Lr Catalog files Size/workflow?

Joe94

Joe94

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542
Name
Joe
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all,

Is the Lr catalog files the same size as the raw files associated, i.e if I have 1tb of images the catalog would be 1tb... OR am I Right in saying that the catalog file is actually a lot smaller than the actual images?

I ask because it suddenly accured to me, that I hope what I’m thinking is true, as I have a set up where my OS, programs (like Lr) & the Lr Catalog & preview files are stored on my iMacs internal 512gb internal ssd... but I am putting my actual RAW images files onto a larger external SSD drive straight from the SD card, as iv always been a believer that the internal drive should be left purely for running things. I then also use a couple of protable usb HDD drives to create a backup of the raw files/completed jpgs & the catalog/preview files.

This workflow seem to work, hopefully I have gone down the right route :)
 
Your assumptions and conclusions are correct. The catalog only contains pointers to the image files loaded in the catalog. Catalog files are stored in a different directory than image files and may be (and often are) stored on separate drives.

I keep my catalog and image files stored on the same external SSD so that I can swap that drive between machines (desktop at home, laptop on the road.)

If you go to the command line on a mac, the du (disk usage) command will show folder sizes. (OSX is built on a unix platform) As you can see, the catalog folder (Lightroom) is a lot smaller than the image folder (Photo).

[523]>$ du -hd1
2.4G ./Lightroom
227G ./Photo

Edit: This is just my live catalog and images. I tend to keep that lean. I keep backups of everything, including images I've removed from the catalog, on a couple of different drives in case of catastrophe on any one drive.
 
Last edited:
drsilver said:
Your assumptions and conclusions are correct. The catalog only contains pointers to the image files loaded in the catalog. Catalog files are stored in a different directory than image files and may be (and often are) stored on separate drives.

I keep my catalog and image files stored on the same external SSD so that I can swap that drive between machines (desktop at home, laptop on the road.)

If you go to the command line on a mac, the du (disk usage) command will show folder sizes. (OSX is built on a unix platform) As you can see, the catalog folder (Lightroom) is a lot smaller than the image folder (Photo).

[523]>$ du -hd1
2.4G ./Lightroom
227G ./Photo
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for this & you extended explanation to help me understand, very much appreciated :)
 
Rapscallion said:
To learn lightroom i have found these two sites very useful

www.lightroomqueen.com

Lightroom Classic Catalogs - Top 10 Misunderstandings | The Lightroom Queen

Lightroom Classic has two primary functions - organizing your photos and editing them. Although its organizational tools are powerful, they're also the
www.lightroomqueen.com www.lightroomqueen.com

jkost.com

Julieanne Kost's Blog | Lightroom Classic Video Tutorials

Indepth tutorials, training, techniques, and shortcuts for working with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
jkost.com jkost.com
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
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