or Develop preset during that import. As long as you had previously enabled the option to automatically save metadata to the source files, this would preserve key metadata. However, in this case you would lose Lightroom-specific metadata such as collections, virtual copies, and history.

Today’s Question: Why is 8-bit a bigger problem for black and white images compared to color?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Put simply, for a black and white image there are very few shades of gray available in 8-bit per channel mode compared to a color image. This leads to a very high risk of posterization (a loss of smooth gradations of tone) especially with relatively strong adjustments.

More Detail: The bit depth for an image refers to the total number of tonal or color values available. A higher bit depth translates to more tonal or color values available, which helps ensure smoother gradations of tone and color in the image, even with relatively strong adjustments.

When working in 16-bit per channel mode there are a tremendous number of tonal or color values available. For a black and white image, that provides a total of 65,536 shades of gray from black all the way to white. For a color image the number is over 261 trillion color and tonal values.

For a black and white image there is only one channel rather than the three channels for an RGB image, which greatly impacts the number of tonal values available. In 8-bit per channel mode a color image can consist of up to almost 16.8 million color and tonal values. That’s nowhere near the huge number for a 16-bit per channel color image, but it is enough to provide smooth gradations unless extreme adjustments are applied.

For black and white images in 8-bit per channel mode there are only 256 shades of gray available. This creates a very real challenge for avoiding posterization even with relatively moderate adjustments. A very common example is a loss of smooth gradation in the sky, where banding can result even with minor adjustments. This takes on the appearance of something like a black and white rainbow, with bands of different shades of gray rather than smooth gradations across the sky.

So, while I always recommend working with images in the 16-bit per channel mode to maximize image quality especially in the context of avoiding posterization, this is especially important for black and white images because they are so much more limited in terms of the number of tonal values available.

Today’s Question: Do we need to be careful to only switch to 8-bit as a last step in editing [in Photoshop]?

Tim’s Quick Answer: In general, I recommend only converting to 8-bit per channel (rather than 16-bit) with a copy of the original image and after flattening that image.

More Detail: I strongly recommend leveraging 16-bit per channel processing for your images in Photoshop, rather than 8-bit per channel. This ensures the maximum available tonal and color values for the image. If adjustments are applied to an 8-bit per channel image there is a risk of posterization, or the loss of smooth gradations of tone and color. This is a particular concern for black and white images.

So, when processing a raw capture and opening it in Photoshop, I recommend keeping it in the 16-bit per channel mode. This is handled via the Workflow Settings in Camera Raw or the External Editing Preferences in Lightroom Classic. Save the image with all layers intact as a 16-bit per channel image as a TIFF or PSD file.

When you want to create an 8-bit per channel image, either export a copy with the desired settings, or create a duplicate within Photoshop. In the latter case you can choose Image > Duplicate Image from the menu, turning on the “Duplicate Merged Layers Only” checkbox so the duplicate will be flattened. This is very important to ensure the conversion to 8-bit per channel mode occurs after adjustments have been applied to the pixel data.

You can then convert the derivative image to 8-bit per channel mode by choosing Image > Mode > 8 Bits/Channel from the menu. You can then perform any other tasks, such as to resize to different pixel dimensions, and then saved the resulting derivative image in the desired file format.