Question for Lightroom users: Do you crop originals or make virtual copies to crop?

René Damkot wrote in post #3170581
Okay, a little sidetracking maybe, but here's a question:
I'm trying the LR demo right now. I have to 'develop' two versions of 1 CR2 *very* often (to stack them in PS, using a mask). What would be the most efficient way to do that?

Bollan wrote in post #3170725
Creating a virtual copy is your answer to that.

Absolutely! Then when it comes time to do the work in PS highlight both copies in the Library Module, Right Click and choose Open in PS (whatever version you use). This brings up a new window. Choose the bottom (probably the only option availabe as I believe you shhot RAW) option which says EDIT copy in PS with Lightroom adjustments. This creates the TIFF or PSD (depending on your setup uned Edit > Preferences) and stacks the new files with the RAW files in Lightroom. Do the Work in PS. Now comes the slightly tricky part that I have only come to realize in the last few days. If you save the file with one of the names that you already created in LR then the file is available in Lightroom. If you use a new filename you will have to Import that file into Lightroom when finished. I wish there was a box to check when saving to Import into LR upon saving. This might be available in CS3 but I am not certain.

[QUOTE=In2Photos;31708​61]If you are giving these copies to your customers on CD I would create Virtual Copies with the crop sizes you need. Then select Export and choose to burn the files to CD from the top drop down menu. IF you ever need to recreate these files you can export again. You can also create snapshots at the time of export and call them 2007-05-08_Export for reference or something.
QUOTE]

Mmm....

The problem is - say I make 2 virtual copies after carrying out basic PP. I leave the first as 6x4, the second I crop to 5x7 and the third to 12x15. This is not at all uncommon as I would print the 6x4 and 5x7 here and send off the 12x15 to lab. The only way I have of distinguishing the three virtual files in LR is to re-examine the crop which is a pain. I have tended to tag red as 6x4, yellow as 5x7 etc but this is hardly perfect and prone to error (I know from experience how much wasted 12x15's cost). If I could find a better way of knowing which was which from within LR it would be perfect. Yes you can label the pictures in thumbnail view with their crop dimension but that gives 2138 x 1175 which hardly springs to attention. Metadata such as the caption does not help as that then applies to all images in a stack.

chris.bailey wrote in post #3172355
Mmm....

The problem is - say I make 2 virtual copies after carrying out basic PP. I leave the first as 6x4, the second I crop to 5x7 and the third to 12x15. This is not at all uncommon as I would print the 6x4 and 5x7 here and send off the 12x15 to lab. The only way I have of distinguishing the three virtual files in LR is to re-examine the crop which is a pain. I have tended to tag red as 6x4, yellow as 5x7 etc but this is hardly perfect and prone to error (I know from experience how much wasted 12x15's cost). If I could find a better way of knowing which was which from within LR it would be perfect. Yes you can label the pictures in thumbnail view with their crop dimension but that gives 2138 x 1175 which hardly springs to attention. Metadata such as the caption does not help as that then applies to all images in a stack.

You can rename the Virtual Copies. Rename the 6x4 as "origianlfilename_6x4"​, by selecting it and pressing F2. Works very well as when displayed in grid the filename appears as "orig...6x4" so very easy to view which size is which.

In2Photos wrote in post #3172419
You can rename the Virtual Copies. Rename the 6x4 as "origianlfilename_6x4"​, by selecting it and pressing F2. Works very well as when displayed in grid the filename appears as "orig...6x4" so very easy to view which size is which.

Eureka....by golly I think you may have cracked it!!!!!

In2Photos wrote in post #3172419
You can rename the Virtual Copies. Rename the 6x4 as "origianlfilename_6x4"​, by selecting it and pressing F2. Works very well as when displayed in grid the filename appears as "orig...6x4" so very easy to view which size is which.

Ok so I know this worked before but I tried this again the other day and it kept renaming all the files in the stack. I tried to do the renaming in both the collections and folders tabs but to no avail. Anybody have any ideas? I'm stumped.

I always crop the original, you can always undo or redo

Robert, yours is an interesting question and your situation makes a good point.

typically my post processing workflow is to process first, then crop/create virtual copies. however, given your subject matter and the fact that you go for a workable crop first, it makes sense to me that you stick with that.

some of what I shoot, for example, is bands performing. oft times I like several crops from a single frame, but it doesn't make sense for my workflow to create a few crops and then spend the time post processing each, even though Lightroom makes it easy to create presets, or to copy and paste develop settings from a prior edit. that said, personally, I, like others here, prefer to process then crop.

I love Lightroom. I do very little in Photoshop now, in fact, I think for standard sizes, CS2 at least & anything prior, is a bit of a nightmare when it comes to cropping for print. in Lightroom, you can hold a standard aspect ratio and crop & rotate without all the math. I don't know; it's a no brainer for me, however, I may be overlooking something simple in Photoshop.

+1 on all the "make copy to process..." comments.

You wil appreciate doing that, as you will want to look at your OOC work to track your progress in composition as the years go by...

Best,

Ben

Slight crop for framing or placement adjustment - Original
Major crop for "reach" or aspect change - Virtual Copy

Today I had a pic that was "made for" the Virtual Copy function! I was taking shots of Spring flowers, trees and plants that are blooming, I had ones of a couple trees "framing" the front entrance of a neighborhood church.

And then I was reminded that a Facebook photo group has a "reflections photos" "theme" tonight, and I saw that the glass of the front entrance was covered with spring flower reflections, but I would want to crop to bring it out, so out with a virtual copy!