Using/Organizing folders in Lightroom 5

DaelpixPhotography

DaelpixPhotography

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The more I use Lightroom 5, the more I'm keen to buy it.

But my question is, how do you manage your files if you've edited them in LR5?

My normal route in Photoshop (CS3) is the create a new folder and name is say, Settle. I might name a sub-folder in the main folder called 'Glencoe-May 2014'. Open the folder in Bridge and sort the badly focused/boring images, then open them in Camera Raw then Photoshop. The save the edited file in the same place as the originals.

Can I still do this in LR5?

Edit: Forgot to ask.... What is the difference between:
http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-adobe-photoshop-lightroom-5-full-version-jewel-case-/p1539864
and
http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-adobe-photoshop-lightroom-5-full-version/p1539668
 
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How do you manage your files currently, without Lightroom? Using Lightroom makes no difference.
 
Using Lightroom makes no difference whatsoever to your file organisation.
 
I used to do much the same thing with PS, I would have a folder for the year and then sub folders for types of image e.g. Landscape, macro etc.

With Lightroom I still have a folder for year but create sub folders arranged by date of import so I can tell when I took particular shots. I then use collections to sort out image types e.g. Landscape, macro etc. this way I can see my images arranged both by when they were shot and by type.

Basically, Lightroom gives more options than folder structures alone which make searching easier hence I have adapted to take advantage of the options in Lr.

I hope this helps.
 
File and image Database management - that's part of the joy of LR - easy to use

LR - much easier to create and use with more easy options than PS

Folder structure - keywords - flagging etc., etc. all in front of you
 
StewartR said:
How do you manage your files currently, without Lightroom? Using Lightroom makes no difference.
Click to expand...

It does really. LR's biggest plus point for me is its file management capability.

For me.
  • Insert compact flash card. Light-room opens.
  • Tell it to copy all the files from the CF card to XYZ drive and place them in a folder called "XYZ"
  • Tell it to also rename the files as follows - "Shoot name, dd/mm/yyyy/h/m/s_frame number"
  • Add all metadata, IE: Lake district, sunrise, brothers water, jetty, etc
  • Hit import.
  • It will now do what you instructed above while you make a brew.

Once its done, you can then view the images in LR.

Now I go through them all quickly using left/right arrows on keyboard and all the ones with potential as keepers I "Flag" with the "P" (pick) button.

Once I am happy all the potentials are flagged with a "Pick" I hit the "Flagged" filter. (the three ghosted flags above image thumbnails and next to the stars) This slims down all the images to show me only the ones i have "Picked" and leaves out the junk from my view.

Now i go through and do some editing (I have created presets that always give me a good starting point. IE: camera correction, =15contrast, -40 highlights, +10 clarity etc)
When your finished editing and are happy with an image, you have lots of other "Tagging" options.

Personally I tag all landscapes "green" and all finished images with "5stars".
Any HDR images are red and anything imported back from PS CC as a Tiff are tagged as yellow.
Started, but unfinished stuff is given 4 stars. this allows me to filter any folder down to whatever I want.

For Example: Select relevant shoot folder, and then...
  • Want to see picked images with potential? - Click the white flag
  • Want to see final processed images? - click 5 stars
  • Want to see started but unfinished processing jobs? - Click 4 stars
  • Want to see only finished landscape images? Click green and 5 stars.
You can go on forever and make it as easy, or complex as you like. You can obviously apply the above to ALL your images by clicking "All images" and then going into search and using metadata along with the flags/colours/stars to say perhaps "Show me all lake District images, with jettys in that I gave 5 stars" - boom, every jetty image you have ever shot in the lakes and finished processing on in the last 30years appears before your eyes.

Search through folders for that jetty I know I shot 15 years ago at sunset but cant remember when?
No thanks... those days are long gone! LOL

Tip of the day.
Remember, if you have a lot of images almost the same, get one processed bob on, then right mouse on it, choose "copy settings" select the settings to copy (You may want to leave out grads for example) and then right mouse and past settings on the next unprocessed similar image and you will have those images almost ready to go in 3 seconds flat by pasting all your hard processing work from the other image directly into the new one... tweak and done.

Smart Collections:
A quick example of how to utilise these.
I have one called "Ullswater 5star collection". Its created as follows:
  • Add new smart collection.
  • Tell it that any images tagged with the name "Ullswater" AND applied with "5stars" should be added to this collection.
Thats it, from now on, every time you finish an Ullswater image and tag it five stars, it will automatically be added to this folder.

Thats a VERY brief idea of how I work with LR... But I hope it gives you food for thought.
Once you have LR there is no real reason to ever look through folders in windows EVER again.
 
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My image organisation was terrible before I bought LR last year! I try and keep it all organised now so I know where to find everything. I organise my images by type, then subject/location, and then by date+keyword. For example, my folder structure within LR looks similar to this (but much, much longer):

  • Landscapes
    • Bristol
      • 20130108 - Clifton Bridge
      • 20130724 - City Centre
    • Portland
      • 20120529 - Storm
      • 20120901 - Foggy Sunrise
      • 20131104 - Rocks
    • Watchet
      • 20130228 - Sunrise
      • 20131203 - Lighthouse
      • 20140219 - Long Exposure Water
  • Animals
    • Bristol Zoo
      • 20121103 - Birthday Trip
      • 20130924 - Lions
    • Fudge
      • 20120824 - Playing in Garden
    • Birds
      • 20120102 - RSPB Grey Lake
      • 20120509 - Buzzard in Field
      • 20130105 - Blue Tits in Garden
      • 20131101 - Owl Sanctuary
  • Sport
    • Football
      • 20110706 - Simons Team
    • Rally
      • 20120409 - Somerset Stages 2012
      • 20130423 - Somerset Stages 2013
I know that many people will say that you dont really need to structure your folders like that, because lightroom can sort your images with keywords, but I like to have it organised in case something happens to LR and I need to drag all the photos out.

I'll be honest and say that I don't really use keywords as much as I should either lol

edit: the date is in the format YYYYMMDD so that they're always in order!
 
I'm just doing it like this

Pictures > 2014.... then a folder with the date the photos were taken on. I might name a folder a certain name if i need to.
 
As im so un-organised I want to re work my catalogue! and start fresh! as ive not done any tagging,folders etc, just left LR to do the years and thats it.

Another issue I have is coming from LR3 /not LR 4.4 i have like 6 catalogues with various imports etc.
I want to try and make it more simple for myself and be able to duplicate backup's.

another thing I dont do is backup enough

Card > LR > Import and thats it! i don't backup anything.


C: Drive
E 2TB - Backup drive.

All the jpgs i have exported are on E: and some LR catalogues.

have so much between C:/user/Pictures and E:/Lightroom/catalogue

just no idea where to start!
 
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I've re-organised all the photos that I started to process through Lightroom.

Pictures > Year > 'name of place > date


I've re-organised/deleted photos/folders through Windows. But now I want to get rid of the folders within Lightroom and start the catalogues from scratch.

When I right-click on the folder, I get

Remove the folder
"C:\\Users\David\Pictures\2014\ 'name of folder'"
This folder contains 4 photos.

Now, if I remove the folder, it'll just be removed from the catalogue and not the computeR?
 
Best tread. Thanks Stu very helpful. I have been messing around with LR5 for a while but could not get my workflow right.
 
Mp4 said:
Can anyone help?
Click to expand...
No need for more than one LR cat. Tempted to suggest start again (depends how many images you have). Ensure neat and meaningful folder structure in C:\user\pictures. Access this from LR and import folder by folder - LR will thus recognise the folder structure whilst building just the one LR cat which is its database of images - where they are on disc and what's been done to them in LR. The LR cat should default to being in your pictures folder, so you can then schedule to back up that entire folder periodically and everything will be in it.
 
droj said:
No need for more than one LR cat. Tempted to suggest start again (depends how many images you have). Ensure neat and meaningful folder structure in C:\user\pictures. Access this from LR and import folder by folder - LR will thus recognise the folder structure whilst building just the one LR cat which is its database of images - where they are on disc and what's been done to them in LR. The LR cat should default to being in your pictures folder, so you can then schedule to back up that entire folder periodically and everything will be in it.
Click to expand...

Id rather start again and just Start Fresh but no idea where to start from.

i've just bought a new 4TB drive.

So main C:

E: 2TB Drive
G: 4TB Drive

I think ill start by putting folders


Landscapes
Portraits
Other


And then just putting the CR2's direct on to 2TB before importing to LR as before i just imported to LR and didnt backup.

and then tell LR to duplicate to 4TB
 
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UaeExile said:
:eek: that's the beauty of LR though, surely?
Click to expand...

Yes it is but you don't need to change how you do it - Lightroom itself makes no difference. Stu Blackpool said it all perfectly - Having single shoots on a single catalogue (as many do) loses the ability to much of what Stu says.
 
My Photo organisation is like this

I put all of my photos in a folder for that day/weekends shoot so for example, "20140415 - Berkshire". They are renamed on import with something similar.

So this would look like

2014
20140415 - Berkshire
DBT-AAA-20140415-Berkshire-0001.RAW
DBT-AAA-20140415-Berkshire-0002.RAW​

I then use keywords to do everything else.

I'll apply keywords for the camera used, the lens used, any other kit used for those images, subject, people, locations. Almost certainly overkill, but each has their own process.
 
You don't need to do key words for the camera type and lens as all that's saved in the exif
 
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