How to create full copies (not virtual copies) of files

[Malthouse Photography]

I've already searched and the "answer" seems to be an old thread from 2009 here Can I Duplicate a File inside Lightroom?

I am currently exporting as originals because that is the workaround from that thread. I would however like to re-ask the question as that's a very old thread and things might have changed.

I have a bunch of files I'm working on for portfolio purposes. The originals I want to leave unchanged. The originals are on a network drive (my archive) and it is slow to access them. Some of them are JPG some are CR2. They are filed exactly where I want them. Their ratings are as I want them. I don't want to touch them. They need to stay scattered in various folders on my archive drive.

For practicality I'd like to grab copies of the JPG and CR2 files so that I can tweak them for my portfolio. And it makes sense to do that on a local drive rather than over the network.

What I would like to do therefore is not to create virtual copies but to have a full set of copies of the files I want to work on so that none of my edits affect the originals (they will end up becoming TIFF files).

I've created a collection called "portfolio". I have all the files in that collection. What I'd really like to do then is get hold of the originals and do a Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V to create a new set of original files. I know that doesn't work, of course.

I've read that the link above says the new files exported as originals are identical (apart from the datestamp). That will do. It's not ideal though.

8 years on from the original question - is there now a simple way to copy original source files to a new folder?

[Just Shoot Me]

Original files are never touched in LR. The edits you make are stored in the catalog file and in a XMP file if you have that option selected.

If you want copies of files do that with the file manager for the OS you are using and start a new catalog for your portfolio.

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

The originals are on a network drive (my archive) and it is slow to access them. ...

For practicality I'd like to grab copies of the JPG and CR2 files so that I can tweak them for my portfolio. And it makes sense to do that on a local drive rather than over the network.

If your network is performing properly, I strenuously disagree with this. Properly performing networks will not exhibit slow access. Many people have photos on network drives without speed issues. You DO NOT need to make a copy of the photo on your local drive to achieve speed improvements. So I suggest your network is not performing properly.

What I would like to do therefore is not to create virtual copies but to have a full set of copies of the files I want to work on so that none of my edits affect the originals (they will end up becoming TIFF files).

Obviously, if you want to do that, you are going to perform extra work (creating of this actual copy using your operating system and importing it into LR) to avoid one of the built-in features of Lightroom, virtual copies, which takes much less effort on your part, and provides every benefit you seem to need in this case (except the speed you want). The choice is yours, but I really suggest you investigate this network speed issue first.