jedcardio

I usually back up when I leave lr-How do I retrieve these pictures?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Inside LR, you can open another catalog from the File menu. Then, export the desired images. You can export to a new catalog or as a DNG, then change back to your main catalog and import those files back into your main catalog. You can also import from another catalog and just point to the back-up.

But, before you do any of those things, consider what it is you want to accomplish and / or recover. You certainly don't want duplicates of all your images. If you want 20 images of say 15,000, consider what is the most efficient way to do that. If you think you've corrupted your main catalog, you might want to rename the current LRCAT and copy and rename the back-up into the main LRCAT's location. All the catalog contains is your edit information. So, working with the LRCAT back-ups only recovers your edit information; the image files are stored elsewhere. And, if you delete from the catalog and from disk, you need to go to the 'recycle bin' to recover the deleted image file.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

The LR catalog does not contain any images, they will be located in files on your hard drive.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

This, to me, is one of those head-scratcher questions. What is it that you really want to do? When you say you "back up," do you mean the catalog? Or the images in some way? These are two very separate things. In LR you link up (import) images from a folder to the application. This allows you to work on images linked to the specific catalog in the application. To "retrieve" your images you simply open the LR catalog that you linked them to (imported) and they will be there if you have not moved any of those images outside the LR catalog. To use these images you use the Export button in LR, setting the export boxes as needed and telling the export function where to put the exported images. If you cannot find your catalog hold down the option or alt key while opening the program; a box will pop up that lists your LR catalogs, choose the correct catalog or navigate to where the correct catalog is.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Lightroom only backs up the catalog, not the pictures. The pictures reside on your hard drive exactly where you imported them. To view a picture after you've backed up your catalog, simply open LR back up, type the letter G on your keyboard for "Grid View" which brings up the grid of pictures. In the left panel click on the folder that you put the pictures in or click on "All Photos" up toward the top. You'll see a grid of every photo that is "cataloged" in LR. A catalog is simply a database of all your pictures, where they are, any changes made to them, how you've rated them, etc....