# Can I collaborate with a fellow Lightroom user to edit my images from a wedding shoot?



## Barigon (Aug 25, 2018)

Can I collaborate with a fellow Lightroom user to edit my images from a wedding shoot?

I am in position to have plenty of work but not enough time to edit. Do you know if I can I give permission another Lightroom user to edit my  images?  Or do you know of a way (other than sharing original files via 3rd party) editing collaboration by two parties. 
Thank!

Barigon


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 25, 2018)

You are the copyright owner of the photos, so you decide to give permission. 

What you can do is select the images, then choose 'Export as Catalog'. Check all the options in the export dialog and send the whole folder that you created this way to the other person. He or she can open the catalog in Lightroom, make the edits and send the folder back to you. Then you open Lightroom, choose 'Import from Another Catalog' and import this again.


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## Linwood Ferguson (Aug 25, 2018)

It's also possible to use smart previews when you send the catalog, and let someone edit only from those, which does not give the full resolution images to the 3rd party.  It also detracts from fine detail editing slightly, but is a good solution if you are worried they may abuse the privilege of having your originals.

All that said, Lightroom is not really designed as a multi-user system, and all techniques to make this happen require care and have ways you can accidentally screw it up, e.g. the two of you editing at the same time, when you import them back one of our sets of edits are lost.


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 25, 2018)

Yes, you can indeed only send smart previews, but that does not allow for accurate sharpening and noise reduction. If you do not fully trust the other party, I would not send anything at all...


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## Victoria Bampton (Sep 12, 2018)

My business partner and I have run a wedding editing business like this for many years, and smart previews work great for this purpose. It’s not perfect for sharpening, but it’s certainly close enough for weddings. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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