Lightroom - Getting to know it

[ColytonJohn]

In preparation for the transition from DPP to Lightroom I’ve been watching a l-o-n-g tutorial and, my, it’s different!

There was me thinking it was just DPP with more sliders but it’s a whole new approach and, where I’m falling down before It’s even delivered, is the need to contain all images in a single catalogue. Mine aren’t

No, mine are scattered around with the majority in my PC’s ‘Pictures’ folder on drive C: while others are WIP on the Desktop and, yet more, (the overspill as drive C: was getting full) on a USB drive with the majority backed-up on my NAS drive.

The ideal location for the one single catalogue LR demands is my NAS drive but it’s going to take no small amount of work to achieve that so it seems I’m going to be a DPP user for a while yet.

Cheers,
John

[djguk47]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

John, spend time looking at how you are going to catalogue your images within lightroom as time now will be time saved later. BUT the thing is with lightroom is it is a catalogue of where your images are located on your overall system so in fact no images actually need moving whatsoever. You will import your image locations into the Lightroom catalogue and in doing so the catalogue builds links to where the images are.
The one golden rule is once you have all your image locations recorded in the catalogue only move the images from within lightroom, which is very easy to do.
I set colours when importing images eg red for all imported and unprocessed images, a different colour for images I am going to work on, different colour for competion images and a different colour for images that are WIP images. This makes it easy to "find" the images using the metadata search function.

Just remember Lightroom does NOT store the images it only records where the images are located on your system so you do NOT have to move any images whatsoever. You may decide later on, once you get used to Lightroom, to move images but you do not have to do this from day one.

[Tigger]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

I spent a month just adding meta data to images - the sooner you start the better ! - you could just import all into LR and that should file them within date folders, then over time start adding data, thats what I did - Least this way any new photos will be edited within LR and you won't be increasing the workload

Bite the bullet and start using it ;o)

The one golden rule is once you have all your image locations recorded in the catalogue only move the images from within lightroom, which is very easy to do.

Agree I learned that the hard way seeing loads of ?? coming up against images - never again

[Cyberman]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

I agree with David's feedback.
My experience is that whilst LR may have a single catalogue, the folders it is looking at can be in any location and do not have to be logical or a single combined locations.
I sorted my DSLR images to a tidier setup to make life easier, but still have a couple of separate folders that contain my images.

I would say don't let your file locations stop you trying out LR. Maybe get a new folder structure in mind if you feel you need to and get started with just a few images to get the ball rolling.
That way you can start using LR and getting to grips with it whilst you consider tidying up the rest of your library.

I went through a number of Anthony Marganti's tutorials last week whilst on holiday and these helped clarify a workflow I was comfortable with.

Good luck with the move, I am sure you'll like the capabilities of LR.

[ColytonJohn]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

Thanks guys, useful feedback and good to know I can still try it while sorting my storage out.

Sorting my storage is pretty urgent as I'm sure some of the computer performance issues I have are down to how congested drive C: has become since I started shooting RAW.

Cheers,
John

[MartinR]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

....
Just remember Lightroom does NOT store the images it only records where the images are located on your system so you do NOT have to move any images whatsoever. You may decide later on, once you get used to Lightroom, to move images but you do not have to do this from day one.

I am in the process of dealing with a large number of images from a recently deceased photographer friend. As I need to do some serious sorting I have created new folders on each of the hard drives he used to reflect the categories that I need. I then ask Lightroom to move the images to the relevant folder. Absolutely minimal demand on space and a tidier arrangement. For my own stuff, I use my own stand alone drives and use LR to file in folders named by date, then use the tags and collections to identify main subject groups. After that, colours and stars for qualitative and temporary sorting. As a catalog becomes large, I move the older stuff to a different "historical" catalog with a "Current" catalog for daily use.

Martin

[Tigger]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

Thanks guys, useful feedback and good to know I can still try it while sorting my storage out.

Sorting my storage is pretty urgent as I'm sure some of the computer performance issues I have are down to how congested drive C: has become since I started shooting RAW.

Cheers,
John

just drop all your images into a single folder then tell LR where it is

[ColytonJohn]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

I'm sure all will become clear when I start using it but I'm seeing 'tags' mentioned.

I know of tags from my digital music collection although I still use folders for musical type/artist/album. If tags in LR equates to the tags in my music files am I right in thinking, then, that LR does not use a folder structure? If so I'll be setting tags until doomsday as I have > 40,000 photographs which is increasing at an alraming rate.

Cheers,
John

[Paulstw]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

One of the best bits of advice I would ever give to a new LR user would be to import your pics via EOS Utility to a folder on your drive, I dunno called 'Canon Imports' and then import the folders to LR via the import tool. It takes a lot less time to import to LR and also you get a lot less catalogue corruptions.

Back up every week too. It doesn't back up your pics, however, the collections you create and the editing settings for each pic.

I'd also invest in a monitor calibration tool. My images are all over the place so I'm needing to get one.

[Tigger]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

I'm sure all will become clear when I start using it but I'm seeing 'tags' mentioned.

I know of tags from my digital music collection although I still use folders for musical type/artist/album. If tags in LR equates to the tags in my music files am I right in thinking, then, that LR does not use a folder structure? If so I'll be setting tags until doomsday as I have > 40,000 photographs which is increasing at an alraming rate.

Cheers,
John

tags are the keywords that are associated to photos - so when searching you can use these ..

yes LR uses folders - When I import images it stores them within a date format folder

[Bhuna]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

Took me 3 days but now all my 11000 images are now tagged, filed, backed up and even GPS'd onto the map (drag and dropped to a central point for idea of where pics taken).

Just now halfway through star rating them :).

The thing I would say though is be patient and whilst you sort out old files start now by importing any NEW pictures straight into catalogue and a new organised structure (mine is just saved in folders for month and year).

LR lets you add keywords when you bulk import so that sorts out tags for shoot name or something cutting down time after - you only need to then worry about adding individually afterwards if you have to for who is in pic but this can be done by bulk selecting as well.

I even have LR create a back up of my pics now when I import them from my camera card. It puts a copy on my laptop library and a copy on my network drive. Only annoying thing with that is LR backup only saves under a "imported on ddmmmmmyy" folder and not in a mirrored image of your current folders.

Any movement of pics now is only done within LR. Have even now got mods set up to publish to Facebook (personal and my own business page), zenfolio. Just looking for other mods for other services I use. (It has a Flickr for those that use that)

I've so far created a slightshow video with music and a book for a client (albeit the book publishing price is a bit high I think through LR but just tested that out.)

So much more to learn still but so glad I'm watching these videos by Tim Grey at moment, learnt loads.

[Tigger]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

Just now halfway through star rating them :). .

I'm sure all your photos are 5 stars, mine are

[Bhuna]

Lightroom - Getting to know it

LOL. I was still on the non DSLR ones then. Finepix and Olympus old cameras LoL. My
Current approach now I'm into the DSLR lot is 1* for archive it 2* for those that I will revisit later as think may be worth pp. I'm using the stars more of an archive visit first of all as I catch up on all pics.

3, 4 and 5 then reserved for ppd version as to what I really think of it.

[ColytonJohn]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

More useful info to chew over, thanks chaps.

Given that where my images are at present is not where they'll be when the dust settles I see importing them all would probably be a bad idea even though I appreciate I can use LR to move them it could get messy.

Therefore, what I propose, is to import just one folder with some images that I can play with while I overhaul my storage arrangements then, when that's in order, import all my images.

Does that make sense?

Paul: Good point about calibrating my monitor which is a must if I'm going to all this trouble as how do I know what I see is what you see? I have no idea how to go about it though

I think a new monitor would be a good move too as the one I currently use is as old as the PC (2008) and I have to use the Analogue RGB input as the digital input went bang a long time ago and it came back from the manufacturer 'repaired' yet still not working so I gave up. Something LCD would be nice

Cheers,
John

[Tigger]

Re: Lightroom - Getting to know it

LOL. I was still on the non DSLR ones then. Finepix and Olympus old cameras LoL. My
Current approach now I'm into the DSLR lot is 1* for archive it 2* for those that I will revisit later as think may be worth pp. I'm using the stars more of an archive visit first of all as I catch up on all pics.

3, 4 and 5 then reserved for ppd version as to what I really think of it.

I work very similar - in fact I use the one star when I first import images and do a quick look over before filtering them - I know your supposed to use the flags its just I prefer the star

Therefore, what I propose, is to import just one folder with some images that I can play with while I overhaul my storage arrangements then, when that's in order, import all my images.

Does that make sense?

I think a new monitor would be a good move too as the one I currently use is as old as the PC (2008) and I have to use the Analogue RGB input as the digital input went bang a long time ago and it came back from the manufacturer 'repaired' yet still not working so I gave up. Something LCD would be nice

makes perfect sense as you mite as well get it right from the start as its something you don't want to repeat - I also agree about a new monitor - I changed mine last year and couldn't get over how dull my old one was against a new one