lightroom auto import question

wet

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I am very new to lightroom. My so call work flow is

1. Download my pictures to my directories
2. Do import from disks
3. Edits my pictures using develop
4. Save the edited pics into source/lightroom directory

My questions is how do I tell LR to automatically import the folders that contain pictures from my latest edits? Do I really have to do import from disk all the time after my edits? Right now after I edit my pictures or if I edit my old pictures from several directories, I have to remember which pictures in which directory so that I can go back & redo import from disk. I paid $300 for this software, it must be able to do a better job than this.

I tried auto import using watched folder, it only import pictures that I put into the directory to be watched. Is not really what I want. If this is the only way, do I have to put all edited my pictures under 1 directory?

I tried to read up before I ask but I can find it on instruction manual nor internet if this feature even exist in LR. I must be completely missing something.

I hope I am not confusing anyone with my question.

Thanks.
 
i'm not understanding what your trying to do.. your editing a picture in lightroom, then wanting to auto import it to lightroom? this makes no sense to me...

lightroom is an amazing program and so far has been able to do everything I want.. my guess is, either what your trying to do makes no sense.. or, your not explaining it right..
 
Hmmm, I'm a bit confused also. I insert my CF card into the reader, open LR, go to Library Module and select Import from the lower left. It pops up a window asking if I want to import from the card or to choose a different folder.

I select the card, and tell it to import in a specified sub-folder, edit and export. Tah-Dah.
 
Perhaps in step 4, you're "Exporting" a new copy as a TIF or JPG or some other image file format to a folder? And then, you'd like to have that new file added into the Library?

If that's the case, what you're looking to do is "Synchronize Folder". Just go to the Library, right click on the folder or a parent folder, as far up the folder food chain as you like, and choose "Synchronize Folder". It will then import all the new image files it finds in the folders from there on down that directory tree.

An exception would be PSD files that were not saved using "Maximize PSD and PSB File Compatibility".

By the way, like the others, I import my photos directly from the CF card and in the process choose where to place them using Lightroom, usually making a new folder for them in the process. It sounds like you may be taking an extra step or two in your method. If you're looking to simplify things, that might be another place to trim your work flow somewhat.
 
I am kinda confused too. Why would you re-import files that you've already edited? I think that would totally defeat the point of using Lightroom, wouldn't that make it impossible to go back and change something that you did to the file before you exported it? If you were going to re-edit a previously edited file, wouldn't you want to start with the original again?
 
You don't need to do the last step of saving (exporting?) the files when you are done editing them. Everything in Lightroom is saved already.

If you want to have images for printing, giving to a client or uploading to the web....that is when you export the images. These new files should be thought of as a product, not really the next step in your workflow. You shouldn't need to re-import them back into LR because you still have the original images in LR.
 
You don't need to do the last step of saving (exporting?) the files when you are done editing them. Everything in Lightroom is saved already.

If you want to have images for printing, giving to a client or uploading to the web....that is when you export the images. These new files should be thought of as a product, not really the next step in your workflow. You shouldn't need to re-import them back into LR because you still have the original images in LR.

What if I decided to make 2 copies with different edits from the original files? Do I have to reimport them back? That is my question.

example: import from disk file call xxx.CR2 --> perform edit 1 --> crank up exposure to +1 --> export to img_1 --> perform edit 2 --> crank up the exposure to +2 --> export as img_2

Do I have to re-import these 2 files (img_1 & img_2) back, is there a auto detect feature?

See, I am more use to Canon Zoom Browser where the left hand side is more like a window explorer where i can delete/copy etc. So please bear with me.
 
if your wanting to do multiple edits of an original file, import the file into LR then right click the image, and click "create virtual copy" this will then create a second copy of the image, do your edits on the first one, then do you edits on the copy.. and your good to go..
 
Lightroom is non-destructive editing. That means, the edits are done on top of the image being viewed and saved in a separate database file. The original image file is untouched.

If you want to do two separate edits in Lightroom itself, you can create a virtual copy and edit each "copy" individually. This does NOT create separate files, but creates two separate edits in the database. Your original file saved on the computer is untouched.

example 1:

  • Image1.xxx
  • You want to change the exposure to two separate edits, +1 and +2 as you indicated.
  • Right click the image and choose "virtual copy." This gives you 2 images in the database, but the original image is still the only one saved on the drive.
  • Make your separate edits to each of the virtual copies. One is edited at +1 and the other at +2.
  • Each of these "virtual copies" can be left as is in Lightroom and printed. There is no files other than your original. The edits are in a database and applied to each "virtual copy."
  • Or if you'd like, they can be exported to another file to upload or edit externally such as Photoshop.


If you are editing in a separate program, such as Photoshop, you export from Lightroom to a completely separate file and open it in Photoshop (there is a menu "export to Photoshop" option or something similar.)

Example 2:

  • Image1.xxx
  • You want to edit externally in Photoshop two different versions.
  • Export the image to Photoshop via "export to Photoshop" in the menu or just export the image to a folder on the drive as Image1-edit.xxx or whatever.
  • Open the image in Photoshop (it will automatically if you chose "export to Photoshop.")
  • Edit the image to the +1 exposure in Photoshop and export that file to Image1-edit1.xxx or whatever you choose.
  • You can edit the image again another +1 to give you +2 overall and export that to a 2nd edited file, Image1-edit2.xxx for example.
It sounds to me like the example 1 is what you are trying to do...

EDIT: Thanks thenikonguy for jumping in there with shorter text than I was typing to get it posted faster... :D:D:D
 
Thanks for the explantion. I guess I totally miss the bigger picture. It all make sense now. I am sorry if I make things more convoluted than it should, I totally don't understand LR until today.
 
Don't worry about it ;)

LR uses a totally different file/image management system than what most software uses, and has been using since the beginning of time....so it can take some time to really wrap your head around it.
 

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