Problems I created for myself

[joebranko]

Recently I posted about the difficulty I was experiencing in moving a file from Lightroom to Photoshop, using the function 'Edit in Photoshop'. I could not get this function to work. Turns out I was using Smart Previews as the original file could not be found, and Lightroom ( or Photoshop) would not allow me to use the 'Edit in ' function to move these files. What led me astray was when I tried another file the same thing would happen. I then discovered to my dismay how many of my files were 'Smart Previews'! Hundreds!

I then set off trying to locate these files so that Lightroom would know where they were. I have spent hours, days and weeks searching. I have also tried to find out how I created this monster. What I have discovered is as follows:

Never move a file in Windows File Explorer, or Lightroom will not know where it is. I remember doing this in my earlier days in Lightroom.

Never interrupt a file moving situation. Wait until the move is finished then do whatever you intended. I remember on more than I occasion while importing files I terminated the import sequence to save time!

I also transferred files to a new computer with faster drives about 3 or 4 years ago. I don't remember what precautions I followed, if any, to ensure that Lightroom would find my files.

[Manfred M]

Of course, you can always not use Lightroom. Adobe Camera Raw has the same functionality as the Develop Module in Lightroom.

I don't use Lightroom's catalog feature simply because of the issues you have mentioned...

I can find my files fairly by using an old-fashioned approach - I use a directory structure that makes it easy to find them.

[pschlute]

Also Joe, if you want to delete a file that is in the LR catalogue, always use the "remove picture" menu item in LR and select "remove from disc". If you simply delete the file from a windows folder you will be left with the smart preview in LR

You can run the "find all missing photos" in LR from the Library menu.

[DanK]

Also Joe, if you want to delete a file that is in the LR catalogue, always use the "remove picture" menu item in LR and select "remove from disc". If you simply delete the file from a windows folder you will be left with the smart preview in LR

You can run the "find all missing photos" in LR from the Library menu.

Actually, a nit that might confuse people: in LR terminology, "remove" is used to reference removal only from the catalog, while "delete" refers to deleting from disk. So the two choices it presents you with are"

--remove (means only removing from the catalog); and
--delete from disk, which of course also removes it from the catalog.

Of course, you can always not use Lightroom. Adobe Camera Raw has the same functionality as the Develop Module in Lightroom.

Whatever works for you. But LR offers many additional functions other than those in the develop module. For some users, including me, those are worth more than enough to warrant remembering to do all file management for indexed photos from within Lightroom.

I don't make extensive use of LR's very powerful cataloging functions, but I do use some, and they save me a lot of time. For example, both keywords and collections make it trivially easy to access a set of items that span any number of directories. I don't use the star rating system often, but I find it valuable and time-saving in the rare cases when I have to cull from a large shoot with a lot of similar images (as sometimes happens with candid event shots). I make some use of the virtual-copy function. I make extensive use, sometimes daily, of some of the vast array of plugins for LR--in particular, one to move photos into Zerene for stacking and another to upload directly to Smugmug without creating a JPEG on disk. I also print from LR.

None of which is to argue that people should use it in preference to ACR. I use ACR sometimes also. But it just isn't the case that the two are equivalent. ACR replicates a portion of LR and offers no parallel to many of its functions.

[joebranko]

Of course, you can always not use Lightroom. Adobe Camera Raw has the same functionality as the Develop Module in Lightroom.

.

Thanks Manfred. I have got accustomed to Lightroom now. I started using it for its develop module when I started learning and didn't take care of its other functions. Gradually I started using more and more and now actually like it,

[Manfred M]

Thanks Manfred. I have got accustomed to Lightroom now. I started using it for its develop module when I started learning and didn't take care of its other functions. Gradually I started using more and more and now actually like it,

Being comfortable with the tools you use is critical. I use Lightroom the very same way as I use ACR. The only function that I use all the time in LR is the map module as I tend to geotag my images when I am traveling and that helps me locate where the shots were taken.

The main reason I suggest LR users become comfortable with ACR is the Photoshop ACR filter. It is a powerful tool that I use a lot and with the exception of selecting the colour space and white balance colour temperature, everything else is the same as ACR.

[DanK]

The main reason I suggest LR users become comfortable with ACR is the Photoshop ACR filter. It is a powerful tool

I certainly agree with that. And the layout of tools is quite different, so it does take a bit of practice to become comfortable with it.

with the exception of selecting the colour space and white balance colour temperature, everything else is the same as ACR.

Not sure I follow. The white balance tool is the same, as far as I can tell--the icon third from the left on the top in ACR seems to work the same as the white balance too on LR. Am I missing something? With respect to color space, LR works in Melissa, which is a variant of ProPhoto. I have PS set for ProPhoto. Are the two different?

[Manfred M]

Not sure I follow. The white balance tool is the same, as far as I can tell--the icon third from the left on the top in ACR seems to work the same as the white balance too on LR. Am I missing something? With respect to color space, LR works in Melissa, which is a variant of ProPhoto. I have PS set for ProPhoto. Are the two different?

If you open a raw file in ACR, you have to select the output colour space and you can select the colour temperature in Kelvin. Those two functions are not available in the ACR filter (because any file opened in Photoshop has to have a colour space and white balance baked-in).

[DanK]

If you open a raw file in ACR, you have to select the output colour space and you can select the colour temperature in Kelvin. Those two functions are not available in the ACR filter (because any file opened in Photoshop has to have a colour space and white balance baked-in).

I see. i didn't realize that you were distinguishing between opening the raw file directly in ACR and opening the ACR filter. Should have read more carefully.

[joebranko]

.

The main reason I suggest LR users become comfortable with ACR is the Photoshop ACR filter. .

Did not know about this function. Thanks!

[joebranko]

Also Joe, if you want to delete a file that is in the LR catalogue, always use the "remove picture" menu item in LR and select "remove from disc". If you simply delete the file from a windows folder you will be left with the smart preview in LR

You can run the "find all missing photos" in LR from the Library menu.

[joebranko]

Yes I realized the remove vs remove from disc. Thanks. I am also using the " find all missing photos " feature.

[joebranko]

Thanks Peter.

[joebranko]

Thanks Dan. I have been using some of these functions also, in particular the collection function. I rarely use the plugins but am interested in being able to move pics directly into Smugmug. I will look into that one.

[DanK]

Joe,

It’s on Jeffrey Friedl’s site: http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/smugmug. Much better than Lightroom's publish-to-smugmug function.

Dan


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