Lightroom ... am I losing my originals after edit?

Leftyplayer

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Can others edit my Photos
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I'll have an image imported into lightroom in the original camera resolution/pixels. I'll make edits in the Develop Module and then export (usually for web, which means I'll resize in the export menu to, say, 600x400). I've noticed a few times (today finally one too many) that then when I hover over the image in Lightroom, it'll say 600x400 as the image's size. It only happens rarely, but usually it happens with a photo I've edited and exported, which means a photo I care about. I sometimes make changes in photoshop (going through Lightroom, as in, "Photo --> Edit In") and haven't noticed if these were all worked in Photoshop in this way. I never resize in Photoshop though (only resize during Lightroom's Export).

Where in the heck are the originals? Are they gone? Why would it replace it? I don't usually export it to the same folder as the original - I only put imported images imported from camera in that one folder (called Photo Shoots). Anything I export from Lightroom goes outside of that folder into various other things, such as "Facebook" "Client Export" "Portfolio" etc.

What is going on??
 
Always work on a copy!

A good workflow would be to copy the images you want to edit to a new folder/directory and edit them there. Your originals will always be in the original folder.
 
Lightroom doesn't alter the original files. Not sure where your originals would be though, did you try searching your computer? Personally, I don't import directly to lightroom. Like Orrin ^ I copy my originals to a folder on my hd then import from there.
 
LR is a non-destructive editor.
 
As mentioned above Lightroom is non-destructive. But if you edit your Raw in something else along with Lightroom it can cause problems.
 
No, I don't use any other programs but Lightroom and Photoshop. And I never bring in an original into Photoshop, I do "Edit in -> Photoshop CS5" and select to Edit a copy with lightroom adjustments. I never edit on the original, which is why this is so confusing.
 
I have a backup of the Lightroom catalogue from 4 days after the problematic photos were imported. I have the .lrcat file. Wondering if the original would be found there? If so, how do I get to it without messing up my current catalog version - these pictures are from summer 2011, so I've done a lot of other work in Lightroom since then. Since I only work with one catalog, I haven't had practice switching from catalog to catalog nor recovering backups. In other words, would "recovering" the backup of that catalog result in going back to that point in time and losing all my work since? That wouldn't be worth it.

Your help is much appreciated.
 
LR IS non-destructive, eaning it doesnt alter the original file, HOWEVER, that doesnt stop you from saving OVER (rewriting) the original file, if the file is JPG or TIFF. I know many people who have done that.
 
If you look in the left side panel on the develop module in LR3 you will find "history" That contains a record of every adjustment that you made. You can click on any step and it will show you the image as it was at that point. Go all the way back and you have your original. It is all there, all the time.
 

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