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Post by mwhiteaz on Aug 27, 2019 22:28:47 GMT
Yesterday I pulled the trigger and subscribed to the Adobe bundle that includes Lightroom Classic (and a bunch of other stuff I'll never use). During the trial period I created a small collection of a few elephant photos from a trip to Botswana to practice on. All photos are sorted on my computer in folders and subfolders (e.g., Botswana>Elephants>Cats>Birds>etc.) I want to start importing photos into the Lr Library but in a comprehensible way from the get-go, unlike when I first started in digital and just dumped everything into the Pictures application in Windows. I've read a couple of good articles on the Adobe web site and think I'm ready to do this.
Many of the photos I'd like to edit are sorted by location, and then in subfolders as above. So I thought I would do something similar in the Library:
Create a Collection Set titled Botswana, and Collections consisting of Elephants, Cats, Birds, etc. A Collection Set titled South Africa, and Collections consisting of Elephants, Cats, Birds, etc.
A Collection Set of Sabino Canyon (a local attraction), and Collections of Wildflowers, Reflections, Cactus, etc. So far, so good?
Most of the Picture folders include a subfolder of Skies/Clouds. So if I've read correctly, I can include these in both the location Collection Sets and a different Collection (or a Collection Set?) called Skies/Clouds. If I work on a sky photo from say the Sabino Canyon collection, will the same photo in the Skies/Clouds collection be altered as well?
I tend to overthink things so feel free to critique and offer easier solutions.
Thanks for any comments. Hope I've explained this without being too confusing.
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Post by fotofrank on Aug 28, 2019 0:49:58 GMT
Hi mwhiteaz,
All of your photos are in the Catalog - not the collections. Collections are a way of sorting your catalog. You can have the same photo referenced in multiple collections, however it is referencing the same single photo in the Catalog. A change done to a photo while in a collection makes the change to the Catalog and impacts all of the references in the other collections.
Just a few questions - are you ADDing or COPYing these photos into the Lightroom Catalog? Have you decided on how to keyword these images? Have you looked into smart collections?
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Post by mwhiteaz on Aug 28, 2019 3:57:55 GMT
Thanks, Frank, I understand what you're saying about the collections. I think. But first, I have to create the collections, right?? This is an article I read helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/photo-collections.html#work_with_smart_collectionsI don't actually know if I'll be Adding or Copying into the Catalog. The class I took recently recommended Adding. I wasn't planning on keeping every photo in the Lr Catalog or Library or whatever it is; just the ones I want to work on, or have worked on, and want to keep. |
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Post by Andy on Aug 28, 2019 23:49:07 GMT
Lightroom is both an editor and an organizer. If you fully commit to it as an organizer (and I recommend this), then you can start thinking differently about how you work.
1) How your organize the files on your computer is not as important. You do the organization within Lightroom.
2) Import all your images and use options like Lightroom ratings or flags to filter out the ones you don't want to see (or delete, or remove from LR).
2) I highly recommend getting into the habit of adding keywords to your images. This greatly enhances your ability to search for images and it allows you to use Smart Collections. Doing this, here is an alternative to what you have done so far:
- To your images of Elephants add a keyword of "Elephants". If the image is from Botswana, also add a keyword "Botswana". Then you can create a Smart Collection. A Smart Collection uses search criteria to determine which images are in the collection. You can create a Smart Collection called "Elephants" which looks for Keyword = "Elephant". You could also have one called "Botswana" that looks for Keyword = "Botswana". This also allows you to easily search for all images of elephants from Botswana. Smart Collections can be grouped into Collection Sets as well.
I use regular Collections less frequently now, relying very heavily on Smart Collections.
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Post by mwhiteaz on Aug 29, 2019 2:15:43 GMT
1. Understood. Like I said, I tend to overthink things!
2. With regard to FotoFrank's question, should I ADD or COPY? And if the photos already reside in a Windows folder, don't they stay put even when imported to Lightroom? Sometimes I think I would like quick access to a photo without launching Lightroom.
3. Is it possible to add keywords to a bunch of photos at once (e.g., all the Botswana Elephants)? Surely not to one photo at a time?
So I could have Elephants, Botswana, and Elephants, South Africa, and then easily retrieve any Elephants I wanted?
Hmmm... this is sounding pretty good. Thank you for your patience and advice.
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Post by Andy on Aug 30, 2019 1:22:41 GMT
2. With regard to FotoFrank's question, should I ADD or COPY? And if the photos already reside in a Windows folder, don't they stay put even when imported to Lightroom? Yes. Lightroom doesn't move the photos from their original location unless you tell it to. Sometimes I think I would like quick access to a photo without launching Lightroom. That is ok. But two caveats - 1) If you move it, copy it, etc. Lightroom won't know about those changes; and 2) Edits you have made in Lightroom won't be visible unless you export a copy of the photo with edits. Is it possible to add keywords to a bunch of photos at once (e.g., all the Botswana Elephants) Yes. If you select multiple photos, you can apply keywords to them all at once. |
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Post by mwhiteaz on Aug 30, 2019 18:45:13 GMT
Thanks. I figured out how to add keywords to a bunch of photos before importing them. Processed about a dozen, gave them little color chips to indicate Finished or Needs Work (in PSE). Processing is so much easier than the Library/Catalog stuff!
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