Storage/Workflow ideas to edit on laptop but store long-term on external HD

[gill]

Hi guys,

After 7 years I'm finally updating my MacBook pro. My existing Lightroom catalog/folder setup has become a bit of a nightmare over the years, and I'm looking to make a fresh start that will keep me organized for the next few years until I sell another organ to upgrade again.

I can find plenty of ideas for storage/cataloging etc that sound very efficient, but tend to be focused on a setup where photos are transfered immediately onto the storage medium that they will be stored on long term, whether that's the internal hard drive/SSD or a larger external drive.

What I want to be able to do is to download photos straight to my Macbook SSD on the road for editing (ie not carrying an external HD everywhere) but then have an easy means of transfering them off to a 3TB external drive periodically, once I'm back from a trip or the folder hits some 'max size' I define for myself.

When I've tried this in the past I've moved folders manually and it's created problems with unlinked folders/files etc. If I use lightroom itself to periodically move files from my internal to external drive, will it update all links etc seamlessly, emptying my internal drive and freeing up space? Are there any other downsides with this type of workflow, or better ways of acheiving my outcome?

(I should point out that I will have a full backup plan in addition to whatever I decide upon here, but want to focus on my primary copies for now)

thank you in advance!

 

[PhilH04]

If I use lightroom itself to periodically move files from my internal to external drive, will it update all links etc seamlessly

Yes, it is recommended that any file management is carried out within Lightroom for this very reason.

Downsides... Filling up your SSD, I tend to import onto a pair of External HD's (LR will import to two locations at once). Externals are quite compact these days and do not take up a lot of room. But it is really down to your preferences as to how you work, there is always more than one way to do things...

 

[shreds]

It is my workflow and has been for some time, but I would suggest that a 3Tb external HDD maybe your limiting factor unless you only work with jpegs.

Go for a much larger one and obviously replicate/triplicate elsewhere etc as part of your backup plan etc. I would suggest you keep your active working folders to a minimum to keep your MBP agile. If you utilise Apple's backup solutions too, then minimising that will keep the costs from ever escalating.