# Importing referenced images (like Aperture)



## helen9096 (Aug 15, 2020)

If this is already been covered elsewhere, please direct me! I'm trying to import some pics into Lightroom, and I'd like the files to stay where they are, whether that be in a folder on my laptop, or on my storage drive. How do I do that? I'm not really understanding the Lightroom lingo. Does 'in the specified location' mean 'where it is already' or 'the folder you've designated for all Lightroom imports'?
I haven't started the long-dreaded migration from Aperture yet, I'm just trying to get my head round Lightroom first. And also have a long backlog of images which need cataloguing and are currently not imported into Aperture OR Lightroom or anything else. I'm on a Mac but have never used iPhoto.


----------



## Johan Elzenga (Aug 15, 2020)

Lightroom 3.3 stores the images in the cloud. It needs to copy them to a temporary location before they are uploaded (otherwise adding images would be too slow). You cannot use an existing location and not copy the images.


----------



## johnbeardy (Aug 15, 2020)

You're probably using the wrong Lightroom. 3.3 is a cloud-dependent simplified program which Adobe decided to name Lightroom. 
The direct equivalent to Aperture was renamed and is now known as Lightroom Classic.


----------



## Paul McFarlane (Aug 15, 2020)

If it is actually Lightroom Classic you wish to use, then I'd recommend downloading our free Quick Start guide (go to Downloads)

There's one for Cloud there too!


----------



## helen9096 (Aug 15, 2020)

Thanks all! I had no idea there were all these variants of Lightroom. Why didn't Adobe call the cloud-based one something else? Grr. OK, so it seems that Lightroom Classic is actually what I need... I'll go off and read up on that before I proceed any further.


----------



## helen9096 (Aug 15, 2020)

I'm now installing Lightroom Classic, which is available as part of my monthly package. Hadn't occurred to me it was the thing I needed - I've been trained to think of 'classic' as meaning 'old', given that I started my Mac life back in OS9 days...


----------



## clee01l (Aug 15, 2020)

helen9096 said:


> I'm now installing Lightroom Classic, which is available as part of my monthly package. Hadn't occurred to me it was the thing I needed - I've been trained to think of 'classic' as meaning 'old', given that I started my Mac life back in OS9 days...



Adobe would like you to think that Classic is older. And they succeeded with you. Actually it is “old” as in more mature. There is more functionality in Classic than in Lightroom.

Your original question was about importing by reference. Lightroom only imports by reference. On import you have three options: COPY (from an existing Location to a new location that will be referenced by Lightroom), MOVE (from an existing Location to a new location that will be referenced by Lightroom) and ADD (from an existing Location that will be referenced by Lightroom. Images stay where they are.)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## johnbeardy (Aug 16, 2020)

And a tip based on Cletus's post - every time you import, take a second to review whether you have  selected Copy or Move or Add.


----------

