jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Does LR have a "Save as," or are you talking about Windows?

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

A clarification:

Lightroom does NOT import images nor does it move them around by it's own violition.

LR "import" looks at the image on the harddrive, copies the image to its own preview database, copies the Exif data to its own database, makes an entry into its database as to location of the image and compiles all that information into a Lightroom Catalogue. Any changes you make to the location of an image, providing it is completed within the Lightroom environment, is recorded in the database.
If an image is moved in the Operating System (Windows = Explorer, Mac = ?????) the changed location is not recorded in Lightroom. When you try to open an image in LR which has been moved in the OS, the image will show as the Lightroom preview, but that image cannot be processed because LR does not know where you have moved it to, thus the "missing image" messages.
If you make alterations to an image in LR, the catalogue will record those changes. The original image as stored on the hardrive is untouched. So in Ligtroom, you can edit and crop to your hearts content, but if you open the image in Picassa or Irfanview or whatever other graphics program you have not linked to LR, those edits you did in Lightroom will not be there. The originals are not altered.
If the originals are jpg or tiffs, all the changes are stored in the LR catalogue, if the images are raw files, the changes are stored in xmp sidecar files.
If you move a raw file (by means other than within Lightroom), and forget to move the xmp file with the picture file, then your changes may be lost on your harddrive and you could end up in a bit of a pickle, especially if you have moved many images.

Always move images within Lightroom
Always backup your catalogue
Always export finished images if you want to work on them in a program not linked to Lightroom.

If you install Lightroom you are installing the means to manage your images, hundreds or thousands of your pictures can be located, catalogued, named, put into collections (albums), even geotagged, but remember Lightroom is forgiving and can be also forgetfull.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

When I use LR to make changes to an image, I use the Export command (Ctrl-Shift-E in Windows) and save it to a different folder than where the original is located. If I were to export it to the same folder and use the same file name, it would replace the original image, right?

mikemilton

Sure.

You can drag them over each other, or right click and 'create a new keyword within...'

So
- create a high level keyword (mammal)
- create another keyword (dog)
- drag dog onto mammal (there will now be triangle to expand the heirarchy)
- right click dog and create a new keyword within it (boxer)

When you search for mammal you will get your dog (and other mammals) and you boxer (and other dogs)

When you tag a pic of a boxer, it will be tagged dog and mammal.

This is really useful with places. For example:
North America>Canada>Ontario>Toronto>City Hall

Note that you can have duplicates (and might want them) so you can, in the dog example above) also have:
People>Professions>Sports>Boxer

The key thing is to start with a good set of *really* broad tags that includes everything and drill down to as fine a level of precision as you need (perhaps you don't need dog breeds and just dog will do)

So you can get a lot of information about your boxer dog by tagging it:
Mammal>Dog>Boxer
North America>Canada>Toronto> Exhibition Place
Events>Fairs>Royal Winter Fair>Super Dogs

That is 11 tags inserted for 3 actions taken (Boxer, Exhibition Place, Superdogs).

Of course, you can have deeper lists and you can have many more tags. This is *extremely* beneficial if you submit to stock agencies because it greatly increases the number of ways people can find the image.

roberts41 Loc: Atlanta, GA

Wrong, Jerry. You will never be able to destroy or overwrite the original image in LR. Images in LR are non-destructible. I believe the question that is in the export dialog is, "do you want to save this to the catalog"? If I'm correct, what happens is that if you answer "yes", then you'll see two images in the catalog. Depending on how you sort your catalog, they may be side by side. Same for your windows folder. I use NIK Software and Topaz Software and when you save an image from either program, it saves as a tiff file. Then, when I export my finished image (which may be after several attempts at processing), I save it as a jpeg. At any rate, you can't overwrite an image unless you want to, and you can never overwrite your original image.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

IF you have the export settings to retain the same exact file name and extension AND you've set LR to "over write" without warning you...then yes. But you can set LR to "not over write" or "ask before over writing" etc, or to "not over write"

When you export files in LR, you decide how they are handled...do they get renamed? Do they get resized? What folder do they go into? Etc.

I have different rules set up for different circumstances; i.e. printing...poster printing, email, different jpg sizes, etc.

All the parameters are different including whether the file is renamed and where it's going upon import.

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

If you export a corrected image to the same folder, and even if in the export dialogue you have tchecked the "Overwrite without Warning"box, a dialogue opens giving you the choice of "Save As" (new name) or going backk to Lightroom.I have two folders on my desktop, "Import" and "Export". All exports are sent to the Export folder, and anything I get from the web or create using other programs, I place into the Import folder, get LR to "import" and then shift the images (with LR) to an appropriate location.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Thanks. That sounds very good - similar to folders within folders. I'll try that today.

mikemilton

1) Lightroom does not import the actual images into the catalog (correct, but I've worded it more precisely)

1a) Lightroom can be set up to (automatically) create a set of directories which it manages and import the image files to them. Many people do this directly from the camera as it saves them the step of making up their own directories and just referencing the files. Personally, I do not like the LR directory conventions so I take the extra step of making my own.

1b) the easiest way to work on an image in another program is to use "edit in". This will create an exported image (with or without LR edits, your choice) and automatically add it to th catalog when you save and close the other program. This saves you managing the files separately.

2) There really isn't any point in exporting edited images except for a specific use (like mailing it or uploading it). You can save yourself space and confusion by only keeping images that are in your catalog (including virtual copies). This takes no space and keeps every version organized, together and tagged. I typically delete exported images after use since they can be remade at any time from the catalog

2b) Lightroom warns you about overwriting. So you can put exported images in the original location easily and safely. This makes adding them to the catalog and backing them up much easier if you actually want to keep them as full image files (rather than virtual copies)

drkeene Loc: Florida Gulf Coast

I have some 20,000 photos on Picasa and will be converting to Lightroom soon... Actually I have been procrastinating out of apprehension of the need of becoming involved in a painful and drawn out re-cataloging of my entire edited library of photos. It sounds like it might be a much simpler thing!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Well, that's a first - someone telling me I'm wrong. :D

Like most of my software, I've only scratched the surface of LR. I appreciate all the input.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Ooooh! My brain is starting to hurt.

So, if exporting is not necessary, take me through the steps. I just modified an image in LR, and I'll want to go back to it in a few days. How do I keep both the modified and the original copies on my computer?

Mousie M Loc: Coventry, UK

Are the keywords held in the catalogue or does LR put them into the Exif data in the image file?

MtnMan Loc: ID

This is a key point. When you back up your Lightroom catalog (as it will nag you to do) it DOES NOT BACK UP YOUR PHOTO FILES. You have to do that separately with a back up program.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Keywords stay with the file. I used the Elements Organizer before Lightroom and Lightroom happily imported all the kewords when I initially told it to do do.