• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
2

Physical copy to another folder

Explorer ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Can't believe that still "Copy" instead of "move" files doesn't exist.

No, Virtual Copies are not the answer, the are glued to each other and I can't separate them.

I open the File Explorer, Copy the files, and then Sync settings One by One just to give my client a folder with selections.

Please make our life easier

Views

5.4K

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

You could export the photos to another location.

I think you misunderstand the value of virtual copies. They are the exact answer to your problems, you can put them in a separate collection (not folder) and then you have separated a copy for your clients.

There are many many ways in Lightroom to indicate that a group of photos is designated for a specific client.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Export as DNG opposes to the Non-Destructive editing of LR. The RAW is there, it doesn't need to be recreated as another format.

Also Collections are a lot confusing. Outside LR they don't exist.

Here is my problem:

I have thousands of folders (each one with a separate LRCatalog in it). That's my Archive.

I also have the Master Catalog where I work, I import and export images.

Well, I'd like to import and hold my favorite images from Archive Folders into Master Catalog and play with them

without having to touch the original folder. I consider it dangerous.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

and please stop saying Why would you need this....

File Explorer could live with Copy and then delete Source, but it features Move,

Yeah....

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I think the chances that Adobe implements a Copy command inside the Lightroom Library Module are nil. It is up to you to come up with a workaround (or not), there are many ways to accomplish what you want, given the tools in Lightroom, as we (myself and Johan) have explained.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I believe the problem is that you use Lightroom in a way it was not designed for. The idea behind Lightroom is that you use a single catalog (or perhaps a few), but certainly not thousands of folders with a catalog in each of them. Lightroom does not touch the original images, so there is no danger in using a single catalog with a single image archive, but obviously you need to make backups of both the catalog (can be done by Lightroom on quit) and your images (that you need to do yourself).

Of course you are free to use Lightroom any way you want to and in ways it was not designed for, but it does mean you will sometimes find that you would like to have an option that is not available. Making physical copies is an example. The whole idea of Lightroom is that you don't make physical copies, but use things like virtual copies, collections and smart collections to manage your images. Again: you don't have to do this if you don't want to, but that explains why creating physical copies is not a feature in Lightroom and probably never will be.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I found a workaround,

Move favorite files to a subfolder, Export this folder as a Catalog, contain Original Negatives

I bet they were thinking "Copy Originals with their Settings"

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Advocate ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

orfeas76  wrote

.... to give my client a folder with selections....

I found a workaround,

Move favorite files to a subfolder, Export this folder as a Catalog, contain Original Negatives

I bet they were thinking "Copy Originals with their Settings"

So all your clients use Lightroom in an edition concurrent to, or later than, yours? And you want to empower them to edit your edits?

Not many people in your shoes.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Client is singular.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

The reason for no copy command is simple. That would create duplicate files of the same image which is one thing you really don't want to do and something LR doesn't want you to do.

No image files are IN LR. LR is a Database program that only references your images into the LR catalog file, a Database file.

Also the edits you do in LR are stored in the LR Catalog file and are only Laid Over the image for Display. The actual image file is never changed. To Burn, Apply, the changes, edits, you do in LR to a files so you can send that image file to someone, or post it on the web, social media, whatever, you have to Export the image using some other file format than RAW/DNG.

You say you want to send your client the files. Is this client then going to do edits on them? If not then the RAW files, or DNG files, are useless to them.

Whenever you Export using the As Original option you are making copies of the original files that will not include the LR edits you have made to them

Exporting as DNG will included the edits but the only programs that can read those files and display the edits are ones that work with RAW and DNG files. So you can't just open them in some type of Photo Viewer program unless your client has a DNG codex installed.

Just figured I point some of this out. If you are like me you won't listen and go on with whatever you think is the right thing.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

This user apparently has a workflow that works for them. Lightroom isn't going to change to provide an 'improved' workflow that fits this user. So this user will have to live with their wish list because he and his client don't really understand the benefits of using Lightroom. Unfortunate, but true.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Do you guys use collections instead of folders?

Do you have a huge Catalog for all your files?

How do you differentiate your best images of every shoot? Where do you keep them and where the rest? Do you cut them?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Others will have better answers because I'm not a prolific photographer. I have three catalogs. I have my main catalog which has photos from the last decade or so. I have chosen to have another catalog that I use just for experimenting. And I have yet a third catalog where I do all of my scanning.

I'm trying to scan a lifetime of family photos and organize them into some useful scheme. I'm using collections to separate them by the family member's name. It has been a slow process because scanning is a very slow process. But it seems to be working well.

My main catalog has a record of much of our family activities over the last decade. I have been somewhat diligent in adding keywords to some of the places we have visited so that I can quickly locate destinations when I need a photo. Keywords work very nicely. Remember, the catalog IS a database. Use it for its strengths.

As far as differentiating my best images, I like to use star ratings. I leave all the images right in the same folder. I only "cut" images that are total rejects, and they are deleted from the catalog and from the computer. Then I can use the filter system in Lightroom to filter on any rating level that I need to.

Having everything in one catalog really simplifies your work. Yes, I have three catalogs. But the work is different for each one, and I know what I'm looking for in each catalog. Most of the time I'm in my main catalog.

I only keep my master images. I don't make copies and store them in the catalog. I don't think there's any need for that. If I'm maintaining copies and I later decide that I need to make a change to the master image, then I have to make another copy as well. By only maintaining the master images, I can export copies when they are needed at any time and use them for their purpose. When that purpose has been completed those copies are deleted because they aren't needed anymore.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hey Jim have you ever tried taking pictures of your old family photo?

I scan negatives but for actual printed photos I just take a shot of it with my main camera. Then I crop and straighten, if needed.

Much faster than scanning and IMHO I get a better image and it is in RAW format.

Also to the OP.

I do have more than one catalog. But that is just for testing and loading images into for people I'm trying to help on these forums or for friends and family.

Right now there are about 10 photos in that Test Catalog.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Just+Shoot+Me  wrote

Hey Jim have you ever tried taking pictures of your old family photo?

I scan negatives but for actual printed photos I just take a shot of it with my main camera. Then I crop and straighten, if needed.

Much faster than scanning and IMHO I get a better image and it is in RAW format.

No, never done that. A lot of my family photos are 35mm slides. I have read about techniques for setting up ways to do it, but just never wanted to bother with it. I'm reasonably happy with my scanner. I create a 16-bit TIF images, and they work quite well for me.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

JimHess  wrote

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Just+Shoot+Me   wrote

Hey Jim have you ever tried taking pictures of your old family photo?

I scan negatives but for actual printed photos I just take a shot of it with my main camera. Then I crop and straighten, if needed.

Much faster than scanning and IMHO I get a better image and it is in RAW format.

No, never done that. A lot of my family photos are 35mm slides. I have read about techniques for setting up ways to do it, but just never wanted to bother with it. I'm reasonably happy with my scanner. I create a 16-bit TIF images, and they work quite well for me.

Yeah I use a scanner for slides and negatives. But for actual printed photos I find the camera does the best job. And I have a good scanner. Epson 700 something.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

What lens do you use for your copying? Also, what do you use for lighting? I used an Epson 700 at the University. I have a Canon Canoscan 9000 at home. I think the quality is about as good. It's just not as high capacity as the Epson. But it's a lot cheaper. And I've always been on a budget.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I use the 50mm f/2 fuji lens on my X-T2. Before I had the T2 I used my E2 and the 35mm f/1.4 or the 18-55 zoom Fuji lens. When I had the Leica M8 I used the 50mm Summilux ASPH.

Lighting was supply by clip on work lights.

Then the RAW files PP in LR.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Something to think about, I guess. I have a couple of work lights. Have a pretty good 18-55 mm, no 50 mm.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

orfeas76  wrote

Do you guys use collections instead of folders?

Do you have a huge Catalog for all your files?

How do you differentiate your best images of every shoot? Where do you keep them and where the rest? Do you cut them?

I use both folders and Collection and Keywords.

Yes I have only one catalog. And that is the same catalog I have used since I started using LR back in 2007, although it has been upgraded many times and has been on several different computers.

My catalog is only 20,000+ images but I have taken well over that many images over the years. I throw out the junk when first culling. Then go back at the end of the year and throw out more or find a Gem that I overlooks originally. So I would say I have imported well over 40-50 thousand images into the LR catalog over the last 11 years.

To differentiate your best shots in many different ways.

You can assign Star ratings, Use color labels, Place them into a collection called My Best Images or for a particular shot/event use the name of that shoot or event and then Best Images. Put a Keyword on them called Best Images and as stated before.

Any image in the LR catalog can be in a folder on your drive, in multiple collections, have multiple keywords assigned to it or just one, have a star rating and color label all at the same time.

When I import images they get placed in a folder by the year they were shot, Present year, and into subfolders by the day, in Date Format MMDD, they were shot, \2018\MMDD.

Then In LR if I want to Group some of those images, from any year and any month and day, I use a collection. Say like Portraits, Landscapes or whatever. Even using a client name and or event, location name. I also assign Keywords to them If I want (Some times I do and some times I don't).

With Collections the same image can be in many different collections. Collections are just Lists of images like you would write on a piece of paper.

So If I shot at location X and some of those images were of the landscape of location X I could place those in my Landscape collection and in a collection called Event/Location X.

If some were of people they could go into the People collection and into the X collection and into any other collection that I might want to have a reference of them in.

If I'm going to send any images to someone in an email I export a JPG file and place it in a subfolder named JPG under the year\month\day folder.

If I was going to deliver edited files to a client I would export the edited images as TIF files and send them to that client.

If the client wanted images of the whole shoot so they could pick and choose which images they wanted I would export as small JPGs and send them to the client for review and for him to make a list of the File names for me to do more work on.

I recently took a vacation to Key West. I placed all the images from that trip in a subfolder under the year folder Called Florida Trip (I drove). Then all the images were placed in other subfolders under the Florida Trip folder in the Date format MMDD for the days they were taken.

I then assigned keywords to them for where they were shot. Some were in shot Georgia and other places around Florida other than Key West. So under mu Places top level keyword I created a keyword called Georgia and one called Florida. Under the Georgia keyword I created another keyword called Little White House. Under the Florida keyword I create 4 different keywords for the places I had taken pictures at. Then I went through my mages and assign all those keyword to the images they applied to.

For images I uploaded through the LR Web and mobile system I exported JPGs and placed those in subfolders under the days date folder they were shot.

Then made a collection that I then Synced with the LR Web/Mobile system and called it Florida Trip. Also I have a top Level collection called LRM Sync Set which is where I create other Sub Collections that are going to be synced to the LR Web/Mobile system and that is where I made the collection called Florida Trip. I then placed all the exported JPG images from each day that I want to upload and share with friends and family in that Florida Trip collection.

There are many ways to organize your images without having to copy the same image from one folder to another.

In fact I only have one copy of every image file format on my computer (other than backups of all of them on external drives).

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

orfeas76  wrote

Do you guys use collections instead of folders?

Do you have a huge Catalog for all your files?

How do you differentiate your best images of every shoot? Where do you keep them and where the rest? Do you cut them?

Technically, you can't use collections instead of folders. You always have to store the images in real folders. But yes, I keep my folder panel closed 99% of the time, because I do all my organising with collections and smart collections.

Yes, I have a single catalog with about 160,000 images.

I differentiate my best images by using Lightroom's rating options: five stars for the best images, four stars for good but not the very best, etc. By using smart collections or filters I can quickly get a selection of only my best images, or only my four star images, etc. That means I don't have to 'store' my best images in another place. All my images can remain where they are.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LR gives you 2 licences for 2 different computers.

How do you continue your work from one PC to another? Don't you make copies?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

orfeas76  wrote

LR gives you 2 licences for 2 different computers.

How do you continue your work from one PC to another? Don't you make copies?

To do that you would need to place both the catalog file and all the image files on an external drive and move that external from computer to computer.

There are other that have used DropBox or other cloud system.

I personally only do real editing on my desktop system that has a large monitor. My notebook is used for storing images, viewing and some minor editing when I'm on the road.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

orfeas76  wrote

LR gives you 2 licences for 2 different computers.

How do you continue your work from one PC to another? Don't you make copies?

I use a laptop while I'm on the road, and my way of working is to use a temporary 'travel catalog' on that laptop. When I return home, I use 'Import from Another Catalog' to merge the travel catalog with my main catalog. After I've done that, I can delete the travel catalog and use a new one on my next trip.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Mar 07, 2018 Mar 07, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

orfeas76  wrote

Can't believe that still "Copy" instead of "move" files doesn't exist.

No, Virtual Copies are not the answer, the are glued to each other and I can't separate them.

I open the File Explorer, Copy the files, and then Sync settings One by One just to give my client a folder with selections.

Please make our life easier

If you want to give your client a selection of images, then I assume you want him to have edited images, not unedited raw files. That means that making a physical copy is not the way to do this. You have to export the images you want to give to your client. And if you want to make this folder with copies for yourself, then you can use virtual copies. The only thing you need to do to 'separate' these virtual copies is to use 'virtual folders' aka collections rather than folders to organise this.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines