Is there any point adding keywords to RAW files?

[Birdbrain186]

Lightroom Version Number

Lightroom v 6.14 (Perpetual licence)

Operating System

1. Windows 10

After recently unchecking the "Automatically write changes into XMP" option within my LR catalog settings (my previous posting refers) so I now no longer generate any .xmp files, I have gone on to review my LR "workflow" and am wondering whether there is really any point in my adding keywords to RAW files as well as to my processed .jpgs.

I have always done this for years and haven't ever thought before of not doing so.

I suppose I've thought it best to add "all relevant information" to the .CR2 files in case I ever needed to reconstruct .jpgs due to accidental deletion or any corruption.

But I'm now thinking that as long as I have up to date LR catalog backups (on a separate drive) that it would therefore not matter that the .CR2 files (also held separately from .jpgs) do not have any keyword data, as this would be added from the catalog backup to any new ,jpgs that I needed to process.

I have for a while been conscious that having the keywords attached to both .CR2 and .jpg versions of the same photos leads to a misleading count of the number of pictures held of any given subject (unless the photos were first filtered by type) but am only just coming to realisation that it is probably a pointless exercise adding KWs to RAW files in the first place!

At least I think I'm right in saying that and if so plan to carry out an exercise to delete KWs from all my RAW archive.

But I would be grateful if anyone could point out if they see any shortcoming in me doing so.

Many thanks


Mike

 

[clee01l]

I am of the opinion that syncing metadata changes to the original file is pointless and misses the point of having current backups of the Lightroom Classic Catalog where ALL of the metadata is stored and not just the XMP metadata sent to the XMP file for RAW images.

If you are making regular snapshot backups of the master catalog you do not need any XMP data associated with the original image file. If you are not making regular backup snapshots of the catalog then you haven’t learned the most basic principles of data integrity.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Birdbrain186]

I realise I'm showing my relative inexperience with LR but didn't want to go ahead and delete several thousand keywords and then later find out that I'd made a "stupid user mistake" and regret having done so.

And although I do already make regular backup catalog snapshots, I will henceforth be doing so at more frequent intervals in light of advice from this forum.

Thanks again Cletus for your words of wisdom.

 

[PhilBurton]

And although I do already make regular backup catalog snapshots, I will henceforth be doing so at more frequent intervals in light of advice from this forum.

@Birdbrain186 Like every day, to be safe.

 

[Roelof Moorlag]

If you keep all the keywords to your RAW files (in Lightroom) and make virtual copies of your different edits you don't need to keep those jpg's. You can make them again when needed from the RAW with all information available in de Lightroom database.