Where are the original RAW images after editing them?

[cameragirl]

If you edit a photo (RAW) then where do I find the original one later? It says everywhere that the untouched, original one would still be there. Or do I have to copy/save all imported RAW images first and then edit the ones I select?

 

[dj_paige]

If you edit a photo (RAW) then where do I find the original one later? It says everywhere that the untouched, original one would still be there. Or do I have to copy/save all imported RAW images first and then edit the ones I select?

Depends on what you mean by "find".

If you mean find in Windows/Mac operating system, the original raw is right where you put it when it came out of the camera.

If you mean find in Lightroom, you would usually only see the edited version in the Lightroom Library module. To see the original and raw, you could go into the Develop module, and toggle with the backslash (\) key to move back and forth between edited and unedited.

You don't have to "copy/save all imported RAW images first", importing them into Lightroom should be sufficient. (However, you should make backups of all of your original photos and your catalog file to a different hard disk.)

 

[Replytoken]

If you edit a photo (RAW) then where do I find the original one later? It says everywhere that the untouched, original one would still be there. Or do I have to copy/save all imported RAW images first and then edit the ones I select?

Unless you sync your data to the file containing the image, LR does not alter your original file. So, your file remains your file just where it was originally copied or moved. Crudely speaking, LR is really a database with sets of instructions for how to modify images. It does not actually "import" the image into the program. Rather it keeps track of where your image resides, and it holds a set of instructions as to how to modify that image when you work on it in LR. When you want to have that modified outside of LR, you need to export that image with your corrections/changes. Exporting creates a new file with your corrections/changes "baked" into the new file, which now lives on its own outside of LR.

--Ken

 

[Denis Pagé]

The only time Lightroom is modifying a raw file is when you modify the capture time and also have set an option in preferences to include that change into the original raw file. That said, the raw data of what will be interpreted by the converter as an image is not modified.

 

[cameragirl]

Let me make myself more clear what I did and where I need help

Unless you sync your data to the file containing the image, LR does not alter your original file. So, your file remains your file just where it was originally copied or moved. Crudely speaking, LR is really a database with sets of instructions for how to modify images. It does not actually "import" the image into the program. Rather it keeps track of where your image resides, and it holds a set of instructions as to how to modify that image when you work on it in LR. When you want to have that modified outside of LR, you need to export that image with your corrections/changes. Exporting creates a new file with your corrections/changes "baked" into the new file, which now lives on its own outside of LR.

--Ken

Am not sure if I can really follow it. Let me explain what I did and hope you can help me out. Since I dont have an external drive yet (I know!!) I import in LR into a folder by date. Then I edited the image. I cannot find the original one without my editing...so that is where my question comes in: where did it go? When I get my external drive I suppose I FIRST import/download my images so all originals are saved and then do editing in Lightroom? Please help, I have LR for a few months but now just time to get into it and need to learn asap.

 

[dj_paige]

Your original without editing is exactly where you put it. It doesn't go anywhere when you do the editing in Lightroom. Lightroom doesn't move your files unless you specifically tell it to do so. Lightroom doesn't modify your files when you edit the files (unless you specifically tell it to do so).

You can view the original and the edited version by going into the Develop module in Lightroom and then pressing backslash (\) to toggle between original and edited.

When you get your EHD, and you want to move your photos onto this new drive, if they have already been imported into Lightroom, you would use Lightroom to do the move. No need to export or import. If the photos have not been imported into Lightroom, then you would have to use Windows to move the photos to the new hard drive.

 

[Denis Pagé]

If you edit a photo (RAW) then where do I find the original one later? It says everywhere that the untouched, original one would still be there.

The original what? Here, in case of raws, we are talking about the original file. And yes, it will stay unmodified where you placed it at import time. The only case of modification I told you above (Capture time).

Or do I have to copy/save all imported RAW images first and then edit the ones I select?

Lets clarify things first. There is no such thing as a raw image! The only image a raw file contains is a little JPEG preview made by the camera's processor and embedded alongside the raw capture data in the file. This is the one you view when selecting files and that briefly show in the vignettes in grid view at import time. Those are soon replaced by Lightroom's interpretation of the raw data.

Am not sure if I can really follow it. Let me explain what I did and hope you can help me out. Since I dont have an external drive yet (I know!!) I import in LR into a folder by date. Then I edited the image.

Lightroom is a raw converter. As such, the image only exist in the computer's memory and on screen. If you use a different program to make the raw conversion, you will get a different image.

I cannot find the original one without my editing...

To resume, as the original raw file doesn't contain the image you see in Lightroom, there is no such thing as an original image. The closest thing to an original image is the state it was in when first interpreted by Lightroom. To access this state of the image, in the left panel of the Develop module, under History and at the bottom of it will be "Import..." (Not to be confused with the Import button of the Library module!). Click it and you will get the image without your further editings. Understand that some edits can be made at import time when Lightroom first interpret the raw data as per your instructions.

...so that is where my question comes in: where did it go?

Out of existence, it had nowhere to go! It was created in memory/on screen by Lightroom by interpreting the raw data. An image of some sort will go somewhere when you will export one.

Now you may be tempted to say: "Hey! but I saw an image on the back of the camera when I took it!". In fact, what you saw was the interpretation of the raw data made by the camera electronics'/embedded software with its own interpretation of it slightly different from the one made by Lightroom or any other raw conversion program. This was also the little JPEG to be embedded in your raw file as a preview...

When I get my external drive I suppose I FIRST import/download my images so all originals are saved and then do editing in Lightroom? Please help, I have LR for a few months but now just time to get into it and need to learn asap.

You just need to backup those raw files alongside a copy of you catalog containing the edits on another drive(s). This can be done anytime.

 

[cameragirl]

Your original without editing is exactly where you put it. It doesn't go anywhere when you do the editing in Lightroom. Lightroom doesn't move your files unless you specifically tell it to do so. Lightroom doesn't modify your files when you edit the files (unless you specifically tell it to do so).

You can view the original and the edited version by going into the Develop module in Lightroom and then pressing backslash (\) to toggle between original and edited.

When you get your EHD, and you want to move your photos onto this new drive, if they have already been imported into Lightroom, you would use Lightroom to do the move. No need to export or import. If the photos have not been imported into Lightroom, then you would have to use Windows to move the photos to the new hard drive.

Thanks DJ, I tried it right away, using backslash. It worked. It shows before and after.....SAME! I created some vignettes and they both show it. Eeek, did I do something wrong??
I am on Mac, not that would make it different in this case. I really dont know what to do. The original without editing is on my hard drive, in my Library folder by date when I imported it. And also my edited version.:shock:

 

[dj_paige]

Thanks DJ, I tried it right away, using backslash. It worked. It shows before and after.....SAME! I created some vignettes and they both show it. Eeek, did I do something wrong??

I guess that depends on what you did, and you didn't really tell us. Please tell us step by step. Use technically correct terms, like Library Module, Develop Module, Folder Panel, etc. If you did anything outside of Lightroom, please make it clear that you did something outside of Lightroom. We've reached the point where you need to be very detailed and precise, or we are never going to figure this out.

I assume you imported photos into Lightroom, selected a photo in the Lightroom Library Module grid display, went into Develop Module, and then made some changes (did the changes appear on the screen at that time?) That's how I edit photos in Lightroom. Then you closed Lightroom and came back later and your changes don't appear? You have to confirm these are the steps you took, or provide us with the actual steps that you followed.

I am on Mac, not that would make it different in this case. I really dont know what to do. The original without editing is on my hard drive, in my Library folder by date when I imported it. And also my edited version.:shock:

Doesn't matter, Mac and Windows should be the same in Lightroom.

How can the original be in your Library folder and also the edited version? Please tell us how you got two versions. These are Raw photos, right? What do you mean by "Library folder"?

 

[cameragirl]

First I imported photos from my memory card (RAW) into Lightroom. Then selected one of the photos (not a virtual copy just clicking on the photo in Library Module) and did some changes. Yes the changes appeared on the screen.
Later.....guess what I just did? I clicked on the photo in Develop Module, then went to the History panel, scrolled down and clicked on Import (date) and the original showed up. duh! Guess I figured it out. Thanks for your patience dj!
By the way, now my question is that if you want to make changes is it better to make a virtual copy? Gosh am so relieved!!

 

[Denis Pagé]

First I imported photos from my memory card (RAW) into Lightroom...

WARNING!

When you say imported from memory card, did you choose

1. Import from current location
2. Move and Import...
3. Copy and Import...
4. ...

#1 is to be avoided as when you will reuse your cards, your original files will be gone! #3 is better choice here.

EDIT: I wrote #2 rather than #3...

 

[dj_paige]

First I imported photos from my memory card (RAW) into Lightroom. Then selected one of the photos (not a virtual copy just clicking on the photo in Library Module) and did some changes. Yes the changes appeared on the screen.
Later.....guess what I just did? I clicked on the photo in Develop Module, then went to the History panel, scrolled down and clicked on Import (date) and the original showed up. duh! Guess I figured it out. Thanks for your patience dj!
By the way, now my question is that if you want to make changes is it better to make a virtual copy? Gosh am so relieved!!

Well that's a relief.

Virtual copies are useful if you plan on make several different types of finished products, for example, a color version and a black and white version; or a 5x7 crop and a 4x6 crop; or a high-contrast version and a low-contrast version; etc.

Ordinarily, since I only want one finished product, I don't use Virtual Copies. I just go ahead and edit. On some occasions, I do use Virtual Copies because I either don't like my first edit, I want to try again and see if I can do better; or because I know in advance I want both color and B&W edits.

So ... "is it better to make a virtual copy"? Only if you need a virtual copy. Normally, the answer is "no".

 

[Mark Sirota]

You can always get a virtual copy of your "original" later -- just make a VC of the edited file, then press the Reset button at the lower right in Develop, or use the shortcut Shift-Command-R (Shift-Control-R on Windows).

Now that we all understand what you meant by "original", we should probably explain what that is, because "original" isn't quite the right term.

What you're seeing is the underlying raw file, rendered by Lightroom using its default settings modified by any preset you might have applied at import time. It's no more "original" than your edited version, it's just different.

Your edited version uses the underlying raw data, rendered using whatever settings you've got set in Develop. The "original" just uses different settings.

There's really no such thing as an "original" when it comes to raw files. See this blog post I wrote about it a while back.

 

[Denis Pagé]

Nicely said in so few words Mark!
Here, the fact that english is not my native language is showing...
(blablablabla...)

 

[cameragirl]

Nicely said in so few words Mark!
Here, the fact that english is not my native language is showing...
(blablablabla...)

Same here!:mrgreen:

 

[cameragirl]

There's really no such thing as an "original" when it comes to raw files. See this blog post I wrote about it a while back.[/quote]


That helps a lot. I understand it much better now. Thanks!