rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

With Lightroom, you can still use File Explorer to navigate to your photos for viewing, renaming, etc. But why? Lightroom is so superior for cataloging and organizing digital images, why work in something else?

andypop Loc: Carmel CA

That's exactly why I suggested Picasa. It catalogs ALL of your images and has a direct link to your favorite PP software from any image. Review the original question in the thread.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

You don't seem to understand how Lightroom works. To use Lightroom, you must import you images into Lightroom's catalog first. otherwise Lightroom will not recognize their existence. This is how Lightroom was designed and Picasa nor any other software can get around that.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Thank you WoodnMetalGuy. I will check it out. Yes, I am one of those who just needs a cataloging program at the moment. I plan to re-organize old photos this year into a simpler and more compact way, hopefully using a simple program to do so. I don't care to bring all my older photos up into lightroom in order to re-organize them. They were before lightroom.

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

I started using LR in 2012, but I had scans and images taken as early as 2000. All of my images are in a master location called Pictures. When I started using LR, I just told it to Add all the images in the Pictures folder to the catalog. I continued to use the folder naming scheme into LR.

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

So how do you manage the old pictures that are outside of LR? If you find things by folder name, you could import one folder at a time into LR. The input dialog allows you to place keywords on all the files imported. So just type in the folder name.

Some of the older digital cameras didn't record EXIF data into the file. If that is the case, you should make sure you add at least the year into the keywords (if you know what year the picture is from). This will also be the case for prints that you scan into digital files. If you have the date (or at least the year) in the keywords, it gives you a way to sort those old files and place them into a collection.

SPeaking of collections, the import dialog gives you the option to put the imported images into the target collection. So when you go to import some of those old folders into LR, first create an appropriate collection and set it as the target collection. Then importing will automatically place the pictures in that collection (assuming you checked that option). Another way to find things.

Personally, I think that all my pictures should be in LR. If some pictures are in LR and some are outside, you have to remember which is which when you're looking for something. For that reason I think having them all in LR is the way to go.

That might mean some work, but you don't have to do it all at once.

georgevedwards Loc: Essex, Maryland.

The problem is what is "importing"? I read in the tutorial that importing doesn't move the photos just creates a data catalogue of where photographs are. It cited the case of the photographer who mistakenly believed all his original digital negative files had actually been moved and erased them, only to lose his entire photo collection. The lesson was that the photo remains wherever it was originally and a "data" file with a special extension (.ircat or irdata) is created in the Light room catalogue. On the other hand, whenever a new photo is saved onto your computer, lightroom will attempt to put it in its catalogue, which by default is the "Pictures" folder in Windows 7 for example. I know my hard drive is almost filled up right now but changing the destination to an external drive is quite esoteric. So far I have not reached an understanding of this in order to be able to use Lightroom at all. I have tried to open photos in Lightroom for PP but did not get far, I think first it has to be entered somewhere in Lightrooms "catalogue" (whatever that is, real photos or virtual data?) Confused? Or can someone set me straight?

Pgphoto Loc: Brooklyn, NY

One thing you have to remember Lightroom or for that matter Picasa show your pictures, Lightroom uses catalogues and picasa has its own system. I have been using these two programs since they started and each has its place.
You could import all the photos on your computer into lightroom if you wanted
but remember they stay in the ORIGINAl place on your computer, they are not moved at all be it Lightroom or Picasa. Lightroom has the added ability to rearrange or rename your file structure once imported into your catalogue.
Picasa on the other hand is another way of viewing your photos but remember Lightroom edits will not be seen in Picasa. When Picasa came out at the time it was one of the first good programs for viewing and doing minor non destructive editing with the added benefit of free web space to show off your photos. Today there are so many other ways to present your photos that it could get confusing as to which one is the best

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

Hi Jerry, I had 30,000+ photos shattered in several places. I imported all into LR on my Mac Pro . In LR I slowly went through all the imported photos and deleted or moved them to newly named folders. iE Christmas , sub folder 2000 2001 2002. Celebrations sub folder David's graduation, Cristina's wedding. I used key words in each collection. I then moved everything to a 5T external HD and then backed it up with 2 more external HD.. I keep 1 HD off site the folders point me to id pics

J

georgevedwards Loc: Essex, Maryland.

Just remember not to change the titles once they have been imported into the catalogue, right? Or the data file won't match digital negative file and they won't be able to be found right?

alandg46 Loc: Boerne, Texas

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Some of the older digital cameras didn't record EXIF data into the file. If that is the case, you should make sure you add at least the year into the keywords (if you know what year the picture is from). This will also be the case for prints that you scan into digital files. If you have the date (or at least the year) in the keywords, it gives you a way to sort those old files and place them into a collection.

Pictures will be catalogued by the date they were imported to your computer. Scanned or any other way.

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

aslong as you make changes within LR it does not matter LR is aware of the changes to location names dates

j

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Excellent shot!

LR is excellent for finding pictures using keywords. That's why I'm thinking about gradually bringing in one folder at a time and then adding the words. I could import the Honda fold and keyword them by year of manufacture, etc.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I thought of doing something similar by importing the folders I have now and keeping the same structure in LR. This isn't something I want to do two or three times.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That's what I like about LR, but I would like to have the same folder structure in LR that I have in My Pictures. I would keep the structure that I have on my computer, but make some changes to how LR is organized. I have a 4TB internal drive, so storage isn't a concern. Of course, everything is backed up to multiple externals.