I lashed out and bought lightroom....

[Amson]

I figured that as I am starting to shoot raw then I need a better application than the freebie I downloaded off the internet. After spending around 6 hours yesterday looking at tutorials online, importing and playing, I still have some questions and hope some of you experts will be able to assist.

1. Are you convering to DNG?
2. How are you using collections? My photos are filed in what I would consider "collections" and I am keywording as I import so not sure what you are using them for.
3. Do you have multiple catalogues? I have set up mine now with 2 - one for the home photos and one for travel as I have a lot of slides that have been scanned in of trips overseas.
4. After developing a photo and modifying, do you import the modified back into lightroom?

Grateful in anyone can assist. Now how does one stop playing.....

[katrinak]

Glad you splurged you'll love it!

1. No
2. I use collections for photos I need for specific things - printing for family/events, submitting somewhere, using in classes. I do more keywording than collecting though
3. Yes. I have catalogues for shoots I do for others. I am going to start a catalogue for 2010 as 2009 nine is HUGE.
4. I only import my modified POTD or photos I want to use in LR slideshows.

[iUma]

Oh, Carolyn, I think you have just begun the play, my friend. There are all these presets and tuts for development....and on and on...It is a robust perfect program for managing photos. Congratulate yourself. And did I tell you about the time I shot a whole set of wedding photos for some of my best friends and they were on the WRONG white balance? In raw, in LR, it's a simple click and beauty returns!! I congratulate you!! HAve FUN.

[Britgirl]

Its the best spend IMO
1. no, me neither
2. not so much. I'm just keywording or basic date sorting,
3. sometimes. But usually I do most of my editing in LR. then I import to edit in CS - cloning/nosieware anything I find easier in CS- then I save a version of the 'finished' picture in my documents for that month. so my LR is all my raw files, untouched or partially edited photos mostly.
one day, when have some extra hours -hahaha- I intend to sort that out and only save in LR. binning the not used not wanted photos from multiple shots, keeping the editing ones -and original unedited versions of those.