Original files on iMac import to light room

[chuck]

My brand new imac has a bad graphic card. Apple support wants me to exchange it. It won't fully boot now.

 

I want the recover the files light room imported from my camera. Where does light room keep the original files, as oppose to the JPEG

files it exports?

[Spearhead]

<p>Lightroom doesn't keep files anywhere. They are wherever you put them, or wherever you directed Lightroom to put them if you used them for import.</p>

[chuck]

I thought I set the default directory to be on an external drive. But all I see there are the JPEG files I asked LR to export,

not any of the RAW files it had imported.

[Spearhead]

<p>When you say "default directory," what do you mean? If you use LR to import, it will use what you last used. There's no default directory other than Pictures (on the Mac) and whatever the equivalent is on Windows.</p>

[chuck]

I imported them from the CF card in the D810. I've since deleted them from the CF card using the D810's format

function.. Do you mean LR does not keep any copy of the original files when it "imports"? What good is any photo management system that does not maintain a copy of the original file downloaded from a camera? Are we to keep the photo permanently on the CF card?

 

I also pointed LR to a directory on an external hard drive when I ran LR for the first time, intending for that to be where all files, original and edited, would be kept. As I recall, that was during the only instance when LR Deigned to allow me to set a path to anywhere at any time during the installation and subsequent usage process.

 

When I export files from LR, it puts a JPEG copy of the file in that directory. I can see the JPEG there, but not the original RAW. But I want the original RAW. Is it unrecoverable?

[Spearhead]

<p>When you import using LR, there is a specified location in the upper right hand corner. If you pointed it at your external drive at the time, the files should be there. The problem is that if you do not specifically pick a location, they could be anywhere, but the default should be Pictures.</p>

[chuck]

How could default be just anywhere? Is there no place it defaults to? Where is the picture library located on a iMac with OSX Yosemite?

[keith_b1]

<p>Look for folder after following this path: iMac HD, users, you, pictures; look there.<br>

The thing is, hardly anyone lets Lightroom put files there. Most users have a specific location ---often on an external drive---and instruct LR to put them there during the import process.</p>

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p>hardly anyone lets Lightroom put files there</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

The problem is that it defaults to that location under certain circumstances. For example, if you have previously imported and had LR put the files on an external drive and that drive is unmounted (or otherwise not connected,) LR will put the files in Pictures automatically. I believe the same thing happens if you happen to change folder names or delete the folder if you put the files inside a folder.It would be better if LR used a dialogue box on every import that involves moving files, but it doesn't, it will just switch to Pictures if it can't find the previously used location. </p>

[Uhooru]

<p>Try doing a search light search for whatever the raw extension is for your 810 such as .nef or whatever the designation is.</p>

[marc_rochkind]

<p>Select an image in Lightroom, and choose the "reveal in Finder" command (not sure of the exact wording).</p>

[johne37179]

<p>The searchlight function is your best bet.<br /><br /></p>

[john_thurston5]

<p>Lets take a few steps back in your workflow scenario before the problem with your iMac not being able to boot anymore. <br />When Lightroom imports it moves the originals to where ever you told them to, and they do not get deleted until you tell it to do so...WITH one important caveat, do all of your file copying, moving and renaming in Lightroom only. If you move files around behind LRs back the LR catalog database has no clue you did that and they can appear to be missing. they are still there, just not include in LRs database.<br />Did you manually move copy or rename any files in in the Finder?<br /><br />Unfortunately you wont be able to search for or retrieve anything from the internal drive until the graphics card is repaired to see it's contents. One would also hope you had already been running back ups of either your internal drive, external drive, or where ever you store critical data.<br />Most Lightroom users store all their of the Image file Library on an independent external drive to avoid just the situation you are now experiencing, you can't search for anything on the internal drive in the non-bootable computer.<br>

Lightroom does exactly what you tell it to do, especially in the Import Dialogue box. When Camera files are imported from a card reader, or any other storage, the specific destination you store them at is either in a custom named folder anywhere, or by date folders , and by default unless you change it, it is in the Users>Pictures>Lightroom folder, though you can apply any organization scheme that suits your needs.<br>

<br />Do not confuse the importing of and storage of your original files, with Exporting jpegs files, which can be located anywhere you chose, and would be the same location as you raw files only if you told it to do so. There is no default export location.<br /><br />if you in fact never stored any image files on the internal drive, they most likely are on the external drive. If you did not store the Lightroom Catalog file on the external you will not be able to use Lightroom to find anything. Another reason to store all images on an external with the Catalog files so that your entire Lightroom Library is portable and sell contained.<br /> Hook the external up to a working mac, and use spotlight to search for all NEF files, then any other criteria you may have named you files or folders. <br /><br />Lightroom is an excellent Image Management system, talking control of it and understanding how it works is essential to take advantage of it's powerful capabilities.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>

 

[Carl Stone]

<p>Chuck, it sounds to me like a little time in the free Adobe tutorials for LR would be moist helpful to you. Here's a link to get you up to speed <https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/tutorials.html>. You'll notice that the page appears sparse WRT info, but, it begins with "Get started" being underlined, and if you click on "Learn essentials" a boatload of video tutorials opens up, including importing images to LR. Form that page you can click on "Key techniques," etc. HTH</p>