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Photos Not Found - Help ?

Community Beginner ,
Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016

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Hi guys,

I installed LR 6 on my Macbook Air 4 days ago.

As you can't import to LR from 'Photos', I exported pics from 'Photos' to a folder on my desktop. LR identified this folder, and I imported a selection of photos.

Today, I renamed my desktop folder and added subfolders. The same names appear in the LR folders panel.

Now, when I click on 'desktop' in the source panel, I get a message saying 'no photos found'. However, if I right-click on 'desktop' in the folders panel and select 'synchronize folder', the import function works.

Can anyone tell me why LR can't recognize my desktop and the folders on it when I click the 'import' button?

Many thanks,

James

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

LEGEND , Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016
Today, I renamed my desktop folder and added subfolders.

This is the mistake. When you use Lightroom, you should not use your operating system to manage the photos (or the folders that contain them). This problem can be fixed by "un-renaming" the folder. Please note: Lightroom is not a file browser like your operating system is. When you import photos into Lightroom, the photos themselves are not stored in Lightroom, the photos remain on your hard disk somewhere, and only an index in the database

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Community Expert ,
Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016

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Moved out of the Forum Lounge (not for technical support) and to the Photoshop Lightroom forum.

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LEGEND ,
Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016

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Today, I renamed my desktop folder and added subfolders.

This is the mistake. When you use Lightroom, you should not use your operating system to manage the photos (or the folders that contain them). This problem can be fixed by "un-renaming" the folder. Please note: Lightroom is not a file browser like your operating system is. When you import photos into Lightroom, the photos themselves are not stored in Lightroom, the photos remain on your hard disk somewhere, and only an index in the database is created in Lightroom, which contains the exact name of the folder and photo file. So when you rename the folder in your operating system, Lightroom still points to the original folder name, and now it can't find that folder and the photos inside.

It is a mistake for second reason. If you are going to use Lightroom seriously, you want to get out of the habit of using your operating system structures (folders) as a way of "organizing". Organizing should happen inside of Lightroom, ideally by assigning keywords and/or other metadata to the photos, and then using Lightroom's search functions to find the photos that contain specific keywords and/or other metadata.

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LEGEND ,
Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016

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Can anyone tell me why LR can't recognize my desktop and the folders on it when I click the 'import' button?

Again, if you hadn't renamed that folder, you won't run into these problems. Import sees no photos to import because you have already imported these photos. There is no point and no value to importing them a second time, this is the Lightroom default to not import photos a second time. (and while you can override this default, as you apparently have by synchronizing the folder, it is not recommended, it did not do what you want it to do, and will not solve the problem you are having, and it causes other problems).

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016

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Many thanks for your help. Most useful.

By magic, the import function is now operating correctly.

If the problem resurfaces, I'll return to this forum.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016

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Golden rules for Lightroom:

  • Do not change directory or filenames (important to your Lightroom database) outside of Lightroom.
    Lightroom does not physically put the files inside of its database, but uses only references. However, in the databases are stored your edits (only the parameters, no edited files). This means that when you apply a exposure of +1, Lightroom stares "Exposure +1" in the database. When you export your files, LR reads the original file, applies the edits accordingly and saves an edited file in the format you specified at the location you specified. This means, that when you move your original files or change the directory path to the file, without LR knowing about that, you will be in trouble. The file will still be shown thanks to a preview, and you may still apply parameters to it, but the connection to the original file is broken. LR shows that by a "!" in the image icon. Fortunately LR has tools to repair this (update folder location, synchronize folder).
  • Suspected doubles are not imported again to avoid multiple problems with duplicates (which one is the current one?).
    If you want duplicating files for applying other datasets, do not copy the file (physically) but create a virtual copy, meaning simply to apply a second dataset to the same physical image file.
ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 07, 2016 Nov 07, 2016

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Many thanks for your help.

As you will se from my other reply, by magic, the import function is now operating correctly.

If the problem resurfaces, I'll return to this forum.

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