Marcia Byrd Loc: Georgia

I am learning LRCC. I can't get past the catalog. For the life of me I can't understand how the catalog works, how to download photos to the proper place on MacBook Pro (i.e. photos, pictures, external hard drive, etc) I know it is too much to ask someone on this site to explain it to me but but if anyone has the name of a course that explains it well I would be very appreciative. Thanks so much.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The best way to avoid problems with using Lightroom is to learn Lightroom. An hour of watching one or more 'getting started' training videos will easily save you multiple hours of frustration. LR is a complex piece of software targeted at experienced computer users and professional / advanced image-creators. The software is not intended for a clicking-around and figuring it out approach.

Your questions are covered and demonstrated in all the 'basic' getting started videos. They're either free on utube or via your Adobe subscription from with the Adobe.com site, start in the support area after using your Adobe credentials to access Adobe.com. Go to "Help & Support", then Creative Cloud Tutorials. You can also find Adobe videos listed in the results of: google lightroom getting started videos

Asking for the non professionals to explain it in words (text) is also 'free'. But, your time would be better spent watching the videos, also free, and of a much more effective (and accurate) content than what you'll get here in replies.

Other possible searches that are more specific to your questions:

google lightroom image import videos
google lightroom using catalog videos

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

It's best to listen to Paul - he always knows whereof he speaks!

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

This post seems to have bought a book: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-734311-1.html#13044243

Personally, I believe in exhausting all free options before paying for training. Your subscription is payment enough to access the Adobe-created content on their site. Plus, you can watch those videos in the few days while waiting from something physical to arrive if you did purchase a book.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

I'll just add to what Paul said which was your first responder. Before you start this you've got to figure out how you want to organize your photos by date location etc. I do all mine by date. In my catalog on my hard drive directory I have the photos main directory, I don't know what yours is called. Under that I have each year and then under that year subdirectories for each month and then under that specific direct subdirectories for whatever a trip to somewhere or whatever. Now when you get ready to import into Lightroom all you have to do is click on import your directory will open up and you select the folder you want to import you click import bottom left select your directory then on the right you finish it and that creates a duplicate of your hard drive directory within Lightroom. So you can see it gets very complicated and as Paul said this program is for someone that is computer literate to start with and understands how to use a computer and directories. Do not lose patience once you understand it it's very simple and easy to do.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I studied computers in university and worked in IT for 26-years. It took me about 6-months to really get familiar with LR. When I relented to so video training, a lot of subtle things finally started to make sense. The software works different than your typical editing software. As an example: it doesn't even have a 'Save' command. Struggling at the start is not unusual. The date-based folder approach (YYYYMMDD) is the best practice, but you don't have to use that approach nor restructure all your existing images. The process of getting your images from the camera to the computer and into LR (import) is covered by the getting-started videos. With that step accomplished, you're ready for the next steps.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Marcia Byrd Loc: Georgia

I appreciate all of the comments. I will start with Adobe. I usually pick things up pretty quick but LR has proven to be a challenge. It is sometimes hard for me to slow down and give it the attention it needs. Thanks again.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Here is a good starting point, on importing, by Julie Ann cost. She is a good source and so is light room queen.

https://youtu.be/--nEKNEH_1I

jcboy3

My first recommendation is to not use LRCC to import photos from your card. I have three reasons:

1. LRCC creates it's own directory structure
2. LRCC copies all unique photos from the card (so if you deleted photos from previous imports, they come back)
3. You lose control of naming conventions

My first step is to create a folder to copy images to, and I name it date-place, e.g. 220325-SavannahGA.

I then copy the files from the card to that folder.

I then import files form that folder into Lightroom, leaving them where I put them.

I then make a quick pass through the images, and delete the bad photos.

I then use Lightroom to rename the photos. I rename them FolderName-Sequence### from Library->Rename Photos in the menu.

I then go through the photos and delete what I don't want, add keywords, and use caption for descriptive data (if I take a picture of a Cardinal, I put Cardinal in the Caption). Yes, cardinal is obvious, but is White Breasted Nuthatch obvious?

Now, when I export an image for posting, the file name tells me exactly when and where I took the photo, and directs me to it's location in Lightroom.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Just to clarify, for this post and for the OP:

Our OP should confirm the use of LR 'Classic', literally the Classic, desktop, full-function, catalog-based software. The "LRCC" software is now the browser-based software that has been renamed yet again as simply "Lightroom". None of us can control Adobe's determination to make this all confusing. But, we certainly can use the clear and exact product names to avoid still more confusion.

For the comments above, LR (I only mean LR Classic from this point) only does what the human driving the computer instructs the software to do. The software only creates folders as the human instructs. Of course, there are a lot defaults to be managed by the human, sometimes maybe making it seem like the software does its own thing. But no. It only does what the human tells or allows it to do.

Everyone can manage their folders and filenames as best fits their unique needs / approach. But, when you rely on a simple foldering approach and begin to interact with your files only from inside the LR Library (catalog), you begin to realize you don't need to know the filenames nor the folders. There's no reason to do the same work twice, both inside and outside LR. Rather, just add all your descriptive data about individual images and the whole shoot inside LR. Your metadata filters let you find images by shooting date or any number of filtering attributes populated into the catalog when the images were imported. If you want descriptive filenames, consider adding those as-needed when you export the edited results.

LR is a very different way of thinking about your images. Many of us have spent 20 / 30+ years building folder structures and best practices for how to organize and find our files with nothing more capable than a OS 'explorer' search tool. LR is a relational database that captures all relevant data from the image (camera) file as well as all the descriptive data you add via LR keywords and collections. If the data is inside the LR catalog, you can search, sort and / or filter by those image attributes. LR is much much more powerful. You just need to unlearn using the OS tools and work inside and trust LR. Entirely.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"I am learning LRCC. I can't get past the catalog. For the life of me I can't understand how the catalog works,....."

Lightroom CC does not have a catalog.

tenny52 Loc: San Francisco

I used LR for a while but I was always confused by the Catalog usage; if you rename your folder's name, it would lose track of it. So I still use Faststone to keep track of my photo, of course I can't use LR catalog's perks

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I was very confused and frustrated just as you describe. The Laura Shoe videos made it finally click.
I am sure there are other videos that are good, but Laura’s videos worked for me.

yvesfeder Loc: Bath, ME

CHG_Canon certainly knows whereof he speaks.

In any event if you are as "limited" as I am (hopefully not) you might find that LRc (LightRoom CLASSIC) could be a great steppingstone. I like it very much, a fine "student grade" yet powerful software.