Workflow with lightroom and two macs?

[mvw photo]

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Any ideas for me re the best workflow?</p>

<p>I am a working pro who has an iMac and a MacBook Pro (as well as a Macbook Air).</p>

<p>I shoot with three Canon cameras and I work in Lightroom. My images live on an external drive with a second drive next to it and a script that syncs those. A third drive in the car. One library I work with usually, with the last three years' images (ca 90,000).</p>

<p>So far so good, that part is easy. But now that I have added a MacBook Pro I can also edit on that. HUGE productivity boost.</p>

<p>But how? Other than constantly dragging a disk along with me, I see no easy way of avoiding duplication or "image is on this machine, not on that one".</p>

<p>Dragging disks is not ideal (I switch from computer to computer many times daily), but it may be the only way. Although that would mean keeping the catalog on the disk too - currently it lives on the iMac and is backed up to the disk - this is much faster.</p>

<p>Or I could make each shoot into a catalog. That really defeats the object of good asset management though.</p>

<p>Any ideas? How do you all do it?</p>

<p> </p>

[godfrey]

<p>I have two machines: desktop and laptop. </p>

<p>- Desktop system has the master working catalogs on the internal startup disk, copies on the internal data disk. Data for the past several years is on the data disk too. They're all backed up to duplicate external archive volumes. </p>

<p>- Laptop system has a copy of the master working catalog on it when I need it there, and looks at an external disk copy of the data files (again, when needed).</p>

<p>Normally, when out on a shoot or a trip, I use a new catalog on the laptop (which catalog is a clone generated from the master so that I have all the right Smart Collections, etc) and new work is added to the laptop or that external disk. When I'm back at home, the data files and working catalog on the laptop are transferred to the desktop system, that catalog is opened and the new location of the files is set, then I open the master catalog and import the working catalog into it. </p>

<p>This schema works no matter how many machines I distribute my work onto ... everything gets coalesced at the master system in the end, and bits and pieces I need for in the field are exchanged back to the laptop as needed. </p>

[patricklavoie]

<p>1_get a western digital My Book 4TB raid disk 1.. that will automaticaly backup your data of the first drive to the second.. you are now protect quickly.</p>

<p>2_put your Lightroom catalogue and all images on it, so when you plug your HD to your main station and make change to this catalogue (you have to double click the catalogue to open lightroom, that way you are making sure that this is THE working catalogue) when you plug it back to your laptop the change is made and vice versa... this is the only way to have 2-3-4 machine to work on the same catalogue fats and easy... make change and have the other computer see those change without the need to import / export / merge anything.</p>

<p>3_once in a while, backup this entire drive to another My Book 4TB raid 1 (i mean more often then a while ; )... that way this backup is also double quickly.</p>

<p>This is how i work for the past year and like it really much because i just have to make 1 catalogue and it is always up to date on whatever computer i plug it to.</p>

[godfrey]

<p>Patrick, </p>

<p>I have no faith whatsoever in the WD RAIDs and/or software. I've had them fail permanently on me for no reason whatsoever and cause major problems with Mac OS X operations, even without the drives powered up. I avoid them like the plague. </p>

[mvw photo]

<p>Ah.. wait. You can import a catalog into another? I.e. I can add new work to the laptop, then add that catalog and the pics to the main machine? Mmm. If so, that is how to do it.</p>

<p>But when I want all my pics on the laptop to show people on the road my work - then I have to just use the catalog I've copied from the main system, and all the files as a copy as well - and then either do not change, or keep copying it all back and forth. That takes a long time (it's around 1TB).</p>

<p>Patrick: your method will work well, too (and yes Godfrey, I also will mirror to a secondary drive immediately). Question: having the catalog on the external drive does not slow things down?</p>

<p> </p>

[patricklavoie]

<p>Godfrey, working with raid 1 will only make drive unusable in a worst case scenario, so by changing just this drive, you have the second exact copy already for you to work.. im saying this but i know that you are fully aware of this of course.</p>

<p>Then dont use raid disk, but 4 external drive instead ; )</p>

<p>the method stay the same.</p>

<p>______</p>

<p>Working with a firewire external HD is really fast. faster and less prone to problem that remembering to export / import / merge catalogue and images to one each machine... at this work well for me as im sure the method Godfrey describe work well for him, i first did exactly this and didtn find for my fast way of working that the method was well suite for me.</p>

[godfrey]

<p><em>@ Michael Willems: <br /> > But when I want all my pics on the laptop to show people on the<br /> > road my work - then I have to just use the catalog I've copied<br /> > from the main system, and all the files as a copy as well - and<br /> > then either do not change, or keep copying it all back and forth.<br /> > That takes a long time (it's around 1TB).</em><br /> <br /> Maintain the original image file repository on duplicated external drives. As you add to the master, be sure the backup and 'traveler' are updated as well. <br /> <br /> Another way to carry all your photos around so you can easily show them on the road is to force Lightroom to create 1:1 Previews. Once you do that (and set the preferences so that it never deletes them), when you want the whole shebang around for doing presentations and slide shows, all you need is the Lightroom catalog folder. You'll be able to use all the functions of the Library and Slideshow modules except for Quick Develop and Exporting even without the original file repository handy, and it takes up far less space than the OFR since the preview JPEGs are much smaller. <br /> <br /> You can also put the catalog and OFR together onto a fast FW400-FW800 connected drive, the performance losses are there but not particularly significant IMO. This is the simplest setup, but for me I often dislike having to deal with external drives to do things with a laptop. That's why I keep the catalog and the subset of my working files on the laptop's internal drive, only plug in the external when I need it for backup or access to a larger file store than is comfortable on the internal drive. <br /> <br /> Many ways to rig this game, once you understand all the possibilities! ;-)<br /> <br /> <em>@Patrick Lavoie: <br /> > ...Then dont use raid disk, but 4 external drive instead<br /></em> <br /> I am not afraid to work with RAIDs, Patrick. I know them well and understand exactly how to get the most out of them. It's Western Digital RAIDs that give me the willies. Two total failures (the drives were fine, the enclosures are what failed but of course the data is gone if you're using a striped RAID configuration) and too many irregular problems with their software installed on Mac OS X. Never again. <br /> <br /> <em>> the method stay the same.<br /></em> <br /> Your method is one way of doing it. Mine is another. Different methodologies for different people. I've devised many variants of both these workflow/archiving schema for different clients.</p>

[mvw photo]

<p>I suppose this will all be a moot point once we have fast USB4 100TB drives... :)</p>

<p>I now do it slightly differently, as I documented here:<br>

http://blog.michaelwillems.ca/2009/09/13/lightroom-file-setup-suggestion/</p>

<p>...but I will change that. Both your ways look viable. Often it's the little things! For office layout reasons, my external TB drives are behind/on the right of the Mac, so moving them in and out means rearranging my office. But this will be the way I think. Subsets donlt work for me: I am as likely to need a 2004 image as a 2010 image... so library and files will likely go onto one disk.</p>

<p> </p>

[godfrey]

<p>@Michael:</p>

<p>I've documented both my Lightroom setup/backup and file naming conventions for public consumption:<br>

http://www.gdgphoto.com/articles/ ... see articles #6 and #7. </p>

[mvw photo]

<p>Godfrey: that is very useful. I do much of the same, but I am learning a few great ideas from your PDFs!</p>

 

[mvw photo]

<p>Mmm. I see that exporting a catalog takes rather a long time. 700-odd pics on my MacBook Pro now, being experted as a catalog: this is taking an hour. I presume the same time importing later. That seems like rather a long time to add to my workflow every time I do a shoot. Are there ways around that?</p>

<p> </p>

[godfrey]

<p>You'll have to be more specific about what you're doing in order for me to be of any help. <br>

- What is the workflow/dataflow that you have decided upon? Be specific.<br>

- When you elect an "Export as Catalog" command, what options did you choose? </p>

<p>In my workflow, I only rarely "export as catalog" with original negatives. That is a slow process as it has to copy all the files. I don't "export as catalog" very often anyway ... only on specific occasions, when I need to. </p>

<p>But I'll need to know more before being able to answer further. </p>

[mvw photo]

<p>Hi Godfrey,</p>

<p>Yes, that is exactly what I did, mark the folders and export as catalog with all the options "on". I guess I can perhaps instead just copy the folders plus the existing catalog, then import those, rather then creating a new catalog? I'll that that - and thanks for your continued suggestions, very helpful.</p>

<p> </p>

[patricklavoie]

<p>yes, using a externak HD where all your images and catalogue are so you dont ahve to export / import anyhting... as describe earlier in the method i explain.</p>

[godfrey]

<p>The way my work/data flow goes, when I want to use a portion of my main library on the laptop, I </p>

<p>- Put all the files I want into a collection<br>

- Export As Catalog with previews that collection<br>

- copy the exported catalog folder plus the subset of image files I want to use with it onto the laptop, preserving the original image file repository structure as it exists on the desktop system<br>

- Then, on the laptop, I open the exported catalog and use the right/control-click command <strong>"Update Folder Location"</strong> on the original image file repository root folder, re-pointing the laptop catalog to the file repository on the laptop drive. </p>

<p>I only do this once in a while, however. Normally my process is the other way ... new work flows from the field (laptop) to the main system (desktop). Here the process is simple: </p>

<p>- Copy the new catalog folder created on the laptop to the desktop. <br>

- Copy the new additions to the image file repository to their place on the desktop system. <br>

- Open the catalog on the desktop and use the command as above to set the folder locations properly. <br>

- Open the main catalog on the desktop and import the new items catalog. </p>

<p>Patrick's notion of always working from a catalog folder and file repository on an external hard drive is simpler, but as I've said above, I prefer not to carry and rely upon external hard drives on a continuous basis when I'm using a laptop. It makes the laptop less convenient to work with and sucks down power faster, unless I also carry independently powered external drives (which then ties me to an electrical outlet). I'm willing to take the extra steps and time to coalesce my catalogs this way for more convenience in working in the field. </p>

[patricklavoie]

<p>Godfrey bring a good point about the need for power supply if you follow my recipe... i have to be honest and say that when i use lightroom with my laptop im normally on a location where i have acces easily to power such as hotel room, studio or else in the same categorie. So if you are in a train or a plane my solution is not the ideal one for sure... and again, i totally agree with him on creating a catalogue on a laptop and export / import it in need later on my main station (that will now be part of the first catalogue on the external hd).<br>

So as you see, both solution are good, and probably a good complement to each other ; )</p>

[mvw photo]

<p>By the way I keep my two disks in sync by running this very simple command-line script:<br>

<br />#Photo disk sync<br />rsync -a --verbose --progress --stats --delete /Volumes/Iomega-1TB-1/PHOTOGRAPHY/ /Volumes/Iomega-1TB-2/PHOTOGRAPHY/</p>

<p>That compares about 150,000 files and it does it in just a few seconds.</p>

<p> </p>

[godfrey]

<p>rsync is useful and free if you are comfortable with command line operations. </p>

<p>I use ChronoSync for doing synchronization, which is very easy to work with and does an excellent job. Easy UI, lots of features ... a good application for $30. I recommend it to clients and haven't had any negative comments about it. </p>

[r_johnston]

<p>Using external drives, I use the drive on my Desktop or take it with me in the MotorHome to use with the Laptop. On the road, it is kept in a box. Using a layer of memory foam under and over, cut to fit the box from a Pillow. Find it great, to Protect it from vibration... Been doing this for years, with various drives. As others have said, I keep the catalog on the HD.<br>

But, Ive never trusted HD since losing a lot of valuable info when it failed, so all images are backed up daily to a set of RW DVDs. The next day to the set labled by days of the week. When I have 7 sets, backing up to the first set, first day of the week. It means carrying a bunch of DVDs, but the I buy them in 1OO disc stacks. Once a Month, I make a copy on Phillips Corp +R discs, as I have found them most dependable. </p>