Develop module is where you process your images and for most people seems to be where they want to start. But first you need to import your images in lightroom. As you can see this is the third in a blog series. 1 is an introduction to ensure you are using Lightroom Classic (LrC) as opposed to the cloud versions and 2 is about organising your images. If you haven't been through the first two, I'd strongly recommend it. I've discovered some people don't know there are different versions and get confused about why they don't have access to some features that are in LrC but not the other versions. Also, the second blog deals with organising your images - you need to be able to find images once imported to process them. Processing will be dealt with in a blog the Develop Module, don't jump ahead!
References and further reading and learning. Face to Face, Videos or a textbook study style, free or paid, your choice:
References from Blog 2 apply here as well Lightroom Classic Quick Start Guide, Julianne Khost's Lightroom Classic - The complete Picture, Sydney Photographic Workshops, Sydney Community College
References from Blog 2 apply here as well Lightroom Classic Quick Start Guide, Julianne Khost's Lightroom Classic - The complete Picture, Sydney Photographic Workshops, Sydney Community College
But there are some specific ones that focus on the topic of this blog; Importing Images:
1. Importing images from a card,
2. Importing Images from a hard drive,
3. Tips for Importing files
4. More tips for importing and alternative ways to import
1. Importing images from a card,
2. Importing Images from a hard drive,
3. Tips for Importing files
4. More tips for importing and alternative ways to import
Your images are not in LrC so the term importing is a bit misleading, Cataloguing would be better, but we'll keep using importing, it's what everyone else uses.
There are 9 basic steps to importing your images:
1. Open the import dialog - click on the import button bottom left in the Library Module,
2. Select the source i.e. the location of the images it may be a card, camera or folder on a drive either an in ternal or external one,
3. Preview the selected photos, you can choose all or just some of the images to import,
4. Chose import options:
Copy - as DNG converts the file type to DNG and copies the images to a new location and adds them to the catalogue
Copy - copies the images to a new location and adds them to the catalogue
Move - Move the images to a new location and adds them to the catalogue"
Add - Adds the images to the catalogue keeping them in the original location
5. Choose File handling options - don't import duplicates is important to check. If you don't, duplicate images are very difficult to remove if there are a lot of them and you don't want them. Review references above for the other options and what's best for you as they can all be done after import, depending on how you want to work.
6. File Renaming - optionally you can choose to rename the files as they are imported
7. Applying Import settings - optionally apply develop settings, metadata such as copyright information and keywords. Note that the same setting(s) will be applied to all the files selected for import.
8. Destination Settings - You choose the location where you want the images to be copied/ moved to. If you don't the default will be set, normally a folder called 'pictures' somewhere on your computer. It's best if you set it.
9. Click on Import to start the process. Note not 'Done' as that simply saves all the import settings for next time and does not import anything.
1. Open the import dialog - click on the import button bottom left in the Library Module,
2. Select the source i.e. the location of the images it may be a card, camera or folder on a drive either an in ternal or external one,
3. Preview the selected photos, you can choose all or just some of the images to import,
4. Chose import options:
Copy - as DNG converts the file type to DNG and copies the images to a new location and adds them to the catalogue
Copy - copies the images to a new location and adds them to the catalogue
Move - Move the images to a new location and adds them to the catalogue"
Add - Adds the images to the catalogue keeping them in the original location
5. Choose File handling options - don't import duplicates is important to check. If you don't, duplicate images are very difficult to remove if there are a lot of them and you don't want them. Review references above for the other options and what's best for you as they can all be done after import, depending on how you want to work.
6. File Renaming - optionally you can choose to rename the files as they are imported
7. Applying Import settings - optionally apply develop settings, metadata such as copyright information and keywords. Note that the same setting(s) will be applied to all the files selected for import.
8. Destination Settings - You choose the location where you want the images to be copied/ moved to. If you don't the default will be set, normally a folder called 'pictures' somewhere on your computer. It's best if you set it.
9. Click on Import to start the process. Note not 'Done' as that simply saves all the import settings for next time and does not import anything.
Note:
if you are importing from a card or camera connected to your computer only copy will be available at step 4, and
6 and 7 are often best done after importing and after you have culled any images you don't want to keep, but that's optional.
Destination settings at 8 is the most important setting otherwise you may not know where your images are, and you want to ensure that they are in the folder structure you want to use.
if you are importing from a card or camera connected to your computer only copy will be available at step 4, and
6 and 7 are often best done after importing and after you have culled any images you don't want to keep, but that's optional.
Destination settings at 8 is the most important setting otherwise you may not know where your images are, and you want to ensure that they are in the folder structure you want to use.
Some other considerations:
Copy as DNG - not worth the trouble in my view - importing a large number of images takes a bit longer, the file size is only a bit smaller, it's not as universal a format as Adobe would have you believe, If you entre competitions sometimes you will need to provide the RAW file to show it's your work so if you convert to DNG you still need to keep the RAW file and you'll have two files about the same size to manage.
Alternative ways to import - if the folder you want to import into already exists in the folder tree in the library module right mouse clicking on it and selecting 'Import to this folder' will set it as the destination folder in the import dialog. And you could always create the folder in the library module first to make sure it's where you want the images to go.
Bypass the import dialog completely (well mostly) - in the library module create the folder you want your images in by right mouse clicking on the appropriate parent folder and select 'create folder inside...' Once you have created the folder copy the images to the new folder using File explorer (windows) or Finder (Mac). Once that's done go back to Lightroom and in the library module select the parent folder of the new folder and rick mouse click and select Synchronise Folder. Seems long winded but it's a quick and dirty method but not for the timid!
Copy as DNG - not worth the trouble in my view - importing a large number of images takes a bit longer, the file size is only a bit smaller, it's not as universal a format as Adobe would have you believe, If you entre competitions sometimes you will need to provide the RAW file to show it's your work so if you convert to DNG you still need to keep the RAW file and you'll have two files about the same size to manage.
Alternative ways to import - if the folder you want to import into already exists in the folder tree in the library module right mouse clicking on it and selecting 'Import to this folder' will set it as the destination folder in the import dialog. And you could always create the folder in the library module first to make sure it's where you want the images to go.
Bypass the import dialog completely (well mostly) - in the library module create the folder you want your images in by right mouse clicking on the appropriate parent folder and select 'create folder inside...' Once you have created the folder copy the images to the new folder using File explorer (windows) or Finder (Mac). Once that's done go back to Lightroom and in the library module select the parent folder of the new folder and rick mouse click and select Synchronise Folder. Seems long winded but it's a quick and dirty method but not for the timid!
Once your images are imported you need to do all the organisational things for your workflow such as adding keywords, putting images into collections, adding metadata like copyright information, location details (sublocation, City, State, Country). As well as deciding which images to work on and deleting the ones you don't want to keep. So that you're ready for the Develop module. Depending on your choices that may be a quick process or not!