Getting Started with Lightroom Cloud Integration

Mediagraph Support
Mediagraph Support
  • Updated

Who can use this feature?

All members.

Available on all plans.

Mediagraph now integrates with Adobe Lightroom (also known as Lightroom Desktop and Lightroom Cloud). This integration allows photo files to be sent directly from Mediagraph to Lightroom and vice versa. It’s also possible to send files for a round-trip from Mediagraph to Lightroom and back. These files can come back as new versions or as new files. 

In this introduction and the articles that follow, we will outline how to connect and use Lightroom as an extension of Mediagraph. If you are looking for information about Mediagraph's integration with Lightroom Classic, a different application, visit our overview here: Lightroom Classic Plugin overview. If you aren't sure which version of Lightroom you have, see the guide in the FAQ here: How do I know which version of Lightroom I have?.

Workflows 

Let’s start by describing some workflows that the Lightroom integration can enable. Depending on permissions, these will not be available for all users.

Download photos and videos directly to your Lightroom account

You can set up a connection where files are sent directly to your Lightroom account for further processing and other workflows. You can set it up to send all files that are added to a Lightbox automatically, or to send only selected files. 

Pro Tip: It’s possible to set up Mediagraph to send files to another member's Lightroom account. This could be a useful tool for making approved files available to a social media team.

Upload files from a Lightroom account directly to Mediagraph

You can set up a direct feed from Lightroom Desktop or Lightroom Web to your Mediagraph account. This is an easy way to transfer files that originate in Lightroom to your Mediagraph account. If your Lightroom account is synchronized with Lightroom Mobile, for example, you can easily upload photos captured with your phone to your Mediagraph account.

Send images out for processing and bring back as a new version of the file

You can send images to Lightroom for processing and bring the optimized image back to your Mediagraph account. Content managers and above are able to bring these processed files back to Mediagraph as a new version of the original file. The new version will display anywhere the image is shown, with the original retained behind it.

Send images out for processing and bring back as a new copy of the file

Any member with upload privileges can send images out for processing in Lightroom and bring them back as a new copy of the file. The original is retained, and the new optimized copy comes back to Mediagraph as a full size JPEG alongside it.

How do the Connections Work?

The integration between Lightroom and Mediagraph connects one Lightroom Album with one Mediagraph Lightbox. This connection opens up a one-way or two-way pipeline for files to move back and forth. (If you don’t have upload privileges for Mediagraph, then the connection is one-way from Mediagraph to Lightroom.)

Pro Tip: In most cases, you will want to create separate Lightboxes for different workflows, since most of a connection's settings can’t be changed after it’s been created.

Recommendations for Connection Setup

Integrating two programs can be a little mysterious at first. And as you experiment, you may make a bit of a mess that is a pain to clean up. As you get started, here are some tips for keeping things under control. You will probably want to modify these recommendations as you get used to working with the integration. 

Make some basic reusable connections

While Mediagraph gives you a lot of freedom to organize your Lightboxes any way you want, Lightroom has a more rigid structure. The Connections panel does not support hierarchy, so connected Albums can become hard to track over time. To help with this, we suggest that you make some reusable Lightbox/Albums for transfer between the two applications. Here is a starter set.

lightboxalbum.png

  • We like to use this for files that will be processed in Lightroom and then round-tripped back to Mediagraph. It’s particularly useful for files you don't want to keep in your Lightroom account: you just want to process them and remove them from Lightroom. By keeping these files in a single Lightbox/Album, you can easily find and remove them from Lightroom, and know that you are not removing something you want to keep in Lightroom.
  • In this case, we are making a distinction between Lightboxes/Albums that are set up to create new versions of files versus making new copies of the files (e.g. color and B&W). In most cases, you’ll probably know whether you want a better version or the original or a second interpretation of the file. You can make a processing Lightbox for each workflow type.
  • We like this arrangement for files that you want to add to your Lightroom account on a permanent basis. Setting up a Lightbox like this helps you remember which files you have sent to Lightroom. It also lets you know that these are not files you want to delete from Lightroom.
  • This Lightbox/Album allows you to transfer files that originate in Lightroom to your Mediagraph account, as long as you have upload privileges. It is an easy way to keep track of the files that have been sent to Mediagraph.

Connecting your Mediagraph account to Lightroom

Before you connect your first Lightbox, you need to connect your Mediagraph account to your Adobe account. Follow the instructions here to begin: Connect Mediagraph to Lightroom.

To see the rest of our articles about Lightroom Integration, follow this link: Use Lightroom Integration.

Was this article helpful?

0 out of 0 found this helpful

Have more questions? Submit a request