SteveG Loc: Norh Carolina

[quote=Greg-Joseph]I am trying to learn to use the many editing features of Lightroom/Photoshop. So far, I have not been able to understand the initial process. I want to place my camera card in my computer and place a series of pictures in LightRoom/Photoshop. I would then like to edit each pic. If someone were able to offer a few simple pointers to get me started, I would really appreciate the help[/quote

Here's A GREAT YouTube video to get you started!

https://youtu.be/bN2jqsJgbBs

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

No, don’t just copy them to your hard drive. Import them through Lightroom and it will copy them to the location you specify.

bleirer

Both ways work, though. There is a choice in import whether to move or copy. I agree it is easier to get them off the camera or card using Lightroom import.

rond-photography Loc: Connecticut

You can simplify this step by simply putting the camera card in a card slot on the computer, then select "Import" from the library menu in Lightroom. Tell it where to find the files, and where to put them. Once imported, you can remove undesirable photos by tagging them with an "X" (hit the x key when viewing the photo). After tagging all the unwanted pics, hit CTL + Bkspc and when it asks if you want to remove or delete, tell it delete. Remove leaves them on your hard drive, but not in the LR catalog.

SteveG Loc: Norh Carolina

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I STRONGLY suggest looking into Laura Shoe and her video training for @ $100. Check on-line at LauraShoe.com. Watch the initial training BEFORE beginning. Best of luck.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I agree with this. It's not easy to just experiment with it. You must get a little training. Youtube is also a great resource for learning LR and Photoshop.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

DO NOT USE MOVE when importing from your card.
If there's a computer glitch that corrupts the files on transfer, using move will have removed the originals from the card. Using copy will leave the originals on the card so they can be re-imported.

Never delete anything you are transferring until you are sure it has been backed up.

bleirer

I think move and add are disabled, greyed out, in lightroom in that situation. If someone already has the files in a folder on the hard drive already they can add that folder to the Lightroom catalog directly or move the files to another folder, or copy the files to another folder while adding to the catalog.

Wasabi

It is very helpful if you can have a second computer open with the instructional information on the screen. Watch the instructions for one step, pause the instructions and perform the operation on your Ligthroom computer.

There are many steps to accomplish each action and unless you have a very good memory it is easy to get lost.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

My work flow:
1. Copy from the camera storage card to a temporary location on the computer HD. This makes sure there are images and that the card is readable as well as giving you a fall back copy in case you screw up the Import process.

2. Open LR - Classic

3. Select the source of the import (the temporary folder made in step #1.

4. Select the location you wish to store the images. Do not use your boot drive. You will soon fill it and you will not have adequate hd space for LR's Swap Disk.
I recommend and external drive or preferable a RAID storage device if you are serious about long term retention.
I recommend you build an archive structure. I use the following:
When you make a new Catalog it sets up a new Folder (on your internal drive) Give it a name. I then make a catalog on my external RAID 5 called 'LR Master Archive'.
Within that Archive Folder I have this for structure:
⌙LR Master Catalog
⌙ Images
⌙2018
⌙ Subfolders named state/country/city etc. Maybe event name.
........
⌙ 2020
⌙Subfolders named state/country/city etc. Maybe event name.
Now when you are ready to import you select this folder and any subfolders for your storage location.
Do not forget that you can rename the files on import. You'll have to read about how to edit the naming template.
Be sure to add some keywords so you can find similar images later: ex. clouds, waves, lightning, storm, tornado, ad infinitum.

Check out Jeff Schewe's LR books. They are not that recent but contain a ton of information on LR Classic - module by module and how it works. Available on Amazon.

HTH

pep9454

https://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Lightroom-Classic-Digital-Photographers-ebook/dp/B07CTS32L2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=U8K9T3ZSYIQ2&dchild=1&keywords=scott+kelby+lightroom&qid=1586020118&sprefix=Kelby+li%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-2

I've been teaching LR at the adult ed community college level. This is the text I use. Very good, able to download a lot of files used in the various chapters and step by step with picture examples.

https://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Lightroom-Classic-Digital-Photographers-ebook/dp/B07CTS32L2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=U8K9T3ZSYIQ2&dchild=1&keywords=scott+kelby+lightroom&qid=1586020118&sprefix=Kelby+li%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-2

10MPlayer Loc: California

I took a class locally when I first got Lightroom. This was a few years ago. As I recall it was six three hour sessions. That should give you some idea about how much there is to learn about it. The good thing is you may never need to learn all of it, just the stuff you need.

The hardest part to understand is the database. Once you get that it's all pretty intuitive. As suggested above, spend some time on the free videos online. Most are well done. Concentrate on the database and especially collections. If you learn to use collections it'll make finding your images later a whole lot easier.

10MPlayer Loc: California

I agree this is the better way to do it. And before you import them learn about keywords. In the Import module there's a tab on the right called Apply During Import. In that tab you can apply keywords to all of your files.
For example if you were shooting pictures at your family picnic you might apply the keywords FAMILY, PICNIC, MCKINLEY PARK etc. That way 10 years from now when you can't remember the exact date of that picnic you can create a collection with the search terms FAMILY, PICNIC etc and LR will find any pics tagged with those keywords. It may sound trivial at first but once you grasp it you'll see that it's a powerful tool.

Al K

I like "The Missing Manual". There are books on each software as well as each camera. It is an excellent learning tool as well as a reference when you want to try something new.

Al K