Lightroom import help

dannyjo22 · 22 Jan 2014 at 10:24

One area of LR I always struggle with is import. I'm a tidy freak and like my folders set out with the minimum of sub folders.

The way I have been importing is all my LR photos are on my H drive in one file named Lightroom. That's then divided down in year so this year 2014 photo's. When I take some pictures of my son for instance, I create one folder called Joseph 2014 and dump all my pics in there straight off the card. I then Import from the hard drive into LR.

I thought I'd try and give it a go importing straight from a plugged in card. Create a 2014 folder, add a file called Joseph 2014 and import. Yet out it comes out looking like this....

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Does it have to create those two sub folders within the Joseph 2014 folder? I wouldn't mind too but it does it on the HDD too and will then seperate them every time I add to the folder. If I do it the way I was, importing from the HDD my file structure looks like this....

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No folders within the Joseph 2013 one and will be like that on my HDD.

I hope this makes sence? Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it has to be?

Hodders · 22 Jan 2014 at 10:41

I find that the best thing do do is:

Set up a template structure (mine is)

2014 --- Portraits --- 2014-01-21-Hitt --- Raw
--- Print
--- Viewing

I have a Template directory in the portraits directory that I copy for each new shoot.

I then copy the images manually from the camera into the Raw directory.

Once there I use the import files command navigate to the right place and then import leaving the files where they are. My import applies some basic image settings but that is the basic work flow.

That way, I have all my images in a structure I decide.

dannyjo22 · 22 Jan 2014 at 10:52

So like me you are putting your files from the camera onto HDD first and then importing those to LR?

Hodders · 22 Jan 2014 at 11:06

Yes. I'm putting them exactly where I want them and then importing (NOT syncronising) them.

dannyjo22 · 22 Jan 2014 at 11:08

Yeah that seems to be my only way as I don't want all those sub folders within folders on lightroom or on my HDD where the photos are stored. I thought I could make the process faster by importing directly from the Flash card but it seems not?

Shoei · 22 Jan 2014 at 12:46

Hodders said:
Yes. I'm putting them exactly where I want them and then importing (NOT syncronising) them.

Same way I do, import with camera software to relevant folders on NAS then add to library. Leaving the files on the NAS.

Columbo · 22 Jan 2014 at 13:11

As above mine all go onto my NAS in the form of:

2014 - 22012014 - RAW
If shoot something other than my usual hobbyist stuff I'll also add the event into the folder title.

Once done I then import to LR but not before.

D.P. · 22 Jan 2014 at 15:24

I also get the photos onto my HD where a and how I want the, and then use LR import from there.

dannyjo22 · 22 Jan 2014 at 16:08

Ah ok seem's to be the best way then to stop having those sub folders within folders. As every single LR import guide I can find seems to do it that way I assumed I was doing it differently

I don't know why they do that on import, it's untidy as hell then where you store your photo's.

D.P. · 22 Jan 2014 at 16:47

I do it manually because I want full control of organizing my library purely from file management within the OS and entirely separate from any piece of software. If LR goes cloud only then I will stop using it and I don't want all my files hard to navigate without LR.

Genoma · 22 Jan 2014 at 23:49

I'm pretty sure you can avoid the date folders by editing the destination option, and changing 'organise' to 'into one folder' ?

dannyjo22 · 23 Jan 2014 at 08:33

Genoma said:
I'm pretty sure you can avoid the date folders by editing the destination option, and changing 'organise' to 'into one folder' ?

I will try that later when I'm home. I did notice that there seemed to be more import options applying presets etc straight from the card than from my HDD although I probably had something not ticked correctly

Genoma · 23 Jan 2014 at 18:11

Ah OK, my import preset works off SD, but I just checked the option for this is there if you import off HDD too.

Having said that this only applies to 'copy' type imports, these are used to import files from one place to another. If all you want to do is import from the folder where you put the files you should be using the import 'Add' method, which will import them into the catalog without moving them.

As an aside, my workflow works something like this if you are interested:

Step one - import to "scratchpad" area

1. Files are on SD Card
2. Import with "Copy" from SD card to my "Lightroom Import" Folder on SSD
3. Imported files are added to year/month folder automatically by Lighroom
4. My import preset adds basic lens correction, renames the files to my filename liking and adds my standard metadata to the RAW (copyright, name, etc).
4. My import preset also makes a separate copy to a backup area where I keep everything historically. I just maintain it as I run out of space. I keep this just in case I want to go back to an original some time after or delete something I didn't want to from my scratchpad area

Step two - Selection and Post Processing
1. I PP and select, classify & delete files I don't want from the scratchpad folder, it's fast it's on SSD.
2. If I like a style or new PP effect, I store this as a new preset
3. Rinse repeat this on all photos imported

Step three - Filing
1. On a separate large / slower HDD I keep my files organised in year / month / "photo set name" - the photo set name I create manually as a folder in Lightroom
2. I drag + drop via Lightroom the edited flies from scratchpad area to this filing area (this keeps the catalog up to date as I move the files around).

done

Energize · 24 Jan 2014 at 04:06

It's not worth the time sorting into folders when you can just tag the photos.

dannyjo22 · 24 Jan 2014 at 07:18

Genoma said:
done

Thanks for that, I'm sure it's not as long winded as it looks

I have started reading lightroom magazine on the ipad and the guy the writes it suggests never bothering importing and labelling by date because you will never remember the date anyway and if you could you can search by date anyway.

Energize said:
It's not worth the time sorting into folders when you can just tag the photos.

Leaving an awful mess on your hdd if you wanted to start using another program or just want to find pictures without using lightroom?

Energize · 24 Jan 2014 at 18:26

dannyjo22 said:
Thanks for that, I'm sure it's not as long winded as it looks

I have started reading lightroom magazine on the ipad and the guy the writes it suggests never bothering importing and labelling by date because you will never remember the date anyway and if you could you can search by date anyway.

Leaving an awful mess on your hdd if you wanted to start using another program or just want to find pictures without using lightroom?

Yeah because that's a slow and painful way of doing things anyway by comparison.

RussD · 13 Feb 2014 at 23:36

My Way is this (it works Perfectly)
Make a folder on my photo HDD 2014-02-13 Seascapes..Put CF card into Reader and choose all files. Right Click n Drag n Drop and choose Copy. Open Lightroom and Import the Folder. Prefrences - Adobe RGB, as it chooses Prophoto by Default. (this was done when Lightroom was installed). Work on my images, then into Photoshop, Saved as a Tiff. I then will go into Perfect Effects for some, back to PSCS5 then Save As. When finished I open Lightroom, find my folder and do a Synk. I Never Tag as all my folders are dated n named..