I can't get myself to understand Lightroom catalogs

Would someone please explain the purpose and advantages to using the Lightroom catalog system? I'll explain where my confusion lies.

I've been using PS and Bridge for quite some time. I shoot RAW, download photos from CF card to my hard drive, browse/organize my internal file structure with Bridge, edit with ACR and then into PS, and save as whatever file type I need. However, I recently downloaded the Lightroom trial, and even after reading through threads and websites that discuss Lightroom, I can't understand why I would use the catalogs when you can use Bridge to view the actual file structure. Basically, in my mind, I think that the catalogs are basically creating a separate file structure, like another place where photos need to be organized, and I'm terrified of the thought of having to keep organized two separate file structures. But I know I must be mistaken, because everyone seems to love Lightroom. So if someone wouldn't mind explaining to me where I am mistaken, I would greatly appreciate it, as I would like to be able to get the maximum utility out of the software. Thanks.

I was a Bridge/ACR/Photoshop user too. After I finally spent some time with LR I became a convert (that was only a short while ago). The LR catalog doesn't actually keep your image files. It is a database that keeps information on your images, including their location. You can still put your images where you want them.

Check out this series of short videos on Adobe TV: http://tv.adobe.com …be-photoshop-lightroom-4/

Hmm, when you say you've read through threads and Web sites, I get the impression that you haven't started "from the beginning" in your reading.

I can't write a book for you explaining how "Digital Asset Management" (DAM) is approached/implemented in Lightroom. But you do need to learn the basics of what is there if you want to use the program!

For example, you don't seem to be aware of the use of the Folders panel, which is simply the part of your file system that has been imported into the Lightroom Catalog. The Catalog is a database that contains references to those images in those folders and the metadata of any editing or "tagging"/keywording or whatever you have done on an image. Lightroom will not "create a separate file structure" unless you actually deliberately use Lightroom to, well, so something like that!

I strongly advise you to take your time and go through basic tutorials on the Lightroom organizational/catalog​ing functions. And you can get a quick start by starting on the Lightroom Help, starting with Page 1, and going through the entire Introductory section and then the entire section covering the Library, Import and organization functions. In other words start doing your homework before you mess things up!

If you decide to get "serious" and buy the program, then I would strongly advise you to for one buy one or more of the "primers", books by Martin Evening, Scott Kelby and Victoria Bampton, all of which are experts and can walk you through things from beginning to end.

As to online resources, two excelent for-subscription sites which cover Lightroom are Lynda.com and KelbyTraining.com. Victoria Bampton also has great resources on here site LightroomQueen.com...

Like I said, do your homework! If you decide you "don't want to be bothered with the organizational stuff, well, that's fine that's OK. I'd say then that Lightroom is not for you unless and until you decide that actually you want/need it and so you do want to bother learning the stuff!

One book you could read that might help you conceptually is "The DAM Book" by Peter Krogh. He wrote the first issue before Lightroom came out, but there is a lot of good stuff to get you thinking (get the latest edition)!

cokethenwpepsi wrote in post #14188909
Would someone please explain the purpose and advantages to using the Lightroom catalog system? I'll explain where my confusion lies.

I've been using PS and Bridge for quite some time. I shoot RAW, download photos from CF card to my hard drive, browse/organize my internal file structure with Bridge, edit with ACR and then into PS, and save as whatever file type I need. However, I recently downloaded the Lightroom trial, and even after reading through threads and websites that discuss Lightroom, I can't understand why I would use the catalogs when you can use Bridge to view the actual file structure. Basically, in my mind, I think that the catalogs are basically creating a separate file structure, like another place where photos need to be organized, and I'm terrified of the thought of having to keep organized two separate file structures. But I know I must be mistaken, because everyone seems to love Lightroom. So if someone wouldn't mind explaining to me where I am mistaken, I would greatly appreciate it, as I would like to be able to get the maximum utility out of the software. Thanks.

Lightroom just keeps track of where you put your photos. It doesn't create a file structure, it's just a data base that helps you keep track and find your photos. You can move them around with LR, and if you do move a photo you should use LR to do it, or it will lose the link. The same is true of the Elements Organizer. I've never used Bridge, so I don't know if that is the same or not, but both LR and Organizer are data bases, not filing systems.

Picture it as a card catalog in a library. The catalog doesn't contain the books, it just has information associated with those books - title, author, subject, location. That's what a LR catalog is for your photos. You set up your own filing system and LR just keeps track of your photos within your system. The only real damage you can do with it is to delete photos, and you can't even do that accidentally as it warns you and makes you select whether you delete from the hard drive or just remove the database entry. Even editing is nondestructive.

Lightroom 4 also has powerful editing tools for RAW or other image file types. You can organize, edit, print, create a slideshow, make a book, GPS locate your photos. It's a pretty cool application.

Honestly, I completely forgot about Lynda.com. I'll definitely go there to teach myself the basics of LR. Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my question. I just wanted to get some advice before I developed any bad habits.

I highly recommend Lightroom for organization. I also recommend that you get Scott Kellby's book and read it before you start. It is very important and much easier to set it up right from the start. It is very easy once you understand it and reading the book will explain it to you step by step as far as setting up your catalog and organizing your photos.

You asked the advantage of the catalog system. It's primary advantage is for the photographer with a very large library of edited images, say several hundred thousand, that resides on multiple external drives that are stored away. Before he ever connects a drive to his desktop he can search them all and see large previews and virtually group them into collections. A bird photographer can have immediate access to all the ospreys he has shot over the last ten years.

My biggest thing with LR was just this. "Catalogs" ACR gives you all the tools you need to functionally perfect your raw files just as LR does, its basically the ACR editor dressed differently IMO. I feel LR is more for Individuals that do not utilize photoshops tools and strictly use LR for its needs outside of PS alone. Any other thoughts...? Thats just my take on LR. I do like the user interface and its makeup but what makes it pop is Adobe Camera Raw...

It's more of an image data base manager with ACR capabilities.

And I use LR4 in conjunction with CS5 for many of my images. The capabilities of ACR have improved to the point where fewer images need CS5 work done on them but LR is not capable of doing the level of editing that CS5 can do.

I would like to second stock28's thought about getting Scott Kelby's book on Lightroom - his book on LR 4 should be out shortly, in case you are going with #4. Regardless, I learned basic LR 3 using Kelby's book because a lot of the files he uses in his examples (not all of then for copy right reasons) are available for download and then you can work along with his book and follow his examples. Worked very well for me. I then purchased Martin Evening's book and I use that as a reference as he covers a lot more of the detailed stuff than Kelby does - I would not recommend trying to learn LR from Evening's book. As well, there is a ton of stuff by Julianne Kost here: http://www.jkost.com/l​ightroom.html.
HTH.

WesternGuy

NG8JGFX wrote in post #14189436
My biggest thing with LR was just this. "Catalogs" ACR gives you all the tools you need to functionally perfect your raw files just as LR does, its basically the ACR editor dressed differently IMO. I feel LR is more for Individuals that do not utilize photoshops tools and strictly use LR for its needs outside of PS alone. Any other thoughts...? Thats just my take on LR. I do like the user interface and its makeup but what makes it pop is Adobe Camera Raw...

Well, actually the LR community includes plenty of Photoshop "masters" when it comes to the Photoshop editor. Lightroom doesn't replace that. It was developed to give Photographers an efficient workflow and image manager, but there has always been a "working relationship" between the LR workflow and the creative work that you can do in Photoshop.

However, for many photographers LR can do so much in the Raw development that, well, you don't want to go into the Photoshop editor unless you need to, and for much day-to-day photography when you are out to capture good photographs but not necessarily looking to turn them into pieces of "art" that utilize the processing tools of Photoshop, then, well, Photoshop tends to stay "on the shelf" more than maybe it once did.

I feel that I would be remiss if I did not point out that the OP should be aware that when Lightroom asks about backing up the catalog, it is only backing up its own database/catalog where it keeps track of the information on image locations, edits, etc. It is NOT backing up your digital pictures. This is something you have to do yourself.

WesternGuy

WesternGuy wrote in post #14191699
I feel that I would be remiss if I did not point out that the OP should be aware that when Lightroom asks about backing up the catalog, it is only backing up its own database/catalog where it keeps track of the information on image locations, edits, etc. It is NOT backing up your digital pictures. This is something you have to do yourself.

WesternGuy

True that, something that people don't understand until they get through some training!

Lightroom doesnt force you into a certain file structure a la itunes. It will let you use whatever you like.

After import you never have to "organize" the file structure on the hard drive. Import it into the right place or if you dont, drag and drop within Lightroom itself and it moves the images. Create folders as you wish to have whatever file system structure suits you.

For your existing images if they are organized as you like just use "Add" in the Import dialog and it wont move them from where they are, just adds them to the Library.

Titus213 wrote in post #14189054
I was a Bridge/ACR/Photoshop user too. After I finally spent some time with LR I became a convert (that was only a short while ago). The LR catalog doesn't actually keep your image files. It is a database that keeps information on your images, including their location. You can still put your images where you want them.

Check out this series of short videos on Adobe TV: http://tv.adobe.com …be-photoshop-lightroom-4/

Same here. I could not see the benefit but I really like it now. I just started testing it and I have three folders with 730 images (with both my 7D and 5D2) and extensive edits. I just checked. My catalogue, the previews and the catalogue backup totals to 200 MB.