Lightroom - Combining File System and Database

Note: The next several pages (Lightroom - Combining File System and Database, Raw Files and Lightroom Import, and Development Settings, History and Metadata) provide import technical information to better understand Lightroom, the nature of raw data files and the metadata that Lightroom support in the editing process.  Some readers may wish to jump forward to the overall workflow page and return to these aspects later.

Lightroom

One of the strengths of Lightroom is how it helps you manage your pictures.   It does so by adding its own database of information along with the file and folder structure of  Windows or the iOS operating system.

Here's a few key points to consider.

Importing Images.  The first step to editing images is copy them from the camera (either directly or via the SD card) on to a storage location on our computer.  This is down with Lightroom's Import function.  The option exist to either copy, move or add images.  If I select copy, then the original image is left on the SD card and a copy is made the preselected folder system on my computer.  After pictures are copied to my computer, then I return the SD card to my camera and generally reformat the SD card ahead of the next time I take pictures.  If I already have the images I'm interested in on my computer, sometimes it makes sense to use the add mode.  This then leaves the pictures stored in their current location and adds them their information and location to Lightroom's database - which is used to keep track of all the (non-destructive) edits that you will subsequently apply.

When you import using copy to bring pictures in to Lightroom (which is the standard default), you can select the root folder to which the pictures will be copied.  Lightroom automatically creates subfolders and names each one with the date on which the pictures where taken.  This keeps all your pictures in chronological order.  I generally then, edit each folder name by adding a short description after the leading date part of the name.  This preserves the chronological order while adding a descriptor that makes it easier to find.

Working with Image File Names and Folders.  Once pictures are in Lightroom, I can also rename them. As the file name is common to both Lightroom and Windows/iOS, then changing the name in Lightroom changes it for both.   The same is true for the folder names where pictures are stored.  You can also drag and drop folders and pictures in Lightroom's Navigator and Grid windows to move them around, which is likewise reflected in Windows/iOS.  Do not, however, directly change folder and file names in Windows/iOS. Doing so will result in having them be lost to Lightroom's database and all the editing you do.  The good news is that there is the capability to fine and re-associate files that have been moved in Windows/iOS on back in to Lightroom's database, but it's always great to not have to go do this!

If you ever want to restore a picture so that it has it's original file name, that can be done too because Lightroom saves the original name.

Sometimes there are two distinct approaches to how you would like to edit and image.  An example is that you may want to create and edit both color and black and white versions.  Lightroom makes this easy.  You simply right click on the image and select "Create Virtual Copy".  Lightroom creates a second database entry for this image allowing you to create an second (or by duplicating again) or third or forth, etc virtual copy that you can edit whoever you wish without every duplicating the original raw file. 

Working with your Image Library

In addition to all the editing information that Lightroom keeps for each image, it also stores information such as the camera and lens model, assuming this supported by the camera when creating the original image.  Many cameras also save GPS coordinates and Lightroom can access this as well, and even chart this in the Map module.  

It is also possible to give face identification to individual in your pictures.  This information is added as Keywords.  Arbitrary Keywords can also be added and all of this information can also be searched.  There are Lightroom add-ins (Data Explorer by Jeffrey Friedl, and Any Filter by John Ellis) that give additional search capabilities.  Basic searching is done when in the Library mode and switching to Grid view.

You can also batch edit some of the user accessible metadata about your images in Library mode using the AutoSync function.  Some metadata that is not generally editable can be accessed and batch updated using Lens Tagger, a third party plug-in.  Examples include updating the lens or camera make. 

Exporting your images

A central function to Lightroom is the image Export.  Each edit you perform in Lightroom is non-destructive.  This means the original image is never changed.  Rather, Lightroom records each edit for each picture in its database while at the same time displaying with the result will look like.  When you wish to share these pictures, you do so by exporting them.  Lightroom's export dialog box give you the option as to file time (often .jpg) and folder location.  You can also specify many other aspects such as desired file size, quality, including an optional watermark, etc.

There are also times when you may wish to transfer files that you have edited while traveling from a laptop to your larger home computer.  This is easily accomplished by selecting the files and from the File menu item select "Export as Catalog..."  when you enable "include negatives" then the raw files together with all the database information is exported.  You then can use "Import from another Catalog..." to bring these images and associated edits onto the new computer.  This same approach can be used for creating backups.

Working with Collections

It's general practice to have your pictures saved in folders, with each folder name beginning with the date when the respective pictures were taken.  It's also quite helpful to be able to create collections of pictures organized based on other aspects, such as subject type - for example, landscape, portrait, favorite night scenes, etc.  Lightroom makes this easy.  You can create any number of "Collections" you wish, naming each one however you wish, then adding whatever images you wish to whatever Collections you want. An image can also be added to multiple Collections.  In reality, the actual picture is never copied, but rather it's added to the list for each respective Collection.  View a Collection shows the actual Pictures which are associated with the Collection.  You can then directly continue editing, or exporting, etc any Collection just as you would by accessing your photo library from the normal Navigator listing.

Publishing and Book creation

The capability also exist to export your images in formats that can be directly transfer to online social media and book publishing. An integrated book layout capability exist which allows for direct upload to Blurb for book publishing.

There are also two good third-party plug-ins that give additional publishing functionality that are helpful for back-up.  One is Folder Publishing which exports selections of images from multiple folders and preserves the folder structure.  The other allows you to publish files from Lightroom Collections.  Both are developed and available from Jeffrey Friedl.