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I would like to export my finished photos as a catalogue how can I do that. There are many thousands of them and exporting them in any other way would be confusing. I do not wish to export the raw data nor by means of Lightroom as it is expressly intended for a general audience. I would appreciate guidance
Thanks
Sockit
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I do not wish to export the raw data nor by means of Lightroom as it is expressly intended for a general audience. I would appreciate guidance
Export as Catalog requires the user to have the same version of LrC you are using to see the image files. Please provide more details as to EXACTLY what you are trying to do. The more details the better!
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Hi Todd Thanks for your reply. That is what I seemed to have been finding as it wants to export the original files.
What I am seeking is simply to have a repository of photos that can be reviewed remotely. Becausee of the number it seems advisable to have them classified in some order eg by year which is how I have them in light room. Thus I now I suppose need to find how I can export them from light room in their finished state so that another programme can easily classify and store them. The obvious issue is what options do I have for the choice of programs that would do that. The users want something simple to use as they will not be used often as it will be more of an archive. I have one additional problem in that the computer they will be stored on runs on Linux. I hope I have not boxed myself in.
I really apologise for giving you this extra load but you asked for more detail.
sockit
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The answer to this greatly depends on the software they're using on the linux machine. If they are using some sort of cataloguing software that reads file metadata (hopefully!), all you should do is export all your images to high enough quality sRGB jpegs and sent them a big folder of files. The cataloguing software will read the metadata and be able to sort by year, date, keyword, camera, etc. If they are not using any software to catalog that reads metadata , tell them to (I hear lots of good stuff about Lightroom alternative darktable that runs on linux and other OS's but here is a list that looks good: https://itsfoss.com/linux-photo-management-software/ ) as it is just too much of a pain to organize in any other way. Organizing in folders is not a good idea.
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HI Jao vdl Thanks for that insight. I realise that Jpeg is not good enough. What is sRGB jpeg. Does that have a bigger colour depth? Can I choose that from Lightroom Export? Can I send a huge folder of files like that? I really appreciate your helpful insight and will start exploring that reference. The linux machine I am using is a QNAP which seems to have rather inadequate software but I will be exploring that first and see how it responds.
I would be interested in software that will allow me to add text and possibly sound to the images.
Thanks for your help
sockit
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HI Jao vdl Thanks for that insight. I realise that Jpeg is not good enough. What is sRGB jpeg. Does that have a bigger colour depth? Can I choose that from Lightroom Export?
By @sockit
Again, we need more details as to what the end-users will actually be doing with the image files exported with your LrC edits applied. For screen viewing and most printing full-size sRGB color space export files as shown below should be fine. I suggest investigating QNAP software options that allow users to view (and download) the image files directly from the server. You also need to determine if it's important for users to know if and when new image files are added to the server. This would be important if someone was trying to keep an archive of the downloaded image files locally on their system. I assume the QNAP system the only one using UNIX or are the end-users also using UNIX systems? Either way your best option is to find a sharing solution that runs on the QNAP system.
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Hi Todd The end users are just using Macs or PCs though also possibly cell phones for occasional photos. I hadn't thought more deeply about the users employment of the system. I had been thinking about being able to put text an sound with the images where it seemed appropriate. Old images without context become pretty stale.
Thanks
Sockit
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I have just been looking through the Itsfoss reference that you kindly sent. I didn't see anything better than perhaps what I have already on my linux system as you mentioned in your later note. I realise now that I need to think carefully about which way to go.Thanks for all the great info
Sockit
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Todd
I have ordered the books and will try to download them today. However I will be delayed a bit because of the new tax deadline. It is going to make me review the ordering of my files and how I am going to classify them. I am already starting on this.
Thanks for your encouragement
Sockit
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Hi @sockit , Aha. A QNAP NAS probably. In that case I would highly recommend exporting the images to jpegs indeed. Just make sure that the quality setting is higher than about 85 and you use the sRGB color space. This makes the images indistinguishable from the originals even if they were raw but way smaller. The sRGB color space is the most compatible standard (It is the same as the HDTV color standard). JPEG is more than good enough if you are not going to do any further heavy editing of the images and they are meant for display and printing. So for this it sounds like you really don't need anything better and you should stay with what is most compatible.
If the QNAP NAS is anything like my synology, you can run a photo service on it. You simply import all the jpeg images into it and it will catalog them for you based on the metadata embedded in the files. You will then be able to access the images through a webpage running on the NAS or through an app on mobile devices. Indeed all you do is export all images to a big folder and import those images on the QNAP NAS through its photo app interface. It appears QNAP uses this software: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yhAfUXh5jc
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Just make sure that the quality setting is higher than about 85 and you use the sRGB color space. This makes the images indistinguishable from the originals even if they were raw but way smaller.
By @Jao vdL
Jeffrey Friedl did an exhaustive analysis of Lightrom Export Quality Settings and determined a setting of 75 (70-76 range) produces results that are "visibly" as good as the highest setting 100 (93-100 range). Using a setting of 80 (77-84 range) provides a step better quality just to be safe, while providing file size 1/2 to 1/3 of the maximum 100 setting. This helps to reduce the required disk space and download/upload time required.
http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/jpeg-quality
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Todd I have just replied to JAO and I want to thank you too for your great help. I knew nothing about sRGB and this is essential in this final stage.. There is so much detail in lightroom that is not at all obvious about the great images it produces. I am will work over all of this before blundering forward as I usually do.
Thanks
Sockit
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Hi Jao Yes you know exactly what I am wanting to do. I am very encouraged that my plans will work as I have been concentrating on first organizing videos and now working on photos. The sRGB standard sounds right. I had been testing some photos with simply jpeg and the results were not what I was seeking.I have one problem in that the photos come from multiple sources and many come from film and thus the metadata does not have year of capture. I have been sorting all of that and now have them arranged by year. Is it possible to write to the metadata of a group of digital photos and insert the year of capture? and other information like location etc? I purchased my QNAP two or three years ago and didn't see that great U tube explanation and did my set up with help from QNAP techs. I have looked at the first set up video that you sent and found that my set up is different in that I did not set up shared files on my QNAP so that my Windows Computer can write on any of the files on the QNAP and I use the QNAP for back up of my hard drive. Do you know enough about computer security to say whether this is a good or a bad thing to do? I am setting up space for the people who log in to store their own photos so that it could be a central repository for these images which may or may not work and I have not thought abour organising them.I hope the software you are recommending will be useful for people who are not computer savvy.
Another question I have for you is whether the software will allow me to put sound or text with the files? I am interested in putting context with the images.(If I have any time left)
Thanks for your great help. for this long speculative venture I have been undertaking. Lightroom and the plug ins have been of immense help in saving many old bad images which would otherwise have been lost on old hard drives or boxes of films.
Sockit
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I have one problem in that the photos come from multiple sources and many come from film and thus the metadata does not have year of capture. I have been sorting all of that and now have them arranged by year. Is it possible to write to the metadata of a group of digital photos and insert the year of capture? and other information like location etc?
By @sockit
In LrC Library module you can use menu item Metadata> Edit Capture Time. Location information can be entered using the Library module Metadata panel or the Map module. I highly suggest you download and/or purchase one or more the Lightroom Classic books I suggested in your other post. Here they are again:
I suggest donloading and reading the FREE below lightroom Classic Quick start Guide
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/members/free-membership/cc-free-ebook/
Better yet purchase the Adobe Lightroom Classic – The Missing FAQ book.
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/shop/adobe-lightroom-classic-missing-faq/
I suggest purchasing the below book by Peter Krogh on organizing your photos with Lightroom. It says Lightroom 5, but it's fully applicable to version 6 through LrC.
http://thedambook.com/organizing-your-photos-with-lightroom-5/
There's a lot here to wrap your head around so some reading is in order to get up to speed. Just sayn!
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Yes Sir. That is my next order of business.
Thank indeed.
Sockit
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@Todd Shaner already answered the question on how to add metadata on capture time. That is the way to go. One thing to consider is that in general, you want the interface to your images to be as simple and straightforward as possible. So that means a web browser or an app. It should be fairly simple to set up the software I linked to. I don't have experience with QNAP but they probably use a package manager app that can install these with a few clicks if they are not already standard on there.
>I am setting up space for the people who log in to store their own photos so that it could be a central repository for these images which may or may not work and I have not thought abour organising them.I hope the software you are recommending will be useful for people who are not computer savvy.
It looks like this is exactly what it is aimed for. Simple and fairly easy to use. Looks like you just point it at a directory on your QNAP NAS that you fill up with your images and it should index them and serve them up to a web browser or their smartphone app.
>Another question I have for you is whether the software will allow me to put sound or text with the files? I am interested in putting context with the images.(If I have any time left)
I honestly don't know. I have not seen many software packages that are capable of this. Lightroom can do it but it won't translate anywhere else and it is rather hard to use. There is some very expensive digital asset management software that can do it but nothing consumer friendly I know of.
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Jao Thanks for your latest reply which I can't see here. I am really grateful for your detailed responses. I hope I haven't been a nuisance but as a stranger in this environment there are many issues to be thouht out. I feel really comfortable about everything you and Todd have told me and how to use the QNAP. Thanks for your kindness in sparing your time fto help me.
Sockit
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Hi Jao and Todd
I hope this late post will get to both of you. I just wanted to give a follow up to this conversation. I followed Todd's advice and also joined Lightroom Queen and purchased the book. I have been working on adding Key words to the metadata and trying to organise them into the standard system. I think it is going to work out satisfactorally but need to check it in practice. I have therefore been given help in getting a structured file copy of my catalogue and have loaded it onto my QNAP and I am about to enter the phase that Jao advised in setting up the photo album. Thanks to your help as well as Wobert and Michael things have gone remarkably well. I cannot thank you enough for guiding me through this complex and remarkable system
Terence
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Awesome. It is a powerful but complex system and I learn new stuff all the time myself
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"Another question I have for you is whether the software will allow me to put sound or text with the files?"
You can do this using the LrC Slideshow module to create a video file with text and sound, but it has limitations and very few "frills." There are other better slideshow apps you can use to create slideshow videos (google), but give it a try with LrC.
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Thanks.. I will try that out too. I will order those books first and do a bit of reading
Sockit
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Glad to help and please let us know how you make out. I have a special interest in LrC file sharing alternatives because it can only sync reduced size smart previews (2560 long edge) to the Cloud. In addition users viewing shared LR Web albums can only see certain metadata. Keywords used to be visible, but Adobe removed that capability. You can only see the Caption, Title, Camera Info, and Lens Info fields, but none of the other metadata fields. This severely limits its usefulness.
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I have just taken a quick look at the book you recommended it is extremely interesting and well written. I will enjoy reading it. Thanks for that great tip it is well worth the investment.
Sockit
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Glad to hear that! the Lightroom Queen's website has a lot of good resources and its own forum. Many of the Adobe Lightroom forum members post and contribute on both sites. Feel free to do so as well. You may also find the Photoshop Family forum helpful as it includes Lightroom and is monitored by Adobe staff. Enjoy!
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/
https://feedback.photoshop.com/
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Can I ask you an additional question. I remember what you said about using sRBGJpg but have not yet found it, however somehow have switched lightroom so that it is displaying all of my photos as Adobe RGB, Perceptual. I have no idea how to get back and to find the format that I need. . I am in the process of working out a classification system for my photos. However I have found that there is a problem with Lightroom when trying to identify faces in photos that have been developed from negatives. It just presents the undeveloped negative and then does not seem able to find similar faces which are also negatives even though they are adjacent in the folder. It just stops. I am wondering if it works with a mixed bunch which I have. ( 30% of my images are negatives which I have developed with negative lab pro)
I hope I am not doing the wrong thing by continuing the conversation in this way
Thanks
Sockit.