All of the photos from the raw burst are kept in a special type of CR3 file that you can preview in-camera, and even extract raw or JPG single shots out of while viewing. This way if you are just looking for one instant of action, you can extract that one shot (or as many as you wish) and not have upwards of 30 unneeded frames clogging up playback. However, you can also extract files using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software back on your computer later, and here is reason for this blog post.

If you are the type of person who uses Lightroom Classic to import the photos from a memory card while copying them to a final destination there is a snag in the workflow with these type of files. If you import a card into LrC that contains raw burst files you will see an Import Results popup telling you that LrC cannot open some of your files.

At first you might think, no big deal, I knew I had to extract the files using DPP, and since you’ve imported all of the photos you extracted in-camera as well as any non-raw burst mode photos, you simply click OK, remove the memory card and move on with your workflow.

Unfortunately, not only is LrC unable to open these CR3 files it does NOT copy these files to your computer! So, if you shrug off that message thinking the files were copied even though LrC couldn’t read them, and then you format the card, you will lose all of those burst files. Not good. Lightroom (Lr) cannot copy these files to the cloud either, so any cloud-based Lr users are in the same boat.

Work Around

You need to manually copy all the files on the card to your computer using Finder/Explorer or Canon’s DPP or some other software to the final destination first, then import that folder into LrC. The raw bursts still won’t import and will be ignored, but at least they’ll be on the drive where they can be accessed using DPP to extract any other images. If you always manually copy the files to your computer first this is your moment to say, I told you so.

Once extracted, the raw and JPG files can be imported just fine, so you may wish to do all the extraction before importing into LrC. However, if the folder has already been imported, and you decide to go back and extract more images from the burst, you can right click that folder in LrC and choose Synchronize Folder to trigger the import of any newly extracted raw/JPG files.

The post Importing Canon Raw Burst Mode Files into Lightroom Classic appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

It is a simple and inexpensive trail camera (one of the many cheap ones you can find online) that uses a single SD card and operates 24/7 in all weather. My workflow is to grab my iPhone, a Lightning to SD Card reader dongle, and walk out to the camera. I’ve found it easiest to do the import out by the camera as opposed to walking out to grab the memory card, bringing it back to my computer, then taking the card back out again.

Once there, I can pop out the card, plug it into the SD reader attached to my phone, and then import the files using the Apple Photos app. Wait, isn’t this a post about Lightroom Killer Tips? Well, the problem is that the Lightroom (Lr) app won’t import videos from an SD card on iOS (as it does on Android). Don’t ask me why, but it is a known issue for years now. So, the simplest solution I’ve found is to just import all files into the Photos app, then bring them into Lr. I configured one album in Lr to Auto Add from Camera Roll, so any video, photo, or screenshot that hits my device’s Camera Roll is automatically brought into Lr. I just have to open Lr after the import to my device is done to trigger the import.

As I walk back to the house, I can leave Lr open and allow the files to start uploading to the cloud. All photos and videos I import into Lr end up back in Lightroom Classic via syncing, so I just need to leave Lr open long enough for all the files to finish uploading.

As they download into Lightroom Classic they are placed in date-based folders using the capture date of each photo/video. Normally, as I’ve written about before, I keep the date and rename the folder adding in some meaningful context for its contents. However, for my trail cam photos I just move them all into a single folder for the year. I find it more interesting to see them all together in one place.

This involves selecting the downloaded files in their assorted folders and drag/dropping them into the one folder for all trail cam photos that year. Then I delete any leftover empty folders.

That’s the same basic workflow I use to import photos from my camera when on the road using Lr as a front end to Lightroom Classic.

The post My Trail Cam Workflow appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

That’s why I’m so intrigued with a relatively new program called “Narrative Select.” I ran across it this weekend totally by chance, downloaded the FREE version, and I have to say – it works great thus far. It’s very much like a stripped-down version of Photo Mechanic with all its speed and lightning-fast previews (but of course, it doesn’t have many of Photo Mechanic’s more advanced features). It does have some cool features that PM doesn’t have, like a close-up panel that lets you see zoomed-in image detail even closer than a full-size preview, and it can do Eye and focus assessments so you can see which ones aren’t sharp so you don’t waste time when doing your initial culling (though that last part is limited in the free version).

The way I use it is to quickly go through my shoot, make my Picks (you tag them by hitting the letter “T” same as you would in Photo Mechanic), and then when you’re done tagging your Picks, you can “Ship” these images directly over to Lightroom’s import window (see above). All you have to do is click the Import Button and just those picked images now appear in Lightroom. Pretty slick.

I don’t use a 3rd party application like this for culling every single shoot – just ones where I need to find the best images quickly, or one where I need a particular image and don’t want to do a whole import. If I’ve got more time, I just wait for Lightroom to mosey through my import, but when speed matters, I think the free version of Narrative Select might be just the ticket.

Here’s the link to learn more, and download either their free version or the paid version (you do have to give them a verifiable email, but you knew that was coming, right?). Anyway, these are just my first impressions, but t’s worth giving it a quick look if thumbnail and preview speed is an issue.

Don’t forget – tomorrow is Part 4 of my series called “Photoshop for Lightroom Users” which has been going over like a lead balloon (not a single comment on any of them so far. Sigh).

Anyway, ya’ll have a kick-butt Monday!

-Scott

P.S. Today I’m teaching my “Lightroom Crash Course” Pre-conference session for The Lightroom Conference which officially kicks off tomorrow. It’s not too late to sign up. Tickets, class schedule, instructor list, and more at this link.

The post Free Super-Fast Culling of Your Images Before Importing Into Lightroom appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

First, if you have the Lightroom Classic preference set to Show import dialog when a memory card is detected, it doesn’t work with CFexpress cards.

So, when you manually trigger the Import window to open be prepared for the CFexpress card to not automatically be selected for import either.

You should see the card is mounted (as long as it shows mounted on your system by your OS). It will appear as a drive under Files instead of under Devices like you might normally expect a memory card. From there, you can manually select the folder on the card containing your photos for import. It should check the Include subfolders box, but you should double-check if no photos are showing.

The most important aspect you need to be aware of is that it may default to selecting ADD at the top of the import window. This is bad! With a typical memory card you would never be allowed to select ADD or MOVE, but that is not the case here. You need to be in the driver’s seat and ensure that COPY (or Copy as DNG if you prefer) is selected.

I’ve seen reports of folks who imported using ADD without realizing it until they removed the card and were given the Photo is missing message. This would be tragic for anyone who had formatted the card and didn’t have a backup copy of the photos!

The Solution

The best way to avoid catastrophe here is to take advantage of creating an Import preset that includes selecting COPY as well as your desired Destination (always have a backup of your photos in place before formatting memory cards too!). This way all you need to do is select your Import preset and it should switch to the desired COPY option. I always make a visual check that my Import preset is selected as part of my every import session.

Final Tip

Once the import is complete, you need to safely eject the memory card before physically removing it from the card reader since LrC doesn’t treat it like a typical memory card and provide the Eject on import option.

As to why these cards behave this way, my understanding is that it all comes down to how the OS recognizes these cards when mounted. To gain the higher speed file transfer and reliability they act more like an external SSD than a typical memory card, and as such, that is how Lightroom Classic treats them (since it just follows your operating system’s lead). I suspect that if you directly connect your camera via USB instead of a card reader it would behave more like a memory card, but I hate directly connecting my camera for file transfer, so this is the tradeoff I’m making for now. Perhaps there is something Adobe can do to recognize these as memory cards to prevent people from accidentally using the ADD option, but until then, keep your eye on your import settings.

The post Lightroom Classic and CFexpress Cards appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

• Consistency in workflow
• You can look in one place to confirm all your settings are just the way you want them
• You can create as many as your workflow requires
• Saves you time

Scott goes into the details of creating these step by step, so I won’t re-create that wheel, but the gist of it is to configure the entire Import window the way you want it for a given workflow, then click the Import Preset drop-down menu (skillfully hidden) at the bottom, and choose Save Current Settings as New Preset, give it a meaningful name, and away you go.

If you have more than one way of importing photos, such as if you choose different destination folders based on subject matter, you can create a new Import preset for each workflow. Then, in the future, just make sure the correct source is selected in the Source panel, select your desired Import preset (if it is not selected already), and you’re done! I want to get through that Import window as fast as I possibly can to get on with the rest of workflow, and this is the fastest way to do just that.

Side note, that capture above shows the Import window in its condensed mode, which is triggered by that button on the bottom-left of the screen. Once you have your preset made, you don’t even need to see the full size Import window anymore either.

Hope you found that helpful! Back tomorrow for one more bonus tip before the weekend. See you then!

The post Tip Number 12 for People New to Lightroom Classic appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The Simplified Import Window from 2015

Back in October of 2015, Adobe released a Lightroom update with a vastly simplified, completely redesigned import window to make it easier for new users to get their images into Lightroom (that’s it above). Honestly, it was a great idea that went horribly wrong because in the simplification process they took away a bunch of features (everything from the checkbox that let you eject your disk after importing your images, to no longer being able to double-click on an image in the import window to see it larger), and well…we all just freaked out. Freaked. Out.

I wrote a blog post about the massive community fallout from that update called “All hell broke loose in Lightroom land” (here’s the link). A day or so later, I did a poll here on the blog, and 81% of the respondents felt the new simplified import window either made our Lightroom life worse, or way crazy significantly worse. The uproar was…well…it was so bad that with three days Adobe announced they were returning to the old original import window, which is the same import window we have today.

No good deed goes unpunished

I think what caused the whole “2015 import debacle” was the same thing that caused Photoshop’s “Free Transform Disaster of 2018,” where Adobe changed how Free Transform works, so you no longer had to hold the Shift key to resize things proportionally (which is the way nearly every modern program handles resize an object or image). Instead, you’d only hold shift if you didn’t want to be proportional. It was a simplified way to resize, and great step for helping new users learn how to resize things, but oh my gosh some folks in the Photoshop community totally lost their s%&# over this change. Why? Adobe didn’t make it an option. They just changed the keyboard shortcut with no way to go back to the old version. All they needed to do was add a preference to “Return Free Transform to the Legacy shortcut” but they didn’t. The uproar was loud enough that in the next Photoshop maintenance update, they did add that preference checkbox and now everybody was happy again.

Both happened for the same good intensions, but both made the same mistake

The mistake was — they didn’t make these changes an option. People already had workflows based on how these features work, and when you change them drastically it freaks a lot of folks out. Make the “hold the Shift key” to transform should have been an option. So should Lightroom’s easy import window, and after doing that entire class yesterday, I think it would be great to bring it back as an option — you can have a beginner option to use a simplified window, and an option to use the more advanced version instead (the one we have today), for folks who have been using it for the past 12 or so years; they know how to use it, and they like it. Why not both?

So that’s my plea to Adobe’s Lightroom team today

I think you guys were really onto something back in 2015, and with the simplified importing window, and the one that’s in Lightroom [cloud version] today (shown above). How about giving us the choice between those two importing windows? That way, everybody’s happy. Advanced users have their familiar window with loads of options. New users aren’t intimidated, and videos on how to import your photos into Lightroom Classic for beginners would be just 10 minutes long tops.

Something to think about. I’d love to hear you all in the community think.

Have a great weekend everybody and we’ll catch you next week. Stay healthy and happy, and enjoy this time together

-Scott

The post The Most Intimidating Window in Lightroom (and how Adobe can make better) appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

STEP ONE: In the Import window of Lightroom Classic, on the right side of the Import Window you’ll see a panel named “Apply During Import.” At the top where it says, “Develop Settings” click and hold on the pop-up menu directly to the right of that and it brings up a menu with all your installed Develop Module presets. Just choose the want to apply on import from the list (as shown above). That’s all there is to it.

STEP TWO: This really isn’t a step — it’s more like a result. When your images appear in the Library module, your images will already have that preset applied, as seen above where the preset converted the images to black and white and applied a number of other edits as well.

There ya have it. Short and sweet, and a big timesaver.

If you like Spiral Staircases like I do (which is a lot)…

Then check out the Adobe Spark page I just posted with my favorite spiral staircase photos from around the world, with the story behind them, some behind-the-scenes photo, camera settings, and more. Hope you get a sec to check them out (here’s the link).

Here’s wishing you a fantastic weekend; a safe and happy one, and I hope to see you back here next week.

-Scott

The post How to Apply a Develop Preset Automatically When You Import Your Images appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

A template (or preset) is essentially a glorified text file that allows you to save some set of information that you can call into use over and over again, which is much faster than re-creating or entering that information each time you perform a given task. Note, Lightroom Classic uses the words templates and presets somewhat interchangeably, but I try to use the term shown in the interface where applicable.

The types of templates I am talking about appear all over, and some in more than one place. Specifically I am referring to filename templates, metadata templates, and import templates, which I like to think of as workflow templates, and all can be accessed from both the import screen and the Library module. I want to focus on helping you understand the ins and outs of creating and managing these workflow type templates.

Starting with the first place in your workflow: the Import dialog. The Import dialog is a multi-tasker’s dream, as it’s main purpose is to add photos to the catalog and then front-load the entire process by facilitating such jobs as renaming the photos (using a file name template), adding core metadata (from a metadata template), applying keywords, and even applying a develop preset. You can then save all those settings in an Import preset to reconfigure the settings in the future with a click.

Filename Templates

One of the most commonly used templates are filename templates. There comes a time in every Lightroom user’s workflow when photos need to be renamed, whether during import, after import, or during export. The filename templates you create can be accessed and utilized no matter when you are doing the renaming. On the Import dialog you can find them in the aptly named File Renaming panel. Lightroom comes with a few filename templates pre-installed, and that’s fine, but you can easily create your own with the Filename Template Editor. Here’s how:

Check the Rename Files checkbox, then click the Template drop-down menu and choose Edit. This opens the editor with the tokens used in active template being displayed.

Clear the existing tokens from the entry field to start fresh, and then create your own template using any combination of tokens that suit your needs. Note, you can also type text right into that field, which is handy for separating tokens with hyphens or underscores.

Once you’ve assembled the tokens in the desired format click the Preset drop-down menu and choose Save current settings as a new preset, enter a meaningful name, and click Create to finish the process.

You might have different file naming requirements for different jobs, so you can take the time to create as many filename templates as you wish. The least intuitive part of the process is deleting unwanted presets, but it is easy once you know how (and it works the same way with all other templates we’re going to cover). To delete a filename template, click the Preset drop-down menu in the Editor and choose the one you want to delete. Then click the Preset drop-down menu a second time and choose Delete preset “[preset name]” to remove it for good. Note, there is also the option to rename the template too.

Metadata Template

Another template you should be taking advantage of right from the start is the metadata template. At the most basic level the metadata template allows you to apply important copyright and contact information into the metadata of every photo as part of the import process. On the Import dialog, expand the Apply During Import panel and click the Metadata drop-down menu to choose New and open the Edit Metadata Presets editor.

At a bare minimum I recommend filling out the IPTC Copyright section and as much of the IPTC Creator field as you feel comfortable with to assist people with contacting you should they find one of your images in the wild. I like to fill out the phone (using a Google Voice number), email, and website fields. Keep in mind that any field that has a check mark will be included in the preset.

If the checked field is empty it will simply wipe that field on every incoming photo and leave it blank (I have a template I sometimes use to wipe any existing keywords from photos during import), so make sure no fields get checked by accident. To save your metadata template just click that Preset drop-down menu and choose Save current settings as a new preset. Like the filename templates mentioned earlier, you can delete, rename, and update templates the same exact way with that drop-down menu.

Import Preset

Now most of the settings on the Import dialog are sticky, meaning that once you’ve had a successful import those settings will remain configured the same way the next time you do an import. However, if you are the habit of changing certain settings based on your workflow needs you would benefit from preserving your core settings in an Import preset. The Import Preset menu can be hard to spot. It is located on the bottom of the Import dialog in the center of the screen. Once you have configured the Import dialog the way you want it, click the Import Preset drop-down menu and choose Save current settings as a new preset (are you detecting a pattern yet?), and give it a meaningful name. Deleting these presets involves the same process of selecting the desired preset from the drop-down menu, then clicking the menu a second time to access the delete option.

Keep in mind that once you are through the import process you can always batch rename photos by selecting the photos while in Grid view of the Library module, and going to Library > Rename photos menu. You’ll have access to the same set of filename templates as well as the Filename Template editor. Likewise, if you need to go back and batch apply your new metadata template to previously imported photos you can also do that from Grid view by selecting all photos and choosing your metadata preset from the Preset drop-down menu located at the top of the Metadata panel.

The post Making the Most of Lightroom Classic Templates appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Lightroom Mobile

In the Lightroom mobile app, head over to the Settings screen (depending on the screen you are currently viewing this can mean clicking the gear icon or the three-dot menu, then choosing Settings).

From the Settings screen, tap Import, to view the Import related settings. It is here that you’ll find the field for Add Copyright.

Unlike in Lightroom Classic, there is no full metadata template to add, just a simple field. This maps to the Copyright field in Lightroom Classic. Tap the switch above the field to turn it on, then enter your information in the field. The generally used form is the copyright symbol, the year of first publication, and the copyright holder name, so go with that unless you have a different preferred order. I know people love to argue about whether the year is required or not, but while they do that I suggest just putting it in there and moving on with your life.

Lightroom for Desktop

On the desktop version of the Lightroom app, click the cloud (sync) icon, and then click the gear icon to open the Preferences. In the Preferences, click the General tab to find the same copyright field. Now, you might wonder why we need to enter it separately in all these cloud-based apps, and I’d have to say that is a fair point. Until that changes, enter it in each app.

What about Watermarks?

I’m not a big fan of watermarks, but some people need them/love them, so if you are one of those people you may be disappointed in the options here. While you can apply a watermark from the Lightroom mobile apps, you can’t yet do it from the desktop Lightroom app (I don’t know why). In addition to that limitation, the watermark itself is limited to a simple text-based watermark.

To configure the watermark on Lightroom mobile, head back to the Settings screen, then tap Watermarking to customize its appearance.

Start by editing the text (if needed) used for the watermark, then tap one of the anchor pins to choose where the watermark originates from. From there, use the Size, Offset, and Opacity sliders to position and size your watermark. There are additional controls under the live preview for changing the font, font style, rotation, and color.

Once configured, be sure to enable Include Watermark when exporting using the Export As option, then choosing More Options to find that setting.

Back in Lightroom Classic

For those of you syncing back to your Lightroom Classic catalog you may want to include your full metadata template to photos imported from or created in one of the Lightroom cloudy apps. Check out my tip from a few years ago on how to keep track of those photos and keep them updated.

Wishing all a healthy and successful 2020!

The post Including Copyright Notice in Lightroom Cloud appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Great live-streamed tutorial from the one and only Terry White on this important update to Lightroom Mobile that lets you import directly from your camera straight into Lightroom on your iPad or iPhone.

My New Book Is Here: ‘The Natural Light Portrait Book’

The print version ships next week and the Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook ebooks versions are available now. Check out the video below where I tell you who it’s for, how it’s written, and why it’s going to be the book that helps a lot of folks quickly move ahead in their natural light portraiture.

You can order it right now on Amazon and or Barnes & Noble it ships next week (in time for Christmas and Hanukkah). Plus, it’s stocking-stuffer priced at $28.83, so what the heck, get two (one for a friend?).

My new online class: A Photographer’s Guide to Chicago

If you’re into travel photography, this one’s for you. I think you’ll be amazed at some of the incredible shots you can get in Chicago and I uncovered some incredible shooting opportunities all over town. My buddy’s been living there most of his life, and even he was stunned and some of the locations he’s driven past for years and never realized what photographic gems were right inside. Check out the official trailer below:

You can watch it right now at this link.

That’s it for this Friday – we’ll catch ya back here on Monday.

Have a great weekend,

-Scott

The post Importing Your Camera Images Straight into Lightroom On Your iPad (and my new book is here!) appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.