- Getting started
- Lightroom is your digital notebook
- The import process
- Importing photos from a digital camera
- Importing images from a hard disk
- Importing via drag and drop
- Evaluating photos before importing
- Images that are already imported
- Importing to a specific folder
- Importing from a watched folder
- Tethered shooting
- Viewing imported photos in the work area
- Review questions
- Review answers
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Importing from a watched folder
Designating a folder on your hard disk as a watched folder can be a very convenient way to automate the import process. Once you’ve designated a folder that is to be watched, Lightroom will detect any photos that are placed or saved into it and then automatically move them to a specified location and add them to the catalog. You can even have Lightroom rename the files and add metadata in the process.
Choose File > Auto Import > Auto Import Settings. In the Auto Import Settings dialog box, click the first Choose button to designate a watched folder. Navigate to your desktop, create a new folder, name it Watch This, and then click Choose/Select Folder.
Importing a Photoshop Elements catalog
Lightroom Classic makes it easy to import photographs and videos from Photoshop Elements 6 and later on Windows, and from Photoshop Elements 9 and later on macOS.
The media files from your Photoshop Elements catalog are imported complete with keywords, ratings, and labels—even your stacks are preserved. Version sets from Photoshop Elements are converted to stacks in Lightroom Classic, and your albums become collections.
In the Lightroom Classic Library module, choose File > Import A Photoshop Elements Catalog.
Lightroom searches your computer for Photoshop Elements catalogs and displays the most recently opened catalog in the Import Photos From Photoshop Elements dialog box.
If you wish to import a Photoshop Elements catalog other than that selected by default, choose it from the menu.
Click Import to merge the photo library and all catalog information from your Photoshop Elements catalog to your Lightroom Classic catalog.
If you’re migrating from Photoshop Elements to Lightroom Classic, or intend to use the two applications together, refer to the Adobe tutorial “Automatically import photos from Photoshop Elements to Lightroom Classic” for useful tips and info: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/import-photos-various-sources.html.
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Now that you have designated a watched folder, you can select Enable Auto Import at the top of the Auto Import Settings dialog box.
Under Destination, click the Choose button to specify a folder to which Lightroom will move your photos when adding them to the library catalog. Navigate to and select the lesson02A folder, and then click Choose/Select Folder. Type Auto Imported Photos in the Subfolder Name text box.
Under Information, select the metadata preset that we made in the previous exercise, choose None from the Develop Settings menu, and choose Minimal from the Initial Previews menu. Click OK to close the Auto Import Settings dialog box.
Switch to Finder/Windows Explorer and navigate to the lesson02B folder. Open the Watch This folder and drag the image files inside this watched folder.
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When Lightroom has finished importing, you’ll notice that the images are automatically placed into the Auto Imported folder we created in the Auto Import Settings dialog box. Looking at the Watch This folder, you’ll see that it is now empty.
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In Lightroom, if you navigate to the lesson02A folder, you’ll notice that there are several more pictures that have been added to that folder.
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You’ll find that this watched folder feature is commonly used by photographers who are performing tethered shooting using the manufacturer’s software to control the camera. Dedicated to supporting photographers every step of the way, Lightroom also handles this type of shooting quite well. Want to learn more about tethered shooting? We’ll cover that in the next section.