bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Here is a training course from Adobe's very own Principal Evangelist, Julieanne Kost.

http://tv.adobe.com/show/getting-started-with-adobe-photoshop-lightroom-5/

JD750 Loc: SoCal

bsprague (very 1st reply) provided the answer to this question.

All the other posts have suggested you learn to use the catalog. Because people think it is easier that way.

But no, you don't have to use the LR catalog. There are people here on UHH who use LR without using the catalog.

Question for you, do you have the CC subscription of Lightroom or the stand alone version? Because you have Photoshop if you have the CC subscription.

Photoshop does not utilize a catalog feature. It would fit right into your workflow.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Thanks for the response. As I mentioned earlier I use CS6. What would the CC version provide that I don't have now.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Thanks Dave for the link.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Thanks for the link Bill.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Sorry If I missed that you use CS6.

I don't know what advantages CC would have.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

If you don't like to read, try Tony Northrup's Kindle book on Lightroom. It's only $10 and has hours and hours of online tutorials where he shows you the who, what, where, why and how. He's very easy to understand. I've been deep into Lightroom for about 3years now and I learned new tricks. His discussion of keywording and using the catalog to find a needle in a haystack is worth the $10 alone. Get it, you'll thank me. Also, the previous suggestions for Julieanne Kost at Adobe are right on. She's very good and the tutorials are free. Just get into the Help in Lightroom and you'll get there online. Good luck.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I wanted to add, that the file structure I had in place since 2000 is still what I use - the LR catalog gives you the choice to move your files into a default location, or leave everything where it is and merely add the filenames and folders to the catalog, or create locations on the fly. In my case I use the second and third methods.

When I have a few images to import - usually around 100 or so, I will open the Library module, select import, and designate exactly where I want the files to go. I use a descriptive folder name which is organized by shoot and month, then by year, in a parent folder of just pictures. I can quickly browse the files in Bridge, FastStone, On1 or just show thumbnails in Windows Explorer. If I have an event which often has more than 500 images, I will copy the images to my computer into new folders named and located according to my legacy organization scheme, and use Faststone to preview and cull - Lightroom is too slow for my needs, and Faststone and On1 are considerably faster. Now that On1's browser has "grown up" it is extremely fast, provides tagging and rating that LR recognizes, and it lets you see 1:1 high quality previews. Once I have all the images I want and they are rated, keyworded and tagged, I tell LR to import (into the catalog), using the "Add" option (without moving the files). This way I keep all the functionality of the LR catalog, and I can copy the files to the computer/cull/rate/tag/keyword without missing a beat. It is not uncommon for me to do an event, come back with 800 images, and have proof quality images on the client section of my website 2-3 hours after the event.

Psergel Loc: New Mexico

I use Lightroom as intended and wouldn't use anything else but.....If I were you I would stay away from Lightroom entirely.
Lightroom is intended to be a kind of wholistic post processing environment. It is highly configurable and,when used as intended, you always know where your images are because you tell Lightroom where to put them. It gives you the ability to do all of your image organizing WITHIN Lightroom.
If you try to fight it and do you image organizing OUTSIDE of Lightroom you will not be a happy camper.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

That's like buying a Lexus to listen to the radio in the driveway. the catalog and the organization package not to discount it is non-distructive is LR.



I contend the problem people have with the catalog is because they do not spend and hour or two watching youtube videos before they install it.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

The catalog just keeps track of where files are and what you've done to them.

Period.

Nothing more.

Ignore it. (but move or organize your files within LR or let LR know where you stuck them after you moved/organized them outside of LR)

PS If you you use PS, why not just edit in Adobe camera Raw; it's almost a carbon copy of what LR is. Forget LR altogether.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Thanks Gene.

mainshipper Loc: Hernando, Florida

After reading all the replies in this post my head is swimming. Lightroom is NOT an alternative for PS or Elements. In PS you have the option of using Bridge and with Elements you may or may not use Organizer. I don't believe that either Bridge or Organizer have any manipulation functions other than metadata management. In any case, neither Bridge or Organizer operates in a seamless fashion the way LR does.

I have used it since V2 and understand what it's purpose is and that is to be a photographer's "command center". If you have followed the progress of LR you will see that the main places where improvements have been made are in the develop module as well as the edition of easy interfaces to books and maps. The catalog "concept" has remained pretty much the same and is the core purpose of LR. It keeps track of where your photos are by "cataloging" them. It does physically move images from a source (SD, CF, etc.) and puts them where you tell it to but that storage location is only known to the catalog and not really part of LR. If your images are already in your computer's storage structure then all you have to do is add them to the catalog. If you move the images outside of LR the catalog will not find them the next time it looks for them and you will have to tell LR where they are now residing. LR does NOT modify the images but merely keeps track of what you have done to the image in LR. If you want to physically modify an image you need to call another program from LR like PS, Elements, or one of the many plugins and when you do you have the opportunity modify the original or create a new copy that will receive the changes. Once the external program makes the changes it is added back into the LR catalog as a new image. Since many people shoot only RAW, LR is a breeze to use since it makes working with those RAW images much more streamlined than having to first manipulate the shot through camera RAW then into PS or Elements. To get that manipulated RAW imaged out of LR to a JPG, TIF, or whatever all you have to do is export it where you have full control over what it looks like in the end.

When I first started using LR I attended a Scott Kelby seminar on using LR so I could learn more and realized that for the professional it was a very valuable tool. You come back from a shoot, import your images into the LR catalog, review, post process, and select your best, create a custom slideshow for the client, and then pitch what you are offering them. All of this is done very quickly because that's what the program is optimized to do. Although I am not a professional, I do use the program in much the same way.

The Adobe CC photographer's program is the best deal going and if you take the time learn how to use it you will be rewarded.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

Like to add that you cannot effectively use Lightroom without some tutorial help, be it a book or a video or a live lecture. It is not the type of program that you can simply wade into and understand all of its features.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

:thumbup:

Well said! Amazing how many people obsess over the "catalog" and think that it is some magical entity that takes control over them and their images. It is a DATABASE, thats it. The images remain in files and folders on your disk where YOU control. No big deal ;)

Don't like using Lightroom because of "the catalog", then don't - use Adobe Camera Raw from Photoshop or Bridge - samey same ;)

BTW - I am a Lightroom user too, the right way ;)