Lightroom Teaching: How the photo changes are recorded

We know that using Lightroom is recorded in real time without the need for special storage, but where does everyone's changes exist? Recently, a reader sent me a query, I found that my previous introduction did not speak very clearly, I put his question and my answer to the example, I hope members will understand the Lightroom structure more clearly.

　The Lightroom preset is to store all of the map data in the catalog

Because Lightroom will not destroy the original image, in other words, all of your changes in the photos have not changed to the original, the changes will be recorded in the directory. So your directory becomes very important, losing it is equivalent to losing the previous piece of information, so the Lightroom preset will back up the directory on a regular basis. The younger brother suggested that must frequently backup, the catalogue is the most important file outside the original image, because of the later time that you spend on the photograph, painstakingly establishes the file structure, the photograph location all records in the catalogue.

Ways to back up a directory

The directory is so important that, in addition to Lightroom every week, I have used NAS (a mechanism for data storage with a special device connected directly to the network media) to provide a real-time backup solution. It is important to note that, just as backing up other files, backups must be stored on another hard disk, which is meaningless in the same hard drive as the directory in use. Listen to a backup directory method is very worthy of reference, that is, the use of cloud storage, the directory in the cloud storage of the Synchronized folder, there will be real-time backup effect.

If your NAS or you use cloud services to make real-time backups of your directory, you may encounter Lightroom events that may not be able to open directories, and it is likely that Lightroom cannot modify it because the directory in your work is being backed up, so ironically, I have a lot of time to suspend the real-time backup before opening Lightroom, although it will become less real-time, but there is no way. It's "live" when you don't have to Lightroom.

　So what about XMP? I thought you said there was no XMP.

In fact, to launch the Lightroom XMP option in order to produce XMP file, we recommend that the best start XMP, because in the event of unfortunate directory really no way to recover and lost forever, your basic changes to the photos can also be in the same folder in the XMP file retrieve. Since the start of Lightroom every time to update the XMP data, theoretically should be slower, but I actually use the actual did not feel particularly slow, and XMP only accounted for very small capacity, so since the impact on the efficiency of a slight, but also a heavy protection, there is really no reason to not.

▲ to Lightroom automatically write XMP, to directory settings > select meta data > to store metadata to file.

▲ boot, each raw file will have a corresponding XMP file, in the event of loss or damage to the directory, you can also retrieve the raw file from the XMP changes you made.

　　What can XMP and can not do?

XMP will record the changes you have made, exif/keywords and so on, if you want to raw files and you use Lightroom after the effect of the transfer to others, you can put raw and its XMP sent, the person received as long as the HSBC will see you after the revised photos, which is particularly convenient for the photographer at work.

However, XMP cannot record the history of your changes to the photo (edit history), which means that the virtual copy of the photo cannot be revoked or stored. In addition, although the five-star system will be recorded, but will not record the election flag (pick flag). Because each XMP only corresponds to one photograph, therefore also does not record the Lightroom the preset, all above various catalogues can achieve, everybody must pay attention.

Learn a little more

Novice beginner Lightroom, it must be unclear how it records your changes to each photo? I hope this article will help you to understand the Lightroom and have a clearer concept.