I edited some photos on the iPad with Snapseed, but I can't transfer them to my Lightroom library on a PC

[iRock1]

Hello,

I'm using an original iPad Air with iOS 12.4.5 and a PC with Windows 7 and Lightroom Classic CC 8.1.

I've transfered some RAWs from an SD card to my iPad using the Lightning adaptor. Then I used Snapseed to edit those files.

Now, if you are familiar with Snapseed, you'll know that when it comes to saving/exporting your work, you have three options: "Save", which implies modifying the RAW itself with the possibility of coming back and editing the file again or undoing the changes (iOS wil ask for permission to modify the photo), "save a copy", which creates a copy of the RAW that will be editable too, and "export", which just creates a jpg copy with undoable changes.

Now, having edited some photos and then saved them with the first option, I want to transfer those modified RAWs from the iPad to my Lightroom library on the Windows PC.

Before doing so, I've checked the Photos settings on iOS. In the "Transfer to Mac or PC" option, you can choose "Automatic" or "Keep Originals" (according to iOS: "Automatic transfer photos and videos in a compatible format, or always transfer the original file without checking for compatibility).

I checked "Automatic" and then connected the iPad to my PC via USB. However, neither File Explorer nor Lightroom recognize the iPad as an available source. In fact, the iPad appears nowhere except iTunes. So I go back to the Photos settings and this time choose "Keep Originals".

Now both File Explorer and Lightroom recognize the iPad as a source and all the photos are there. The big problem, however, is that Lightroom can't seem to recognize the changes made on the RAWs by Snapseed. After I transfer my photos to the Lightroom library via USB, all I see are the original RAWs -- not the edited versions.

I'm guessing that the "Automatic" option from iOS will work only with Macs and their official Photos app (I'm not sure though). However, this Windows PC with Lightroom is all I have and definitely I don't want to lose the edits that I've already done on my iPad with Snapseed.

So the question is -- is there a way of transferring those modified RAWs to my Lightroom library without losing those changes? Something on the Lightroom preferences side maybe?

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Ray2]

I have not read much of what you wrote. I assume you have a camera that's compatible with Snapseed raw editing? Not all are. Lightroom can’t read much of what Snapseed does. If there’s an Export function, use that and see what standard industry recognizable options are available and if Lightroom can deal with it.

This is a typical Google product. Industry standards mean nothing. Google expects the world to adapt to them rather than the other way around.

 

[MacNut]

Why not just edit them in Lightroom?

 

[iRock1]

I have not read much of what you wrote. I assume you have a camera that's compatible with Snapseed raw editing? Not all are. Lightroom can’t read much of what Snapseed does. If there’s an Export function, use that and see what standard industry recognizable options are available and if Lightroom can deal with it.

This is a typical Google product. Industry standards mean nothing. Google expects the world to adapt to them rather than the other way around.

No, that's not the problem at all. Perhaps if you read what I wrote you'd get the point.

Why not just edit them in Lightroom?

On my desktop? Because sometimes it's just more quick and comfortable to download those photos on the road and edit them on the iPad so I can quickly share them on social media.

 

[r.harris1]

I haven't used Snapseed in many years, but Lightroom isn’t going to be able to understand anything Snapseed does from a raw perspective. They’re two separate programs with separate ways of dealing with raw files. When you view an image from a raw file on screen, you're seeing a demosaiced raw file with usually some sort of white balance applied to it and maybe a handful of other things. The act of demosaicing is itself a form of "cooking the raw". Different programs may render a raw file slightly differently. For example, on Adobe's ACR creates a slightly different look on my Nikon files than Capture One.

When you "edit a raw file", you're usually taking that demosaiced image and then applying a set of parameters to it, such as exposure compensation, noise reduction, curves, color balance, filters and the like that are specific to the program you're using. Lightroom will implement the "adding of parameters" differently than Snapseed or Photos or Capture One (for example). Any parameters that Snapseed applies to a raw file won't be readable by another program.

Your choices will be to export just the raw file and re-edit them in Lightroom or export the cooked raw file with your edits in place as either a tiff (don't remember if Snapseed can do this) or jpeg. Tiff gives you more wiggle room as you can export as 16 bit. You can then edit from there in another program of your choice. This will be on top of the edits you already did. For example, if you change the exposure compensation in Snapseed to +1, when you go to edit the exported tiff in Lightroom, the Lightroom slider would show 0 because it won't know what Snapseed did. You can't "undo" or "revert" in Lightroom what you did in Snapseed.


Maybe explore Lightroom for iOS as that might give you better interplay between the two systems. It’s not going to be as convenient perhaps as snapseed but will let you have a level of raw processing compatibility and you can sync your collections.

 

[robgendreau]

r.harris1 is right.

There really isn't such a thing as a "modified raw." What Snapseed does is save the editing info; it doesn't change the raw. And Photos is only letting you transfer raw (the original, untouched by design image) or the processed jpeg.

More details: https://support.google.com/snapseed/answer/6155519?hl=en

 

[iRock1]

I haven't used Snapseed in many years, but Lightroom isn’t going to be able to understand anything Snapseed does from a raw perspective. They’re two separate programs with separate ways of dealing with raw files. When you view an image from a raw file on screen, you're seeing a demosaiced raw file with usually some sort of white balance applied to it and maybe a handful of other things. The act of demosaicing is itself a form of "cooking the raw". Different programs may render a raw file slightly differently. For example, on Adobe's ACR creates a slightly different look on my Nikon files than Capture One.

When you "edit a raw file", you're usually taking that demosaiced image and then applying a set of parameters to it, such as exposure compensation, noise reduction, curves, color balance, filters and the like that are specific to the program you're using. Lightroom will implement the "adding of parameters" differently than Snapseed or Photos or Capture One (for example). Any parameters that Snapseed applies to a raw file won't be readable by another program.

Your choices will be to export just the raw file and re-edit them in Lightroom or export the cooked raw file with your edits in place as either a tiff (don't remember if Snapseed can do this) or jpeg. Tiff gives you more wiggle room as you can export as 16 bit. You can then edit from there in another program of your choice. This will be on top of the edits you already did. For example, if you change the exposure compensation in Snapseed to +1, when you go to edit the exported tiff in Lightroom, the Lightroom slider would show 0 because it won't know what Snapseed did. You can't "undo" or "revert" in Lightroom what you did in Snapseed.


Maybe explore Lightroom for iOS as that might give you better interplay between the two systems. It’s not going to be as convenient perhaps as snapseed but will let you have a level of raw processing compatibility and you can sync your collections.

I see.

My problem is that I need a way of downloading my photos from the card to my iPad on-the-road, quickly edit them with some app (eventually sharing them) and then transfer them to my main Lightroom library on my computer.

Some have suggested that the only way of accomplishing this involves using Lightroom Mobile, which seems to have cloud-based syncing with Lightroom for desktop. My caveat here is that there is no way I'm trusting some 3rd party to have access to (and host) my photos. I mean, if there was a USB-based approach, I'd think about it. Being "obligated" to go through the cloud? No thanks.

I'm open to ideas.

 

[r.harris1]

I know of no way to edit a raw in one manufacturer’s application and to be able to pick up where you left off in another manufacturer’s tool, regardless of operating system. As far as I know, there’s no way to create a LR Mobile catalog on a USB drive attached to your iPad and then import it on your desktop, though others may know more. So to do what (I think) you are trying to do, LR Mobile to adobe‘s cloud to your desktop LR catalog is it.

 

[warp9]

...there is no way I'm trusting some 3rd party to have access to (and host) my photos.

You can't expect complete freedom of movement on a restricted platform like the iPad. Sharing your library with Adobe may be your only option and frankly, it's probably the best option.

...edit them on the iPad so I can quickly share them on social media.

It seems your aversion to "3rd parties" is selective anyways. Mobile Lightroom will do exactly what you want, complete with non-destructive editing.

 

[Ray2]

Some have suggested that the only way of accomplishing this involves using Lightroom Mobile, which seems to have cloud-based syncing with Lightroom for desktop. My caveat here is that there is no way I'm trusting some 3rd party to have access to (and host) my photos. I mean, if there was a USB-based approach, I'd think about it. Being "obligated" to go through the cloud? No thanks.

I'm open to ideas.

a) Your aversion to a Lightning interface is perhaps stopping you from seeing what your perfectly capable iPad Air can do. As others have pointed out, you don’t lose much with a Lightning based iPad, once you’ve tried it.
b) Your aversion to Lightroom Mobile, in spite of the fact you use Lightroom desktop already, might be reconsidered. It solves your problem. Which most people with the same set of common criteria have suggested to you. If you learned what you can do with your current Air, ios13 and local storage you might find your aversion to cloud storage is misplaced.
c) Quite candidly, you do not appear “open to ideas”. Throughout this discussion you have repeatedly rejected known, dare I say well known, solutions to your end objective. By people who are already where you seek to go.

 

[iRock1]

As far as I know, there’s no way to create a LR Mobile catalog on a USB drive attached to your iPad and then import it on your desktop, though others may know more. So to do what (I think) you are trying to do, LR Mobile to adobe‘s cloud to your desktop LR catalog is it.

Tbh what I'd like more is directly transferring the data from the iPad to the PC via USB. No external storage whatsoever. But I haven't found anything like that at this point -- I guess it just doesn't exist.

It seems your aversion to "3rd parties" is selective anyways.

I guess there's no need to explain the difference between one thing and another.

b) Your aversion to Lightroom Mobile, in spite of the fact you use Lightroom desktop already, might be reconsidered. It solves your problem. Which most people with the same set of common criteria have suggested to you. If you learned what you can do with your current Air, ios13 and local storage you might find your aversion to cloud storage is misplaced.

I am stuck on iOS 12 actually, so when it comes to getting the photos from my SD card and dealing with local storage, I have to feel the pain of using Photos instead of Files.