The case for multiple catalogues

[MarkNicholas]

I have a catalogue that has all my photos imported into it. However, recently I have found it to be very slow, even after optimising.

For my last shoot I decided to created a new catalogue with exactly the same attributes as my main catalogue. I only imported photos from my latest shoot (about 25' shots) and did all the edits and keywording in that catalogue.

WOW, what an improvement in performance !! After I finished I saved all my edits to xmp sidecar files and then imported into my master catalogue and cleared my "working catalogue". I will be using this "working catalogue" for all my future shoots.

 

[RikkFlohr]

One catalog for initial processing and one master for searching? Hadn't thought about doing it that way. Have to give that some thought.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Mark, many people do it exactly that way, for exactly the same reasons. I'm still pretty happy with the performance of my 4'k image catalog on my current hardware, or I'd definitely consider that method for myself. If I'm not mistaken, the Queen of all things Lightroom does it that way as well, or a reasonable facsimile.

 

[johnbeardy]

This WIP + Master approach has advantages. It is effectively how I work, with new images going onto a Mac laptop so I can work on them while watching United on the telly. After deciding which images to keep and doing most processing and metadata entry, I'll then move the work over to the main desktop PC and into the main catalogue. For me the convenience outweighs the disadvantage that keywords and their spellings (also singular / plural) can diverge, and the temporary loss of ability to do searches which might include WIP and existing images.

But it doesn't really undermine the single catalogue principle of not fragmenting control of your picture collection. The WIP catalogue, like a catalogue I might prepare for a demo, is only destined to be temporary.

John

 

[Winston]

John,

Can't you avoid the keyword screwups by exporting and importing the most recent keyword state?

 

[johnbeardy]

Oh yes, you have to do so. But do you always remember?

John

 

[Victoria Bampton]

[quote author=Brad Snyder link=topic=84'6.msg56967#msg56967 date=1258435742]If I'm not mistaken, the Queen of all things Lightroom does it that way as well, or a reasonable facsimile.
[/quote]

Well remembered. Personal pics are all in a single catalog, however work stuff is in a 32'k archive catalog and a smaller working catalog. Works a treat.

 

[MarkNicholas]

When I first started using LR I did not use the cataloguing features at all. What I did was import my shoot, edit, save xmp files and then export Jpegs and then remove the photos from LR. No wonder I got a few puzzled responses to my early posts !!

 

[Winston]

[quote author=johnbeardy link=topic=84'6.msg56993#msg56993 date=1258482135]
Oh yes, you have to do so. But do you always remember?

John
[/quote]
If you are a true process person you do :icon_mrgreen:

There ought to be an option to do a keyword export on exit.

 

[Brad Snyder]

[quote author=Winston link=topic=84'6.msg57'4'#msg57'4' date=12585711'6]

If you are a true process person you do :icon_mrgreen:

There ought to be an option to do a keyword export on exit.
[/quote]
We'll put it right there with the a) Save XMP on exit, b) Backup on exit buttons. Eventually ......

 

[perottol]

New feature idea:
Would be great with something like a "Quick Catalogue". Often I find myself processing and editing pictures I don't actually want in my own catalogue. This way I could open LR and do the editing without importing the pictures into my catalogue. It could work on folder basis like Adobe Bridge. After your're done you can implement the pictures in your main catalogue.

I feel that this idea also could be used to the often asked question "Working with files on another computers", but I'm not sure how.