Help needed to sort out my file management!

[The goblin]

Hi, not sure if this is the right place to ask.

I have been super busy over the last two years and now have a few thousand photos that all need processing and filing neatly away.

I have downloaded the 30 day free trial of Adobe LR 5 as it seems to be an all in one package. I have had a quick go at the editing and it seems very good.

But all the different settings seem rather daunting. Now I am going to read through some on line guides and things. I was wondering if anyone can give me some tips on setting up some kind of system? Currently (with my family shots) I store all edited and renamed files on my PC and backed up to my external hard drive. I also stash all the CR2 images on the external hard drive. Then I get the PSD files that are MASSIVE and I seem to get swamped!

I know LR is non destructive, but does that mean I end up with everything duplicated once edited? Currently I shoot in RAW and JPEG, edit the RAW and keep the knew version, deleting the old JPEG. I know, it's laborious, I need help!

I use my external hard drive to back up all my 'waiting to be sorted' folders using synctoy, until I get round to them. I really need to start a fresh and get my life sorted, so was hoping for a few tips and pointers.

I have two months this year without my family so intend on dedicating it to file sorting, all 10,000 or so shots of the family need going through!

Help and advice greatly appreciated.

 

[russellsnr]

Hi, Have a look here to learn really all you need to no to get started in L/R
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/getting-s...ightroom-5/lightroom-5-organizing-your-images

 

[Buck]

Marsha

As Russell says plus some very good articles on www.thelightroomlab.com

 

[hollis_f]

I know LR is non destructive, but does that mean I end up with everything duplicated once edited?

No need for duplication. Shoot in raw, process the raw data, export a jpeg, use the jpeg for whatever purpose it was created (printing, posting on the web, etc.) and delete the jpeg. You can always create another one with a few clicks as LR will have stored the processing instructions. If you need more than one type of jpeg then use virtual copies.

 

[The goblin]

Many thanks Russell, that video is useful. Now I just need to get started.

Thanks for the link Buck, I'll take a look when I get a chance. There are a LOT of tutorials in there :bonk: I think I'll need to do them all at some stage!

Thanks Frank, that's pretty much what I do now. I just need to make it a more stream lined affair.

Now, best I try and have a go.

But before I go and achieve very little, what are the publishing services?

 

[The goblin]

Ok, watched lots of videos and slowly getting all the presets and metadata set up. Just had a go at batch renaming (only a small sample) and they've been renamed in a funny order, 13, 6 7 8 3 1 4 2! I know I previously deleted some before they were imported, but why are they in an odd order? The photos are showing correctly in time the order they were taken?