Despite all the recent problems with losing my Photo Library (I do have a backup for 98% of the drive), I was able to launch my new book on Amazon over the weekend. Ironically the book is about managing your photo library using Adobe Lightroom. It’s titled “Adobe Lightroom Classic CC: Mastering the Library Module” and is priced at £4.99, or similar in other currencies.
I want to stress that you don’t need to be using Lightroom Classic CC to use the book. The Library module has changed very little over the years so if you’re using Lightroom version 6, version 5 or even version 4, you can still apply the book.
If you ever thought you may be losing control of your photos, or that there must be an easier way to manage all these images, this book can help you.
But as for my Photo Library, I mentioned in my last post, that I was replacing two old disks.
My two new disks have arrived, and I replaced the hottest of the two suspect disks first. When you replace a disk in a Drobo, the unit goes into data protection mode to reorganise the data across all the available drives. Just as this finished, and I was about to replace the second suspect drive, Drobo flashed up warning that a disk had been lost and the drive light turned red.
I replaced the failed drive and left the unit to complete its data protection. I came back after a few hours and everything looked fine until I open Lightroom. That’s when another Drobo warning popped up and the disk light on the first replacement disk turned red. The Drobo data protection sprang into life and the light turned green again. Checking the activity log on the Mac I could see that the disk in question had repeatedly failed and been repaired over several hours.
Here’s where I need to admit to having been a little sceptical of the disks I’d bought. They were purchased as new Seagate Barracuda drives from Amazon. But when they arrived there was no packaging other than they were sealed in anti-static bags and placed in a further bubble wrap bag. On speaking to Amazon, they offered me a refund but couldn’t replace the drives as a third party supplied them. I took the refund and have ordered another drive for the Drobo. Let’s hope this one lasts a little longer.
The Lightweight Photographer 
Ironic indeed! Too late to change the title 😉
(Not one who uses Adobe software)
I can still change the title. One of the benefits of electronic books. It’s only when I go to print that it’s set in stone or should I say type.
You may have gotten engineering sample drives or something sold as new. It seems like just about anyone can claim to sell anything on Amazon. I have purchased something from a fake vendor before and gotten a refund from Amazon. For this sort of thing, you might look at newegg.com.
I know, that was my initial suspicion. I used to work for a company where disk drives were regularly replaced to minimize failure. Some of the 3rd party engineers started to resell the drives rather than destroying them. Needless to say, that was stopped as soon as it came to light but I’m sure it happens all over. At least Amazon is very good in dealing with refunds. Thanks for the suggested site also, I hadn’t seen this one.
Robin,
Would your book be of use to ON1 users?
Norman
Although there are similarities in some of the tools, unfortunately, the book wouldn’t apply to On1.
Robin,
Good grief, what a never ending saga, almost Dickensian. Maybe you might title it “A Tale of Two Drives”. But I hope that this latest chapter will get you to the end of story. And I will definitely check out your new eBook. I used Aperture for many years for both DAM & editing, but when Apple shut it down I moved over to Lightroom, now with the photographer’s subscription plan to get the latest of both LR & PS. But my old files didn’t immigrate well & I am still trying to sort it all out. Your book might be a big help.
Jed
I started using ACDSee to manage my photos but then moved to iView. That was bought by Microsoft and turned into Expression Media before they sold it to Phase One. I still have the latest Phase One product but switched to Lightroom once the first release of Expression Media was released. That’s when I got myself into a huge mess with my images but have been able to sort it out in Lightroom. The book includes many of the things I used all those years back.
It sounds like your experiences may have been very similar to mine, although with a more successful outcome. I will definitely have to get your book to see how it was done. A couple of years ago I attended a lecture by Peter Krogh & then bought his book: “The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers”. His system is what I use now but it hasn’t helped me much in sorting out all of the old Aperture files.
I have a couple of his books including three versions of The DAM Book. It’s very good but it’s a little heavy on technical detail at times. I think my book strikes a happy medium – but then I would 😉
Hello Robin,
Is the Lightroom Library Module the same thing as Adobe Bridge, or similar enough that your book might be useful to a Bridge user? Bridge is now free and I’ve been learning it for a while.
Thanks,
Duncan
> WordPress.com
Hi Duncan. Bridge is different from the Lightroom Library module although some of the features have been borrowed. I think Bridge would require a separate book to adequately cover it.
Hello Robin,
Sounds like you’re a proponent of the Drobo back up system, even after your failed drive issue…
Having nothing more than one external drive as “back up” I’m thinking I need something more. It’s all very confusing what with the terminology etc. Do you have a simple explanation of what a photographer needs to protect his assets?
Hugh Wolfe
Drives fail all the time and the Drobo lessens the impact rather than causes it. I did an article on photo backup scenarios/arrangements a couple of months back on my Lenscraft website. Here’s the link, it might help you. https://lenscraft.co.uk/photo-backup-workflow-ideas/