You can click on the thumbnails to play around with them and organize them. Then, in the middle of your screen, you will see your images. You will make it your best friend by the time you've mastered Lightroom! The all-important Collections section is in the left-hand menu. Using the menu, you can add more folders for additional imported files. You will note that on the left-hand side of your screen, you can see the folder structure. (At the top of the screen, you can switch between different modules.) This is extremely helpful because it's how you manage your files, allowing you to improve your workflow, saving you time. You can now organize your photographs and begin to build catalogs. You can also add your photo copyrights in the metadata section.Īfter importing, you'll be in the Library Module/Panel. This can save you a lot of time later during editing. You can rename files while importing them and add a series of pre-defined edit settings, such as sharpening. *We suggest that, as a beginner, you use the 'Add' as your import preference until you're used to Lightroom. This allows you to copy files from one location to another without deleting them from the original location.Ĭopy as DNG does the same thing as 'Copy' while also converting the file to DNG.

Move is used when you want to add photos to your Lightroom catalog in the same way as 'Add' while also moving images in your computer to another location.Ĭopy will add to your catalog, and copy the file from its current location to your hard drive.

There are three types of import preferences: add, move, copy and copy as DNG.Īdd* photos means you have copied or moved your files in the right location on your computer's hard drive already. There is a menu that changes according to the type of import you select, so go ahead and choose. Select a source on the left side and click on the folder you want to import (You'll have access to all the image files on your computer, regardless of where they are on there.)

On the bottom left of your screen, you'll see the 'Import' button.

Lightroom tutorials for beginners