abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Lightroom 3 on a Mac is not importing properly. The desired path is:

Users\MyName\Pictures\2014\05 May, 2014\Session name\picture files

However, the pictures wind up here:

Users\MyName\Pictures\2014\05 May, 2014\Session name\2014\05 May, 2014\Session name\picture files

In other words, the folders under Pictures get duplicated. I cannot find a setting anywhere in LR that controls this. Or could this be the operating system?

I move the pictures files and remove the unwanted folders to get the simpler path but I would rather avoid the situation from the start. Any ideas?

Thanks for the help.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I just don't use Lightroom to move files from my memory card to my computer. Instead I simply drag and drop them from the card to a folder I've prepared in advance, importing the images into Lightroom afterward. Doing this, I still have the opportunity to globally apply settings, if I wish (I usually only set to apply lens corrections and expand upon copyright data). I also don't allow LR to automatically rename my files. One reason is because I use 2 or 3 cameras, plus as many as 18 memory cards, and need to get the images off all of them into one folder, before sorting and then renaming all of them as a group.

It sounds as if you have one of the settings in LR creating a folder within a folder, automatically during import. If you want to continue doing this, pop a memory card into your card reader (or connect the camera via the USB cable), then when Lightroom and the Import dialog box open, don't let it start importing. First look on the righthand side, under "Destination" (in the expanded Import screen that shows all the thumbnails), see if you have "Into Subfolder" checked. If so, you can specify a folder name in the box to the right. But you also can allow LR to create a folder by date, set up with the two pull down menus immediately below... The first one gives choice of having a date-folder set up or not, the second pull down menu is only active if a date-folder is being set up, and allows you to specify the format of the date-name that will be used on the folder.

Frankly, I think it's easier to just set up a folder in advance and either drag and drop directly, or have LR put the images there (without creating any subfolders).

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Alan, thanks for the help. I already figured out that the "into subfolder" versus "by date" was the culprit and have fixed it.

I have gone back and forth about importing just as you have and select the method depending upon the specifics. I organize my shooting to stay on one card and am able to get by with two cards. I create a new folder for each session so I can import either by copying the folder and renaming it or from within LR. The old KISS method.