LR Catalog problem: I am new to Lightroom and several times when I have closed LR and then re-opened it, the catalog is lost. Once I mistakenly clicked "default catalog"and after...

goraggio

I am new to Lightroom and several times when I have closed LR and then re-opened it, the catalog is lost. Once I mistakenly clicked "default catalog"and after searching around, I cannot find the original one. Is it lost forever? I didn't think you were supposed to lose things forever in LR.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

goraggio wrote:

I am new to Lightroom and several times when I have closed LR and then re-opened it, the catalog is lost. Once I mistakenly clicked "default catalog"and after searching around, I cannot find the original one. Is it lost forever? I didn't think you were supposed to lose things forever in LR.

Been using Lightroom for 3 years now, never lost anything, not even once, unless it was due to operator error on my part ;)

If you switched catalogs, go into Lightroom, under file, open RECENT and it should show a list of several last used catalogs if there are any.

FWIW - Personally I see no need for multiple catalogs, since a catalog is only a database of images that Lightroom knows about, it can easily handle a very very large number of them, and by using keywords, collections and other metadata it is easy to sort/filter/find pretty much any way you need.

You can place catalogs anywhere you like and Lightroom can deal with them - as long as YOU know where you keep them.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

If you have lost the catalog db, you could recreate by simply re importing your images? I have learned to let LR manage the photo db, no foolin around in file explorer any more.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

goraggio wrote:

I am new to Lightroom and several times when I have closed LR and then re-opened it, the catalog is lost. Once I mistakenly clicked "default catalog"and after searching around, I cannot find the original one. Is it lost forever? I didn't think you were supposed to lose things forever in LR.

I don't rely on LR to manage my images. I like things simple and handle it myself so I know where every thing is.
Call me a Luddite, I don't care.

I import my new images to a folder that I know. When processing is complete I export the image to a different folder and remove the original from the disk.

I only archive processed images and rarely go back to make adjustment. I'm shooting when ever I can so there is no shortage of images to process.

Since my taste and ability change rating an image is a waste. What I thought was great 2 years ago may be just average today. I only name folders and not images so retrieval is simple.

That's my method and I don't loose images.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

LR has a fairly steep learning curve; buy a good book on the subject. I just bought LR-6 and the book I bought is LIGHTROOM by Scott Kelby. Perhaps he wrote about earlier versions. There are also plenty of videos available - watch some.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

Spend time learning Lightroom. You'll save yourself lots of aggravation. The following tutorial is free; just scroll down. Doesn't matter that its Lightroom 4. He's an excellent instructor. http://en.elephorm.com/tuto-lightroom-4-complete-training.html

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

sueyeisert wrote:

Spend time learning Lightroom. You'll save yourself lots of aggravation. The following tutorial is free; just scroll down. Doesn't matter that its Lightroom 4. He's an excellent instructor. http://en.elephorm.com/tuto-lightroom-4-complete-training.html

I'm relatively new to LR and so I just took a look at the site and one or two videos - VERY HELPFUL. Thanks for the link.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

This is how I learned Lightroom.

Howard5252 wrote:

I'm relatively new to LR and so I just took a look at the site and one or two videos - VERY HELPFUL. Thanks for the link.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Dngallagher wrote:

Been using Lightroom for 3 years now, never lost a... (show quote)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

joer wrote:

I don't rely on LR to manage my images. I like thi... (show quote)

FWIW - I would be lost without Lightroom to manage my image ;)

For rating I do rate images with the star ratings... zero = junk, gets deleted before conversion to DNG
1 & 2 OK, worth converting and editing, 3 & 4 edited, good enough to publish on my Flickr account, 5 = one of my best shots, adds to my portfolio of images.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Dngallagher wrote:

FWIW - I would be lost without Lightroom to manage my image ;)

For rating I do rate images with the star ratings... zero = junk, gets deleted before conversion to DNG
1 & 2 OK, worth converting and editing, 3 & 4 edited, good enough to publish on my Flickr account, 5 = one of my best shots, adds to my portfolio of images.

Since we've gone off the original subject ... I only use LR to do editing. I have my own cataloging system and didn't need that feature (yes, I know it's one of LR's biggest features), I still didn't need it. Great editing program though.

thephotoman Loc: Rochester, NY

Howard5252 wrote:

LR has a fairly steep learning curve; buy a good book on the subject. I just bought LR-6 and the book I bought is LIGHTROOM by Scott Kelby. Perhaps he wrote about earlier versions. There are also plenty of videos available - watch some.

The King of Lightroom, Scott Kelby, has written a book on each LR version.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

goraggio wrote:

I am new to Lightroom and several times when I have closed LR and then re-opened it, the catalog is lost. Once I mistakenly clicked "default catalog"and after searching around, I cannot find the original one. Is it lost forever? I didn't think you were supposed to lose things forever in LR.

Hold down your option/alt key and then, while holding down that key, open LR. A box will come up that lists all of the catalogs that you have.

You can "misplace" a catalog if you were not paying attention to where you told LR to put the catalog in your computer system. In Mac, a catalog will open automatically in the photo folder. It is important to pay attention to each command you give the program, you are in charge of what happens within LR when using it.

The most effective way to approach the use of LR is to have an established folder system set up on your desktop or external hard drive (your choice) first. Know and use that filing system through LR.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

If you have lost the catalog db, you could recreate by simply re importing your images? I have learned to let LR manage the photo db, no foolin around in file explorer any more.

If you were to "lose" a catalog in LR, which you could only actually do if it crashed somehow (although I have done it another way that almost, but did not, end in disaster!), you would actually lose any edits you made while working within the program. Yes, you could re-create the catalog by re-linking the same set of folders to a new catalog, but you would not retain the edits you made to those photos.

Know where you put things within your computer system and be sure you know what your photo filing system is prior to starting out in LR. Also be sure you have set up a back-up system for both photos and catalogs, these are two separate back-ups. Then, if you were to "lose" a catalog, you could simply use the back-up catalog and you would not have a disaster on your hangs.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

joer wrote:

I don't rely on LR to manage my images. I like thi... (show quote)

Actually, exporting an image to a folderno matter what your cataloging system isis a smart approach. If I were to lose all my photos I would only be really upset by losing the ones that I really loved, which are the only ones I process anyway. And those are the photos that we should all think about exporting into a separate folder, copying onto a small external drive, then putting that drive somewhere outside our home so that we do not lose it in the event of fire, flood, other natural disaster.

I am an LR devotee, so much so that I am an Adobe Certified Expert in the program and teach it at a local junior college. The downside of such programs, however, is that keeping an intact catalog is central to the saving of our edited photos and that can be a risky way to operate.