How do I organize pics in PSE & Lightroom together?
Dec 30, 2012 11:29:17 #
gorgehiker
Loc: Lexington, Ky
I am a novice who has been using Elements for years to organize my photos (version 7). I recently purchased Lightroom 4 and I love using it for editing, but I am far more comfortable with PSE's organizer. Should I import from my camera to Lightroom, edit, and then import from a file into PSE7? Are these two programs integrated as far as the organization is concerned? I do not want to end up with duplicate files on my hard drive. Thanks for any help!
Dec 31, 2012 10:30:16 #
gorgehiker wrote:
I am a novice who has been using Elements for years to organize my photos (version 7). I recently purchased Lightroom 4 and I love using it for editing, but I am far more comfortable with PSE's organizer. Should I import from my camera to Lightroom, edit, and then import from a file into PSE7? Are these two programs integrated as far as the organization is concerned? I do not want to end up with duplicate files on my hard drive. Thanks for any help!
Import your Elements Catalog into Lightroom and use it instead.
While I agree the Elements Organizer is very powerful and often overlooked there is no need to have both catalogs. Although the Elements Organizer enables a couple more things like auto people recognigtion you'll learn the alternative ways to do it with Keywords in Lightroom pretty quick.
As long as you try to do both you will not become proficient with Lightroom's catalog. It is sort of like after a stroke they have learned the only way to recovery is to tie down your good arm.
I pay no attention to folders, letting Lightroom handle all that for me.
Dec 31, 2012 11:41:44 #
saichiez
Loc: Beautiful Central Oregon
It's Organizer crazy time again.
I am working with a client right now on this very issue.
You won't get dupe files on your hard drive if you Pick Just ONE of the programs to do the importing. You won't get dupe files if you use both and you are VERY consistent on naming convention (name given to folders and folder tags). However, that alone is close to impossible.
In fact, both programs use a catalog link system for pictures and folders you see in either program. NO FILES are kept within those two programs... they are all in the windows folder, located by dictate of the folder, calendar, or tag name you put in the initial download window.
Both programs create/name a folder in the Windows folder system, NOT as commonly thought IN THE PROGRAM. Either Elements or LR, then create catalog links to where they lodged the files/folders in Windows.
In fact if you go into Windows Explorer/Libraries and start moving and renaming files in Windows, you break the links in BOTH Elements and LightRoom. The fix there, if you manage on the Windows side is to delete either of the messed up Catalogs and import a complete new Catalog in each of the two programs.
The simplest solution is to choose ONE of the organizers, in either PSE or LR, and Use that one exclusively. Then NEVER go into Windows Explorer/Libraries My Pictures and make any location or name changes. Then you would manually have to import new pictures to the remaining catalog that is NOT being used for downloading.
My client is going to use the LR Organiser exclusively. I am going to disable the Organizer in PSE so she can't open it, and delete that catalog. This has NO impact on presence of images as they never existed IN PSE anyway (only the catalog). The last step is to turn off, or disable the PSE downloader, so that only the LR downloader comes up.
Final note... remember that the pictures never reside in the programs-only as links in the catalog. So in order not to break the organizer, you must not do any file management of the images in the Windows folders. This would be the protocol we will use.
LightRoom, Download and organize
PSE, NO downloading here and no Organizer available, no catalog.
Windows, Access but refrain from organizing in Windows for the folders Pictures and My Pictures.
You could easily do the following
PSE, downloading and organising with all PSE features
LightRoom No downloading and cripple the Organiser.
Windows. No management/naming/renaming or downloading manually.
Or, as is my choice.
Windows, exclusive downloading/name/folder management in the Windows Explorer/Libraries.
Cripple Both Organisers (PSE and LR). No catalog file in either one. (Side Note). It appears to me that either LR or PSE with the Organiser disabled (not accessible) both run faster.
Personally, I find the Organizers redundant and mostly time consuming. I manage all my files in Windows. I have never renamed or moved a file, files, or folders in any photo editing program. Granted, I am very limited on tags, sets, version sets, stacks, and all that other jingo, but I do manage my files nicely.
When I want to see all the files in Pictures and My Pictures, I use a free "shell" program that constantly and dynamically views my files as I change, add or delete them in my Windows management system. It also has a wide range of info and edit functions on my images. It does not use a breakable catalog.
It is called Faststone Image Viewer. I am NOT suggesting this as either better than, or a replacement for PSE or LR. It does afford me the ability to see my images much faster and in a format that duplicates the Windows folders I see when I go into Windows Explorer/Libraries.
I am working with a client right now on this very issue.
You won't get dupe files on your hard drive if you Pick Just ONE of the programs to do the importing. You won't get dupe files if you use both and you are VERY consistent on naming convention (name given to folders and folder tags). However, that alone is close to impossible.
In fact, both programs use a catalog link system for pictures and folders you see in either program. NO FILES are kept within those two programs... they are all in the windows folder, located by dictate of the folder, calendar, or tag name you put in the initial download window.
Both programs create/name a folder in the Windows folder system, NOT as commonly thought IN THE PROGRAM. Either Elements or LR, then create catalog links to where they lodged the files/folders in Windows.
In fact if you go into Windows Explorer/Libraries and start moving and renaming files in Windows, you break the links in BOTH Elements and LightRoom. The fix there, if you manage on the Windows side is to delete either of the messed up Catalogs and import a complete new Catalog in each of the two programs.
The simplest solution is to choose ONE of the organizers, in either PSE or LR, and Use that one exclusively. Then NEVER go into Windows Explorer/Libraries My Pictures and make any location or name changes. Then you would manually have to import new pictures to the remaining catalog that is NOT being used for downloading.
My client is going to use the LR Organiser exclusively. I am going to disable the Organizer in PSE so she can't open it, and delete that catalog. This has NO impact on presence of images as they never existed IN PSE anyway (only the catalog). The last step is to turn off, or disable the PSE downloader, so that only the LR downloader comes up.
Final note... remember that the pictures never reside in the programs-only as links in the catalog. So in order not to break the organizer, you must not do any file management of the images in the Windows folders. This would be the protocol we will use.
LightRoom, Download and organize
PSE, NO downloading here and no Organizer available, no catalog.
Windows, Access but refrain from organizing in Windows for the folders Pictures and My Pictures.
You could easily do the following
PSE, downloading and organising with all PSE features
LightRoom No downloading and cripple the Organiser.
Windows. No management/naming/renaming or downloading manually.
Or, as is my choice.
Windows, exclusive downloading/name/folder management in the Windows Explorer/Libraries.
Cripple Both Organisers (PSE and LR). No catalog file in either one. (Side Note). It appears to me that either LR or PSE with the Organiser disabled (not accessible) both run faster.
Personally, I find the Organizers redundant and mostly time consuming. I manage all my files in Windows. I have never renamed or moved a file, files, or folders in any photo editing program. Granted, I am very limited on tags, sets, version sets, stacks, and all that other jingo, but I do manage my files nicely.
When I want to see all the files in Pictures and My Pictures, I use a free "shell" program that constantly and dynamically views my files as I change, add or delete them in my Windows management system. It also has a wide range of info and edit functions on my images. It does not use a breakable catalog.
It is called Faststone Image Viewer. I am NOT suggesting this as either better than, or a replacement for PSE or LR. It does afford me the ability to see my images much faster and in a format that duplicates the Windows folders I see when I go into Windows Explorer/Libraries.
Dec 31, 2012 13:50:27 #
gorgehiker
Loc: Lexington, Ky
Thank you and anyone else who replies to my question. As a beginner, it is great to know that there is a forum where I can get answers to problems not covered in the youtube videos, books, etc. I really appreciate your help!
Dec 31, 2012 15:15:01 #
I agree with MtnMan's suggestion. Additionally, there are some very good books that discuss LR in great detail, including extensive discussion on the organizer. Two that come to mind are the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 book by Martin Evening and Scott Kelby's Photoshop Lightroom 4 for Digital Photographers. Good luck.
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