Using and External Hard Drive with Lightroom

[photographyjunkie]

I'm in the beginning stages of learning Lightroom CC 2017. I have a question that I cannot seem to find an answer to.

I may be doing this upside down or backwards but my current workflow is this: I shoot RAW with SD card. I put my SD in computer and convert my RAW images to JPEG using Adobe Bridge "Image Processor" and save these JPEG to my EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE (EHD). When I edit, I use the SD card and work in Photoshop off my RAW images but keep the JPEG'S as backups. 

So here is my problem....

1. When importing into Lightroom, I want to import my RAW images via SD card to my EHD but it keeps placing my images on my computer hard drive which I don't want to do because I do not want to use the available space on my computer. HOW DO I DO THIS? I seemed to accomplish it by trial but it added some random folder on my EHD instead of saving it where I asked it to on my EHD. 

2. How do I convert my RAW images to JPEG and continue to follow the same workflow as I had before since it seemed to work for me? 

Sorry for all the confusion but surely I'm not the only one struggling not to fill my computer hard drive and use an external hard drive instead. 

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

Some comments:

1. Lightroom CC 2015, not 2017
2. JPGs are not backups of RAWs; only an exact copy of the original RAW image can be a backup
3. To import the RAW to the external HD, you set the desired location on the external HD in the Destination panel of the Lightroom import dialog box. There are many tutorials on the internet that demonstrate this.

How do I convert my RAW images to JPEG and continue to follow the same workflow as I had before since it seemed to work for me?

Do not use this workflow. DO NOT. As in, don't do it, hchange your workflow now, not tomorrow or next month, now. There is no point in bulk converting RAW to JPG as a regular part of your workflow. It is a waste of time, you gain nothing, and the JPGs are not backups.

[photographyjunkie]

I save them as jpeg because my clients purchase the rights to all images and I have to give them jpeg images and not raw.  So I cannot stop doing this. 

You are right, there are a lot of tutorials demonstrating how to import your photos but I have not seen one yet on how to save it to an external hard drive.  Maybe you can share one you've seen?

Thanks.

[dj_paige]

In your original post, you stated you were using JPGs as backups, you did not state that you need the JPGs for your clients, and so I stand by my comments, JPGs are not backups. The workflow of bulk converting unedited RAW to JPG is not a good workflow.

If your clients need JPGs (why didn't you state this in the original message?), you edit the RAWs and then bulk export them all as JPGs.

Any tutorial shows how to select a destination folder. All you have to do is select a destination folder on the external drive.

[Just Shoot Me]

You are making extra work for yourself.

Just import all your RAW files into the LR catalog and during the import you can COPY them from the SD card to your external drive.

Once they are in the LR catalog file (Which is really only a Database file. Your images are NOT IN LR. They are referenced into the Database from where they are stored on your hard drives) you use the Develop module to do all the editing on the original RAW files (LR does not change the actual file it stores the edits in the LR catalog file). When you are done you Export the Raw files as JPGs to the same folder as the originals which will include all of the edits you made.

Editing JPGs and resaving them with the edits degrades the quality of the image.