# Not yet Imported, but show as greyed out (i.e. already imported)



## morenlucky (Jan 26, 2014)

I am new to LR and am using my folder structure of my grandson's pictures to learn with. I managed to Import 2013 and 2012 with some confusion but minimal mistakes. When I click on the 2011 folder and select any of the individual months, the pictures (all) are greyed out as if I already Imported them.

I have been given links to follow on other Adobe and Lightroom web pages, but they all send me to the basic import instructions. None (so far) has covered this problem.

Note: Since I lost my hearing in 2009, I shy away from YouTube links.

thanks,

len


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## Selwin (Jan 26, 2014)

Hi Len, welcome to the forum!

Could you provide a screen shot of the import dialog that is giving you trouble? Could you also provide a screen shot of your folder structure in the LR library module?

If you select "All photos" in the top left section of the library module and you browse through your photos, do you see any 2011 images?

If you take the file name of one of the 2011 images that are greyed out at import, and you do a search within LR for that file name (for instance with the library filter "text"), do you get any hits? To go to the library filter, hit "G" to get the grid and look above the thumbnails. If the filter bar should be hidden, go to Menu->View and select "Show Filter Bar". Then click Text, select "Filename", "Contains" and enter the file name in the text box.

If you still encounter problems, please don't hesitate to get back to us.


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## morenlucky (Jan 27, 2014)

*Roberto DeVincenzo was right*



Selwin said:


> Hi Len, welcome to the forum!
> 
> Could you provide a screen shot of the import dialog that is giving you trouble? Could you also provide a screen shot of your folder structure in the LR library module?
> 
> ...


=======================
Well, I have the two screen captures, but they may not be necessary. When I selected "All Photos", I could see the photos that appeared greyed out. the text search was one failure and one success. It may be that when I was trying to learn LR4, that I Imported them as a test (although I had no idea where they were.

Two follow-up question, please:
1) When I did an Import with "Copy", LR5 created dated folders in my Lightroom5 folder, just above my Grandson's folder. I deleted them all because I didn't want duplicates in the same place i.e. the Lightroom5 folder. now I'm getting the "?where is this folder" error.

2) Are all imports and all future edits going to live in the same LRCAT file?

I realize that, once I get over this hurdle, LR will be fun. but I have followed the basic Import instructions in all the Intro to Lightroom (3/4/5) books I have read and I am still unsure of where things are. I want to Import from one of my external drives (H and place a copy on a different external (G. I would to be able to keep my existing file structure on the back-up drive (G, if possible.

Note: Our local Community College don't have a Lightroom class near me. Or online.

thanks so much for your help and your patience.

len

Ps. DeVincenzo upon signing an incorrect scorecard at the 1968 Masters, giving the title to Bob Goalby. "What a stupid I am."


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## Selwin (Jan 27, 2014)

Hi Len,

Thank you for posting the screen shots and telling us what you've found out so far. To help you better, I need to know some things first. 

#1 You have a LR4 images folder and a LR5 images folder. Does this mean that you have a LR4 catalog *and* a LR5 catalog? If so, do you still use both? Are you fully aware of which images in your folder structure were imported into which catalog?
#2 In your question 1 you wrote that you "deleted" them all. Did you delete them in Windows Explorer? If so, be aware that LR didn't know that you did that and doesn't understand why it can't access images now that it could access previously, hence the question marks.

From now on, you should do any moving, deleting and directory creating *from within* Lightroom, so the database can keep track of what you are doing.

The reason that LR created a date-based folder structure is because on import you had that option checked (look at your screen shot, right panel, "organise" "by date"). You can select different options if that is what you want.

Your question 2:
Yes, all future imports and their edits will be saved in the same .lrcat file, provided you always start LR with that same catalog. Let me explain:
_A .lrcat file is nothing more than a database. It doesn't hold images. It only stores references to the images that you import. Those images reside on a hard drive somewhere and the database (the .lrcat file) simply accesses those files to perform the operations that you require. Basically when you import a bunch of images, you are telling the database "hey database, here are some images I would like you to work with! Could you please take note of them and add them?" Inside the database, your images are just numbers. Then the database wants to help you identify the images more conveniently by showing you thumbnails (in Grid view) and a bigger image (or even 100% preview) in Loupe view. Those thumbnails and preview images are not stored inside the .lrcat file, but in a separate folder called <your catalog name> + Previews.lrdata. This folder is stored in the same place as your catalog file.
_
Lightroom can work with multiple catalogs, but only one at a time. You can create and use many different catalogs, so there is a risk of opening a different catalog by mistake without knowing. You can tell LR how it should go about opening catalogs. Go to preferences, General tab and look under "default catalog". You have 3 options:
1 load the most recent catalog (this is the catalog that you exited the last time you quit LR)
2 prompt you when starting Lightroom (you will get a list of all catalogs that you used so far with this version of LR)
3 always load a specific catalog (you can select one, for instance your main catalog)
Option 1 is the most dangerous option. You may not remember which catalog you worked on the last time, assume it's your main catalog but it may be a different one. For beginning users, option 3 (or even 2) is highly recommended until you are confident enough to start using option 1. 

If you have any more questions, please let us know 

P.S. the fact that your images are *not* inside the .lrcat file, also implies that they are not backed up when you backup that .lrcat file. You will need to backup your images separately. As soon as you are ready to learn more about backing up your stuff, please read a backup article I did with Victoria.


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## Tony Jay (Jan 27, 2014)

Selwin has given you a wonderful summary.
Nothing for me to add.

Tony Jay


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## morenlucky (Jan 28, 2014)

Not only did he give me an excellent summary, he did it so much better than all the "Importing" chapters I read in my Lightroom 3/4/5 books! I won't claim to fully understand the workings of Importing and storing in Lightroom, but I have a much better grasp on what Lr is doing and what I should be doing. And that counts for a lot.

Can I ask a personal question?
Lightroom keeps cropping up in the Photoshop and Photography magazines I read - that is why I opted to give it a shot. I was weaned on CS3, then CS5 and I'm not in CC (which gave me LR5). I have been using computers and files and folders since long ago, so i understand them and know how to sue them. Here is the question: Is Lightroom worth the initial Importing hurdle I'm struggling with?

Thank you so much for your time and your patience. I promise you that I will learn and your efforts will not be wasted.

len

Remember: Man is the only animal that fails.
                Everything else gets eaten.


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## Selwin (Jan 28, 2014)

Hi Len, I like your quotations, Mark Twain meets...Len? If this should - in any way - suggest anyone on this forum is stupid then I must disagree. I'm here to learn what I must and to share what I know. I believe in the power of Lightroom and I want to help others discover that too.

Whether or not Lightroom is worth investing in really actually _is_ a personal question. It depends on your personal objectives in photography and post processing images. If you're an artist and used to create new things from base images, Photoshop CSx/CC is the obvious choice. If you're shooting thousands of images and want to process them quickly and professionally, Lightroom is made for you. Though I must say its ways are sometimes hard to master. It's not very intuitive and even after six years of weekly use, I come across things I never knew but should. I definitely think it's worth it for myself.

How about you tell us what you want to do with your photos and then we can advise. 

The fool says he knows all but error he makes
The wise man begs to learn


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## morenlucky (Jan 28, 2014)

I didn't know that was Twain - I found it many years ago and liked it so much it was in my signature block for years. Anyway, I would, in any way, mean to imply that people on the Forum are stupid. In high school, a teacher called us ignorant. Some were offended and the rest of us realized he was correct. Ignorance is simply lack of knowledge. So I am ignorant and here to learn.

I am not a professional photographer or an artist. I take a lot of picture/photos, especially of my grandson. So i fit in your description of the LR user. I have Photoshop and like it - I am trying to help the Operation Photo Rescue people - but I always fall behind in filtering and tagging my photos.

I want to put my photos in the Lightroom 5 directory, Import the keepers and send a copy to a different external hard drive. I think that is what I did when I created the date folders except I accidentally put them in the same Lightroom folder I was Importing from. I will keep up with this Forum for a while.

You aren't old enough to remember this one, from the VietNam war:
     Eternal vigilance need not mean lack of comfort
     when one is making sure the river flows to the sea.

len


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## Selwin (Jan 29, 2014)

morenlucky said:


> I didn't know that was Twain - I found it many years ago and liked it so much it was in my signature block for years.


Well it was part of Twain, so I'm not sure either, hence the question mark. I still like it though.



morenlucky said:


> Anyway, I would, in any way, mean to imply that people on the Forum are stupid. In high school, a teacher called us ignorant. Some were offended and the rest of us realized he was correct. Ignorance is simply lack of knowledge.


I don't like the word stupid. Stupid is - in my opinion - not at all the same as ignorant.



morenlucky said:


> So I am ignorant and here to learn.


You then belong to the category of wise men .



morenlucky said:


> I am not a professional photographer or an artist. I take a lot of picture/photos, especially of my grandson. So i fit in your description of the LR user. I have Photoshop and like it - I am trying to help the Operation Photo Rescue people - but I always fall behind in filtering and tagging my photos.


Yes then Lightroom is for you.



morenlucky said:


> I want to put my photos in the Lightroom 5 directory, Import the keepers and send a copy to a different external hard drive.


Very good. Did you check out Publish services? It can publish to hard drives too and it's very convenient to use because it will update the export location with new photos that meet the filter rules.



morenlucky said:


> I will keep up with this Forum for a while.


I'd like that.



morenlucky said:


> You aren't old enough to remember this one, from the VietNam war:
> Eternal vigilance need not mean lack of comfort
> when one is making sure the river flows to the sea.


As a dutchman, born in '69, I am both too young and not living in a country where I would have seen quotes like this. Keep 'em coming


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