Keeping jpegs after uploading to Alamy

[Dave Richards]

This may have been asked before, but if you shoot RAW do you keep your jpegs once you've uploaded them to Alamy?

I use an old version of Lightroom to do any editing before uploading. The edits are exported as jpeg back into the original folder with the RAW originals from where I upload them for QC.

So far I've kept the jpegs but it occurs to me that they are taking up masses of disc space so I'm tempted to ditch them. After all, the edited images are still available in the Lightroom catalogue, so why not?

[spacecadet]

I do keep them, but for no good reason. They're only about a quarter the size of the RAWs. 12 years of mine are under 50GB and stuck on an external drive.

Maybe do that- they don't need to be on your main drive. I've never kept them with the RAWs as you do- I export to a dedicated folder, then banish them to the USB drive occasionally..

Edited July 8, 2021 by spacecadet

[Bryan]

I keep the full size JPGs but I generally do further work, on the images in Photoshop after Lightroom.  Some of the PS sessions are lengthy, e.g. making a cut out, or complex cloning to remove clutter. It's worth doing, one such image sold for high $$$.   I normally convert the raw files to 16 bit tiffs for manipulation in PS.  The Tiffs are then deleted. 

 

I also make some screen size shots in addition to the full size JPGs, for use on social media, but these are normally purged some time after use.

[kimba]

I keep all of my raw, tifs, and jpgs. Most of them now live on two external hard drives, but keeping them gives me easy access if I want to use them for my own web site content, or someone makes a request and I don't have to open up photoshop to make it. 

[geogphotos]

I certainly do keep all my JPEGs. What I virtually never do is rework a RAW file but I keep multiple copies of them anyway just because it is the received wisdom. 

 

I have my JPEGs on Photoshelter and also iCloud - ready to send wherever whenever.

 

The cost of disc space is not a consideration for me. 

[MDM]

For the workflow you describe, there is no real reason to keep the JPEGs as you can always export them again if required. However, make sure you write off the metadata into xmp files and back them up along with their raw files as well as backing uptake catalog.  Also if you use any catalog-specific features in Lightroom such as snapshots or virtual copies, then you would lose these on catalog failure so backing up the catalog is essential, either within Lightroom or simply by normal copying.

 

All that said, disk space is so cheap now that storing 50 GB of JPEGs would cost <£1. 

 

[Mr Standfast]

Keep them. It's so cheap!  If you find another home for the jpegs one day, do you really want to process team again?

 

Stay safe.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Mr Standfast
Typoo

[Allan Bell]

I keep my jpegs too.

 

PA/Alamy also keep them for me. They don't sell them - just keep them.😊

 

Allan

 

[Dave Richards]

Thanks to everyone for your responses.

I doubt I will ever want to re-edit any of the images I upload to Alamy. Seems the accepted wisdom is to hang onto the jpegs, so I guess the simplest way for me will be to weed them out of my main drive and archive them onto a couple of external hard drives. I have a couple of spare 1TB drives so I guess it'll take a while to even get close to filling them up!!

Thanks again.

[Dave Richards]

23 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

 

PA/Alamy also keep them for me. They don't sell them - just keep them.😊

 

Allan

 

 

I know the problem. Half way through the year and counting images licenced (for peanuts) on one hand!!  OK, a nine fingered hand, but don't want to boast.

Maybe I should shoot something someone wants to buy. Onward and upward! 😣

Edited July 8, 2021 by Dave Richards
added text

[Betty LaRue]

I keep all folders, each with the RAWs & jpegs together. Once that folder’s images are fully processed and uploaded, I put them on my 2 external drives.

[Allan Bell]

16 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

I keep my jpegs too.

 

PA/Alamy also keep them for me. They don't sell them - just keep them.😊

 

Allan

 

 

Having posted that above I have just been informed that I now have TWO sales come in today.

😃🤩😆

 

Allan