# How to edit for mistakes



## Randy (Dec 29, 2013)

I'm having a hard time as I try to develop my images  when I apply certain effects I want to back up and try another effect or maybe a lighter version and I cant seam to figure out how to eliminate what I have done to start over . Any suggestions  Thanks to all


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## Selwin (Dec 29, 2013)

Hi Randy,

if you want to apply different effects on the same image, try Virtual Copies. Just right click on the image and select Create Virtual Copy from the context menu. You can have as many VC's as you want and edit them all differently. Please note that you won't create actual copies of the RAW file itself.

tracking your edits for a given image is displayed in the history section of the left panel in Develop. You can go back to each step by clicking one of the recorded steps. If you want to start over, click the import step (at the bottom).


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## clee01l (Dec 29, 2013)

In the develop module is a history panel.  Each adjustment is given an entry. The initial entry will be something like "Imported...(mm/dd/yyyy)" If you click the "Auto" button in the develop Basic panel an "AutoTone" entry will appear just above the first entry. Next if you click the "Black & White" button in the Basic panel an entry "Convert to Black & White" will then be listed just above the "AutoTone" Entry.   Want to revert to the initial appearance before B&W and before Autotone?  Click on the history item "Imported...(mm/dd/yyyy)" Wnat to revert just the B&W, then click on the history step just before "Convert to Black & White".

The are other ways to back up. Each {Cntl/Cmd}{Z} will undo the last LR operation. Be careful here as the last operation in LR might not have been a Develop adjustment.


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## Randy (Dec 29, 2013)

Thanks guys I'll try this out.


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## davidedric (Dec 29, 2013)

Note,  though, that if you use Virtual Copies all you get is the final state of the edits at the time you make the copy.  The preceding edit steps do not appear in the Virtual Copy history.


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## Selwin (Dec 29, 2013)

davidedric said:


> Note,  though, that if you use Virtual Copies all you get is the final state of the edits at the time you make the copy.  The preceding edit steps do not appear in the Virtual Copy history.


David, excellent addition. This is why it is best to create a virtual copy first, before starting to edit on the image. However, usually one only finds out that one wants to create VC's after doing some editing. In that case, follow these steps:

1. Select the bottom step in the history
2. Create your vrtual copy
3. Click the original and select the history step yhat you previously had
you now have a virgin VC without any edits.

You can also create VC's from any other history step intentionally. For example, you can do some basic corrections like over/under exposure correction, lens correction and some cropping and yhen take that history state as the base from which to create VC's.


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## Randy (Dec 29, 2013)

Good point guys that's what I like to do create several images of the same image each
h a little different to view and see which I want to carry on and post or print.


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## Rob_Cullen (Jan 1, 2014)

SNAPSHOTS is also a great way to 'keep' various copies of your editing procedure without having multiple VCs in your library grid view (but they could be stacked!). 
At any stage of your editing in the develop module, when you see something you like and think "I would like to keep that..!"- create a Snapshot. Click the [ + ] on the snapshot panel header.
So, Snapshot the SOOC raw, edit for colour, WB, crop, etc- take a snapshot, edit for B&W- take a snapshot- edit for duotones- take a snapshot. etc. etc.
You can open the snapshot history panel and select any snapshot to view it, and it's possible to create a new virtual copy from that state in your developing history if you want to diversify the editing.
When you create a Snapshot-give it a descriptive name eg. Duotone, Mono, Saturated, etc. Makes it easy to select the one you favoured.

Added: and you do know that the old CTRL+Z works! Try an effect- dont like it- CTRL+Z.


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## Selwin (Jan 1, 2014)

I-See-Light said:


> SNAPSHOTS is also a great way to 'keep' various copies of your editing procedure without having multiple VCs in your library grid view (but they could be stacked!).


Great addition. I never use snapshots but that is a personal preference. When using snapshots there is no way to see the complete history for each snapshot. If you create a VC from a snapshot the descriptive name is copied into the second history state of that new VC, but the history of the snapshot itself is not there. If you don't care for that part of the history, then using snapshots is a very quick way of creating multiple versions.

So Randy, you have multiple options, select one of your liking.


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## Randy (Jan 1, 2014)

Thanks great tips will do.


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