Lightroom Classic

Catalog Management

© Mark Galer www.markgaler.com

Contents
Meet the Author PART TWO: 10-Step Workflow PART THREE: Sort & Search
Lightroom CC or Lightroom Classic? 1. Choose a Source
2. Copy as DNG PART FOUR: Modify & Save
Import (what happens to my images)
3. Choose a Destination
Adobe Bridge (a browsers perspective) PART FIVE: Resolving Problems
4. File Handling
Avoiding Frustration 5. Smart Previews
Lightroom’s endless options Developing in Lightroom Classic
6. Destination
PART ONE: Creating a New Catalog 7. Metadata Preset
Website Support
• The 10-Step Solution 8. Create an Import Preset Become a Patron
• Create a New Catalog 9. Add Keywords Donate
• Catalog Settings 10.Locating your Catalog Community Support
• Two simple solutions
MARK GALER is a photographer, educator and
published author (30 books for Focal Press). He has a
commercial background in editorial photography and was
also a Digital Imaging Ambassador for Adobe for a period
of 14 years. He was a Program Director and Senior
Lecturer in Photography at RMIT University in Melbourne
and has circumnavigated the globe on a motorcycle.

Mark is using his wealth of experience as both a

photographer and educator to support the Photographic
Community and was appointed a Sony Digital imaging
Ambassador in 2012.

Mark owned the original Alpha 100 and currently owns an

extensive range of Sony mirrorless cameras.

Mark Galer
4-Minute Profile Movie Sony Digital Imaging Ambassador

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Lightroom CC or Lightroom Classic?
This guide is for photographers who have chosen Lightroom Classic to organise and edit their
photos. If you want to understand the difference between the CC and Classic versions of
Lightroom, click on the image above to read my blog post on the subject.
Lightroom Classic’s Library module is a database — it cannot ‘browse’ or
find files, unless you first Import them.

Importing images will start the process of indexing your photos so they can
be easily found later.
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 IMPORT (what happens to my images)

Thumbnail
Preview Metadata

When Lightroom Classic imports photos and movies it builds thumbnails, full screen
previews and reads the image metadata (camera settings , etc.). It does not move, copy,
rename or delete images without your permission. It is effectively just referencing and
indexing your images.
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Adobe Bridge (a browsers perspective)
Adobe Bridge has no memory of having viewed files after a drive is disconnected. Image files, however,
may have a memory of having been accessed by Bridge (the file’s Metadata may be modified). If
Lightroom revisits these files you may experience a ‘Metadata Conflict’ (two sets of conflicting metadata
exists for a single file). The simple solution to avoiding Metadata conflicts is to STOP using Bridge.
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Avoiding Frustration
After creating a catalog of images do NOT use your OS
(computers operating system) to:

• Move Images
• Delete Images
• Rename Images
• Open Images

You must only move, delete, rename or open images in your

catalog using Lightroom’s commands and options. If you do not
respect this advice, images in your Lightroom catalog will appear
with broken links and metadata conflicts. This will lead to
inevitable
frustration.

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Lightroom’s endless options
Lightroom Classic does not dictate how or where a photographer should store their
images. Although this provides the photographer with endless flexibility to customise a
catalog to suit their own needs, it may, however, present the inexperienced newcomer
with seemingly endless and confusing options...

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 PART ONE
Creating a New Catalog

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Creating a New Catalog
If you have an existing Catalog that is currently in a big mess (lost files
and folders), you may like to start afresh and create a New Catalog.

With greater knowledge you will be able to return to your old Catalog
and slowly (over a period of time) start fixing some of your old bad
habits that has caused the problems or, if all else fails, simply import all
of the images on a drive into a new catalog*.

*If you take this option I first recommend selecting all images in the
Library module of your old Catalog by going to Grid view and then
choosing ‘Select All’ from the Edit Menu. After all of the images have
been selected use the keyboard shortcut ‘Ctrl+S’ (PC) or
‘Command+S’ (Mac) to save your edits back to the files. In this way the
new Catalog will show you the edited version of the files it could locate.

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Disabling other Image Cataloging Software
If you connect a memory card to your computer you may
experience an application that is NOT Lightroom inviting you to
import and catalog your image files. If Apple Mac’s ‘Photos’ app
opens simply uncheck the option to ‘Open Photos for this
device’ and then quit the App.

Note > You can also stop devices from opening on a Mac if you
open the Image Capture application and then select No
Application from the options accessed by clicking on the small
triangle in the bottom left-hand corner. PetaPixel published an
article on how to stop all devices opening Photos.

Applications > Utility > Terminal

Enter the following text:
defaults -currentHost write com.apple.ImageCapture
disableHotPlug -bool true
Then Press the ‘Enter’ key

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Creating a New Catalog
1.Launch Lightroom and then go to Lightroom >
Preferences (Mac) or Edit > Preferences (PC).
2.In the Default Catalog settings choose ‘Prompt
me when starting Lightroom’.
3.Close the Preferences Dialog Box.
4.Go to File > New Catalog.
5.Name your Catalog and choose a Location, e.g.,
Pictures.

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Catalog Settings
1. Go to Catalog Settings.
2. Choose the frequency of back up (if you choose ‘Every time Lightroom exits’
you can always choose to ‘skip’ the backup if you are in a hurry to close).

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Quit and choose a location for the Backups
1. Quit Lightroom
2. Click on the ‘Choose’ button. Choose a folder on an external disk/drive.
Note > If the External disk is not connected Lightroom will backup to the folder
containing the catalog. Also note that a Lightroom catalog ‘backup’ is not a backup of
the image files.

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Two simple solutions
The workflows that follow offer two simple and
effective solutions. They are recommended for
newcomers to Lightroom Classic, until a more efficient
one presents itself, i.e., the photographer has greater
experience and knowledge of imaging catalogs and
can now see how to customise the catalog to suit their
own specialised needs.

Option One is recommended for users who have a

computer with a large capacity hard drive with plenty
of free space, while Option Two is recommended for
users who may have a laptop with very limited storage
capacity on their local disk or hard drive (as often is
the case with laptops using SSD drives).

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 PART TWO
10-Step Workflow

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 Option One

The advantage of the Option One workflow that follows is that it will keep
all of the components of the Catalog (catalog files and image files) in one
place. The advantage of this option is that you can simply drag one folder
to an external hard drive to backup the database and the images.

The Advantage of Option Two is that it has been designed for

photographers using laptop computers or computers with little storage
capacity (less than 500 GB). The Catalog will be stored on the computer
while the images will be stored on an external drive.

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Import Images
In the Library Module click on the Import button to start the Import process.

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This opens the very big, and very intimidating, Import Dialog
1. Choose a Source
Locate your images on a drive or camera card from the ‘Source’ section.

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2. Copy as DNG
There are many advantages to converting your images to the DNG format on import. Google the
file format if you need to find out more.

Note > You can choose to Convert to DNG after importing your photos if preferred.

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 1
1

2 3
3. Choose a Destination
Option One: Choose the Catalog folder that was first created with this new Catalog (in your
Pictures directory) and then create an ‘Images’ folder inside this directory/folder.

Option Two: If you are working on a laptop or a computer with limited storage capacity (less than
500GB) choose an external drive from the other Destination option.
4. File Handling
Check the ‘Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates’ checkbox in the File Handling panel and set the
Build Previews to ‘Minimal’ (Lightroom will build Standard or Full Screen previews after import).

Backup on Import: If you want to make a backup of the image files while you are importing,
connect an external drive and select the ‘Make a Second Copy To’ option. If import speed is
important to you, invest in a high-speed SD card, SSD (Solid State Drive) and a USB 3.1 or
USB C I/O (In Out).

Note: if you have elected to use Option Two you will need to either connect a Mirrored Raid or
a second external drive to complete this backup.
Smart Previews
A Smart Preview will allow you to carry on editing an image, even when the original may be
archived to an external drive and the drive is offline/disconnected. This is an advantage for
Option 2.
Each Smart Preview will add approximately 1 MB to the size of your catalog, but they offer
great advantages for users who have to free up space on their hard drive by moving images
off to external drives.
Note > It is possible to add Smart Previews later (to just your favourite images) if you want to
keep the size of the Catalog smaller.

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5. File Renaming
Leaving the original file number as the file name is a smart choice but a problem will
occur when your camera starts using the same number (cameras start back at zero
or 0001 when they have reached 9,999). This means that you may encounter files
with the same number which will cause a problem for a database where every file
must have a unique name. My solution to this problem is to choose ‘Date - Filename’
from the Template menu (in the File Renaming panel).

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6. Destination
Choose ‘By date’ from the ‘Organise’
drop-down menu options.

Select ‘year/year-month-day’ from the

‘Date Format’ options (second from the
top in the drop-down menu). This option
will sort your images into a capture date
folder inside a year folder. You have
already selected the Drive in Step 3.

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7. Metadata Preset
Create a New Metadata Preset if you want to add your copyright details to the images as you
import them.

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8. Create an Import Preset
Choose ‘Save Current Settings as New Preset’.
This is optional but can be a big time saver when you are in a hurry.
Clicking on the arrow in the bottom left-hand corner of the Import Dialog will collapse the
dialog to the essential information for future fast imports.

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9. Add Keywords
On subsequent imports (after creating your Import Preset) it is strongly recommended to add
keywords every time you import images. Adding keywords to the metadata will help you find your
images when you have long forgotten which folder they were imported into.

CLICK IMPORT
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10. Locating your Catalog
In the Folders panel of the Library module you will see the folder structure that is on your
computer is mirrored in Lightroom. Lightroom will only show you folders that contain imported
images. Right-click on a folder in the Folders panel to hide or ‘Show Parent’.

Note: If you have followed Option One, all resources are found in a single master catalog folder.
This includes the Catalog file, the Previews file, the Backups folder and the Year folders
containing the images.
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Where is my Catalog?
The Catalog is, of course, where you
were asked to create it in the
Pictures directory on your computer.
If in doubt go to:
1. Catalog Settings.
2. Click on the Show button.
 PART THREE
Sort & Search

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Sorting images into folders
It is possible to separate imports into different categories at the time of import, e.g., SPORT,
LANDSCAPE or PORTRAITS , etc. Just specify the name of a ‘Subfolder’ in the Destination
panel on import.
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Organising folders in the Library module
Alternatively it is possible to reorganise the folder structure of your catalog in Lightroom if required.
Click on the Add folder icon and choose Add Subfolder. Name this new folder and then drag one or
more of the your import folders inside the new folder. You can rename folders by right-clicking on
the folder.
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Adding a second external drive to the Catalog
Click on the ‘+’ icon in the Folders panel and choose ‘Add Folder’.
Select your new external drive from the finder/explorer window and create a new folder on this
external drive. Then select the ‘Choose’ option to add the folder and the drive. The drive will
now appear in the Folders panel of Lightroom.

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You can then drag folders between drives in the Folders panel of Lightroom. This can be
useful when you need to free up space on one of your drives. Note > When you drag a folder
of images from one drive to another you are not copying but moving these images. Do not
confuse this step with creating a copy of your images.
Backups and copies
The files saved to your backups folder are only backups of the database file (not the image files).
These backups can be used if your current catalog is corrupted or damaged. These are NOT
backups of your image files or previews that Lightroom generates when importing the images.

If you want to create a third backup of the images and catalog files drag the Catalog folder (Option
One) to a second external drive to copy both the images and the Lightroom catalog. For option two
you can periodically drag the Catalog folder from your computer onto both External Drives.
Finding an image: 1
Right-clicking on any image in your catalog and choosing ‘Show in finder’ will show you the
location of the image in your computers’ operating system. Do NOT open, move or rename the files
you see in this window.
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Finding an image: 2
Go to Grid View in the Library module and then select ‘All Photographs’ in the Catalog.
Go to View > Show Filter Bar or use the keyboard shortcut (‘\’ key). Select the ‘Text’ option in the
Filter bar and type in your search word. Right-click on one of the images and select Go to Folder in
Library. This will locate the import folder in your Catalog. Clear the search field after any search.
 PART FOUR
Modify & Save

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Save Metadata to Files
If you have been using Quick Develop or the Develop module to optimise or enhance the visual
appearance of your images, a record of these changes are stored in Lightroom’s central cache or
database. If a file is opened from the operating system you may not see the changes you have been
making in Lightroom. These metadata changes, however, can also be stored in the images themselves.
After an editing session simply go to Grid view and select all the images you have modified and choose
Save Metadata to files (Ctrl+S for a PC or Command+S for a Mac).
Opening Files in Photoshop
If you need to edit an image outside of Lightroom, right click on the image and choose ‘Edit in
Photoshop’ from the context menu. If you choose the ‘Open as Smart Object in Photoshop’
option Lightroom will embed a copy of the Raw file in the layer of the file that opens in
Photoshop. This option ensures that this copy file will always have access to the original Raw
settings (even if the file gets separated from the Lightroom catalog).
Opening Files in Photoshop
The default preferences for External Editing in Photoshop has the Color Space set to ProPhoto and
the Bit Depth set to 16. If you have made all of the colour and tonal adjustments in Lightroom the bit
depth can be dropped to 8 and the Color Space changed to Adobe RGB.

Despite having ‘Pro’ in its name this extremely large color space is seldom used in the professional
industry. ProPhoto can lead to severe tonal banding if the color space is not handled with due care.
Adobe RGB is fare more sensible default setting as it covers most of the gamuts of both the Monitor
and commercial CMYK printing spaces. The only time Pro Photo and 16 Bits makes sense if the file
is returned to Lightroom for Export. Go to Preferences > External Editing to change this setting.

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Saving a file edited in Photoshop in your Lightroom Catalog
After editing a file in Photoshop, that was opened from Lightroom, choose the Save option (Ctrl or
Command + S). Note the base layer in the Layers panel is a Smart Object and has an embedded
Raw file. Double click on the Smart Object thumbnail to modify the Raw settings.
Edited files can be reimported into the Lightroom Catalog
If a Raw file is opened in Photoshop, using a Lightroom command, and then the edited file is
saved to the default location (the same location as the original Raw file), the edited image will
appear alongside the original in your Lightroom catalog.
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 PART FIVE
Resolving Problems

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Locate a Missing file
If you have used your operating system to move an image file that is in your Lightroom catalog you
will see an exclamation mark on the thumbnail in Grid view. Click on the icon to locate the file.
Remember you have the file name to help you find the file (unless you have changed that as well).
Locate a Missing folder
If you have used your operating system to move a folder of images that is cataloged by Lightroom
you will see a question mark on the folder in the Folders panel. Right-click on the question mark to
locate the folder. Remember you have the name of the folder to help you locate it.

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 This 2-hour post processing
masterclass looks at the
powerful tools we can use to
develop our images. These
skills enable us to express
what we want to say and how
we feel about the subjects we
are photographing. Mark
draws on his extensive
experience as an Adobe
Ambassador, Beta tester and
Professional Educator to
present this illustrated guide
to help put you in control of
your post production
workflows. This movie is
available to watch in 4K.

www.youtube.com/c/AlphaCreativeSkills Play Now

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www.markgaler.com
Become a Patron
Due to the volume of requests I receive for
support I am unfortunately not able to answer
all questions on social media and cannot
answer questions via email and Facebook
Messenger. If, however, you would like to
become a Patron you can join my live
monthly Seminars, ask questions in the
member only Q&A forums and receive
feedback on your photographs. In this way I
can become your personal Sony Alpha
Consultant for just a few dollars per month.
Membership
Mark Galer

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 Donate
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Lightroom Classic
Catalog Management

© Mark Galer www.markgaler.com