Renaming Files

[Welshy74]

When importing into Lightroom I rename files 1,2,3 etc then when I've edited and deleted any ones I don't want to keep I rename again. But this time I've had several files with names e.g 0045-2jpg and not 0045.jpg any ideas why it adds the 2 onto file names????

 

[ecoleman]

A file ending 0045 already exists.

 

[Major Eazy]

A file ending 0045 already exists.

As this guy would say "What he said."


@Welshy74 I have to agree with ecoleman.

It is likely that maybe you already have an existing filename when you attempt to rename other files, thus Lightroom will add -2 at the end. When using a numbering system, and when renaming again for the second time after you already renamed them in the first place, it can cause the software to get confused, and also the human could missed something there.

Wouldn't it be more effect if you tick what you want to import and uncheck what you don't want to be imported, then import using the renaming system, in the first place? Or you could import, edit/delete, rename once, instead of import, rename, edit/delete, then rename again.

My photographs use numbering as filenames, so I always import what I really want to keep, uncheck any photos I don't want to keep, before I import and let LR rename them. So far I never had any problems with filenames.

 

[Brian G]

I've always thought the process of renaming files has the potential to cause confusion, so I've always kept the out-of-camera filename, particularly as I have cameras from different manufacturers.
I keep a separate folder for each camera, which is further divided into sub-folders for year and the image files are stored by day and month within these sub-folders.
Provided you title, caption and keyword all your images when you download them, the software doesn't need to know where they are located, and you can do a simple search for any file you want.
I can normally find an image file within a few seonds by performing a simple keyword search.

 

[Bebop]

I rename mine with a reverse date time stamp at the front of the camera filename now - makes them unique and is a useful reference too. I once got into a pickle when I went round the clock in my Lightroom catalog so this ensures that can never happen again. Or perhaps it was my camera that went round the clock - can't remember now!

 

[swanseamale47]

I stick to the original file name. the only time it changes is if I edit in Photoshop. The full size editited version gets XXX added to it's original file name, the small web size (if there is one) is given a proper name "cliff path and tree" or whatever.
In Lightroom everything stays as is, I export full size and if I need another smaller size I'll export a full folder renaming the folder 1000px or whatever. Only a customers disk is renamed (after export) then I use the customers initials so Fred and Jill will be FJ0001 etc.
Maybe not the best system but it works for me. As I used to edit a lot of other peoples pics, lots of images would be edited then removed from the computer, I don't want or need to store them on there forever. I don't use LR as a DAM.