I have a folder/file structure I like for organizing my photos. When I import a new batch to LR3, I choose “add” in the import window so that my photos stay where they are & aren’t moved or copied into the LR structure. Everything works fine.
I’d like to move some of my older folders/projects to an external hard drive, but still have them show up in my list of folders/projects. I also believe that the thumbnails of these images should still exist (for catalog purposes) even if the external HD is disconnected.
My question is this: What is the process for moving my photos to an external harddrive, in a folder structure of my choosing, and keeping the “link” to them in my LR catalog?
Can I simply move the folders to my new HD, then go into lightroom & click something to “repoint” to a new source folder?
The develop edits I’ve made to these photos are no doubt stored elsewhere in the “catalog”. How can I ensure these changes follow my photos once they’ve been moved?
This will be my long-term workflow: keeping only the most recent shoots on my mac, and then migrating them all to my external HD for storage. But I’d like to retain links to all of them for catalog reference.
I know this is a very specific question, and I hope it’s not confusing. My googling has come up with very general results, or it is assumed that my photos have been moved into LR (which I haven’t done). ANY ADVICE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!
February 1st, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Ok, I seem to have found a solution. If you have an easier one let me know! I had a folder of developed photos on my Mac, already imported to my LR catalog. I then went to finder, and simply moved the folder onto my external HD. When I went back to LR, that folder showed up with a “?” on it. I right clicked the folder/? and chose “Find missing folder”. I then browsed to the folder’s location on my external HD, and VOILA. It was there & retained all of my edits. Sweet.