I have started playing around with LR2 recently and I'm really impressed by this application so far, seems to be well designed and do whatever I need. However I have a couple of questions related to importing files, especially from a memory card.
Issue #1: I shoot RAW+JPG and noticed that LR imports the 2 formats together, and keeps them together as well. However I usually favour a picture oganisation where I have distinct JPG and RAW hierarchies. The idea being that I will typically keep all the JPGs (except the faulty ones) for souvenir value, to email quickly and so on, but I will apply a much stricter "quality flter" for the RAWs (also due to space constraints).
Questions:
- Is it possible to import only JPG or RAW from a memory card?
- Is it usually considered a better idea to keep the 2 file formats together? If yes, is it possible in LR to "decouple" them and/or delete only one of the formats on a pic by pic basis
Issue #2: I like to rename my files by using a mix of original file name, date and country ISO code. However the country ISO code is only available when I have updated (manually) the metadata. I know I can apply a metadata preset at the import level but I might have pics from different countries on the same memory card. What I'd really like is some kind of virtual zone between the card and my catalog, where I can start to update metadata, choose which files to import based on thumbnails and other info, and then only import into my catalog with automatic renaming (and other presets as well) - I do not see the point of being able to rename or apply presets on a wide variety of files (maybe it's fine for studio photographers who import pictures from one session at a time but for travel photography it doesn't seem to work that well)
For #1, I think you need to check the preferences setting for "import/treat JPEG files next to raw as separate files"
For #2 I am not sure. I like to rename my files with a descriptive name for the set, followed by a sequential number that increases continuously from one set to the next (currenetly ~66000). Since LR cannot remember the number from one import to the next, I use Nikon Transfer to get images from the card to the computer folder and do the renaming. Perhaps you could do something similar and move them to multiple directories when needed, then import.
You might also consider shooting RAW only and exporting as jpegs for email. its about as easy. If you process your RAWs (or not), simply go to export. You will get a dialog box and yOu can either drop down the preset menu and choose 'for email' and go with LR's settings or choose your own (and create your own email preset if you choose). Its a one time process to make the decisions. Then--next time you want to email a RAW--just choose export, email preset and your jpeg is ready (with the dimensions, etc. you choose) for emailing. It will save you a bit of room on your card and a bit on your drive--and reduce clutter in your LR catalog (unless you stack your jpegs with your RAW). Its unlikely you want to email all of your image files, so this way you can quickly pick and choose and those are the only ones saved as a resized (sharpened, etc.) jpeg.
Thanks for the tip in Preferences, I had overlooked it but it should now work fine.
The main reason why I shoot RAW+JPG is that sometimes I have access to my laptop just after a day of shooting... and sometimes not (but might still have access to a cybercafe, etc.)
One last question because it's being a pain: is there a way to explain to LR that it can disregard duplicates when I move files around. Usually I get a message saying "there is already a file with that name in the destination folder" and the move stops. Particularly annoying because I sometimes import a few images only to check them out or work on them and save them in the final destination folder, then import everything in a temp folder, work on metadata and other stuff and then move everything to final destination folder... and then I have to find manually which files are already there :/
Since LR uses the operating system disk file structure, I doubt you can do that. For both MAC and PC, you cannot have two files in the same directory with the same name.
That is why I use a continuous numbering system at the end of the file name. It is then impossible to ever have two files with the same name. There are many schemes to ensure unique names. You will have to find one that suits your style
