7 Replies Latest reply: Nov 18, 2009 12:23 PM by dj_paige RSS

    Creating duplicate photos in LR

    SF Ellen Community Member

      I feel a little silly  asking this but...

       

      I photographed some artwork for a client, and said client requested three copies of each image with varied exposure. I suspect this is a leftover conceit from the days of bracketing slide film and I think its a silly request, but the customer is always right...

       

      In any case, I mostly just shot one of each image, planning to make duplicates in lightroom and vary the exposure there, but I can't figure out how to make a copy, I do see photo>creat virtual copy, but I'm not sure what a 'virtual copy' is.

       

      Anyone???

       

      Thanks!

       

      San Francisco Ellen

        • 1. Re: Creating duplicate photos in LR
          Jao vdL Community Member

          Virtual copies is exactly what you want. It creates a second entry ion the Lightroom database for the same original image that you can give a different development treatment, so you can give it a different exposure compensation.

          • 2. Re: Creating duplicate photos in LR
            Ed.Macke Community Member

            Not sure how familiar you are with how LR works, so if you know this just skip it.


            But LR's workflow is "non-destructive", meaning your original image is never touched - everything you do from adding keywords to altering exposure is saved as instructions. Every time you see your image in LR, you're seeing the original image PLUS every the sum of all the saved instructions.


            Normally you will have the 1 physical copy of your image, plus 1 set of instructions (bump up the exposure, tweak the white balance, etc.)


            When you make a "virtual" copy, you still only only have 1 physical copy of the image, but now the  modification to the "virtual copy" get saved to a second, separate set of instructions.


            Another virtual copy would mean a third set of instructions. Etc.


            So at the end of the day, you will only ever have 1 physical image. Each virtual copy is simply a discrete history of modifications to that physical image.

            • 3. Re: Creating duplicate photos in LR
              PhynomEagle

              Okay, my first post here...ummmm....okay.

               

              Adobe has created this non-destructive method of post-processing photos, which is great; however, learning to use this method is a little daunting. My delimma is that I would like to move files around to different folders, while keeping the altered photo information. For example, I took some pictures of mango leaves. The files ended up being imported onto my computer and into Lightroom, named/labeled by date of creation or capture. I found the files in the Folder Module of Lightroom 2.5, and I tweaked the white balance, played around with exposure, saturation, hue, etc. The mango leaves photos are part of a project where I try to take interesting photos of everyday things in my backyard. There is a folder for these 'everyday things'. I would like to move the original mango leaf photos into the 'everyday things' folder, without loosing the tweaks or adjustments that I made. I would also like a separate folder that is labeled 'developed' (which includes a file of the developed/processed photo).

               

              Okay, so basically, I'm looking to have an original and processed file. What workflow method could I employ to achieve this goal?

               

              Also, how could one use the virtual copy in their workflow? In the case of the gentleman that needed 3 varied exposures for a client, those copies are just that, copies, right? So, would he burn each copy to disk to yeild 3 photos?

               

              In the meantime, I'll be reading about the Catalog Module. Maybe I can leave the photos in the original folder created upon import, and just 'catalog' the photos that I want to be grouped together. But if I ever move the photos to a different harddrive, the photos will be stored in folders labeled by date only....hmmmmmm.....

              • 4. Re: Creating duplicate photos in LR
                MikeLeone Community Member

                PhynomEagle had this to say:

                Okay, my first post here...ummmm....okay.

                 

                Adobe has created this non-destructive method of post-processing

                photos, which is great; however, learning to use this method is a little

                daunting. My delimma is that I would like to move files around to

                different folders, while keeping the altered photo information. For

                example, I took some pictures of mango leaves. The files ended up being

                imported onto my computer and into Lightroom, named/labeled by date of

                creation or capture. I found the files in the Folder Module of Lightroom

                2.5, and I tweaked the white balance, played around with exposure,

                saturation, hue, etc. The mango leaves photos are part of a project

                where I try to take interesting photos of everyday things in my

                backyard. There is a folder for these 'everyday things'.

                 

                 

                So move it. If you move photos within LR (by dragging the

                thumbnail of the image to the folder you want), all the settings follow

                it. You should not move the photos from the OS. While you can do it, and

                then tell LR what you did, it's just a whole lot easier to do all this

                type of organizing within LR.

                 

                 

                I would like to move the original mango leaf photos into the 'everyday things' folder,

                without loosing the tweaks or adjustments that I made. I would also like

                a separate folder that is labeled 'developed' (which includes a file of

                the developed/processed photo).

                 

                Okay, so basically, I'm looking to have an original and processed

                file. What workflow method could I employ to achieve this goal?

                 

                 

                So you want an untouched RAW, and you also want a processed version? I

                would make a virtual copy of the RAW, and do my development on it. Not

                sure what that gains you, tho. If you ever wanted an "unprocessed"

                version of your file, you could make a VC at that time, and then re-set

                all the settings back to zero. That might be easier than having (at

                least) 2 versions of every photo, as opposed to just multiple versions

                of specific photos.

                 

                Also, how could one use the virtual copy in their workflow? In the

                case of the gentleman that needed 3 varied exposures for a client, those

                copies are just that, copies, right? So, would he burn each copy to disk

                to yeild 3 photos?

                 

                 

                Right. Each VC can have it's own set of develop settings, so you

                (effectively) end up with 3 versions of the same shot. One could be high

                key, one B&W, etc. You then export/print just the one(s) you want.

                • 5. Re: Creating duplicate photos in LR
                  PhynomEagle Community Member

                  Wow! What a prompt response, and just the answer I was looking for! Okay, cool.

                   

                  So, I moved a couple of photos to a different folder by click-drag-drop within LR, okay'ed the dialog box, and the photos retained their adjustments. Awesome!

                   

                  Okay, now time to experiment and gain some experience. I am going to upload the photo to flickr.com to see if the photo retains the adjustments from LR. Can this program get any better?

                  • 6. Re: Creating duplicate photos in LR
                    MikeLeone Community Member

                    PhynomEagle had this to say:

                    Wow! What a prompt response, and just the answer I was looking for! Okay, cool.

                     

                    So, I moved a couple of photos to a different folder by click-drag-drop within LR, okay'ed the dialog box, and the photos retained their adjustments. Awesome!

                     

                    Okay, now time to experiment and gain some experience. I am going to upload the photo to flickr.com to see if the photo retains the adjustments from LR. Can this program get any better?

                     

                    Yes. Use Jeffrey Friendl's plugin that exports directly to Flickr.

                    It will resize, change color space, create a gallery, etc. Great plugin.

                    • 7. Re: Creating duplicate photos in LR
                      dj_paige Community Member

                      PhynomEagle wrote:

                       

                      Okay, my first post here...ummmm....okay.

                       

                      Adobe has created this non-destructive method of post-processing photos, which is great; however, learning to use this method is a little daunting. My delimma is that I would like to move files around to different folders, while keeping the altered photo information. For example, I took some pictures of mango leaves. The files ended up being imported onto my computer and into Lightroom, named/labeled by date of creation or capture. I found the files in the Folder Module of Lightroom 2.5, and I tweaked the white balance, played around with exposure, saturation, hue, etc. The mango leaves photos are part of a project where I try to take interesting photos of everyday things in my backyard. There is a folder for these 'everyday things'. I would like to move the original mango leaf photos into the 'everyday things' folder, without loosing the tweaks or adjustments that I made. I would also like a separate folder that is labeled 'developed' (which includes a file of the developed/processed photo).

                       

                      Okay, so basically, I'm looking to have an original and processed file. What workflow method could I employ to achieve this goal?

                       

                      Also, how could one use the virtual copy in their workflow? In the case of the gentleman that needed 3 varied exposures for a client, those copies are just that, copies, right? So, would he burn each copy to disk to yeild 3 photos?

                       

                      In the meantime, I'll be reading about the Catalog Module. Maybe I can leave the photos in the original folder created upon import, and just 'catalog' the photos that I want to be grouped together. But if I ever move the photos to a different harddrive, the photos will be stored in folders labeled by date only....hmmmmmm.....

                      This is what I would call a pre-Lightroom workflow.

                       

                      Lightroom enables you to work in very different ways, which can be much more efficient. For example, there is normally no need to have your original and the processed file both on the hard disk, permanently. There is also no need to put processed and original in separate folders.

                       

                      You can view both your original and your processed photo in the Lightroom Develop Module, or you can view the processed photo in the Library module. No need to export every single photo, as a general rule. However, when you need an actual .jpg (or .tif) of your processed photo, then you export it to a temporary folder, make use of it, and then delete the temporary folder. Saves on disk space, and saves on your time, as you don't have to export every single photo that you process. With LR, you don't have an original file and a processed file, unless you have a specific need.

                       

                      Moving photos from folder to folder is also pre-Lightroom. Folders are no longer organizing tools! Lightroom constructs, such as keywords, metadata and collections, are much more powerful organizing tools, making olders obsolete. You can put your photos in the capture date folders (as I do), and then never move them again. You find the photos in Lightroom by keywords, or metadata, or by collection. So, you would create an Everyday Things keyword and assign it to your recent mango leaf photos. You could also assign a Leaf keyword to this photo, and a Mango keyword to this photo, and so on.

                       

                      Virtual copies ... make 2 copies, plus the original, that's three ... edit each any way you'd like, and export so your client can view them.