Today’s Question: Is it possible to download raw captures directly to my iPhone or iPad from a memory card so I don’t have to travel with a laptop, and then import those images into Lightroom Classic later?
Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, as long as you have an adapter that enables you to connect your memory card to the mobile device, you can download from your cards without a laptop and then transfer those images into your normal workflow when you return home.
More Detail: For those using Lightroom Classic to manage their workflow, I recommend making use of the Lightroom mobile app to download photos to a mobile device when traveling. That enables you to make use of cloud-based synchronization from the Lightroom mobile app to both ensure your photos are backed up and also automatically import the photos into your Lightroom Classic catalog.
Photos can be imported directly from a memory card into the Lightroom mobile app. You just need to make sure you have the appropriate adapter to enable you to connect your media card to the mobile device. This could include a Lightning to USB adapter for an iPhone, for example, or a USB-C adapter for an iPad.
Once you’ve imported the photos into the Lightroom mobile app, they will synchronize to the cloud whenever you’re connected to the internet. When you return home, Lightroom Classic will also synchronize, which will bring the images that you imported to your mobile device into your catalog. You can then move those photos to a folder based on your storage structure, and remove them from cloud storage.
I demonstrated the full workflow that I’ve outlined here in a lesson on “Workflow on the Go” (Chapter 2, Lesson 8) in my new comprehensive “Mastering Lightroom Classic” video course. You can get all the details of this course on the GreyLearing website here:
https://www.greylearning.com/courses/mastering-lightroom-classic-2023
