# LR on Traveling MacBook



## kitjv

I have a couple of remedial questions. I purchased a used MacBook 13" specifically for backing up my images while traveling. My plan is to install LR Classic & on a daily basis back up my camera's memory card. Also, I plan to keyword & make notes on the images for reference when I return home. With that said, a couple of questions:

1.  Since I have a subscription to the Photography Plan, I assume that I can download LR Classic onto the MacBook? Am I correct?
2.  When I return home, what is the preferred way to transfer the images in the LR library from the MacBook onto my home desktop computer?

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.


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## Johan Elzenga

1: Correct, as long as the MBP runs a modern enough version of MacOS X.
2: The way to do it is to use 'Export as catalog' on the MBP, and then use 'Import from Another Catalog' on the main computer and import this exported catalog. Check all the options when you export, so include the masters (i.e. the original images) with the exported catalog. That's the easiest way.


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## kitjv

Sounds simple enough. Thank you, Johan. I appreciate your response.


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## Woodbutcher

Johan's description is basically what I do.  I typically don't bother exporting previews since my main machine is fast enough to build them again.  I carry a portable drive with my MB Air and will run a Time Machine backup on it also when I'm on the road.  At that point I'm willing to reformat my cards since I have them on the mac and external drive.  Some people would worry since it is only two copies and in the same place, but the cards are with me too.  I do cycle through a few sets of cards before I format though.  That can get me through a week usually.


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## kitjv

Thanks for the response. That is certainly a reasonable approach.


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## kitjv

Johan: I forgot to ask ... do you connect your laptop to your main desktop computer via cable? Out of curiosity, I exported the images from my laptop (as Export As Catalog) to a thumb drive; then imported them to my desktop computer. Seemed to work fine. Your thoughts? Thank you.


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## LouieSherwin

kitjv said:


> Johan: I forgot to ask ... do you connect your laptop to your main desktop computer via cable? Out of curiosity, I exported the images from my laptop (as Export As Catalog) to a thumb drive; then imported them to my desktop computer. Seemed to work fine. Your thoughts? Thank you.



If you have an ethernet LAN at home it would probably be quicker copy the exported catalog and images across the LAN once than to copy it twice, once to the thumb drive and second to your main system.  If you only have a wireless WiFi LAN then it will probably be quicker to use the thumb drive.

One thing to keep in mind when ever copying a lot of data over any LAN is to initiate the copy from the target computer (copy to) computer. It is always substantially faster to read from another computer than it is to write to another computer across a LAN.

-louie


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## Zenon

I travel with a 13" Macbook. I bring a 2 TB external drive. ½  is OS backup and the other half I store files.


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## Johan Elzenga

kitjv said:


> Johan: I forgot to ask ... do you connect your laptop to your main desktop computer via cable? Out of curiosity, I exported the images from my laptop (as Export As Catalog) to a thumb drive; then imported them to my desktop computer. Seemed to work fine. Your thoughts? Thank you.


I make a backup of the catalog and the images every day, so I just use that backup disk. Works fine too, as long as you store the images inside the catalog folder. The reason for that is that Lightroom uses relative links in that case, so the connection to the images doesn't get broken.


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## kitjv

Thank you, everyone, for the responses. Much appreciated.


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