TWO concerns. 1) Finding/organizing files in CC. 2) Editing original RAW

[matt29431332568q]

Im sorry if this is a redundant issue however I have done quite a bit of searching and cant seem to find any help.  I just started using lightroom and these two issues are incredibly frustrating to figure out on my own!

First off, I can view all my imaged in the CC app (android), but not on desktop/pc.  The only way I can view all my saved images is by entering the lightroom program via the CC app.  When I click files/library/etc its empty.  Is it possible to get all my photos to show up under files and/or library?  Seems like the most intuitive.

Second, I shoot in RAW/JPEG.  When I use lightroom to edit a RAW photo it seemingly makes the edit on the actual raw file and resaved the origional raw file with the edits.  When I go back to view my suppoed "origionals" in CC, I cannot find the origional RAW just the newly edited one.  Where is my origional RAW  file and how do I ensure that there is always a untouched RAW file saved on the Cloud?

These issues seem to be very basic but again ive watched several you tube vids and searched the web and cannot seem to find answers....

Thanks for you time!

[JohanElzenga]

1: What subscription do you have? The 'Premium' subscription from within Lightroom mobile? That is for mobile only. You need the Lightroom subscription in order to see images in Lightroom on your computer. 
2: Lightroom is a non-destructive editor. That means that edits are not written to the original file, but kept separately. What you are looking at is a preview with the edits applied, so you can see what you have done. Your raw files remain untouched.

[matt29431332568q]

I have the cloud based lightroom subscription, which is where I have done most editing.  But I can also edit on mobile correct? I am still in the 7 day trial phase of my subscription, does this make a difference?

Yes, I know you are correct in that Lighroom is not suposed to disturb origional RAW.  However, when I edit on an imported RAW photo, the edit replaces the RAW in lightroom and on the cloud and I cannot seem to locate the origional RAW file anywhere in lightroom or on creative cloud.  Ive been resorting to uploading it directly from my SD card.  

Thanks for your help Johan!

[JohanElzenga]

1: Yes, the Lightroom subscription does include Lightroom mobile. All you need to do is login with the same account. I am not sure if the trial is different, but that could well be the case.

2: Read my explanation of non destructive editing again, because you clearly do not understand it. Lightroom does not replace the raw file with an edited copy! What you see in Lightroom is not the original raw file, but a preview. That is always the case, even if you did not make any edits yet. That preview includes any edits, so if you want to be able see the unedited image for any reason, then create a 'version' before you start editing.

[matt29431332568q]

Johan,

I understand that lightroom does not replace the original raw file.  Its quite confusing because when I go back into my cloud storage the origional RAW file is missing and the edited version is in its place....I was under the impression that the cloud would store a permanent copy of my RAW files that I would be able to access in need.  This apparently is not the case....

Thanks again

[JohanElzenga]

Johan,

I understand that lightroom does not replace the original raw file.  Its quite confusing because when I go back into my cloud storage the origional RAW file is missing and the edited version is in its place....I was under the impression that the cloud would store a permanent copy of my RAW files that I would be able to access in need.  This apparently is not the case....

Thanks again

By @matt29431332568q

You say that you do understand, but you still don't. The raw file is not missing and there is no edited version in its place. What you see is a preview. A preview is a jpeg copy that is generated so you can see what the edits look like. The raw file is permanently stored online and is never replaced by anything else.

[matt29431332568q]

I can tell you seem to be getting frustrated, I am reluctant to continue this conversation.  But I am new to this and am frustrated as well.  I am generally decently tech savvy but this whole LR/CC sorting/organizing/uploading etc is driving me up the wall...I get what your saying, I really do.  Im confused because I cannot for the life of me locate the origional RAW files, unless I go direclty to the source (my camera card).  When I go into CC and search for the origional RAW image, pre edited, the only image I find is the edited version, the non edited RAW version is not present in my cache of photos on CC.  Im going to keep playing around with it. Help is appreciated, otherwise please dont trouble yourself. 

[Rob_Cullen]

May I try an explanation?  As @JohanElzenga is trying to explain there is only ever one raw file stored in the Adobe Cloud that is never (physically) altered by editing.

It is a Preview that changes when you 'edit'.

You can have multiple VERSIONS of the previews.

Your Versions can include-  The unedited original, a color version, a Monochrome version, etc.

If you have not created Versions, then- to see the 'original' in the one preview you reset or undo the edits.

To create Versions- Click on the [Versions] at the base of the editing panels

[JohanElzenga]

When I go into CC and search for the origional RAW image, pre edited, the only image I find is the edited version, the non edited RAW version is not present in my cache of photos on CC.

By @matt29431332568q

Let me try to explain it in a more comprehensive way. A raw file is not really an image. If you could view the raw data, then you would see a very weird image that would not look at all like the photo you took. That is why Lightroom (and any other raw application) does not show you the raw data, but a preview. That preview is a jpeg that is generated from those raw data, and converted ('demosaiced') to give you an image that looks like the photo you took. So that is what you are looking at when you are looking at your raw file in Lightroom.

When you edit an image, then Lightroom stores the edits as instructions in it catalog, so the raw file is not altered. It does change that preview however, so the preview shows you what the edits do. That is why you cannot go back and 'search for the original raw file'. You are still looking at the preview of the original raw file! What you want is find another version of that preview, namely the version before the edits were applied. Lightroom does not store that somewhere, but there are easy ways to have a look at the unaltered preview. These have already been explained to you in previous posts.

I hope that it becomes clear now why you cannot search for the original raw file. There is only one raw file and you are already looking at (the preview of) it.

[matt29431332568q]

This is helpful.  Thanks for the more "comprehensive" explanation.  Its times like this that I hate learning new things!  

[rmwu]

Regarding 2) you can press / to toggle "Show Original" (or whatever the shortcut is, on your system). You can right click on the album and "save locally" to download the unedited raws.

You'll be able to see their location on your machine at Adobe Lightroom Menu, Preferences, Local Storage. By default, your images/albums are not synced to your own machine.