How to import/export between working/archive catalogs

[Victoria Bampton]

So, I think from now on I will import each photo shoot into a new, blank catalog; process all the shots and then, only when all the edits are complete, import that catalog into my master catalog.

That's basically the way I work. I got fed up with opening and closing catalogs in the end, so I switched to a 'working' catalog which might contain multiple weddings but never gets too big, and then import those into the supersize 'archive' catalog once I've finished processing.

If you keyword your images, just be aware that you can end up with multiple similar keywords if you're not careful, but otherwise, it works a treat.

 

[stefpix]

do you move the photos manually and then import the catalog?
if you import the photos with the catalog how can you direct them to the folder you want to send them to?
or you just move the folder containing the images them import just the catalog to the large catalog and find missing files?
what is the best way to sync these catalogs?
stefano

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Stefpix, I tend to leave the files in their existing locations. I close my working catalog, open my archive catalog, and choose Import From Catalog. Point it to the working catalog, and choose which folders I wish to import into archive, and hit import. Then I go back to working catalog and remove them from that catalog.

You could work with an interim catalog as well. Select the files you want to move. Go to Export as Catalog and tell it to take the original files along too. Then open the archive catalog and import everything from there. I'm not sure, off the top of my head, but I have a feeling the Import from Catalog dialog does allow you to move originals. I'll have to double check that though.

 

[JBtheLD]

Stepfix,

Here's how I do it:
I create a new, blank, empty catalog in Lightroom. This will be my working catalog.
I import a new shoot into that empty catalog with the RAW files going from my memory card onto my c: drive and also copy the raw files to my master external g: drive.

I actually use Windows Explorer to make the copy once the import is complete but could
easily set Lightroom to backup the RAW files to the external g: drive while it does the import.

I then process the shoot referencing the RAW files on my c: drive.
Any RAW files that I don't want I mark as Rejects, but I don't delete them yet.
When the processing is done, I close Lightroom.
Using Windows Explorer I move or delete the RAW files from my c: drive.

I re-open the working catalog.
Lightroom can't find the RAW files so the folder(s) goes red.
I right click on the red folder and select "Locate Missing Folder".
I point Lightroom to the folder on my external g: drive.
The folder goes back to white when Lightroom has found all the RAW files on the g: drive.

I now delete all the photos in my working catalog that I have marked as Rejects.
I optimise my working catalog & relaunch Lightroom, using the option in Catalog Settings.

I open my large, master catalog.

I then "Import from Catalog" my small newly processed working catalog.
I then optimise the master catalog,
I close Lightroom and make a copy of the master catalog's lrcat file, just to be safe.

For clarity, I use the following folder structure:
I save my RAW files in C:/Data/Digital Photos/Folder Name on my internal hard drive
and on G:/Data/Digital Photos/Folder Name on my external hard drive.
This way it's quick and simple for Lightroom to find the missing RAW files when I do "Locate Missing Folder" in the Library module.

I have a similar folder structure on my laptop, so if I expect to work on my working catalog while away, I simply copy the RAW files and the working catalog lrcat file to my laptop. When I return to my Desktop PC at home, I just copy the lrcat file back to my Desktop PC and carry on. Lightroom doesn't know that I've swapped from Laptop to Desktop.

Hope some of this helps,

John

 

[stefpix]

I think I will try that - actually I was thinking it could be worth working the other way around. if you need to old edit photos for a website or print or whatever - you could select the images and export those as a catalog - work on those on a small lean catalog. wis LR could open more than one catalog at once so you dont need to relaunch just open and close [like iview media].

 

[Bruce J]

John or Victoria (or others who use the multiple-catalog approach):

How do you keep your keyword lists coordinated? If I import new images to a new working catalog, do I also have to import my keyword list from my master catalog? I do all of my keywording by dragging selected images to the keyword list on the left-hand panel in Library, so I'm not worried about mis-typing terms, etc. But, I do need to have the entire up-to-date keyword list in the working catalog each time I create a new catalog. Thanks,

 

[Victoria Bampton]

I keep a single image with all keywords attached, and read/write that data to/from xmp regularly. That ensures that all of my catalogs have the same keywords available.

 

[JBtheLD]

Wow Victoria,
That's a need idea!

John

 

[Bruce J]

I keep a single image with all keywords attached, and read/write that data to/from xmp regularly. That ensures that all of my catalogs have the same keywords available.

Interesting idea. If I understand the concept correctly, you would import this image into each new catalog to transfer the entire keyword list. Now, if I add a new keyword to my hierarchy while I'm in a working catalog, I would have to add the new keyword to the dummy image and write the metadata to xmp for that image. Then, when I import the working catalog back into the master catalog, does that update the keyword hierarchy in the master catalog, or do I have to re-sync the metadata for the dummy image there also? Guess I'll have to do some experimenting. Thanks,