amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Hi,

Other responses are correct... LR will download the files wherever *you* tell it or *you* allow it to put them. You can specify a location in the Download dialog. You also can specify how it should create folders and how to name them, have it automatically back up the images to a second location, etc. If you don't specify something, no doubt there is some default that it uses. As recommended, you can open the download dialog to see what it's doing with your files.

Personally I turn it off, create my own folders and simply use my computer's operating system (browser) to copy the files from memory card to the folder I set up to receive them. Then I open LR's Import dialog, point it to the folder and tell it to add those images to the catalog. That's all very easy to do. And this way I always know where things are going to be sent and am fully in control of downloading my images. (I'm very leery of using auto download processes like LR's. I don't trust them because I've had weird stuff happen at times, such as everything being reset to the defaults after doing a software update.)

Notice that I said I "copy" my images from memory card to computer. I never "move" them in the download. By copying, the originals are left on the memory card, where I leave them until I've fully confirmed that everything was safely and securely downloaded. (If they were instead "moved", they would be taken off the card at the same time they are written to the computer... better hope nothing bad happens, because the originals on the card are gone!) Later when I go to use that memory card again, I quickly format it in-camera and that allows all the old image files to be over-written. This way my cards are regularly formatted too, which is a good idea, IMO.

johnny1950 Loc: Palm Coast, Florida

I always down load my images to two external drives one as a back up only. Then I use the main external hard drive to down load into lightroom. I use the add. This way my files are backed up and I know just where they are. Johnny

UKBillyBoy Loc: Central Texas

I do it that way also. First copy the images and paste them into an existing folder or one you've created where you want them to go in file explorer on your computer. Then in LR import the images from that folder where you copied them. The folder will show up in the left panel of LR after you click import.

Xpatch Loc: New York, Antigua, GT.

I Store original images in a dropbox located on an external drive. Via a card reader. Dropbox synchs with this and import the raw images into LR which stores the library on a second external drive. This way to have 2 different onsite photo locations , 3 including.the time machine Or CCC for removsble storage devices and 1 or two offsite locations. I use. The dropbox desktop as it’s a very quick load and my internet speed is slow. It takes 5-10 seconds to copy 100 RAW files and to copy them to
My RAW library and them a hour or something to upload to dropbox.

11bravo

Likewise, except I use TeraCopy (free version) to copy the files, with verify turned on so it does a checksum on each file after the copy. Doubles the time, but I know the files are exact copies. Have used the program for a decade+ for all my copy/moves. Provides a log of the work, with any failures flagged.

Malco

+1

MG Audet

If I understand correctly, it sounds like you are downloading/transferring from the card to "your" computer. Therefore, the files are on your computer. Lightroom is a processing software and not a storage facility. My recommendation is you buy a 1 or 2 terabyte backup drive and download the files to the backup drive. Photo files can be large and only slow your computer down as you take more and more photos. Also, if your computer goes down, you will lose your photo files.

Michael

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Hi. Lightroom simply does what you tell it to do. Read the help manual online at Adobe regarding the Library Module and this will explain how the software works. If you don't designate a specific place LR moves the files to the Pictures folder for Mac and PS. If you actually did understand how the software works you would not be asking this question so study up a little more and this will help you in the long run.