duplicate photos in MS photos app

while cleaning up windows 11 laptop for improved LrC and PS performance, I see all LrC images in the MS photos program. I did not, knowingly, save images to ointernal HD. Is there a setting I am not aware upon import that is duplicating every darn uploaded photo? I dont see any such setting in the MS photo app itself.

These are not iCloud photos, BTW. 

Thanks in advance