What is a Lightroom catalog?

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lightpainter

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I’m beginning to think that I have the Lightroom file structure all wrong!
When I import a shoot into Lightroom I name it by: - year, month, day, and usually give it a location and subject matter.
On the left hand side of the Library module I can click on the line that says
2''8-5-23RiverParkSunrise, and see all the photos I have taken at this shoot, now here is the confusing bit for me, in my mind the photos are ‘ files’ that reside in the ‘Folder’ 2''8-5-23RiverParkSunrise and all those folders make up a ‘Catalog’, so all the date files down the L/H side of the library are in one single Catalog.
But after reading several posts on here I’m beginning to think that each line is a Catalog!
As you can see I’m having a struggle getting my head round it, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
A Lightroom catalog is a database that points to your photos, and contains information about your photos (such as file name, date taken, time taken and so on), and also contains the history of your edits made in Develop module to each and every photo. A Lightroom catalog is also a specific file on your computer.

Each line on the left hand side is not a catalog. It is simply Lightroom's representation of your folders (or there is a collection area on the left hand side too, that is a representation of your collections that you have created).

A Catalog contains information about the entirety of every photo that is shown in the Library module of Lightroom (or would be shown if you scroll up and down and turn off filters).
 
Thank you Paige for taking the time to answer!
It’s not the last time I get things wrong I’m sure.
 
New to Lightroom? Start here. Altough, strange you got Lightroom last year and just open the box now... :roll:
 
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