Comments on: Lightroom 2 Technique: How I Organize My Catalog and Why (2009 Edition) http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/ The photography, travel, and technology blog of Eric Scouten Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:07:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Aboud http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5643 Aboud Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:09:59 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5643 Is this article still valid, being 2011 at the moment? I'm overdue for a complete restructuring of my photo organizing regime, but not quite sure how to go about it. When I first started, I used Lightroom strictly for my SLR shots, and iPhoto for my iPhone shots. I hated having to use both, so I took everything out of iPhoto and sorted the photos into Processed. And, somehow, I've misdeleted a whole wack of photos in the process. I currently use one catalog at a time, and create a new one when one gets too big. Raws in the file system are organized automatically through Lightroom by camera then by date. Processed, ready to go public photos are exported to a "Processed" folder where it's then divided into a thematic scheme, i.e., People, Places, Flowers, and so on. iPhone photos first get dumped into a folder, then selected ones go into Lightroom for processing and later exporting to the Processed folder. This has worked to a point, but has proved to be unscalable. For example, my "iPhone Dump" folder has gotten so big that I never select any to put into Lightroom. Sometimes, I edit photos on the Lightroom, and that photo on it's own is ready to go public. When I sync with the Mac, that ready photo gets mixed in the iPhone Dump folder, and not Processed. Eventually I would have to sort this out. Anyways, I'd like to "start from scratch" and adopt the scheme outlined here (as it makes sense) or some likeness to it. How would I go about this? If I reimport everything into a new catalog, would my chronology go haywire? Is this article still valid, being 2011 at the moment? I’m overdue for a complete restructuring of my photo organizing regime, but not quite sure how to go about it.

When I first started, I used Lightroom strictly for my SLR shots, and iPhoto for my iPhone shots. I hated having to use both, so I took everything out of iPhoto and sorted the photos into Processed. And, somehow, I’ve misdeleted a whole wack of photos in the process.

I currently use one catalog at a time, and create a new one when one gets too big.

Raws in the file system are organized automatically through Lightroom by camera then by date.

Processed, ready to go public photos are exported to a “Processed” folder where it’s then divided into a thematic scheme, i.e., People, Places, Flowers, and so on.

iPhone photos first get dumped into a folder, then selected ones go into Lightroom for processing and later exporting to the Processed folder.

This has worked to a point, but has proved to be unscalable. For example, my “iPhone Dump” folder has gotten so big that I never select any to put into Lightroom. Sometimes, I edit photos on the Lightroom, and that photo on it’s own is ready to go public. When I sync with the Mac, that ready photo gets mixed in the iPhone Dump folder, and not Processed. Eventually I would have to sort this out.

Anyways, I’d like to “start from scratch” and adopt the scheme outlined here (as it makes sense) or some likeness to it. How would I go about this? If I reimport everything into a new catalog, would my chronology go haywire?

]]> By: Anonymous http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5642 Anonymous Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:32:55 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5642 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> By: Inside Lightroom » Blog Archive » James Duncan Davidson on Big Catalogs http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5641 Inside Lightroom » Blog Archive » James Duncan Davidson on Big Catalogs Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:40:40 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5641 [...] are perfectionists who keep only the best. As other strategies have shown, there can be a use for a holding Catalog to hone what you import. This can mitigate against bloat, but it will only hold off for a [...] [...] are perfectionists who keep only the best. As other strategies have shown, there can be a use for a holding Catalog to hone what you import. This can mitigate against bloat, but it will only hold off for a [...]

]]> By: Harry, ExposedPlanet http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5625 Harry, ExposedPlanet Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:32:15 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5625 My main reason for not using DNG's is the online back-ups. I tried DNG's for a short while, but used jungle Disk as well. Adding one keyword meant having the entire file reupload as the entire file was marked as changed. Not sure if current online services will do block-level uploading of changed parts, but my internet connection is limited enough to rather re-upload a 10kb xmp file than a 25mb DNG one! Looking forward to a LR3 update as well, I am still not sure about the most practical way, besides just having one big catalogue, as the filtering and collections make any selection quite easy. Cheers My main reason for not using DNG’s is the online back-ups. I tried DNG’s for a short while, but used jungle Disk as well. Adding one keyword meant having the entire file reupload as the entire file was marked as changed.

Not sure if current online services will do block-level uploading of changed parts, but my internet connection is limited enough to rather re-upload a 10kb xmp file than a 25mb DNG one!

Looking forward to a LR3 update as well, I am still not sure about the most practical way, besides just having one big catalogue, as the filtering and collections make any selection quite easy.
Cheers

]]> By: Chuck Clifton http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5623 Chuck Clifton Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:17:23 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5623 Eric, Isn't it about time to start a new Blog for Lightroom 3? Eric,
Isn’t it about time to start a new Blog for Lightroom 3?

]]> By: Alex http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5622 Alex Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:49:55 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5622 Eric, thanks a lot for your blog. It helped me a lot with my workflow. So did you change your workflow now a lot or still similiar to this one? :) Eric, thanks a lot for your blog. It helped me a lot with my workflow. So did you change your workflow now a lot or still similiar to this one? :)

]]> By: Eric http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5605 Eric Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:52:03 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5605 If you're in Lightroom, you can choose Open Catalog from the File menu. Or, when you start Lightroom, you can hold down the Option key (Mac) or Alt key (Win) and it will ask you on startup to find the catalog you want to use. If you’re in Lightroom, you can choose Open Catalog from the File menu. Or, when you start Lightroom, you can hold down the Option key (Mac) or Alt key (Win) and it will ask you on startup to find the catalog you want to use.

]]> By: Tracy http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5604 Tracy Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:19:47 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5604 I'm a new user to LR and I'm having problems with not being able to open the catalogs. Finally, I just moved them to a backup drive and have been waiting to find the time to figure out the problem. Thus this post... Now that I've moved them to another drive, how do I redirect LR to find them? Then, how do I get LR to OPEN the darn catalogs? I'm about ready to pull my hair out and any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m a new user to LR and I’m having problems with not being able to open the catalogs. Finally, I just moved them to a backup drive and have been waiting to find the time to figure out the problem. Thus this post… Now that I’ve moved them to another drive, how do I redirect LR to find them? Then, how do I get LR to OPEN the darn catalogs? I’m about ready to pull my hair out and any help would be greatly appreciated.

]]> By: Eric http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5597 Eric Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:05:34 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5597 I haven't blogged about it yet because it's still evolving for me a bit. (As you might imagine, my own photography took kind of a back seat to the final preparations to get software ready to go.) For the most part, my workflow is similar to what I described in this article, but since LR3 added the ability to lock the filter settings across collections (i.e. only browse the green-labeled photos), I'm experimenting with no longer using the separate Selects catalogs. I haven’t blogged about it yet because it’s still evolving for me a bit. (As you might imagine, my own photography took kind of a back seat to the final preparations to get software ready to go.)

For the most part, my workflow is similar to what I described in this article, but since LR3 added the ability to lock the filter settings across collections (i.e. only browse the green-labeled photos), I’m experimenting with no longer using the separate Selects catalogs.

]]> By: John http://ericscouten.com/2009/09/lightroom-2-technique-how-i-organize-my-catalog-and-why-2009-edition/#comment-5594 John Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:43:21 +0000 http://blog.ericscouten.com/?p=349#comment-5594 I would also like to know if your workflow has changed with LR3. I would also like to know if your workflow has changed with LR3.

]]>