Duplicates in more than one folder

[Gray Drake]

• I load all my new images from the camera into a single file - I will call it Load In folder
• I edit or delete all these images
• Edited images are moved to a Permanent Folder
• Once in a while when I move the image to the Permanent Folder, it also remains in the Load in Folder.  I must be doing something different, but know what it is
• Now the image exists in both the Load In and Permanent Folders
• If I try to move the image out of the Load In folder to the Permanent folder, it will not move, since it already exists in Permanent
• When I try to remove the image from the Load In folder, the pop up says the image will be removed from the hard drive.  This is an issue, since I want to keep my original file.

What is the proper process for eliminating an image from a lightroom folder, while keeping the edited image in another folder.

Thanks for any help.  Jerry

[Rob_Cullen]

What is the proper process for eliminating an image from a lightroom folder, while keeping the edited image in another folder.

I am not sure you understand the basic concepts of -how Lightroom best manages your files.

I see parts of your workflow that are causing you problems-

1. Avoid the "Load in Folder".  Use the Lightroom Import to copy ALL your files to a permanent storage folder and use LIghtroom to 'cull' and manage those files.

2.There is no reason to save "Edited" images in another folder!  The Lightroom Catalog stores (forever) all the develop editing you do to your photos, and you can Export an 'edited' version at any time (from the original in its permanent storage folder). If you do create TIFF, PSD, derivative photos they can be stored in the same folder as the original.

To create your 'duplicates' you must be using the operating system- is that so? You should be using Lightroom to do all the file management and not touch your photo folders with the OS.

Some resources-

The e-books are great:  https://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/

https://www.slrlounge.com/workshop/7-steps-and-best-practices-in-the-production-workflow/

[Gray Drake]

Thank you for your interest!

My response to another expert who suggested I revise my work flow.   It seems that after   using a work flow for some 30,000 images, it is not the basic workflow that is the source of the problem.

"I have loaded 30,000 images over 14 years into Lightroom using my process of a "Load in Folder" and then moving each image to any one of a group of "Permanent Folders" in a secondary action. It is efficient, well practiced and has been successful with well over 99% of my inventory.

Loading directly into a Permanent Folder is not a practical work flow for me, since images from a single camera load in may go into anyone of several folders.  I have an aggressive system for categorizing images from 100's of LR Permanent Folders into Smart collections, so I do utilize these powerful LR tools.  I also on occasion use virtual copies, and this is not the issue.

All my organization over 14 years has been dragging an image from the Load In folder in grid view into the appropriate Permanent Folder - this has involved all 30,000 images.

The problem with duplicate images seems to have recent origins, although I am unaware of any change I have made in my workflow.  I have been using LR 6 since shortly after it became available, but the issue did not occur immediately.

The issue is this.   I have the image in two LR folders - sometimes the Load In folder and a Permanent Folder, but have discovered some cases where an now mage shows up in two Permanent Folders.  Checking the image in both locations identifies the same hard drive location, and any attempt I have made to delete from one of the folders, warns that I will also delete the original image from my hard drive..

I have never had occasion to need or to attempt to synchronize my files.  Would this be a solution?  I have some concern that my filing system for 30K images over 14 years that is 99.9% correct will be jeopardized with a complete system synchronization.

Jerry

"

[Rob_Cullen]

Do not do, or try, and synchronization of folders, or re-importing of files. And your reply leads me to suspect you do NOT have duplicate files.

Checking the image in both locations identifies the same hard drive location,

This explanation suggests to me that your system has developed the 'Uppercase / Lowercase- Capitalization' bug.

Without knowing your exact folder structure it is difficult to give precise answers but there are other users/gurus that know more of the problem where I can refer to- I believe that Jim Wilde has the best understanding of this 'bug' in Lightroom.

Please follow up with a reply to this thread after reading the links-

Lightroom: Creates duplicate folder after Photoshop edit or Import from disk | Photoshop Family Cust...

Lightroom 4.3 Duplicate folders being created on import

Why is Lightroom creating duplicate folders?

[Gray Drake]

Thank you wobertc for the response and we seem to be heading in the right direction, I believe.

I do not have duplicate folders; but some, perhaps all of the duplicate images have .different file extensions - one upper case and one lower case.  I noted this today when I noted that I had a new duplicate in one of my Flickr smart files and the two images had different case extensions.  This particular image happens to be an older image that suddenly appeared in my Load in addition to the Flickr smart file.  This image had stars and colors as a part of the smart file sorting process and both images had these.  Before I began this thread on the community, I reduced the stars on one to remove the duplicate in my Flickr file.

Perhaps one of my actions is creating this condition, but I believe my long term process in handling some 30K images

remains intact.

Thanks for your interest and time,

Jerry

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Gray+Drake  wrote

• When I try to remove the image from the Load In folder, the pop up says the image will be removed from the hard drive.  This is an issue, since I want to keep my original file.

"Removing" a picture from a folder is obviously deleting that picture! It0's the same as removing a file using Windows Explorer! If you want to keep the file, you should not remove it!

Lightroom does manage your files and keeps a lot of information on the files in its database(s). It is therefore very important not to move, copy or otherwise manipulate files outside of Lightroom.

Lightroom does not "edit" pictures the way you may be used with an image editing program like Gimp or Photoshop. It stores only previews of your edits in its database (for efficiency reasons) and the instructions of what and how you want the picture file to be adjusted during the export operation. I export files to forward them to the customer or to send them out for printing. I do not feel the need to include exported files to my LR database. I suppose you are shooting JPEG and exporting ? This would explain your "duplicate-files-problem".

This said your workflow should be the following:

• Import pictures to the correct permanent location.
• You can sort out your pictures by marking pictures (pick = flag, x reject, unmark - shortcut keys are marked bold). You can delete rejected pictures en bloc. You can put filters on flagged pictures to edit those.
• You can colour mark your pictures to remind you, what pictures have been edited and what pictures still need to be edited.
• Alternatively or in addition, you can put pictures in collections. Collections are a kind of virtual directories and a great tool to organize your pictures. You can even use smart collections kept current based on keywords or other selection criteria. I, for my part have a smart collection called "DOGS" where my pictures with dogs are kept together (when I properly attributed the correct keyword...).

I never move or copy pictures around, except when I made a mistake during the import operation.

I suggest that you should do a backup of your picture folders (and LR database) and then carefully clean-up your database of all duplicates. This means deleting duplicates.

BTW: if you need 2 different edits for the same picture, you can create a virtual copy and avoid taking the disk space for a real copy. You will not see a virtual copy out side of LR (like with Windows Explorer). But you can work inside of LR with the virtual copy as with a real picture file.

And if you are shooting JPEG, try to shoot RAW instead. File sizes will be bigger, but your possibilities to work the files will be expanded.

[Gray Drake]

I have loaded 30,000 images over 14 years into Lightroom using my process of a "Load in Folder" and then moving each image to any one of a group of "Permanent Folders" in a secondary action. It is efficient, well practiced and has been successful with well over 99% of my inventory.

Loading directly into a Permanent Folder is not a practical work flow for me, since images from a single camera load in may go into anyone of several folders.  I have an aggressive system for categorizing images from 100's of LR Permanent Folders into Smart collections, so I do utilize these powerful LR tools.  I also on occasion use virtual copies, and this is not the issue.

All my organization over 14 years has been dragging an image from the Load In folder in grid view into the appropriate Permanent Folder - this has involved all 30,000 images.

The problem with duplicate images seems to have recent origins, although I am unaware of any change I have made in my workflow.  I have been using LR 6 since shortly after it became available, but the issue did not occur immediately.

The issue is this.   I have the image in two LR folders - sometimes the Load In folder and a Permanent Folder, but have discovered some cases where an now mage shows up in two Permanent Folders.  Checking the image in both locations identifies the same hard drive location, and any attempt I have made to delete from one of the folders, warns that I will also delete the original image from my hard drive..

I have never had occasion to need or to attempt to synchronize my files.  Would this be a solution?  I have some concern that my filing system for 30K images over 14 years that is 99.9% correct will be jeopardized with a complete system synchronization.

Jerry