Comments on: Video – Importing the Exports

By: Shamika Whitham

Shamika Whitham — Sat, 15 May 2010 09:29:15 +0000

Say thank you you an eye to another monstrous article. Where else could anyone suffer from that philanthropic of intelligence in such a holy acknowledge proceeding of writing? I maintain a display next week, and I am on the look recompense such information.

By: Ed Macke

Ed Macke — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:57:00 +0000

This is a pretty old post, so I’m not sure if comments are still being monitored, but here goes…

While I like Matt’s idea, it doesn’t always work for me.

For starters, a single RAW/DNG can result in *multiple* exports (e.g. a low quality JPG for email and a high quality JPG for SmugMug). Also, I may put want to put copies of an exported JPG into “special” directories (screen saver, school projects, for syncing to a photo frame memory card, etc.) So I don’t just have a single export of an image, I have multiple exports that reside in multiple directories.

So what I’ve had happen is I realized in Lightroom (my “master” collection) that I used the wrong keyword on an image or decided to tweak develop settings or whatever. After I make the change in Lightroom, the question becomes how to keep *all* the derivative images in sync?

Ideally, Lightroom would keep track of every export you did – what were the settings, where was it exported to, etc. – and have a “Sync Exports” button that would re-export your current image to all your derivatives using the original export settings.

But it can’t (at least not in my 1.3 version).

My solution is to use LR to store my master images, but use Picasa to watch my exported folder and its subfolders.

Picasa will automatically watch for updated images, and update its catalog immediately.

If you tell LR to monitor/watch a directory, it will, but will only import when it finds a file. Not what I need.

I could create a catalog pointed to my export directory, and manually do a “Sync”… that works but a) it’s manual, and b) it’s SLLOOOOOWWWWWW……

I hate that my freebie Google Picasa can do things my fancy, expensive Lightroom can’t, but I can’t find any workable solution in LR.

By: fuzzy bear

fuzzy bear — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:20:07 +0000

You can also set up an auto-import watch folder, and use it as the export folder. Then the photos are automatically re-imported, and you have the option when setting up the watch folder of assigning metadata to the imported photos. In this case, “delivered”, “exports”, “processed” etc..
I don’t do this though, I use a parallel derivative folder structure.

As to why.. I do this when I take a shooting job at a lower rate, in exchange for not doing editing work. I use the auto-imports + LRG FSS select web module to create a simple web based client selection system. The #1 reason is because clients are ALWAYS losing the original shots, and asking me to resend them. The shots that I re-import frequently have some post, spotting, skin-shine, panos, skin softening, not even mentioning set problems like scrapes on walls, seams in floor panels, etc.. that I really don’t want to do again.
Other uses:
I manage the photos on some peoples sites, and use the exports as my pool of photos to upload, to keep fresh content, without waiting for processing.
I might bulk export a variety of “styles”, and review them to see what I like best.
etc.. etc..

By: Don

Don — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:43:34 +0000

Hi Matt. Great video. Since you were wanting import/export feedback, here is mine. From the viewpoint of weddings, I dump all the raw images into a folder for the event. The filenames are whatever they are from the camera (IMG_xxxx.yyy). Pass #1 I use Lightroom to delete all the blinks and bad whatevers. Pass #2 I delete any duplicate images, fix white balance, and select the top images with star ratings. Next I export everything much like what you described except to a new catalog (on a different hard drive) and rename all the images to the event name/sequence #. I then use this new catalog/file names to load on the web for print orders etc. The reason I don’t create the event name/sequence set of images at the beginning is that I don’t want sequence number gaps (from the deletes) in the final set of images the client would order from. The first set of images (with the native camera names) then becomes my backup set which is kept for 60 days or so and then deleted. So, I do re-import the same images, but in a different catalog.

By: Cesar

Cesar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:51:12 +0000

The reason I would want to import back into lightroom would be to keep track of photos already cropped and ready to print. (I also add a small copyright logo to them).

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:20:59 +0000

hey matt, another great vid!! collections/virtual copies work for me. no waste, no space.

ps, thanks for signing your extremely cool layers book!!!

By: Kortney

Kortney — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:06:12 +0000

I use Lightroom exclusively (I don’t think I have opened a photo in Photoshop in 6 months). My method for keeping track of effects and sizes of photos that I have sent to clients is to use virtual copies. Each Client gets a collection and a folder under their collection is ‘Ordered’. That folder contains all the photos (with correct sizes and effects). Let’s say the client wanted 1 4×6 and 1 5×7 of image 12, then there are 2 #12 virtual copies in the ordered folder one is 4×6 and one is 5×7. After I have exported and printed the photos, I delete the exported folder.
I hope this makes sense. I just don’t like extra file clutter, especially since I keep the Client folder on my laptop for 6 months before I archive it to an external drive.

By: Lida Verner

Lida Verner — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:04:53 +0000

I watched the video and found that I do both the colour labeling and the importing of the exports … the reason being is that I have had too many corrupted Lightroom libraries and this way I know that I have them seperated out if I have to build, yet again, another lightroom library.

By: Bob G

Bob G — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:20:36 +0000

Hi,

The first thing that comes to mind is Collections. I would simply select the photos I want to export for a client and create a Collections folder and give it a relevant name i.e., “(Client Name) Exports” I think this is a very straightforward method.

By: Malcolm Sales

Malcolm Sales — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:07:01 +0000

Hi Matt,

I watched your Video and also asked Why would you want to re-import the jpgs? Like you and others I either colour code or use Collections to choose those files to be exported into jpg’s. I also keep all files created in a sub folder within the clients folder, so eventually when I come to burn the DVD back-up I have everything in one place.

You mentioned LR2 which I’m playing with in 64bit mode and recently exported jpg’s in my normal way BUT miss understood the tick box about including in the Library:(. So they all reappeared! What a mess!!

Nope, for me having the jpgs so created back in Lightroom is a non benefit!