Efficient way to export jpg from Lightroom Classic

[Flybridge]

Hi

I have imported several pictures from my iPhone that are in jpg format. Having edited them in LR Classic I want to upload to my web album. However, the photos do not have the LR edits if I just copy the file over, so I need to save them somehow.

I tried the Export option, but even though there is an option to 'overwrite WITHOUT WARNING', the proces stops when it recognises a file with the same name, and it wants me to rename the files.

To process a batch of inviocesI have to use cmd-E to export to Photoshop, click to accept the option to pass LR edits into Photoshop, then for each photo ctrl-shift-S to save as, select jpg format, press Return, click Replace, click OK on the jpg save options to save it. Then ctrl-W to close then click Don't save.

Becuase of a warning that shows saying the photo has to be saved as a copy, all the file names have 'copy' appended, so back in LR I have to select all the origianl files and delete them, then rename all the files with 'copy' in the name.

This is very tedious. There must be a better way of doing it.

As there is the option to 'overwrite WITHOUT WARNING' in the LR Export dialogue I'm wondering, am I doing something wrong?

[Just Shoot Me]

So rename it or use a Unique name which will add a number to the file name. then Upload those exported images with the new name.

You are trying to make it much harder than it is.

Export with New Name, Upload to wherever, don't delete anything from either your LrC catalog file or your hard drive.

[Flybridge]

Using the ability to change the filename works, but it still doesn't save me the effort of deleting the originals - I don't want towaste space keeping them. These are just snaps that I am merging in with the photos taken on my dSLR, so they are not masterpieces.

But it is quicker than what I was doing before. So thanks for that.

[GoldingD]

I want to upload to my web album.

Where is this web album? Is it on a photo sharing service like Smugmug? or perhaps a social pge like Facebook, Instagram, etc?

[Flybridge]

It's a photo sharing site. I use it as a web photo album. most photos are private, but some are public. The need here is to merge the holiday snap kind of pictures with those taken on my dSLR to create a full album to remind us of the event/holday.

[JohanElzenga]

Lightroom is a non-destructive editor. That means that edits are not written to the original images (regardless of whether these are raw files or jpegs), but stored in the catalog as a kind of "to do list". Only when you need an edited image, you export a copy with the edits applied to them. For this reason Lightroom stops you from overwriting the original jpegs with the exported jpegs. That would make the edits destructive, and make it impossible to ever change an edit. If you want to overwrite all your original jpegs with edited jpegs, then maybe a non-destructive editor like Lightroom is not the right tool for you.

[Flybridge]

I do not want to keep the originals as they are just snapshot reminders of holidays etc. to merge with my dSLR photos.

I would disagree with your logic on keeping or over writing the original. When exporting, there is a field specifically for over writing the originals, with one option being to over write 'WITHOUT WARNING' - in caps. So presumably Adobe have considered this option - it just seems it doesn't work. So Iw as wondering if I was doing something wrong.

[richardplondon · Accepted solution]

These options about "overwrite" when exporting: they only refer to what happens if a prior export is encountered, with the same filename and in the same place, as a new export is about to be saved.

That is a quite different matter, than overwriting the original source file.

Lightroom is always working FROM that source file (in order to create varying separate outputs, using that as a fixed basis); it is not working ON that source file (to change it directly). The imported file, and any exported output files, serve entirely different purposes and are therefore treated differently.

It's like a film negative, vs a particular enlarged print made from that negative. Or like a musical composition, vs a particular performance of that piece of music. Two very different things: one is the (fixed) basis for creating the other (variably); they are not interchangeable. Even if both happened to be JPGs: one would be an original camera JPG, the other a derived output JPG, and that is a very significant difference so far as workflow. To re-create one you would have to go and take the identical photo again; while to re-create the other, is trivially easy.

I advise: always make your exports into a different place than your imported files; do not confuse matters by re-importing those exports back to your LR Classic Catalog; make them with a particular usage in mind; regard them as otherwise and thereafter, disposable.

[Flybridge]

Ah, OK. It looks like I want LR to do something it doesn't want to, and vice versa.

In which case, it looks like the best thing to do is change the filename when I export, to make it completely different and then delete the originals. They aren't important - I'm just tidying up the presentation a bit, but they are mainly holiday snaps as momentos, not works of art.

Thanks for the explanation.

[SeanMcCormack]

Great answer Richard. 

[SeanMcCormack]

Can you do a screen shot of the Export dialog? You are correct that Overwrite without warning should work as specified. I've just tested it there with a file and it worked for me. And Export should be all you need to do without going to Photoshop as others have suggested.