Today’s Question: Is it better to rename photos upon import into Lightroom Classic, or after the photos are already imported?
Tim’s Quick Answer: The best answer here depends on your priorities. Renaming on import ensures consistent filenames from early in your workflow. Renaming later enables you to avoid gaps in filename numbering if you have deleted outtake photos after import.
More Detail: If you’ll be sharing photos with others, such as clients or print providers, then you may want to rename your photos during the process of importing them to your Lightroom Classic catalog. This ensures consistency in that the only time there had been different filenames was on the media card from your camera. If this is a priority, I recommend renaming upon import.
If you will be deleting outtake photos, you may want to rename later in your workflow. If you had renamed during import and then deleted outtakes, you will have gaps in the filename sequence, assuming you used a sequence number as part of the file renaming template.
Of course, if neither of the issues above apply to you, then the timing of renaming your photos is less important. In fact, if neither issue applies, you might simply choose not to rename the photos at all, unless the not-so-meaningful filenames created by most cameras bother you enough that you prefer to rename all photos anyway.
Not to further confuse the issue, but it is also worth noting that when you initially rename photos in Lightroom Classic, whether on import or later, the original filename is preserved in metadata. You can find that filename in the Original Filename field, which for example can be found by selecting “EXIF and IPTC” from the popup to the left of the Metadata heading on the right panel in the Library module.
