Lightroom 2 - neatest way to import and store RAW's??

Hallsy

Hallsy

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Name
Andy
Edit My Images
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I'll admit to never really using LR2 properly in a cataloging sense, just post processing really. However, since a fresh install of Win7 on both my laptop & desktop, I want to start getting some organisation.

Up to now, I've always saved the RAW's from my camera onto my HDD in a 'RAW' folder named by date.
Then I would import into LR2, delete/keep, process, and then export into a 'Processed' folder on my HDD, again, named by date.

As lightroom catalogs as well, am I using up a lot of space by keeping the RAW's separately in folders on my HDD?

Would a neater solution be to always import from my camera or memory card straigt into LR, then just export to my 'Processed' folder?

Does LR2 store the RAW files somwhere, or does it just make some sort of image (I'm guessing the latter, as the silvertone files it creates don't seem that large).

Also, any recommendations for a good LR book? I'm interested more in the cataloging side of it really, I'm quite comfortable with the processing, just never really spent enough time with the workflow side of it.
 
OK, so reading around it seems that it doesn't matter,as even if I just import straight to LR2 from my camera it will still create a 'RAW' folder on my HDD, the same as I already do.

That's fine, and as I've just fitted a larger HDD to my laptop I guess space isn't such a premium anymore.

However, lets say you decide to back up one of the RAW folders and then delete it from your PC, does this mess up the LR catalog at all?
 
If you move a file or folder ( even deleting it ) you wont screw up the Lightroom catalogue. It'll just list it as missing and put a question mark againt the image when it's viewed. You wont be able to edit or do anything to the lost or deleted file as Lightroom can't find it.

However if you simply move the file to a new location Lightroom allows you to locate the moved file and relinks to it even if it is on an external drive.In fact if you want to move a file, to a new location, Lightroom will do that for you and note it's new location and associate it's edits to that file at it's new location
 
Best thing to do is import files through Lightroom. You have option to decide if you want to just add them keeping original in same location, move them to a new folder (and choose where), or copy to the new folder. I have a master folder (Lightroom managed photos) then split into categories and then further into import dates so files are catalogued by lightroom but also make some sense on the hard drive as well.

Lightroom will work from that original file, and saves any editing you do in its catalogue. It is totally non destructive so the original RAW file stays the same (or JPG file if you imported JPG's into the lightroom catalogue). It is only when you export the file from lightroom as a JPG (or tiff, psd, etc) that you get the edited file (and the original stays untouched.)

One suggestion i would make is on importing RAW files into lightroom, use the option 'Copy as DNG'. This is Adobe's own RAW format, and despite no image data being lost or compressed is much smaller in filesize than most camera manufacturers own RAW file types
 
Here's how I do it:

Import from CF card on external HD to 'pics go here' folder (LR is linked to it). Within the 'PGH' folder I have work, personal etc and things are sorted by job name. Anyway, that's just my system....

Anyway, both raws and JPEGs go into the same folder (for example JOB 1 folder.) I import JOB 1 folder in LR so all the thumbnails appear and then I do a quick search through using the X key to mark the duff shots for deleting. Then I go through and do my processing. When I have finished shots that I see as the main shots to output I mark them with a 5 star rating so I know these are the ones that are finished items. No other shots are assigned 5 stars so when I come to sort, i know anything marked five is something that I can show and be totally happy with.

I don't see a point in outputting finished items as other file types to store in a folder - LR's export is quick enough to bang out a fresh file that can be sent to the printer.
 
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