Month: March 2022

Today’s Question: When I back up my files, I use EaseUS Todo Backup Free and it backs up all the docs, photos, and music I select and it consolidates them into one file, not individual files like a copy function would do. Does this consolidating and compressing create problems for the photo files in particular? With this system I cannot extract a single file but have to restore all the files backed up by the software which must decompress the files in storage.

Tim’s Quick Answer: Using backup software that compresses the source files into one (or more) compressed archives isn’t a problem for the files themselves, as they will be a perfect match to the original if restored from that backup. The challenge, however, is that a potentially time-consuming restore process is required, which is why I prefer a synchronization-based approach to backing up, in my case using GoodSync (http://timgrey.me/greybackup).

More Detail: As far as I’m concerned, any backup that enables you to recover lost or damaged files counts as a “good” backup. However, some backups are better than others.

I very much prefer (and recommend) a synchronization approach to backing up photos and other important data. This approach provides a number of benefits, by virtue of the fact that the backup will be a perfect match to the original files.

First, with a synchronization backup recovery is very straightforward. For example, I backup my “Photos” hard drive to a “Photos Backup” drive. If my Photos drive were to ever fail, I could simply replace it with the Photos Backup drive.

In addition, with a synchronization approach you can always boost your confidence in the backup by browsing the backup directly. In the above example I could simply connect and browse my Photos Backup drive and visually confirm that it is indeed a perfect match to the Photos drive.

A synchronized backup is similar in concept to a common approach to an incremental backup, meaning each time you perform a backup only the files that have actually been changed since the last backup will need to be updated for the backup. However, with a compressed incremental backup the restore process can require considerable time, since the original backup plus each incremental change must be processed. That is not an issue for a synchronized backup.

There are a number of software solutions for backing up via synchronization. The software I use and recommend is called GoodSync, which you can learn more about here:

http://timgrey.me/greybackup

Today’s Question: I am expecting to be working in a very remote location for about five weeks and want to be sure I will be able to access Lightroom Classic and Photoshop on my laptop. Is there anything I need to do to be sure I have access while being offline for such a period of time?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you have a monthly subscription you will need to connect to the internet at least every 30 days. You can extend this to a 99-day grace period by switching to an annual plan rather than monthly.

More Detail: Adobe applications require that you validate your subscription via an internet connection. There is a 30-day grace period for monthly Creative Cloud subscribers and a 99-day grace period for annual subscribers. If you want to change your plan to the annual option, you will need to contact Adobe support directly to make this change.

If you’re traveling offline for a period of time that exceeds the grace period at some point during the trip, you’ll need to get online to reset the clock. You can also reset that clock before your trip to help ensure you’ll have as much time as possible working offline before you need to validate your subscription again.

So, I recommend resetting the clock before your trip, and then again along the way based on the grace period available to you.

To reset the clock for your subscription validation first make sure to quit Lightroom Classic and any other Adobe applications that may be open. Then go to the main Creative Cloud app (where you install updates, for example), and click the icon representing your account at the top-right of the window. Choose “Sign Out” from the popup and click to confirm in the dialog that appears.

Next, sign in again with your Creative Cloud account. You can then close the Creative Cloud application window and launch both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop to reset the clock. Repeat this process whenever you’re able to get online during your trip to reset the clock for the grace period.

Note, by the way, that if you aren’t able to validate your Creative Cloud subscription during an extended period offline, you won’t lose any of your data. You simply won’t be able to use the Adobe applications until you’re able to get back online to validate the subscription.

Today’s Question: I have been frustrated for some time because I have been unable to figure out how to send a smartphone photo (Android S21) directly to Lightroom Classic on my desktop. Can it be done and how do I accomplish it?

Tim’s Quick Answer: There are a variety of ways you can transfer smartphone captures to your Lightroom Classic catalog. Each option has its own shortcomings, but I recommend downloading from your smartphone to your computer, importing into Lightroom Classic, and then deleting the originals from your smartphone.

More Detail: It is completely understandable to be frustrated when it comes to trying to get photos from a smartphone into Lightroom Classic. There are several ways you could approach this, some of which are relatively simple. However, there are also pitfalls that can prove incredibly frustrating.

I recommend treating your smartphone as you would any camera, with a workflow that matches what you’re probably already doing with other cameras. Specifically, that means importing photos into Lightroom Classic and then deleting the originals, typically by formatting the media card in the camera.

If you’re using an Android smartphone there’s a good chance you have a removable media card that can be used for capturing photos, which you can then remove and use to import photos into Lightroom Classic, deleting the photos from the card after the import (and backup) is complete). For iPhone users you don’t have this option, but all smartphone users can also use software such as Adobe Bridge to download photos from the smartphone to your computer and then delete the photos after they have been downloaded (and backed up).

So, the approach I take is to download photos directly from my smartphone to a temporary folder on my computer. I then import the photos into my Lightroom Classic catalog, using the “Copy” option for import to put the imported photos into my preferred folder on my external hard drive used for photo storage. I then delete all the photos from my smartphone. The copy on my desktop can be retained until I’ve completed a full backup of the hard drive containing the master copies of the photos.

Another option would be to use the camera feature of the Lightroom mobile app to capture photos, or import photos captured with your smartphone Camera app into the Lightroom mobile app. Those photos will then be synchronized to the cloud, and they will appear in Lightroom Classic as long as synchronization is enabled there. You could then move the photos to your preferred storage location. However, the photos would still appear in your cloud-based storage, consuming space there. You would therefore want to go back to the Lightroom mobile app and delete the photos manually after you’re sure they’ve been moved to your preferred storage location, which is a bit cumbersome.

Today’s Question: My Lightroom catalog contains about 350,000 images. Since the catalog is quite large, I prefer not having the previews on my main drive, but rather in the external drive. I prefer having the catalog itself on the internal drive which enables me to work on smart previews without the hard drive being connected. Does this present any problems and what is the best way to accomplish this?

Tim’s Quick Answer: While there is a way to store the previews file separate from the Lightroom Classic catalog, doing so is a little complicated and won’t completely solve the issue you’re trying to address.

More Detail: By default, the preview cache for your images is stored alongside the Lightroom Classic catalog file and related helper files, all in a single folder. That means the catalog, the previews, and the smart previews, for example, are all in the same folder and therefore on the same hard drive.

It is possible to store the previews file in a location separate from the Lightroom Classic catalog and still work normally in Lightroom Classic. However, in order for this to work you would need to have the previews file available. In other words, in this example you would need to have the external hard drive connected in order to work in Lightroom Classic, since the external hard drive would contain one of the key files required by the catalog.

Since in this case the intent is to be able to work in Lightroom Classic with the smart previews available but with the previews file on an external hard drive that may not be connected, there is not a workable solution.

Therefore, I recommend leaving the preview cache and other related files right where they are in the same folder that contains the actual Lightroom Classic catalog file. For those who are interested in moving their previews file, or are just curious of the technicalities involved, you can read on. Otherwise the rest of my answer may not be of much interest.

If you wanted to store the previews file in a different location (such as an external hard drive) that would be available whenever you’re using Lightroom Classic, you could do so by creating what is called a “symbolic link” to the file. This is a form of shortcut in the location where the file is expected (alongside the catalog) that links to the actual location of the source file.

I don’t really recommend this approach unless you are very comfortable with command line processing within the operating system. If you want to proceed, I suggest creating a good backup of your existing catalog files first. You could then move the previews file for your catalog to the desired location.

To create a symbolic link on Macintosh you would need to go to the Terminal application found in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder. You can then use the “ln” command (as in “link”) to create the link, with a syntax like this:

ln -s “/Volumes/VOLUMENAME/Folder/Lightroom Classic Catalog Previews.lrdata” “/Users/USERNAME/Pictures/Lightroom Classic Catalog”

The above command assumes the actual previews file is on an external hard drive called “VOLUMENAME” and that the catalog folder is within the Pictures folder. The VOLUMENAME and USERNAME references would therefore need to be replaced in the above command with the appropriate values.

Windows users who are interested in taking this approach should also obviously backup their catalog first, and can then refer to this article for instructions for creating a symbolic link with the Windows command prompt:

https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16226/complete-guide-to-symbolic-links-symlinks-on-windows-or-linux/

Today’s Question: Given that smartphones are beginning to use some form of image stabilization, do you see any benefit to using a gimbal device for still photography purposes? Since I am leaving more equipment at home these days (especially the tripod), I’m thinking a phone gimbal may be just enough to assist in raw capture.

Tim’s Quick Answer: For still photography in general I don’t consider a gimbal to be necessary for a smartphone. A small tripod (https://bhpho.to/3H5YYuU) can be helpful if you’re capturing long exposures or otherwise want the smartphone in a fixed position.

More Detail: In most situations a gimbal won’t provide a significant advantage for still photography with a smartphone. In most cases shooting handheld is perfectly adequate with a smartphone. In situations where you need more stabilization, such as for long exposures, you can use a small tripod designed for smartphones, such as the Benro Tabletop Tripod (https://bhpho.to/3H5YYuU).

If you capture video with a smartphone, on the other hand, I highly recommend using a gimbal. A good gimbal can provide a dramatic benefit in terms of more stable video.

Unfortunately, I’ve not found a smartphone gimbal that has consistently provided great results without drifting or getting off balance. However, for shooting video I’ve found that the DJI Osmo Pocket (https://bhpho.to/3Hd5xMr) works great either standalone or as a smartphone accessory.

The DJI Osmo Pocket is a stabilized camera employing gimbals, just like the camera mount on drones from DJI. The Osmo Pocket can be used by itself for capturing video (or even still photos). However, it can also be paired with a smartphone so that you use the smartphone’s display to preview your video during capture and configure settings.

I’ve found the DJI Osmo Pocket to be an invaluable video capture device that pairs with my smartphone. I use that for capturing video, and then simply use the smartphone by itself for still photos, adding a small tripod when true stabilization is needed.