Where are the RAW files?

[golfer]

Lightroom does not show the JPEG files if I have a RAW duplicate. Is this the way I want it to be.
When you back up, Lightroom asks what to change the files to; how do you save your files. Can you just leave them as RAW or do they have to be changed to DNG, TIFF or something?
This is a wonderful program, but for me, it is a little difficult to get around the interface and learn it quickly.

[Mr. Pickles]

When you Import files into Lightroom, and in this case you are importing RAW files, then LR knows about them, and adds them to the database.

When you modify the files, and Export it as a JPG (in this case), then LR doesn't keep "track" of those, which you surmised.

The reason is you didn't import them. If you re-imported them all, then it would. Otherwise, what you export out, isn't "logged".

I see that some would think it is a bad thing, but it doesn't bother me. LR is still keeping track of the RAW files, and it still knows what I did to them.

If you want to make different images from the same "master" image, you can do that. You do NOT have to copy the image. Doing that will eat up more hard drive space. You can and should use a "virtual copy".

If you right-click on an image (in Library or Develop modules), an option about in the middle of the menu is to Create a Virtual Copy. Choose that.

You can tell it is a virtual copy because in the lower left corner of that image, there is a "page curl". It is just a copy, but you can do all your normal image changes and export it or whatever.

Why? One popular advantage to virtual copies is in B&W conversion. You take the images as color files. Make virtual copies of them, and convert them to B&W. Now you have inside of Lightroom, sort of a RAW file for color and another for B&W.

You can have as many virtual copies of an image as you want. Make one and change the WB. Make another and make it B&W, Make another and move the color sliders wildly. Another can have....

[Worm324]

I had a similar problem when i first started using lightroom. It said that the files already existed in the location your trying to import. I can't remember exactly how I resolved this, but I think what I did was blow away the folder in Question and then re-import the whole folder with the ignore suspected duplicates box unchecked. Then you should have all your pics in the same folder. Even if there name is the same.

This was only an issue for the old folders I had on my PC with old pics that I was trying to import an organize.

All the new stuff I import directly from my Camera card to Lightroom and convert to .dng files. Then I edit them in Photoshop right from Lightroom, so Lightroom doesn't have the duplication conflict.

I hope that helps you out

Jay

[Mr. Pickles]

Well, in "theory", look at this example...

You import a RAW file.

You make changes to the RAW file (color, WB, crop, etc.)

Then you Export the file to a JPG or TIF for whatever purpose.

Now the theory. You do NOT need the JPG that you exported inside of Lightroom. Why? Because you still have the RAW file, and it is at the point the exported file is. If you do NOT make another change to the RAW file in LR, then no need to re-import the JPG.

If you DO need to make another change for some reason, then use the POWER of the Virtual Copy commend. Make another "copy" and change that. Now you have two different and diverse images, that only occupy the space of one file. If you re-import the JPG's too (more than likely with a name change), then you just added more data to the database, etc.

[Worm324]

Good point Mr. P I was looking at his issue in a different way. I was under the impression that he was trying to import all his files from the past. So in that case there would potentially be raw, jpg's, psd's, ect.. in the same folder. when you go to import them into Lightroom it won't import all the files for you if the names are the same.

Thats the issue I had encountered. What your saying is a different than the issue I had. However what your saying makes perfect sense!! If you export it as a jpeg you should not need it with a raw version still in Lightroom.

However when you right click and image and go to Edit in Photoshop. Lightroom then prompts you to edit the origional or with Lightroom adjustments. If you choose Lightroom adjustments it creates a PSD (or tiff depending on settings) and opens the new file in PS. That file is also in Lightroom however, because you never exported it.

Lightroom is Awesome

Jay

[golfer]

Just got back and see you guys already have answers for me. Thank you so much.
What I have are JPEG's and RAW files [old ones] I am trying to catalog. In many cases I have both JPEG and RAW and was wondering why Lightroom did'nt import both when I did the import. Seems like I didn't check something with the import. I don't mind having just the Raw as Mr. P's statement makes sense. I am just trying to understand as much as possible how this system works.
Could you suggest how or if I should save when I close out the files, J{EG or TIFF seem to be the options if I remember correctly.

[Mr. Pickles]

There is a setting to "Ignore Duplicates", that needs to be verified if you are not getting all your images during an import of older images.

As for your other question, there is no real need to export images unless you need them for something else. Typical reasons would be to post on the net, or to send to a print service. For both reasons, I export a JPG. And both of them I export as a sRGB color space image (by the way).