TUESDAY TIPS: iPhone-Lightroom Workflow

Apple’s Photo Stream functionality is awesome. Take pictures with your phone, and when you get back to your computer, they’re automatically imported to iPhoto or Aperture via the cloud.
But what if you don’t use iPhoto or Aperture?

I’ve really tried to like Aperture, but Lightroom just works better for me. Thankfully, with a little help from the Dropbox iOS app, you don’t need Photo Stream at all.

Sign up for a free Dropbox account if you haven’t already

Install the Dropbox app on your iPhone, and on your computer

Make sure Camera Upload setting is turned on

The app will ask you if you want to turn it on for all photos or just new ones. It’s up to you whether or not you want to upload your existing photos initially.

UPDATE 4/25/2013: It appears that Dropbox either removed the option to upload only new photos, or the option is only available the first time you turn Photo Uploads on. I can’t seem to find the option anywhere in the app anymore

The Dropbox app will upload your photos

 

Once the photos have synced to your computer, open Lightroom

Use the Import dialog in Lightroom, and point it towards the Camera Uploads directory in your Dropbox folder.

Be sure to tell Lightroom to “Move” photos.

The import will go pretty quickly, and your photos will be in Lightroom

NOTE: Lightroom doesn’t support PNG files, so screen captures won’t be imported

From now on, when ever you open the Dropbox app, it will begin uploading any new photos.