No Photo Library After "Successful Install"
I am an experienced software user and long term amateur photographer. I've used several photography applications over the years on WinTel based systems and Macs. I really wanted to like this software but after three attempted installs and time spent over the past two days looking for solutions online, I am at something of a loss.
I am currently running OS Mojave 10.14.2. I tried to install yesterday (prior to running the latest OS update) and again today. In every instance, I get "successful installation" and a 100% thermometer. In every instance, my photo library shows 0 images. (Doesn't seem to matter how long I let the system run but I admit after an hour plus, I have "given up" each time as no apparent progress is ever made or indicated.
Yes I have found and deleted the Luminar Catalog file between installation attempts. I also have tried redownloading the ZIP file and running it "from scratch." None of these efforts have led to a productive installation.
My library is 5000 odd photos. I use iCloud storage for synching BUT keep full copies on this MacBook Pro's hard drive. I am at a point where I am even concerned Luminar might corrupt images if it ever does index them. (No quantitative reason for this concern beyond decades of experience with various database applications.)
Overall, a very disappointing experience. I was hoping for a great editing application and at least a lightweight substitute for Lightroom photo cataloging. Never thought I would spend so much time over the holiday just to get an install to complete.
Any thoughts on next steps are appreciated. If I can't get a stable install in the next few days (and hours of effort), I guess I will be requesting a refund.
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There was another post on this forum from a user using iCloud for storage and who was experiencing similar frustrations to yours. From what I understand is that Luminar 3 uses an SQL database to store its catalog. I’m not sure that the SQL database can be updated via iCloud synchronization. Even if it could, you’d invariably run into synchronization delays.
If I were you, I’d try installing the Catalog file in a folder on one of your MACs that is NOT stored on iCloud and does NOT sync via iCloud. I’d also copy a few photos to a local folder on your drive and use that folder as the source of photos you import into Luminar, just to test it out. If it works locally, then you know that iCloud is the problem.
My solution to using the same library with Luminar 3 on two different MACs, is to use an external SSD which I connect through USB-C to the MAC I want to use at a given time. Both the photos and the Catalog must be saved on the external drive. This works well for me. Samsung makes the T-5, which is a very small 1 TB SSD.
You don’t have to worry about Luminar 3 corrupting your photos. Once scanned into Luminar’s library, the original photos remain undisturbed in the folder you used to store them. The index and the photo edits are stored separately in Luminar’s Catalog.
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Thanks for the responses and question. Luminar is pointing to the default photo folder on my MacBook Pro. (It resides in the traditional folder hierarchy on my drive.) However, this holds complete files (not thumbnails). I use iCloud primarily for fast downloading of photos taken from my iPhone (and very occasional iPad snap). It also serves as a backup. I don’t see myself relying on an external hard drive containing another copy of photos simply to use this software. That would add to tedium of keeping and organizing, not simplify it.
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You only need an external drive if you plan on using the same Luminar photo library on multiple MACs. Otherwise, you can store your photos on the MACs hard drive, but DO NOT use the Photos app. Using the Photos app will present you with problems, if not now, in the future, and I don't mean problems related to Luminar. I mean problems with accessing your photos. I'm still stuck having thousands of photos in Aperture libraries that I need to export at some point because every time Apple releases a new version of the macOS, I'm afraid I will no longer be able to access my photos inside the Aperture database (Photos use a similar database scheme; I hope you keep separate copies of your RAW images). I've also run into synchronization problems with the Photos app, but I use multiple devices. I'm resigned to only using the Photos app for photos I take primarily on the iPhone. I need a more robust solution for the photos I shoot with my Canon DSLR, as I take many photos and each RAW photo is more than 30 MBs in size.
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