Today’s Question: Do you prefer bringing photos directly into Lightroom Classic from the memory card or downloading to the hard drive and then add to Lightroom Classic?
Tim’s Quick Answer: I prefer (and recommend) importing photos into Lightroom Classic directly from the media card on which the photos were captured. This provides a streamlined workflow that helps ensure that new photos are brought into the review process more quickly.
More Detail: In my view it makes the most sense to import photos into your Lightroom Classic catalog directly from the media card on which the photos were captured. I realize some photographers prefer to download their images to their hard drive first, often because they will perform an initial review of their photos to delete outtakes before importing into Lightroom Classic.
However, to me downloading outside of Lightroom Classic creates a more convoluted workflow and also creates the risk that you may forget to later import some of your photos into your Lightroom Classic catalog.
I prefer to keep my workflow streamlined and make full use of the many features within the import dialog. That includes making a backup second copy of the photos being imported onto a separate hard drive from where I’m downloading the originals. This provides a quick backup that provides more confidence should you need to reformat the media card right away to capture additional photos.
Especially when it comes to organizing your photos, I think it is a good idea to keep the workflow as simple as possible, without complications that can lead to confusion. Plus, Lightroom Classic has a variety of helpful features both for importing your photos and reviewing your photos to identify favorites and outtakes.