Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

I take a LOT of photographs and I shoot RAW. My photo data base is large. I'm currently using Aperture to manage my photos. As my Aperture Library grew in size and used more of MacBook Pro's HD space, my computer slowed down A LOT. I solved this problem by moving my Aperture Library off my computer and onto a remote TB HD dedicated to just this this Library of photos. I'm connected to this remote HD via a wireless LAN. True, there is a penalty to pay in terms of the time it takes to retrieve and save photos. This is more than compensated for by the overall speed of my computers response now that I have headroom on my computer HD.

Lightroom arrived today and I installed it. During the install it asked me where I wanted to store my photo data. I directed it to my external HD via the wireless LAN. Aperture reported back that "It does not support removable storage media". It then jumped to another window that wanted to import all my photos into Lightroom; are they crazy! I'm afraid that would slow my computer to a crawl.

For your information my Aperture Library is currently over 181 GB and growing.

I forced Lightroom off. I'm now looking into how to uninstall it.

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

so you don't like lightroom because of the way Aperture runs? Am I understanding that correctly?

I use Lightroom and store all my images on one of two external harddrives, never had an issue.

Frank T Loc: New York, NY

I too use an external drive. Mine isn't wireless, I plug it in to my usb port but it works fine. Not sure why LR is rejecting your storage media - Might be the wireless part but I would think that's invisible to the program. As to importing into the library - that doesn't actually move the images into the library, just the address and directions.
However, at the end of the day if you don't like it uninstalling it is like uninstalling every other program but make sure that you deactivate it first.

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

Thank you Frank, I'll buy a USB2 cord and see if I can set mine up the way you suggest. It's a mystery to me why Lightroom will not work a wireless mode while Aperture does. I have read great things about Lightroom and how smoothly it interfaces with CS5. A lot of people like it. I would like to use it and compare it to Aperture. I just do not like the idea off being tethered by USB cords to my remote HDs.

Frank, Thanks for explaining out that it "actually doesn't move the images into the library, just the address and directions." That makes it much more attractive to me. I wonder if it will be able to even find mine over my wireless LAN? I'll find out. :)

snowbear

I used LR3 at home on my mac Book Pro, and in class on an iMac. I used an external drive between the two and had no problem at all. Granted I was (and continue) to use Firewire or USB, but it is still removable.

You could always set up separate catalogs for current images and older stuff and just open the one you want.

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

Thanks Snowbear, as you can see from by from my response to Frank, I'll give that a try. I might even have a Firewire around here somewhere.

I took a moment to admire you work on Flickr. Nice stuff!

Until then I can use a hardwired external hard drive as both of you gentlemen suggested.

snowbear

USB or Firewire will work - my drive had both.

Thank you for the comments on the Flickr shots - I try. Someday I hope to be a real photographer!

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

I decided to try to let Lightroom keep it's pointers where ever it wanted. Then I asked it to import the Aperture photos. I directed to the wireless LAN link where my Aperture photos reside, but gave me this message:
"Your selected catalog is invalid, please select again."
Too bad! Maybe Lightroom will include this in a future upgrade.

Until then I can use a hardwired external hard drive as both of you gentlemen suggested. I do my best work reclining on a soft couch, laptop leaning on my body. The cable to the HD is a gauntlet I would prefer to avoid. :lol:

I could buy another HD and just keep it near my corner of the couch dedicated for LR use. :idea:

The good news is I only payed $76 for LR with an academic discount.

normsImages Loc: Alabama for now

Im using LR with a network hard drive no problem. Once everything is set up try wirless again. may have been the changeover. I've been using LR 2 now 4 for a few years now with my external HD pluged into my apple router no problems.

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

Norm, I'm so glad to learn that you were able to this. What you describe is exactly what I'm trying to do!

The way I got it to work with Aperture was to first install it the normal way. Later I simply moved the Aperture Library to a wireless LAN drive. Maybe I do the same thing with LR.

Hey, I just got an idea. I'm going to buy a TB HD and hook it up directly to my Mac as everyone is telling me to to. After a while I can just move it to my Apple router and find out if LR can find it, the way Aperture did.

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

Norm, I'm using an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station. I suspect you use the same, right? This wireless LAN has several available Ethernet ports and one USB. I have one Ethernet port still free. I'm thinking of buying an ETHERNET external HD. I can connect it directly to MacBook Pro to start with. Later I'll move next to the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station station and try using it wirelessly.

Is this what you have done, or have you gone USB?

Thanks again for the good news and support you have already given me.

ziggykor Loc: East Texas

If you create a new Library or Catalog with a unique name in Lightroom, then import the images it should work. Lightroom is probably having trouble with the Aperture Database. The images and the sidecar files with the metedata should import.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I use LR and all my pictures are stored on three (3) externAL DRIVES WITHOUT A problem. LR in on my computer along with PS 5 and all the plug ins. no problem. Just tell LR where you want to store your images when you import. if you need more help try Nat Coalsons books on LR

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

Thank you Ziggykor and mborn, I just placed an order for a book, "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Classroom in a Book". This book was rated well on Amazon. I trust it will give me the guidance I need. While I'm waiting for the the Book to arrive I'll buy an external Ethernet hard drive and be ready to give Lightroom another try.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

You misunderstood what Lightroom was asking you. It was asking you where you wanted the Catalog file...which is just a small database file that keeps track of your edits.

Then it wanted to CATALOG your shots....either by moving them to a new location, or copying them to a new location, or just by noting where they are stored.

LR DOES SUPPORT offline storage...I use it all of the time.