Lightroom Question!

[Graham]

        Ok then. It's taken me a while but I did say that I won't start messing about with Lightroom untill Iv'e sorted my storage and backup.
       I now have a 2TB internal drive and a 2TB external.
       Now then, my usual method is to import my raws to "My Pictures" dump the junk and save what I edit in a sub folder labbled er "Edits". within that sub folder there could well be a second sub folder with any pics I have resized for web use, labled er "Web Use".
       My question is. If I import these folders with their sub folders into Light Room will they be recognised as such? Or should I expand the sub folders into the main folder?....Or do I not even need the "Web Pics" any more as Light Room will deal with them as required?
       Any input very gratefully recieved. You have no idea how terrifying this is to a Luddite like myself!
                         Graham.

[Jonathan]

Hmm, I left a reply last night....

Did you try checking "include subfolders"?

[Graham]

  Thanks for the reply Jonathan (Where ever it is )
  As regards checking sub folders I have'nt actually tried anything yet!
                             Graham.

[Graham]

 Sorry for the short reply, I had to dash off!
             As I say I have'nt actually loaded any pics into Lightroom yet. I'm just trying to get an understanding of the "Nuts & Bolts" of the programme.
             Any other comments or observations gratefuly recieved.
                         Graham.

[Delamanda]

        You have no idea how terrifying this is to a Luddite like myself!
                         Graham.

Oh, I do!  I was terrified when I first got LR, but now wouldn't be without it.  In reality, the only way to decide how to use it, is to play with it and try different ways of filing until you hit on the one that works for you.  When I first got it, I put all my sub-folders in there as well, but the problem was that if I searched on a tag, I would get the DNG file, all the work in progress files as well as the final edit.  As I save a wip file after each change, this resulted in lots of files of the same image.  I now keep LR for only the DNGs and export everything else, once I've finished playing around in LR, but that's because I predominantly use it as a library.  Someone that uses it predominantly for editing, will probably have a different system.  Take the plunge and put some stuff in it ...

[Colin]

Graham, The key thing with Lightroom is that loading the photos into it doesn't take a lot of hard disk space. Lightroom is really only a database with a fancy front end. That means that you can experiment with importing your photos and if you don't get it right you can easily delete them from Lightroom without deleting them from your drive. You can also load the same photos (should you want to) into multiple databases, Lightroom calls them catalog's. Once you get your head around this and the fact that LR's editing is non-destructive you can play without worrying.

My advice is get on and play with it. Also Scott Kelby's new book on Lightroom 3 is excellent should you want to do some reading.

[Jonathan]

 Thanks for the reply Jonathan (Where ever it is )
 As regards checking sub folders I have'nt actually tried anything yet!
                            Graham.

I meant "check" in the US sense of "tick"



Remember you can just delete the catalogue when you've finished experimenting without any harm to the files at all.  Best way to get togrips with LR is use it for a bit - then come back with questions.

[picsfor]

Dave, the beauty of LR is - it is what you want it to be.

Given you do very little editing to your pics, you will find that not only will it be a very useful catalogue of your pictures, but what little editing you do need to do (crop, straighten horizon, red eye etc) can be done in LR and done in a non destructive way.

The catalogue can be backed up to your EHD as well as your pics - and by using your tried and tested filing system you will be able to find pictures with the greatest of ease and export to jpg, tiff or whatever only when needed (assuming you shoot in RAW).

You can import all your pictures (best do this overnight as it will take a little while) and if you don't like the way they're organised delete the catalogue and start again, without interferring with the pictures (remember to use the leave pictures where they are option and just add to catalogue).

Another book, that i used was Martin Evenings Lightroom 2. Haven't used any book with LR3 because the changes and improvements were already known to me during the beta testing phase.

Hope you find it as useful as i have.

[Hinfrance]

While we're on LR questions and before I run a trial of the current version (adobe are generous with their trials if nothing else) how do you

1) get it to search the whole of a catalogue for something. I could only get the last one to search specific folders, one at a time. Not very effective.
2) as it is significantly slower than Flashpipe at importing from camera, is there any way to get it to automatically update? Don't say watched folder - that has to be empty when you start, and only one folder.
3) Andrew, you say you can delete a catalogue, but I've never managed to do that, they still all lurking on my PC from previous trials. And if you do delete a catalogue, does it also delete all the keywords you've added in the meantime?
4) how can keywords be written so that other applications can access them?
5) is there any way of 'syncing' for example 'marked as rejected' without having to go through the rigamarole selecting one file at a time and hitting x.

All information gratefully received.

It's interesting the you say LR can be anything you want it to be - I was under the impression it was only what adobe want it to be.

[picsfor]

While we're on LR questions and before I run a trial of the current version (adobe are generous with their trials if nothing else) how do you

1) get it to search the whole of a catalogue for something. I could only get the last one to search specific folders, one at a time. Not very effective.
2) as it is significantly slower than Flashpipe at importing from camera, is there any way to get it to automatically update? Don't say watched folder - that has to be empty when you start, and only one folder.
3) Andrew, you say you can delete a catalogue, but I've never managed to do that, they still all lurking on my PC from previous trials. And if you do delete a catalogue, does it also delete all the keywords you've added in the meantime?
4) how can keywords be written so that other applications can access them?
5) is there any way of 'syncing' for example 'marked as rejected' without having to go through the rigamarole selecting one file at a time and hitting x.

All information gratefully received.

It's interesting the you say LR can be anything you want it to be - I was under the impression it was only what adobe want it to be.

Blimey - a lot to answer there...

1. Assuming you have you pictures key worded, or rated - then you select the master folder and it will search that and all sub folders. (LR3 does i my Mac and it did in LR2 on Win & Mac). Key wording is the real aspect and that search facility is absolutely great!
3. Go to your LR folder where the catalogues are stored and just delete them. LR will force you to create a new catalogue on opening if none is present. Does it delete the key words you've added along the way? I seem to recall reading it keeps such words because they are on a different part of the database... However, any keywords assigned to the pictures may lose the association...
2. Flashpipe i've never used but i tend to make a cup of tea whilst it downloads a 4gb CF card. Yep, that's about how long it takes, boild the water with an electric kettle and make the tea!
4. Keywords can be written to the side car file when the image is exported as a tiff (i always shoot in RAW) or jpg - and done so in a manner which is transferable to other applications across different platforms. Not saying all platforms and all applications - but does quite a good job...
5. How do you mean "syncing" mark as rejected? Just go into filters and select "mark as rejected" status and it will show all pictures that have been marked as rejected in 1 simple browse window. Then you can delete them all at once or review them. Is that what you mean?

Hope this helps, if not, re word the questions or ask other questions... Now i'm back on line i'm able to join in again.

[Graham]

   Thanks for all the comments chaps.
   Jonathan. Yes I understood what you were saying. Cheers matey!
   I get the feeling that your all wearing your NIKE expression! (JUST DO IT!)
                          Graham.

[Hinfrance]

Thanks Andrew for taking the time to answer my frankly impertinent questions

I'll see how I get on.

[picsfor]

Thanks Andrew for taking the time to answer my frankly impertinent questions

I'll see how I get on.

how were they impertinent? Important i would have called them...
Glad to have been of help...

[Jonathan]

2. Flashpipe i've never used but i tend to make a cup of tea whilst it downloads a 4gb CF card. Yep, that's about how long it takes, boild the water with an electric kettle and make the tea!

Don't know what Flashpipe is but LR import from card is super slow.  It's faster to import directly from card to disk (drag and drop, PhotoMechanic, Flashpipe) then get LR to add to catalogue without moving (it's on the import dialogue).

If you add pics to a folder that's already in Lightroom then just right click it and select "synchronise".

BTW don't use the Bridge "copy from card".  Really really rubbish.....

[Beryl]

I have Lightroom 5 but it's Greek