Removing & Replacing Photos

[Outerbank10]

Lightroom Version Number

Ver 6.14

Operating System

1. Windows 7

I would like to know the most expedient/safe method for removing and replacing images from its current folder? The original source of the images imported into LR 6.14 were previously modified by another application. My desire is to import the original un-modified images and perform LR editing on the original images. Would removing all the edited images from the folder be the first step in the process? The next step would be importing the original images into the same folder?

 

[Philippe Coudé du Foresto]

For safety, I would do as follow :
1. In LR, import the originals in a new folder
2. Put the images from both folders into a collection
3. sort the collection per capture time (hopping thet the editing software let it unchanged)
4. By pressing "x" mark all the edited images for which you have the original as "to be suppressed
5. Go to the old folder, use the menu to delete all the images marked as "to be suppressed". If there are some image left, move them to the new folder
6. Delete the old folder
7. Rename the new folder to the name of the old folder.

Before excuting step 4, you might go in develop module and for each original, use the modified image as reference to help achieving the same result with LR.

 

[Outerbank10]

Certainly, there must be a simpler operation for removing and replacing images than described. What is the purpose for sorting the images based on capture time? The images that are to be removed and then replaced are from a vacation trip over a few weeks. I am not concerned about preserving any edits made to the images to be removed. It is acceptable to me to perform the edits again. I do not need to save whatever image edits were made previously.

One additional question. When images are removed from LR are they also removed from the Lr catalog including whatever edits that were made?

 

[Zenon]

Do you have folders of mixed files that you want to keep? Some files were not edited previously and some that where? If not just delete and re-import the folders if you are starting over. Do this using LR. I'm not sure if the catalogue gets updated but I would guess it does. You can't control that anyway and it takes almost no storage space so not an issue. If you are starting over completely with everything you could create a new catalogue and turf the old one.

 

[Philippe Coudé du Foresto]

The process I proposed is just because I'm a bit paranoiac and like be sur I don't loose any image in such a process (and BTW, sorting by capture date is to have the same photos (original and edited) displayed side by side)
Yes, if you're sure you won't loose any image, it's more simple. Import the orignal in a new folder. When done remove the old folder.

 

[Replytoken]

For lack of a better term, LR is a bit "dumb" about its files when it come to replacing them (IF done properly). If you are literally replacing the imported file with a backup of the file with the exact name, and you do not move locations or make any other changes, LR should be fine. The easiest way to test this, and more importantly that you are doing it correctly, is to replace just one file. If all is well, you can replace the other files in question. But, Philippe has rights to be concerned about these types of actions, and you should have copies backed up before you start doing an activity such as this. Remember, you are not importing the replacement file. In your OS, you are just removing the bad version and placing in the new version in the exact same place with the exact same name. If that does not make sense to you, then ask questions before proceeding.

Good luck,

--Ken

 

[Outerbank10]

Allow me to provide additional information about removing and replacing LR edited photos. The original photos were imported to the operating system HD. They are in a sub-folder within a primary "Pictures" folder. The photos were then imported into LR from the sub-folder on the HD. Some of these photos were edited using a different application that is no longer used. The photos, including those modified by a previous application, were also imported into LR. My objective is to import all the original and unmodified photos into LR. The original unmodified photos have been recovered into the sub-folder previously described. Consequently, all of the photos in the sub-folder are now original unmodified photos. It will be starting from scratch so to speak.

Can all the existing LR edited photos be removed from the folder in one operation while retaining the same folder? The subsequent step would be to import the original photos from the sub-folder in "Pictures" to the same folder in LR. It is recognized that whatever edits that were previously done to the images in LR will be lost and that whatever edits are required they will need to be done again. It's not a big deal to me as the edits in LR were not extensive or complex.

 

[Zenon]

The ones that were edited using a previous application. Are they still RA W and did you use a non destructive editor? If so you should be OK because LR won't recognize edits from a different software. I occasionally edit photos that are in the LR catalogue using Canon's DPP. The catalogue just keeps a record of your LR edits only but does not alter the RAW file itself.

 

[Outerbank10]

Have successfully removed the edited LR photos from the designated folder and replaced them with original unedited photos. Have begun the editing process in LR of the original photos. Thanks for the help.

 

[Zenon]

Glad it worked out.

 

[Dan Marchant]

Have successfully removed the edited LR photos from the designated folder and replaced them with original unedited photos. Have begun the editing process in LR of the original photos. Thanks for the help.

Was there some specific reason why you wanted to remove the files and then put them back? If what you wanted was to remove the existing Lightroom edit you just need to right click/Cmd click the image(s) and select Develop Settings > Reset .

 

[Outerbank10]

Yes, there was a specific reason for removing all the images and then putting them back. The simple explanation, as previously explained, was that many of the images were edited by another application no longer used. My desire was to remove and replace those edited images with the original images for import into LR. Removing all of the previously imported images, rather than just those edited images was more expedient than having to select and remove individual images, followed by then having to select these images again for import into LR. Removing and replacing all the images in LR proved to be the simpler task. Using the right click and then proceeding to Develop Settings>Reset would not have restored the image to its original state.

 

[Dan Marchant]

Are you talking about TIFFs/JPGs or RAW files?

 

[Outerbank10]

The images are jpgs. These are images that were shot a few years ago prior to installing LR. As previously described, a number of these images were edited using software that is no longer. The software created edited modified jpgs while saving the original jpgs in a different folder.