Alan321 Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Lr Catalogue size concerns....time for a new one? | |
Generally stick with a single catalog because...
1. it's a database, so everything is indexed and found quickly. That's what databases do. In normal use there is no "searching" in the sense of the program going from file to file looking for what you wanted.
2. Only a single catalog gives you best access to all metadata - both what came from the camera and anything you have added - to help you find whatever you want. This includes keywords, ratings, labels, collections, and camera/lens/exposure information. You won't want to do the same search in multiple catalogs just because you forgot which one it is in.
3. Lr can only handle one catalog at a time. There is no sharing data between catalogs except via import/export, and no retaining "user data" such as selection criteria while switching to a different catalog.
4. you'll never eliminate crap if it isn't right there in the catalog you are using. With the right selection techniques it is easy to find the junk along with the good stuff, and then you can spend a little while removing some of the junk or perhaps just flag it in some way so that you can avoid it next time. And you can do it knowing that there is in fact a better image to keep. You may not know that unless they are all there together.
5. You need to be careful when dealing with extra catalogs; you don't want to edit an image in two separate catalogs because you'll lose something if/when you try to recombine the catalogs.
Exceptions exist, such as for photographers who want to keep clients' images and associated data completely separate from all others. Likewise, you may want to keep very private stuff separate from what can be shown to anyone. I use Lr to manage photos and also scans of documents and so on; they're not all for "public" viewing.
A good use for multiple catalogs is when you have one in your home-base computer and a duplicate in your laptop for when you are traveling. Again, just be sure to edit only the original or only the duplicate until you copy the edited one to the other computer, and then you won't lose any data.
Edited on Dec 30, 2016 at 11:03 AM · View previous versions
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