How do I make Lightroom import photos to my external drive instead of my computer’s Pictures folder?
Asked 3/5/2017
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2 answers
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I’m using Adobe Lightroom 5.6, and my Lightroom catalog is stored on an external hard drive. I expected imported photos to go to that same external drive automatically, but Lightroom is putting them in my computer’s Pictures/Lightroom/date folders instead. Is there a setting to make imported files always save to the external drive, or is the catalog location unrelated to where photos are stored?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
4
Lightroom imports the pictures where you told it to do it, the position of the catalog is irrelevant.
Here is an extract from https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/help/importing-photos-lightroom-basic-workflow.html, 5. Tell Lightroom where to put your photos. :
On the right side of the import window, click To and specify where you want to save your copied photos. You can select a location on your hard drive, on an attached external drive, or on a networked drive.
You can also open the Destination panel on the right side of the import window to create a subfolder in your chosen location.
In Grid view, the Destination Folders option above the preview area shows the path to the folder or folders you've selected to save the photos.
Originally by user26456. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user26456
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — the catalog location is separate from where your photo files are stored. Lightroom does not automatically import photos to the same drive as the catalog.
When you use Import, choose the destination in the Import window:
- If you use Copy (or Copy as DNG/Move), set the Destination panel on the right to a folder on your external drive.
- If your photos are already on the external drive where you want them, use Add so Lightroom references them in place instead of copying them elsewhere.
Lightroom will keep using whatever destination you choose during import; if it’s currently going to Pictures, that’s the selected import destination, not a catalog rule. So the fix is to change the Destination folder during import to your external drive.
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