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Lightroom and Dropbox. Can I use Dropbox as the main storage for RAW and edited files?

Happy New Year to everyone. After a long debate about storage options, I decided to start using Dropbox as the online option where I can access photos anywhere in the world. However, I am not sure what is the best workflow, opportunities and limitations if editing is done in Lightroom? I am travelling most of the year and it is impossible to carry discs, the NAS server at home is too slow to work with from abroad. Can I use Dropbox as the main storage for RAW and edited files? If yes, what have you found to be the best workflow and process overall for it? Thank you.

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SalRai

I use Lightroom Classic, this workflow might be slightly different for Lightroom CC.

I have a folder in my Dropbox for my photography. So after a shoot I:
> Create a new date-stamped folder
> Upload all my RAWs
> Set the folder as "online only"

Then when I come to edit them:
> Set the folder to available offline
> Add the folder into Lightroom
> Edit the photos
> Export the photos into an "Edited" folder within that date-stamped folder
> Set the folder to "online only" again

This helps keep the storage used on my computer to a minimum.
I'm not aware of a way to edit the photos without storing them at least temporarily on your own hard drive, but I'd be very interested if that's not the case!

Tarja

Dear SalRai,

Thank you for your kind reply. Do you create smart previews and store those files with your edited folder?

Thinking now the best and easiest way to move the folders and edits I have in various external drives to Dropbox. I guess copying the folders to Dropbox and making the Lightroom start reading them from there is the only option. Or would you see another way?

I use Lightroom Classic as well by the way.

Thank you.

SalRai

I don't use Smart Previews I'm afraid. I'm just an amateur photographer so don't have a team that I need to include in my workflow or anything.

Yeah storing the files in Dropbox and pointing Lightroom at that folder seems to me to be the best way to do it, though that's just my experience.

Nancy023

It seems like you are interested in using Dropbox for your photo storage and editing needs. According to one of the web search results, Dropbox allows you to preview over 30 different image file types, including most RAW files. You can also preview Adobe files right in the browser without exporting or any special software. You can even have Lightroom and Photoshop automatically sync all of your photos to the cloud.

However, there are some limitations and considerations that you should be aware of before using Dropbox as your main storage for RAW and edited files. For example, you need to make sure that you have enough storage space in your Dropbox account to accommodate your large files. You also need to check the compatibility of your RAW files with Dropbox’s preview feature, as some formats may not be supported. Additionally, you need to be careful about how you export and download your files from Dropbox, as some methods may alter the file format or quality.

If you want to learn more about how to upload and organize photos to the cloud like a pro, you can check out this article from Dropbox. It has some useful tips and tricks on how to optimize your workflow and manage your files efficiently.

Tarja

Thank you. These are important points. I will study more and in the meanwhile, will keep my RAW as well as edited files in two other places as well.... 🙂