Category: Ask Tim Grey

Today’s Question: If I have my [Lightroom Classic] catalog on my hard drive and I want to back up, can I choose my external hard drive as the backup location? Do I have to create a backup folder first?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can change the backup location to a different hard drive by clicking the Choose button in the Back Up Catalog dialog. There’s no need to create a folder before using this option to change the destination for the backup.

More Detail: Lightroom Classic will prompt you to back up your catalog based on the frequency set on the General Tab of the Catalog Settings dialog. You can access the Catalog Settings dialog by choosing Edit > Catalog Settings from the menu on Windows or Lightroom Classic > Catalog Settings on Macintosh.

When the Back Up Catalog dialog appears, you can configure the options for the backup. This includes the option to specify the location where you want the catalog backups saved. For example, if you have your catalog on the internal hard drive you can specify an external hard drive for the backups so those backups will be on a different physical drive than the catalog that’s being backed up.

Simply click the Choose button in the Back Up Catalog dialog. In the window that appears navigate to the location where you want to save the backups, such as an external hard drive. You can click the New Folder button to create a folder to contain the individual backups.

Note that each backup will be placed in a folder that is named based on the date and time of backup. Therefore, as part of the process of selecting the backup location you may want to create a folder to contain the individual backup folders.

Once you’ve changed the backup location that will become the new default for all future backups. Just note that if you select an external hard drive as the destination for the catalog backups, that drive will obviously need to be connected to the computer in order to perform the backup.

Today’s Question: Do you recommend RAW or cRAW capture, with high resolution cameras such as the Canon R5, in fast action wildlife using servo with high frame rate?

Tim’s Quick Answer: While the Canon compressed raw (cRAW) provides very good quality with file sizes that are about half that of uncompressed raw captures, in the case of Canon’s cRAW the image data is compressed with a lossy algorithm that can result in reduced image quality and increased noise.

More Detail: Various cameras offer compression options for raw capture. That can be lossless compression that preserves image quality, or lossy compression that results in some degree of image degradation. In the case of Canon’s cRAW option, the compression is lossy.

The benefit of this lossy compression is that file sizes are greatly reduced. With the Canon cRAW format for example the file size is typically about half that of an uncompressed raw capture.

The drawback of lossy compression for a raw capture is reduced image quality. To be sure, this is generally extremely minimal. However, I have seen loss of quality in dark shadow areas and increased appearance of noise as side effects of the compression.

Personally, I would be comfortable using a lossless compression raw format if storage space were the priority. I prefer not to use raw captures with lossy compression. The results with lossy compression are still very good, but in my mind part of the reason for using raw capture is to ensure optimal image quality, and I’d prefer not to risk degrading that quality right at the time of capture.

Today’s Question: Regarding process versions in Lightroom Classic, when switching to a newer version it asks for permission to convert the catalog to the new version format. Does that automatically bring all the photos up to the current process version?

Tim’s Quick Answer: No, when you update the catalog for a new version of Lightroom Classic the process version for existing photos does not get updated.

More Detail: With some versions of Lightroom Classic the catalog needs to be updated to reflect changes or new features in the new version. In addition, with certain changes in the Develop module a new process version is added to reflect the changes. However, when you update a catalog for a new version of Lightroom Classic, the process version for existing photos is not changed.

You can think of the process version as representing a particular version of the Develop module. For example, with process version 1 you have sliders in the Tone area of the Basic section on the right panel in the Develop module of Exposure, Recovery, Fill Light, Blacks, Brightness, and Contrast. In process version 6 (the current process version) you instead have Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks.

In many cases changing from one process version to another can cause at least a minor (and sometimes significant) change in the appearance of an image. Therefore, when you update to a new version of Lightroom Classic that has a new process version, the process version for existing photos is not updated. This is to preserve the appearance of the underlying image.

If you want to take advantage of the latest features or processing options for an existing photo, you can update the process version to the latest version. In the Develop module if a photo is set to an older process version you’ll see a lightning bolt symbol in the Histogram section at the top of the right panel. That lightning bolt will appear at the bottom-right of the histogram if it is expanded, and to the left of the heading if the histogram is collapsed.

You can click on the lightning bolt icon to bring up a dialog that will enable you to update the process version, or you can choose the latest process version from the popup in the Calibration section of the right panel. Note, however, that you really only need to update the process version for images you want to adjust in the Develop module if you want to take advantage of the latest updates. For existing images there’s no real need to update the process version until you want to work with the image again in the Develop module (and even then doing so is optional).

Today’s Question: Do you shoot in raw only or raw and JPEG? If you shoot in both formats, do you include only raw in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I shoot in raw only, not raw+JPEG. In the context of Lightroom Classic in particular, I generally recommend against the use of raw+JPEG capture.

More Detail: I recommend using raw capture to ensure optimal quality for your photos. Some photographers find it convenient to use the raw+JPEG option so they have a JPEG copy of each photo right out of the camera, which can make it easier to quickly share or review their photos.

However, in the context of a workflow that revolves around Lightroom Classic, there really isn’t a benefit to using the raw+JPEG capture option. That’s because Lightroom Classic will build the equivalent of JPEG previews when you import photos, and you can easily export JPEG copies of your raw captures if you want to share the images.

In addition, I recommend importing new captures directly into Lightroom Classic as the first step in your workflow, rather than downloading the images and reviewing them before importing them into your catalog. In other words, I don’t recommend using a workflow where you might review the JPEG copies from raw+JPEG pairs to decide which images you’ll import into Lightroom Classic.

If you prefer to use raw+JPEG capture for some reason, it is also important to note that by default Lightroom Classic won’t even import the JPEG images from the raw+JPEG pairs. If you want to import both the raw and JPEG images you would need to turn on the “Treat JPEG files next to raw files as separate photos” checkbox on the General tab of the Preferences dialog.

But again, from my perspective there isn’t any real benefit to using raw+JPEG capture when using Lightroom Classic to manage your photos and workflow.

Today’s Question: If I edit a photo from Lightroom Classic using Photoshop, and then bring it back into Lightroom Classic it is a TIFF file, and the file size is huge. Is there anything I can do to make it smaller? Also, should I combine layers before saving/closing in Photoshop?

Tim’s Quick Answer: While there are ways you can reduce the size of a TIFF file, I don’t generally recommend taking steps that will significantly reduce the size of a TIFF file that has been created as a derivative image based on a raw capture.

More Detail: I can certainly appreciate that photographers might be surprised (or even shocked) at the difference in file size between a raw capture and a TIFF (or PSD) image created based on that raw capture.

To begin with, all other things being equal a TIFF image will have a file size that is about three times larger than the raw capture it was created from. That is in large part because most raw captures only contain image data for a single color value for each pixel, while a rendered image such as a TIFF file will have all three color values (red, green, and blue) for all pixels. There are some other variables here that affect the file sizes, but the point is that a TIFF image will be approximately three times larger than the raw capture it was created from.

In addition, if you’ve created a TIFF image via Photoshop you may have used various layers as part of your work in Photoshop, which can also increase the file size. Additional image layers in particular can increase the file size considerably, but layer masks can also have an impact. Adjustment layers are of minimal impact.

While flattening the layers in an image will help reduce the file size, I do not recommend flattening what amounts to the master version of your image. Rather, I recommend keeping all layers intact to provide maximum flexibility in your workflow. You could also reduce the bit depth from 16-bits per channel to 8-bits per channel, but I do not recommend this due to the risk of posterization (the loss of smooth gradations of tone and color).

You can be sure that ZIP compression is enabled when using the TIFF format for images sent from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop. In the Preferences dialog in Lightroom Classic you can go to the External Editing tab, where you’ll find the file settings in the “Edit in Adobe Photoshop” section. I do recommend using the TIFF file format here, and making sure the Compression popup is set to “ZIP” rather than “None”.

Ultimately, processing a raw capture to a derivative image as a TIFF or PSD image will result in a file that is considerably larger than the original raw capture. However, I consider it to be worth the larger file size to be able to take advantage of the powerful tools in Photoshop and to preserve your work as layers for maximum flexibility.

Today’s Question: You referred to a DNG file as a raw capture, but I thought DNG was something that you converted a raw capture to as an alternative. What is it exactly that makes a raw capture “raw”?

Tim’s Quick Answer: A raw capture is a file that contains the data gathered by the image sensor in a digital camera, which generally means a file that contains image data that has not been demosaiced. An Adobe DNG (Digital Negative) file created by a camera or created by converting a raw capture to DNG could also be considered a raw file.

More Detail: Using raw capture helps ensure optimal image quality both by avoiding alteration of the original capture data and maintaining high-bit data. I therefore highly recommend using the raw capture format in your camera (if available) rather than other options such as JPEG capture. Using Adobe DNG in supported cameras qualifies as being a raw capture in this context.

Part of what makes a raw (including DNG) capture “raw” is that the original capture data is not processed. Most digital cameras use an image sensor that does not capture full color for all pixels. For example, with a Bayer pattern image sensor for every four photo sites (pixels) on the image sensor there will be one red pixel, two green pixels, and one blue pixel.

When the raw capture is processed the image data is interpolated to calculate the “missing” color values for each pixel. A non-raw image format (such as JPEG or TIFF) is demosaiced, meaning the full-color pixel values have been calculated.

Based on all this, if your camera offers a DNG capture option instead of or in addition to a proprietary raw capture format, I would feel perfectly comfortable making use of DNG as a raw capture format. However, if the camera also offers a proprietary capture format, it is important to note that you could lose access to certain camera-specific features that are only available when using the software from the camera manufacturer to process a proprietary raw capture.

Today’s Question: I am confused. In my camera I have set the mode to monochrome, the image is saved as DNG [Adobe Digital Negative, a raw capture format]. In the preview the image is displayed in monochrome. But in Camera Raw and Photoshop it is a color image. How can I call up and edit the monochrome image embedded in the DNG?

Tim’s Quick Answer: In this context the DNG file is a raw capture, and therefore in-camera adjustments will not be applied to the photo. The preview you’re seeing on the camera is from the embedded JPEG image, which can’t easily be extracted and will be of lower resolution than the original capture.

More Detail: With a raw capture (including when using DNG as a capture format) the vast majority of available in-camera adjustments will not be applied to the raw capture. For example, adjusting the color (or converting to black and white), enhancing contrast, and various other adjustments, will only affect the JPEG preview embedded in the original capture, but won’t be applied to the actual raw capture data.

In other words, with a raw capture you can think of the in-camera adjustments as providing a sense of what the final image might look like after you optimize it on the computer, but the adjustments will not affect the original capture. When capturing photos with a standard image format, such as JPEG, the original image is altered by the camera permanently. So, for example, if you capture a JPEG image in black and white, you can’t revert to a color original because in this case the original doesn’t contain color.

It is technically possible to extract the JPEG preview from a DNG file, using a tool such as ExifTool (https://exiftool.org). However, this is not a simple task, and the extracted preview would be a reduced resolution image compared to the original capture.

My recommendation is to continue using raw capture (including DNG as a raw capture format), but to save your adjustments for after the capture. If setting your camera to black and white is helpful in your photographic process, that’s absolutely fine. Just be sure you are aware that you’ll need to apply adjustments to the image on your computer after the capture to achieve a result similar to what you saw on your camera’s LCD display.

Today’s Question: Is there a way to make a 1:1 duplicate of a file in Lightroom Classic?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can make an exact duplicate of a source image in Lightroom Classic by using a bit of trick with the Export feature, essentially exporting a copy of the image and adding it back to the catalog.

More Detail: By using a specific combination of settings in the Export dialog in Lightroom Classic you can create a copy of an image in the same folder as the image selected for export and add that copy back to the catalog.

To get started, select the photo you want to duplicate in this way. Then click the Export button at the bottom of the left panel in the Library module to bring up the Export dialog.

In the Export Location section of the Export dialog set the destination to the location where you want to save the derivative image you’re creating via the export. For example, you could set the Export To popup to “Same folder as original photo” to save the exported copy to the same folder as the original you’ve selected. In this case make sure the “Put in Subfolder” checkbox is turned off. However, you can save the new derivative image to any location you’d like.

Be sure to also turn on the “Add to This Catalog” checkbox in the Export Location section, so the exported image will be added to the catalog. This will enable you to manage that derivative copy using your normal workflow.

If you’re saving the exported copy to the same folder as the original image, you’ll need to rename the copy as well. To do so turn on the “Rename To” checkbox in the File Naming section of the export dialog. You can then use a preset from the popup as a starting point. Choose “Edit” from that same popup if you want to customize the settings for renaming, such as by using the original filename along with custom text you can define, such as to add the word “Copy” to the end of the filename.

In the File Settings section you can choose the file type you want to use for the exported copy. If you’re truly making an exact copy of the source image, you will want to choose “Original” from the Image Format popup so the copy will be the same file type as the original. This will also disable the in the Image Sizing, Output Sharpening, Metadata, and Watermarking sections, since you’re making a copy of the source file without modification in this case.

After configuring the settings for the export, you can click the Export dialog and the new image will be created and saved based on the settings you selected.

Today’s Question: If apply edits to a virtual copy in Lightroom Classic and then save it as a TIFF or JPEG, will I have a complete copy or just another virtual copy?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If you generated a TIFF or JPEG image based on a virtual copy in Lightroom Classic, you would indeed be creating an actual TIFF or JPEG file, not another virtual copy.

More Detail: A virtual copy in Lightroom Classic is really just a second reference to a raw capture. When you apply adjustments to a raw capture you aren’t altering the source capture file. Rather, you’re effectively saving metadata associated with the original capture. Creating a virtual copy is simply a process of creating an additional set of metadata for the same source capture.

Creating a TIFF or JPEG copy based on a source image generally involves using the export feature in Lightroom Classic. When you export a photo, you’re making an additional derivative image file, not simply creating a new virtual copy. The fact that you selected a virtual copy as the source image for the export isn’t a factor. Exporting a virtual copy is effectively the same as exporting the original raw capture, for example. In both cases a new derivative image file is created based on the original capture, just based on potentially different settings for the original versus the virtual copy.

Of course, when you export a file in this way, the resulting image will be based on the source image. With a virtual copy that means the exported image will match the appearance of the virtual copy. So, for example, if the original capture was in color, but you converted the virtual copy to black and white, exporting based on the original would produce a color derivative image, while exporting the virtual copy would result in a black and white derivative image.

Today’s Question: When traveling, it would be nice to have the same Keyword List, Develop Presets, and Metadata Presets in Lightroom Classic on my laptop as I have on my desktop computer. I know you can copy the Keyword List, but can you also copy your Develop Presets and Metadata Presets?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can copy the Keyword List, the Develop module presets, and your metadata presets to another computer so they are available in Lightroom Classic on both computers.

More Detail: You can export all keywords from the Keyword List in Lightroom Classic and then import that list into Lightroom Classic on another computer. To do so first export the Keyword List by going to the Library module and choosing Metadata > Keywords > Include Keyword Tag Options from the menu. In the dialog that appears navigate to a convenient location for saving the list, enter a meaningful name in the “Save As” field, and click the Save button.

You can then copy the exported file to your other computer and import the list into Lightroom Classic by choosing Metadata > Import Keywords from the menu. Navigate to the location where you saved the file, select the file, and click the Choose button. All keywords from the imported file will then appear in the Keyword List on the right panel in the Library module.

For the Develop presets you can export individual presets or copy the contents of the presets folder. To export individual Develop module presets right-click on the name of the preset in the Presets list on the left panel and choose “Export” from the popup that appears. The resulting XMP sidecar files can then be copied to the applicable folder for the Develop presets as outlined below.

To copy all Develop presets or to copy metadata templates first go to the Preferences dialog in Lightroom Classic by choosing Edit > Preferences on Windows or Lightroom Classic > Preferences on Macintosh. Go to the Presets tab, where you can click on the “Show Lightroom Develop Presets” button to open a window in your operating system where the Develop module presets are stored, or the “Show All Other Lighroom Presets” button to bring up a window for the other presets.

For the Develop module presets you’ll want to copy the “Settings” folder to transfer presets you’ve created directly within Lightroom Classic, and the “ImportedSettings” folder to transfer presets you imported into Lightroom Classic, perhaps having obtained presets from someone else.

For the metadata presets you’ll need to open the Lightroom folder that is highlighted in the windows that opened when you clicked the button in the Preferences dialog. You can then copy the “Metadata Presets” folder to your other computer.

On the destination computer use the same process of clicking the button in the Preferences dialog to reveal the preset storage location and put the folders into the same structure as they were on the source computer. Restart Lightroom Classic on the destination computer, and you’ll have your presets available.