How to save versions of files with different presets/settings?

[Mushu]

New to Lightroom - and sure I'm missing something obvious... have been poking around but have not seen answer...

I have a client that has requested a particular photo in color and black n white. In other programs, I would have just saved a version of the file and put a "-bw" extension on it and put that under a B&W subdirectory under the original directory. Can certainly do that here... but thought there must be a better "lightroomesque" way...

Tried using a collections (i.e. one named B&W) thinking that once a file was part of a collection, I could make adjustments and have them only apply to the photo in the collection...but those changes rolled back into main photos...

Ideas? Sorry if this is newbie material...

???

 

[pknoot]

Have you tried using Virtual Copies?

 

[RikkFlohr]

Snapshots are also a good option. In combination, Virtual Copies and Snapshots can meet many needs.

 

[MarkNicholas]

If you use snapshots make sure that you do something to mark the photo to be able to later recognise which photo has snapshot(s), because in several months time when you are looking for them it will not be pleasant (I have been there!). Whenever I create a snapshot, I also create a virtual copy and colour code them for easy recognition later. You could also apply the keywork "snapshot".

There are many on this forum who don't like snapshots and will tell you just to use virtual copies which will work fine. However, I like to use snapshots as they can be saved in the xmp sidecar file.

 

[clee01l]

[quote author=MarkNicholas link=topic=8151.msg5549'#msg5549' date=1256172594]

There are many on this forum who don't like snapshots and will tell you just to use virtual copies which will work fine. However, I like to use snapshots as they can be saved in the xmp sidecar file.
[/quote]I like snapshots for this reason too. Since the end result of this process is an exported JPEG file, I incorporate the (short) Snapshot name in the export file name. As a consequence, my Export files names might look like this: K2'D1234.LR2.5.v1.JPG which translates to {Sourcefile}.{ProcessVersion}.{SnapshotName}.{Ext} With this coded piece of information, I can always reproduce a new duplicate export file from the original Master Source file.
Even if the catalog is destroyed, I can Extract the filter settings from the Snapshot data contained in the XMP section of the EXIF of my Master DNG or if I used a camera with a proprietary RAW format, a sidecar file.

 

[Mushu]

Thanks all for the quick responses! I believe what I was looking for was virtual copies - and now I see that when I go to create a collection (if my photos are selected) I get a prompt to create virtual copies... Geez... these guys think of everything!

Will do more research on snapshots - especially as they apply to the discussion regarding XMP and the sidecar file... not sure I have an appreciation for the importance of the sidecar file ... in fact not even sure I set up LR to produce sidecar files...

Thanks again!