{"id":2430,"date":"2012-03-19T16:20:00","date_gmt":"2012-03-20T00:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/?p=2430"},"modified":"2012-03-21T05:22:36","modified_gmt":"2012-03-21T13:22:36","slug":"lightroom-tutorial-importing-photographs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/2012\/03\/19\/lightroom-tutorial-importing-photographs\/","title":{"rendered":"Lightroom Tutorial – Importing Photographs"},"content":{"rendered":"

An important part of post processing is importing your photographs into Lightroom.\u00a0 The goal is to copy the files from your camera or laptop and store them on your desktop computer.\u00a0 At the same time you also want to make a backup of all of your files.<\/p>\n

You might be interested in the configuration of my desktop computer.\u00a0 It has about 5 terabytes of storage.\u00a0 This is where the image files will be stored.\u00a0 I also have several terabytes of external storage \u2013 external hard drives.\u00a0 This is where the backup copies go.<\/p>\n

In this example I\u2019ll be copying files directly from the camera.\u00a0 The plan is to copy the files as they are to the backup storage.\u00a0 But the files I store on the desktop storage will be converted to DNG format.\u00a0 More on that in another post.<\/p>\n

So with the big picture in mind, let\u2019s get into the details.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Import<\/h1>\n

Lightroom offers several key benefits that are not found in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) or Adobe Bridge.\u00a0 All these benefits revolve around the Lightroom catalog.\u00a0 The catalog is nothing more than a database.\u00a0 Every file that is imported into Lightroom is recorded in the catalog.\u00a0 That in itself separates Lightroom from ACR and Bridge.\u00a0 But the catalog offers several important capabilities.<\/p>\n

All of the adjustments you perform on the image in Lightroom are recorded in the catalog.\u00a0 This makes the adjustments non-destructive.\u00a0 You also get a complete history of adjustments so you can undo them back to a certain point.<\/p>\n

You can also create virtual copies of an image and apply adjustments to them.\u00a0 These are also stored in the catalog.\u00a0 This gives you the ability to dry different approaches with an image.<\/p>\n

Next, you can tag your files with keywords.\u00a0 You can provide descriptions.\u00a0 You can rate your files with stars, flags and colors.<\/p>\n

And the last thing I want to mention is collections.\u00a0 You can create collections based on, oh, at least 30 different properties so that you can quickly pull up related photographs no mater where they are stored on your hard drive.<\/p>\n

So these are just some of the advantages the catalog provides.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s get on with importing.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Before You Import<\/h2>\n

Before you import your image files it\u2019s very important to decide on how you\u2019re going to organize your files on your hard drive.\u00a0 I\u2019m referring to the folder structure.\u00a0 There are many different ways of organizing your folders.\u00a0 I prefer a structure that is organized by year, month and day.\u00a0 Here\u2019s an example of the folder structure I use.<\/p>\n

\"input_folder_structure\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I use this structure when I import files.\u00a0 I have a different folder structure for my portfolio photographs.\u00a0 But since we\u2019re talking about importing, this is the structure we\u2019ll go with.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

The Import Dialog<\/h2>\n

The Import function is accessed from the Library module.<\/p>\n

\"library_import_button\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Clicking the Import\u2026 button at the bottom left brings up the Import dialog.<\/p>\n

\"import_dialog\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Import dialog is organized into three areas and works from left to right.\u00a0 On the left you specify where the image files are coming from.\u00a0 In the middle you specify what you want to do with the files.\u00a0 On the right you identify where you want them to be saved.\u00a0 Let\u2019s start with the left.<\/p>\n

Select a source<\/h3>\n

In the figure above you can see that under Source on the left there is a list of sources including the camera, in this case the Canon PowerShot G11 and the drives on the computer.\u00a0 Since I\u2019m importing from the camera the G11 is selected.\u00a0 When you select a source the images on that source are displayed in the middle area.<\/p>\n

Next we need to specify what we want to do with the files we import.<\/p>\n

What to do with the files<\/h3>\n

When it comes to telling Import what to do with your files, it will give you certain options depending on the source.\u00a0 In the case of importing from a camera the two options are Copy as DNG or Copy.<\/p>\n

\"import_DNG\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you choose Copy as DNG then Lightroom will convert your raw file from the camera manufacturer\u2019s proprietary RAW file format to DNG, the open RAW file format.\u00a0 There are many advantages to DNG files, one being that they are smaller than the proprietary RAW files.\u00a0 But I won\u2019t get into all of them here.\u00a0 Suffice it to say I\u2019m converting all my RAW files to DNG format.\u00a0 (Note that if your files are JPEG they cannot be converted to DNG files.)<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t want to convert your files to DNG then select Copy.<\/p>\n

Also in the center section is a display of all the image files on the camera with check marks by each one.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t want to import a file you can uncheck them.<\/p>\n

Select a target<\/h3>\n

Now let\u2019s turn our attention to the left side of the screen.\u00a0 This is the most complex part of the process in that it offers the most options.<\/p>\n

\"imput_target_options\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin with Destination<\/strong>.\u00a0 This is where we specify how we want the files to be organized and what folders we want them to be copied to.<\/p>\n

\"import_target_destination\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At the top you specify how you want your files organized.\u00a0 Recall that I organize mine by year, month and day.\u00a0 That is where I set this up.\u00a0 In Organize<\/strong> I select By date<\/strong>.\u00a0 In Date Format<\/strong> I specify 2012\/03\/19<\/strong>.\u00a0 That causes all the files with a certain capture date to be placed in the same folder and the folders are organized by year, month and day.<\/p>\n

You will notice that there are numbers and checkmarks by the various folders.\u00a0 For example,there is the number 10 next to the 01 (January) folder.\u00a0 That means the camera has 10 files with January capture dates.\u00a0 Likewise there are 153 files with February capture dates.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to import these photographs; I just want to import the photographs from March.\u00a0 So I\u2019ll uncheck them.<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019ve specified where I want the files to land let\u2019s turn to File Handling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"import_target_file_handling\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are two things you can control \u2013 whether the program will import suspected duplicate files and if you want to back them up.\u00a0 Both are checked.\u00a0 When you check Make a Second Copy to:<\/strong> you must specify the folder where you want to put them.\u00a0 As you can see, I\u2019m putting them on my P: drive, the external drives I mentioned above.<\/p>\n

Next we come to the File Renaming <\/strong>section.<\/p>\n

I like to rename my files.\u00a0 I like to include the shoot name and capture date in the file name along with the original file name assigned by the camera.\u00a0 Lightroom provides several file renaming templates but none do exactly what I want.\u00a0 So I created my own custom template.\u00a0 All I need to do is supply the shoot name.\u00a0 In this case the shoot name is joshua_tree.<\/p>\n

\"import_target_file_renaming_example\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You can see what the file name will look like in the sample at the bottom.<\/p>\n

The final section is Apply During Import<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"import_target_apply\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The first option, Development Settings<\/strong>, lets you apply a preset to all the files you import.\u00a0 I do apply certain adjustments to each file when I import them but I use a different technique.\u00a0\u00a0 For information on this see Lightroom Tutorial – Camera Specific Presets<\/a>.\u00a0 So I leave this blank.<\/p>\n

But I use the next two options.\u00a0 Metadata <\/strong>allows me to tag each of the photos with a copyright notice.\u00a0 Keywords <\/strong>lets me add keywords.<\/p>\n

\"import_target_apply_example\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Now everything is ready.\u00a0 All that remains is to click Import <\/strong>at the bottom of the screen.<\/p>\n

Import the files<\/h3>\n

When you click Import<\/strong>, the Import dialog disappears and Lightroom imports the files you specified.\u00a0 And it does a lot.\u00a0 It creates a thumbnail JPEG, copies the files to the backup location without changing the name and copies files to the working location while converting them to DNG and changing the name in the process.\u00a0 Because Lightroom is doing so much it may take a while.\u00a0 So just be patient.<\/p>\n

You can track the progress in Lightroom.\u00a0 The photographs are displayed under Current Import in the Catalog section to the right.<\/p>\n

\"import_final\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

Once your images are imported you will probably want to review them and select the ones you want to work on.\u00a0 Well, as luck would have it, I have a blog post for that too – Lightroom Tutorial – Diamonds in the Haystack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you find this post helpful please LIKE it.\u00a0 And if you know of someone who might enjoy it don\u2019t hesitate to share it.\u00a0 Both buttons are at the top.\u00a0 And as always, we encourage you to join the conversation and leave a comment.<\/p>\n

We do photography workshops.\u00a0 Come on out and join us.\u00a0 Click here to check us out.<\/a><\/p>\n

You can also check out our photography.\u00a0 Click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Technorati Tags: Lightroom<\/a>,Tutorial<\/a>,Photographs<\/a>,laptop<\/a>,computer<\/a>,configuration<\/a>,storage<\/a>,Import<\/a>,Adobe<\/a>,Camera<\/a>,Bridge<\/a>,database<\/a>,adjustments<\/a>,history<\/a>,descriptions<\/a>,collections<\/a>,properties<\/a>,folder<\/a>,folders<\/a>,portfolio<\/a>,Dialog<\/a>,Library<\/a>,module<\/a>,Source<\/a>,Canon<\/a>,PowerShot<\/a>,options<\/a>,Copy<\/a>,manufacturer<\/a>,JPEG<\/a>,Destination<\/a>,Organize<\/a>,Date<\/a>,Format<\/a>,January<\/a>,February<\/a>,March<\/a>,File<\/a>,templates<\/a>,custom<\/a>,template<\/a>,option<\/a>,Development<\/a>,Settings<\/a>,technique<\/a>,information<\/a>,Presets<\/a>,Metadata<\/a>,photos<\/a>,Keywords<\/a>,location<\/a>,Catalog<\/a>,Diamonds<\/a>,Haystack<\/a>,conversation<\/a>,photography<\/a>,workshops<\/a>,desktop<\/a>,terabytes<\/a>
\nWordPress Tags: Lightroom<\/a>,Tutorial<\/a>,Photographs<\/a>,laptop<\/a>,computer<\/a>,configuration<\/a>,storage<\/a>,Import<\/a>,Adobe<\/a>,Camera<\/a>,Bridge<\/a>,database<\/a>,adjustments<\/a>,history<\/a>,descriptions<\/a>,collections<\/a>,properties<\/a>,folder<\/a>,folders<\/a>,portfolio<\/a>,Dialog<\/a>,Library<\/a>,module<\/a>,Source<\/a>,Canon<\/a>,PowerShot<\/a>,options<\/a>,Copy<\/a>,manufacturer<\/a>,JPEG<\/a>,Destination<\/a>,Organize<\/a>,Date<\/a>,Format<\/a>,January<\/a>,February<\/a>,March<\/a>,File<\/a>,templates<\/a>,custom<\/a>,template<\/a>,option<\/a>,Development<\/a>,Settings<\/a>,technique<\/a>,information<\/a>,Presets<\/a>,Metadata<\/a>,photos<\/a>,Keywords<\/a>,location<\/a>,Catalog<\/a>,Diamonds<\/a>,Haystack<\/a>,conversation<\/a>,photography<\/a>,workshops<\/a>,desktop<\/a>,terabytes<\/a><\/p>\n

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Get post processing started by importing your photographs into Lightroom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,273],"tags":[58,387,386,385,112,83,384,338,382,82,47,355,383,163,81,274],"class_list":["post-2430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to-articles","category-lightroom-how-to-articles-articles","tag-adobe","tag-adobe-bridge","tag-adobe-camera-raw","tag-aperture","tag-canon","tag-digital-camera","tag-digital-darkroom","tag-dng","tag-import","tag-jpeg","tag-lightroom","tag-nikon","tag-photographs","tag-post-processing","tag-raw","tag-tutorial"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Nl7-Dc","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2430"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2432,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430\/revisions\/2432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ralphnordstromphotography.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}