I just downloaded Lighroom 4 trial. I fully understand the benefits of editing without modifying the original photo, but that isn't what I want to do. I do want to make edits and save the edits in the photo so I can easily move the edited files around, be it on my computer or to email them or to upload to my photo website.

Is there any way to bypass the system so it always saves edited copies. Then if I ever wanted to use the more advanced feature of retaining my original file I would use it as an option. I don't shoot raw. I'm happy with jpg and I'm happy with saving edited images. I rarely do more than one edit process on an image. I usually crop, perhaps sharpen, and lighten areas only.

As I said I understand the benefits "Generally a much cleaner and tidier way to work." is a comment that I do not agree with.

I like the features of LIghtroom 4 but the business of having to use the tool every time I want to email a photo or upload to my photo website is too much trouble and an extra step. Also I catalog on my hard drive, not in a photo tool. I've found over the years that using a tool to catalog has been a mistake. Adobe Elements totally failed me in this respect because it lost all of my file associations. 30,000 files had to be redone. I no longer will rely on a tool for cataloging. I use a simple file folder method.

If, in the future, I decide I no longer want to use Lightroom all of my files will only be available in their original unedited format. I would have lost months or years of editing. I've changed photo editors several times over the years.

If I export all files I'd lose my file folder management system.

I want Lightroom to over-write my original and put it back in the same folder with the same name.

Is there no help for this situation?

I have "taken a paint brush and scissors" to my originals for years and I'm quite happy to do that. Once edited I have no use for the original. Thats just wasted disk space. I think there are many others who feel the way I do. I'm not a professional shooter.

How do I find the plugin you mentioned and what is the name of it please?

I do appreciate your responses and don't mean to be impolite. It just frustrates me that I can't find a good photo editor to do what I want.

When i export a photo to a file like photos all i get is a thumb nail not a full view, how do i correct this so when i export i get the full size. joezywhales@gmail.com

I have created a collection in Lightroom 4 for uploading to Flickr.  When I view this in Web Mode, I can see my simple copyright (Symbol + my name) 

on each image.  When I return to Library mode however, the copyright is no longer visible and as I use the library mode to upload to Flickr, the copyright

informattion ( Symbol + my name) is not visible in Flickr.  Is there a simple way to do this from Lightroom?

As others have said No you can't do that in LR, but why not use the Elements Editor (not the Organiser) and save to psd, tiff, or jpg. Then you can move them anywhere in a fully edited state.

Bob Frost

jdonalds2001 wrote:

 

Is there any way to bypass the system so it always saves edited copies.

You can readily accomplish what you want by simply exporting to same folder as original, with "add to catalog" checked, then just delete the originals - they'll still be selected after exporting (unless you've altered selection during export), so it's just one keystroke (Ctrl-Shift-Alt-Delete will delete all selected photos without confirmation prompt in library module), or of course you can use the delete key and answer the prompt.

Put another way, exporting in Lightroom, is the equivalent of a 'Save As', and there is no 'Save' (overwrite). But the image police won't arrest you if you delete the originals after "saving as". I do it every now and then when I just know the edited jpeg is good enough...

PS - If you're on Windows, and you are willing to endure a barrage of warnings and prompts (which can ultimately be extinguished permanently) you can automate using Exportant's "delete-originals-after-export" feature.

Rob