Lightroom Question: I spend a day in the field shooting. I come home, take the card from the camera and put it in the card reader on my desktop (Windows 10) and import the photos into...

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

I spend a day in the field shooting. I come home, take the card from the camera and put it in the card reader on my desktop (Windows 10) and import the photos into Lightroom. Where does Lightroom put the actual files ? I know how the catalog system works but where, on what disk, can I find the actual files?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Curmudgeon wrote:

I spend a day in the field shooting. I come home, take the card from the camera and put it in the card reader on my desktop (Windows 10) and import the photos into Lightroom. Where does Lightroom put the actual files ? I know how the catalog system works but where, on what disk, can I find the actual files?

The image files go where you tell LR to put them, assuming you're using the Copy option via the Import. You don't want to 'add' them directly from the camera card as removing the card removes access to the images.

You can take any image within the Library mode, right click, and select Show in Explorer. The software will open a window via the computer OS to the folder where the image file resides.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Curmudgeon wrote:

I spend a day in the field shooting. I come home, take the card from the camera and put it in the card reader on my desktop (Windows 10) and import the photos into Lightroom. Where does Lightroom put the actual files ? I know how the catalog system works but where, on what disk, can I find the actual files?

Are you using LR Classic? Exactly how do you import them? Are you opening up LR, then on the bottom left clicking on the import button? Then are you looking on the right hand panel and telling LR exactly where to put them? Yes, you are in charge of where they go. Look right, drop down each and every choice until you see and understand those choices. A few of them will tell you exactly where you've been putting them.

Also, if you want to know where they've been going, simply right click on any thumbnail view of any photo, then click on the choice that says "show in Explorer". This will open up a window in Windows Explorer and the file will be the one highlighted.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Thanks Paul

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Thanks jeep daddy

Tjohn Loc: Inverness, FL formerly Arivaca, AZ

Use a picture file name from LR and search C drive. You will eventually find where they are stored.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

When I import I tell LR Classic where to put the files on the import menu

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Go to Catalog and look at Previous Import and Added by Previous Import. Unfortunately, LR has an auto-import mode which you have to turn off.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

LR will put the files wherever you tell it to put them on Import. If you don’t specify, it will always look for them on the SD card. If the card is not plugged in, it won’t find them. I suggest that you study up on how Windows File Explorer works and how LR interfaces with that. As a general rule, computers don’t do anything that you don’t tell them to do and without specific instructions, computer software will perform a "default" action that you may not want it to do.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Curmudgeon wrote:

I spend a day in the field shooting. I come home, take the card from the camera and put it in the card reader on my desktop (Windows 10) and import the photos into Lightroom. Where does Lightroom put the actual files ? I know how the catalog system works but where, on what disk, can I find the actual files?

If you've never designated the storage folder they are probably jumbled together in your 'Photos' or 'Pictures' folder. Good luck on recovering all your image files which should be located in some sort of heiarchical storage contained all contained within a "Master" folder.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Your photos are still on the SD card unless you told LR to copy them to another location. I don’t know where LR would put your edits if you don’t designate a location for it to do that. Others probably know. I don’t use LR.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I avoid the problem by not directly importing from the SD chip into LR. I copy them into a file on my computer first and import them from there. I have full control that way.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

David in Dallas wrote:

I avoid the problem by not directly importing from the SD chip into LR. I copy them into a file on my computer first and import them from there. I have full control that way.

I copy the SD folder to where I want it to be on my HDD and rename according to my rules. I then synchronize them in LR. Six of one and a half dozen of an other.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Thanks all for the help. David, that's how started out I started out with Lightroom and then I read a book

and changed my whole work flow in LR. It's going to be a major reconstruction effort but I'm going back to your system.

Amaize

Lightroom is just a card catalog exactly the same as in a library. LR does not store images, it just keeps data on your photos to tell you where to find them — you find the book 📖 listing in the catalog, then head to the stacks to find the book. Your “books”/images are in your external hard drive/computer/etc — you add your own Dewey Dec Syst for each image date/location/subject matter and so on, which will show in LR — kinda like “Siri show me all the cathedral images” Nothing like mixed metaphors !