Export to FTP with Lightroom
When you’re making webgalleries in Lightroom you are able to upload your gallery directly to an FTP-server. But if you are a photographer who just wants to upload your files to an FTP-server, without the gallery files (html, flash etc.) you’re toast… until now.
Scott (Principal Photographer) mailed me and asked if I knew any good way to be able to just export the images to an FTP server.
He just needed a quick way to export his clients images into a folder on a server.
After some Googling without great results, I downloaded the Adobe Lightroom SDK and started to play around. Fortunately a sample plugin for FTP-uploads was available! So within a couple of hours I think I have saved, not only Scotts’ workflow-time in Lightroom, but a bunch of others who are looking for this feature in Lightroom. This is actually just a rip-off the sample plug-in that Adobe delivers with the Lightroom SDK. I’ve just put a logo on it and made it public to the rest of you!
Screenshots:
Download the PH FTP Upload Plug-in and see the installation/usage video tutorial below:
Update (091031): Due to complaints from Sean McCormack (see comment below) I have removed my PH logo in the plugin. If you want to have a “clean” plug-in you have to download the new one.
1164 Downloads
Please read:
In this video above I’ve just put my plugin on my desktop. You should put your plugins in a folder you won’t delete since Lightroom uses the plugin from that directory. If you delete the plugin from that directory, your plugin will be removed from Lightroom! Make a new folder called “Plugins” and place all of your plugins in it…
For LR2 users, you can place your plugins in this folder for convenient storage/usage (create the “plugin” folder):
| Windows XP | %APPDATA%\Adobe\Lightroom\Plugins\ |
| Windows Vista | \Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Plugins\ |
| Mac OSX | ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Plugins/ |
Thx Jeffrey for the “Plugin”-folder tip.
Hi and welcome to my heaven! If you are a Lightroom lover like myself you probably going to adore this place. It's the paradise for all people who are looking for Lightroom presets. Make sure you subscribe to my posts to be first with the latest contributions. I wish you a very pleasant stay. Regards, Pierre
October 27th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Hi Pierre,
Works great. Thanks for the effort. Do you test this plugin also against LR3? Keep up the good work!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Hi Joop,
Sure, I’ll check to see if it works in LR3, but since it still just a Beta release I think I wait.
Thanks,
Pierre
October 28th, 2009 at 7:59 am
great little tool. Thank you!
October 31st, 2009 at 3:00 am
You added a PNG to the sample SDK code and you say it’s a new plugin?
October 31st, 2009 at 11:47 am
Yes I added a PNG, but NO, I didn’t say it was a new plugin. I just made it visible/usable to all who doesn’t know what a SDK is. Most Lightroom users don’t even know what a plugin is, they just want their work flow to be faster and I think I helped them by revealing this plugin.
Thanks for your comment.
//P
October 31st, 2009 at 4:47 pm
You imply that by spending a few hours at it, you created a tool which was already available. I’m delighted that you have made this more readily available, because people are afraid of ‘SDK’s’ for no good reason. But by putting your logo into someone else’s work as the ‘Presets Heaven FTP plugin’ is, to me, fraudulent.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Well Sean, since you think this is “fraudulent” I have removed the PH logo in the plug-in and replaced the download file with a new one. Case closed.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Pierre,
That absolutely was not what I was driving at. Having a PH branded plugin breaks no rules. My issues was that the text implied that your hard work led to the plugin based on the FTP sample, when you simply added a logo.
I just think it would’ve better presented as ‘There was an FTP plugin with the SDK. With a little tweaking, I’m presenting you with a little gift, a Presets Heaven version of the FTP plugin’. No foul. That’s the height of it. Please, put back the PH version.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
You turned a sample into a tool and were up front about it. Logo it.
November 15th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Pierre,
May you can add some useful adjustments to the plugin. For instance during export the plugin shows the text Uploading x photo(s) by FTP. It would be nice to use the Preset name of the FTP settings. So as a user I’m sure I upload to the right site. I created a ShutterStock FTP Upload preset called ShutterStock and it would be nice to see during export Uploading x photo(s) to ShutterStock.
February 6th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Doesnt seem to work on Lightroom 2.5 64 Bits
February 8th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Hi Ruben,
What error do you get?
Are you using Windows (version) or Mac (version)?
February 8th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Hi there, thanks for replying.
Im using windows 7 64bits and Lightroom 2.5 (64bits)
The plugin shows in the plugin manager but not on the export windows :S
February 8th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Ruben,
I think I know what the problem is…
If you look at the second screenshot image above you’ll see that the FTP-plugin is chosen by the name of the title and my logo in the top. In the right corner you can also see 2 small arrows (one up and one down). Press this “button” and you’ll be able to chose the plugin.
Did that solve your problem?
February 8th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Ok you got me there xD problem fixed
thanks
was looking for it on the user preset –’
Thanks
February 8th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Great!
February 9th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Hi Pierre,
I am trying to use the plugin but am having problems. Every time I try to upload an image Lightroom says that it can’t create the directory. I am trying to place my images into an existing directory that the plugin can view from the setup screen. The priviliges are set to 777 and I am usind Lightroom 2.6 on Mac OS x 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Rob
February 9th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Hi Rob,
It’s hard to say what the problem might be.
Have you tried to change the “passive mode” transfer setting under “custom settings”?
See screenshot: http://img.skitch.com/20100209-m1ijju3hcrdcbybhi7rqf41aet.png
//Pierre