Another Lightroom question

[cotswoldcs]

I've recently moved from Picasa to Lightoom and have a question.

With Picasa I would download photos to a folder, edit the photos and then click the "Save Changes" button. Picasa would then create an "Originals" folder with the original, unedited images. The folder I imported photos into would then contain the final images with changes applied. I liked this system as I had the original files should I ever need them but only files I edited were duplicated.

What do I do with Lightroom?

Should I export photos to a new folder? This means keeping two versions of the same photo as the originals will have all of the Lightroom data (metadata, keywords, ratings etc) whilst the exported photos will just be a final edit copy.

I'd appreciate some guidance from some Lightroom users.

[Funkstar]

Well with both systems you have two folders with two sets of photos, the only difference from what I can tell is Picassa has the amended version in its library while Lightroom keeps the originals + changes.

Surely it makes more sense to keep the originals + changes in the library so if you want to make more changes they aren't applied to already altered images.

[brammers]

I'm not sure you've quite got the hang of how Lightroom works.

The absolute best thing about Lightroom is that it applies no changes to the original files. You could edit the hell out of a file in lightroom, save it, edit it in another application - and it would still be the same as when you took it.

Everything is 'virtual' - instead of actally writing on the file Lightroom writes to a database and says 'on this file he wants +4 brightness and -2 contrast, on this file he wants...'

So - you've no need to create multiple copies of each file because your originals are never damaged. All of the changes you make in the Develop module can always be undone at any time by going back to 'import' in the history - there's your original file.

So how do you compare different versions? In Lightroom they're called snapshots. So lets say you take file A and make it high-contrast B&W. Click to save snapshot in develop, then go back to history, click import and start again - maybe this time it's a really punchy colour development. Save a snapshot - you've now got 3 snapshots in your develop module. B&W, punchy colour and the original import.

Put it this way - with lightroom I now shoot entirely RAW and the only JPGs I ever have on my disk are in a folder that I use for a slideshow. I never actually see any other JPGs or TIFFs - lightroom can export directly to flickr and can put the TIFFs I use for printing straight onto a memory stick that I can take with me.

With my first RAW camera I used to save the RAWs in one folder, batch convert to TIFFs, save those in another folder, choose the ones I wanted to edit - edit them and save them as JPGs. Just no need anymore.

If you're not up to speed on how lightroom works I really reccomend the video tutorials by Luminous Landscape. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/whatsnew/ - go to the store. There's one for lightroom 1.4 and one for 2 - I'd personally go with the 2 anyway - you should be able to figure out what's what for 1.4.

They're a pair of geeks and I'm not sure their photography is actually any good, they ramble on and on... but if you can force yourself to sit through it all you'll learn a lot. Jeff Schewe apparantly advises Adobe on what changes to make for new software.

Enjoy

[cotswoldcs]

Thanks. I am aware of the principles behind Lightroom and its non-destructive file handling. However, if I want to view or upload images outside of Lightroom then I have to save a copy - correct? And to do this I use the Export feature? Or am I missing something?

Thanks.

[Funkstar]

Yup, export is the way to do it.

[brammers]

Yes - use the export feature. This will give you a new file - generally a jpg but a TIFF is useful too.

Where are you exporting too? There's many applications around which will let you export directly to various places.

[Funkstar]

Now that Lightroom has its own API and plugin architecture I hope we will start to see add ons start to appear so you can upload directly to things like Flikr without needing to export first.

[shiato storm]

there's a couple of ways of doing things and lightroom can help file handling and organisation pretty well.
during import you select the way it does it and where it goes, I file mine by date then categorise once imported. after editing a raw photo I export and finish up in photoshop as either tiff or jpeg BUT LR does link to PS and you can select 'open in photoshop' within the LR interface and be taken straight to the other program. I think I'm right in that the edited version does appear as a thumbnail in LR but you can't do anything more to it since its not raw.
I left LR handle the import of raw files exclusively now as it sorts them out however I want them. easy!

[brammers]

Now that Lightroom has its own API and plugin architecture I hope we will start to see add ons start to appear so you can upload directly to things like Flikr without needing to export first.

Already exists There's more - either google or shout out what you're looking for.
http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/flickr/

[Funkstar]

sweet! I didn't even know there was one for Lightroom 1.x. I had looked in the past, but I have to admit, not recently.

This might make me use the Flikr account i set up ages ago now.

Found some excellent plugins now i've got round to looking, thanks for the nudge brammers

[cotswoldcs]

Thank you brammers, thank you

[brammers]

No worries. Please return the favour by sharing any other cool plugins you've got - they are quite hard to find.

[Shooty*]

Thanks for the general hints above, guys.
I've not really explored lightroom yet, but have got some great effects on shots taken with a compact camera, and so lacking... well... lots, actually. White balance, etc.

Is there a mass export function? I can only seem to export one shot at a time.

[Funkstar]

Is there a mass export function? I can only seem to export one shot at a time.

Hold shift or Ctrl and select multiple images, or you can add them to a temporary collection, the option is in the right click menu. Not at home so can't remember exactly what it is called. Then once you added them all to a temporary collection, go to that (top right corner i think) then select them all and hit export.