Help with transferring from Mac to Mac: I have uploaded some photos from a compact flash card to my MacBook pro and edited them creating a folder in LR, they are installed on an...

Linda Ewing Loc: Lincolnshire,UK

I have uploaded some photos from a compact flash card to my MacBook pro and edited them creating a folder in LR, they are installed on an external hard drive.

What I want to do is move the edited photos from the macbook to my desktop Mac via the hard drive - is this possible.

I have imported the files into LRCC from the hard drive to my desktop, all the files, unedited, have uploaded but not the edited ones.

Can anyone help with this please.

Also I am trying to put exported some files from a folder on the laptop onto a thumb drive but they won't go accross.

Thank you hogs.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

Between you two Macs you have airdrop and iCloud drive which you can use to transfer documents.If you need help and live near an Apple store, they have open training where you can get help. For Lightroom I think you'd import the catalog, but let someone better in lightroom help you.

Linda Ewing wrote:

I have uploaded some photos from a compact flash c... (show quote)

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

Linda Ewing wrote:

What I want to do is move the edited photos from the macbook to my desktop Mac via the hard drive - is this possible.

ONLY DO THIS IN LIGHTROOM! This is very important. If you do any moves outside of LR, LR will lose track of the photos.

So the best choice is to use a intermediary device, such as a jump drive, external drive or CF card. IN LR select the folder that has the images you want to move in the Library module and DRAG it to the new location IN LR. LR will them pop up a box asking if you want to move the files. Then on the Desktop, reverse the process by either
1. Drag the folder from the device to a location in LR. or
2. Import the device to LR on the Desktop MAC

Your other choice is to select the files you want to move, then in LR Export as a catalog. Go to the Desktop MAC and Import Catalog.

One more choice is if your MAC's are on a network and can see each other simply drag from one MAC to Another in LR.

Linda Ewing wrote:

Also I am trying to put exported some files from a folder on the laptop onto a thumb drive but they won't go across.
Thank you hogs.

What does this mean? "They won't go" Are you getting an error? If so what is the error?

Annie B Loc: Maryland

There is a "migration" app on the mac...I know the my photos were transferred from one mac to the other but that was the ones stored in "Photos" Just a thought.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

mill_A wrote:

There is a "migration" app on the mac...I know the my photos were transferred from one mac to the other but that was the ones stored in "Photos" Just a thought.

Absolutely DO NOT do this. AS I stated ONLY DO THIS IN LR. Moving them any other way will cause LR to lose track of them.

Linda Ewing Loc: Lincolnshire,UK

Thank you, I will gi

sueyeisert wrote:

Between you two Macs you have airdrop and iCloud drive which you can use to transfer documents.If you need help and live near an Apple store, they have open training where you can get help. For Lightroom I think you'd import the catalog, but let someone better in lightroom help you.

Linda Ewing Loc: Lincolnshire,UK

I will give the above a try and come back to you. Thank you

Capture48 wrote:

What does this mean? "They won't go" Are you getting an error? If so what is the error?

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

Linda, listen to what @Capture48 has told you about exporting as a catalog from the MacBook LR and importing that catalog into the desktop LR.

Here's what you are not understanding: the edits you make in LR are "nondestructive" - that is, the original raw (or JEG) file is not actually changed but instead your edits are kept as separate instructions that LR users each time you view or export out output the image file. Those edit instructions are maintained in the catalog.

If you use any method to merely copy the raw files (via iCloud, a thumb drive or just e-mail) from the MacBook to the desktop then the edit instructions are not there.

Thus, on LR on the MacBook you would want to export those images (with edits) as a catalog, which you can then copy over to the desktop and import into that copy of LR.

I hope that makes this clear.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Linda Ewing wrote:

What I want to do is move the edited photos from the macbook to my desktop Mac via the hard drive - is this possible.

Thank you hogs.

Absolutely. Just connect the HD via USB or Firewire if you gear is that old. You may want to do Cmd+I (get info) on problematic files to check your permissions.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

John_F wrote:

Absolutely. Just connect the HD via USB or Firewire if you gear is that old. You may want to do Cmd+I (get info) on problematic files to check your permissions.

John, if you read what I wrote, you will see this is not the answer. Linda can move her original files without doubt (in fact, she obviously already tried this) but since the LR catalog is where her edits and corrections are stored (as separate instructions) she needs to export those images as a catalog from the laptop and import that catalog into her desktop LR.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

f8lee wrote:

John, if you read what I wrote, you will see this is not the answer. Linda can move her original files without doubt (in fact, she obviously already tried this) but since the LR catalog is where her edits and corrections are stored (as separate instructions) she needs to export those images as a catalog from the laptop and import that catalog into her desktop LR.

I was just addressing the compatibility of the HD to two different Macs. The compatibility of files from one LR to another LR is a different matter. Buried inside some folder within the LR heirarchy will be the individual image files and these should be accessible unless they have been encrypted by some means. I tried LR when it was version 1 and found it just not worth my time.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

John_F wrote:

I was just addressing the compatibility of the HD to two different Macs. The compatibility of files from one LR to another LR is a different matter. Buried inside some folder within the LR heirarchy will be the individual image files and these should be accessible unless they have been encrypted by some means. I tried LR when it was version 1 and found it just not worth my time.

I'm sorry, John, but you are incorrect in your description of LR files, notwithstanding that the OP pointed out she already moved the image files but they show up unedited...

There is no "folder" in LR other than the catalog, which contains the editing instructions (crop, rotate, color correct, remove red eye, etc.) and the pointed to the actual original image file. the original image files are left wherever they were to start with - presumably in a folder structure the user designates.