Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

Hello
Is there a way to disable the Catalog in Lightroom and Photo-shop?
The Catalog has been the number one reason for me to stay away from the software.
When returning from a shoot, the first thing I do is move all new photo's to a folder on the desktop, and a copy to my storage. This allows me to review and work on the new files on the fastest drive.

When I am done working on the new shots, I re-name the folder and copy it to the storage drive. After the sync is done with the NAS, I delete the folder from the desktop.

My understanding of Lightroom is that it catalogs everything automatically. My preference has always been to manage the files myself in the standard directory format.

Thanks
Jim

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Are you using LR for editing, then throwing away the catalog?

There is no absolute need to use LR for organization but some people find the database helpful for searches.

You can use Photoshop alone for your editing, no need to go through Lightroom if that's your preference.

But to answer your question, there is no way I know of to disable the catalog in Lightroom. Photoshop does NOT use a catalog.

You haven't really told us why you dislike the catalog so much.

akamerica

The catalog requirement - for me - makes the file management complicated. Only through the Lightroom catalog do your post processing edits stay with the picture.

Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

Hi
I'm currently not using lightroom.

I don't like using anything to database my photo's. One less thing to worry about when copying, deleting or moving.
Also databases are just one more thing running in the background and also tend to slow down as they grow.

I am currently using On1. It creates a small file when editing which simply copy along with the photo's. It also does the same for HDR and Pano's, which allows me to perform both on the original RAW files.
I can do all of the above and keep edits without the leash.

Knowing that Lightroom and Photoshop are always changing, I was hoping that they at some point (if not already) allow for a similar workflow.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Lightroom is a parametric editor, so the original file is not changed. The edits are applied to the original to show the edited image. Your images can be exported from Lightroom and all the edits are there. The advantages of this method are (1) If you screw up the edit, the original is still available so you can start over; (2) At a later date you can edit the image a different way, but you can start from the point you left off. Also, since the catalog is a database, you can create virtual images that you can edit in different ways so you can have several different edits from one original without duplicating the file.

You can write a sidecar file containing the edits so that the edits will be available to other software, but not all software can use them.

Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

Thanks for the feedback.
On1 does all the above it as well but without a catalog. it creates a tiny file that is about 50k in size that contains the edits. I like a lot of the Lightroom features but simply do not want to deal with the catalog.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

If LR has features that you like, why not use it? Yes, you have to go through a catalog to use the editor, but when you're done you can take the exported image and send it back to ON1, then delete the catalog.

I don't use ON1 so I'm not really familiar with the program. LR has the ability to use an external editor so you can take an image from LR and send it to the other editor and when you're done, saving the image sends it back to LR. Does ON1 have that sort of capability?

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I was using Photoshop well before Lightroom came out and had already developed my own system of organizing my photos. So now, even though I have the subscription, I process RAW files with ACR and do all post processing in Photoshop, using layers to stay non-destructive.

Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

Yes,
It actually originated as a lightroom plug-in. It can export to multiple file types in one click.
I don't like working on exported files when possible. Using the original raw is always best IMO so prefer not to export as another file type.
I also sometimes use Luminar, DXO, and Affinity. IMO, ON1 and Lightroom are the only options that offer everything that I prefer with all the bells and whistles. (HDR, Panorama, great denoise, multi layers) are used a lot.
I am just one of those out there that do not like everything I do being kept in a data base. Just want to work on what is in front of me, and when done, put it away with no link to anything else. If my wife or daughter work on something on their machine, any of us can share the original file with cart file without exporting, importing etc. Also, files shared on our NAS do not have to be cataloged on 2 or 3 separate machines.
Hoping Adobe will eventually offer the option. I'll keep checking periodically to see if they have done so :)
Thanks

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"Hoping Adobe will eventually offer the option. "

It has been there for years! You can skip using exported files. There is no need to have a database. No links at all. Your wife and daughter can work on any image on your NAS in any software they have.

So far, nobody has provided the obvious. That is to not install Lightroom at all. Yes, you subscribe to it with Photoshop as a package. But, you can use Photoshop while never having Lightroom on your computer in any form. If Lightroom Classic's Library, Map, Book, Slideshow and Print modules are useless, don't bother. The Develop module has a clone in Photoshop cryptically called "Adobe Camera RAW" or "ACR".

When you open a RAW file from the operating system, it starts with opening ACR. All the Lightroom Classic Develop module adjustments and tools are there in ACR. Even the panorama and HDR tools. ACR can be used for JPEGs too. Small sidecar files are created for the RAWs. If further Photoshop work is in the plan, editable files are created and immediately opened in Photoshop.

Along with the photography plan subscription, it is easy to install Adobe Bridge. It is a non catalog file explorer with extras relating to image file management.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

I think your understanding of the software may be lacking. I'm not telling you to use it or not, that is your choice and there are many fine software program available that do a great job. LrC, desktop version, is designed so that the cataloging portion of the program is "baked in," thus it cannot be removed. In order to utilize this software the folder or image must be linked and then processed from within LrC. The edits only "stick" when the image is exported in some way. The catalog portion of the software contains the metadata edits. You can use any type of file system you want to, including the one you named, as the software only mirrors what is on your computer or hard drives, the software does not dictate your filing system, you do. I just wanted to clarify that for other readers as there does seem to be some confusion regarding this software.

ejrmaine Loc: South Carolina

I'd suggest moving to Adobe Bridge, it has all of Lightroom's tools and features, but uses the Operating system of your computer. I've moved from Lightroom to Bridge in the past 12 months without an issue. Just think, no more 'Missing File" messages or catalog back-ups.

Bridge can also read the XMP sidecar files to maintain the Lightroom adjustments you made.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

Jim, it seems to me you have a misunderstanding of what the catalog is in Lightroom...and I am rather surprised that nobody else has pointed this out.

Adobe uses the term 'catalog' to describe the file the program creates that keeps track of the changes you make in editing - as has already been mentioned LR is non-destructive so anything you do to an image is held as a separate set of instructions. The LR catalog consists of two basic components - the editing instructions (that are put into play when you view that image again) and a pointer to the original image or raw file - the image/raw files are not moved or adjusted or 'imported' in any manner to a database as you seem to believe. The process called "Import" is what generates the data in the separate catalog (the pointers) that will eventually be updates as you edit the images.

My point is your fears are unfounded. You can store and organize your images any which way you want, and when you do import them to LR the program wil just make note of where they are located. The only 'caveat' is that, should you want to move files or folders hither and yon on the drive, you should do them from within LR (which is just as simple as doing it in Explorer or Finder) so that LR keeps track of where to set the pointers. And if you do just move stuff around without using LR to do it, then the next time you attempt to edit one of those moved images LR wil indicate it cannot find the file and ask if you want to point to it - a simple process in itself.

That said, you might find some features of LR useful in terms of time efficiency - for instance, you can select any number of images and make mass changes (again, remember the changes are not applied directly to the images but rather to the editing instructions that are maintained in that dreaded catalog). And should you someday wish to aggregate all the images with, say, Aunt Bessie in them, then making use of the facial recognition feature (which admittedly does take some effort - you effectively train the system to recognize Aunt Bessie's face) makes it simple to create a collection of all images (perhaps only from a given year, or only those taken with a certain lens to use a sillier example) that you can then export en masse. This is thanks to the tags that are also associated with the image file and that are stored in the catalog.

Oh, and the integration with Photoshop and other plug ins merely means that when you decide to use those programs to process an image, LR will make a copy of the image at first and when you complete the work in Topaz (or whatever - I use Luminar myself most of the time) and when you finish in that outside editing the TIF (or whatever) file that is created is automatically added to the catalog for easy reviewing. And again, that 'Catalog' only has the pointer to the actual file - and with a Luminar-edited image there is no additional editing info in the catalog since it is already baked into the TIF file that was created.

Anyway, do not let the term 'catalog' throw you off. It is not at all as onerous as you seem to believe, based on what you have been writing here.

I hope that helps.

Festus Loc: North Dakota

You must have Lightroom setup to automatically "Import" new photos. (If that is possible??) My photos are never automatically added. I have been using Lightroom since it was first released, and I have always had to "Import" photos into the catalogue.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

A clearly misguided approach IMHO, but then you didn't ask. If you never revisit an image and have no need to save intermediary steps of processing, just open in Photoshop via Camera Raw and save as a .tif or .jpg file and throw away the RAW. File management software exists to make it easy to find older images that your increased skill and knowledge of post processing might allow you to improve. If you never look back then you just don't need the Adobe Photography bundle.