Today’s Question: I have many document files with same name as an image, but with DOC or TXT extension. I use these for extensive info about the image, such as the people or location featured in the image. If I import my photos into a Lightroom Classic catalog will these files create confusion?
Tim’s Quick Answer: No, these unsupported files won’t create any confusion for Lightroom Classic. The documents won’t be imported into the catalog along with the photos, but they will remain on your hard drive for you to review or update as needed.
More Detail: When you import existing photos that are already stored where you want them into a Lightroom Classic catalog, only supported image and video formats are imported. All other files will remain where they are, and the folder structure shown within Lightroom Classic will match the folder structure on the hard drive.
Documents stored in the same folder as your images will not be imported into your catalog, but you can still access those documents directly on the hard drive. Just be sure you don’t make any changes to the photos or folder structure on the hard drive. Those changes should be initiated within Lightroom Classic.
Of course, if you start using Lightroom Classic you manage your photos, you’ll likely find it easier to add the information about your photos to the metadata for those photos within your catalog. For example, you could use keywords to identify the subjects that appear in each photo, and you could use the Title or Caption fields in metadata to add more details about the circumstances of the photo. This will help streamline your overall workflow, so that all of the information you need about your photos is contained within your Lightroom Classic catalog.