Marcia Byrd wrote:
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.
FYI...
While it's possible to configure LR to do so, it actually isn't necessary to handle downloads. You can set up folders and do image downloads into them simply using your computer's operating system.
I do not use modern Macs, so won't presume to tell you the steps doing that. But it's bound to be pretty easy.
When doing downloads always COPY the images to the location on your computer. Never MOVE them. By copying you leave the original on the memory card, just as a precaution until you can confirm the copying has been done correctly and all the images are safely on your computer. Later when you're sure all is safe, you can simply format the memory card in your camera to "erase" everything on it, prepping it to take new images.
Once the images have been copied to your computer, start up Lightroom and have it Import from whatever location you chose (after you click "Import" there is a dialog in the upper left corner that lets you select the location to import from).
You also can do backups to external drives (or wherever) simply using your computer operating system, although it's also possible to have LR make backup copies during Import.
All a LR Import does is make a record of the images, wherever they're located. It doesn't actually move the image files at all. The files are never actually "inside" LR. It's just a notation and a preview of the image you see there. Once they're Imported, you can work with the images, but are never directly making changes to the image file. There are all sorts of things you can do with the images in LR. You can rename them, straighten them, adjust the exposure, tweak the color, etc., etc. But all these things are NOT being done directly to the image file. All the stuff you've done is recorded to a little "sidecar" file that LR saves alongside the image file. (An exception is renaming the file... which actually effects the original. However, if wanted for some reason you can have LR remember the original file name.
When you "Export" from LR the changes you made are applied... but usually only to a new image file LR creates. With RAW files this is always the case... the RAW file is never changed in any way. But with JPEGs LR will ask if you want to create a new file or overwrite the original, and normally I'd recommend creating a new file in case you ever want to go back to the original for some reason.
You can even make "virtual copies" of an image file in LR and have different versions... for example maybe one in full color, another in black and white and a third with a vintage sepia tone finish.
When you do an Export you are given a lot of options. You can choose the size, the file type, the destination, can have LR add a watermark or signature, can have the image sharpened appropriately for different types of display, etc., etc. As a time save, I added some plug-ins to my LR to do fairly automated uploads to galleries on websites.
People learn differently. I learn best from books. Others may need to take an actual class. Still others can get what they need from online seminars. YouTube videos can be helpful to learn specific actions, but personally I don't find them very good for general overview of how products like LR work. There's always the question of how "expert" someone is on YouTube, too. Maybe they know even less than me!