Lightroom Classic Essentials: What It’s Best For and How the Workflow Fits Together

What Lightroom Classic Is Designed to Do (and What It’s Not)

Lightroom Classic is built around three core jobs that work together as a single workflow:

• Manage a photo library using a catalog (searchable database of your photos and their information).
• Edit non-destructively (your original files are not changed; edits are saved as instructions).
• Export efficiently (create multiple versions—web, print, client proofs—without re-editing each time).

It helps to separate Lightroom Classic from tools that are primarily file browsers or pixel editors. Lightroom Classic excels at organizing large libraries, applying consistent edits across many images, and producing repeatable exports. When you need heavy retouching (complex compositing, advanced object removal), you typically round-trip to a pixel editor—but your day-to-day color correction, tone, and batch output are Lightroom Classic’s strengths.

Catalog vs. Image Files: The Most Important Distinction

Image files live in folders; the catalog is a database

Your photos (RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PSD, etc.) are stored as normal files in your operating system folders. The Lightroom catalog is a separate file (with the extension .lrcat) that stores:

• Where each photo is located on disk (a path to the file).
• Edits you’ve made (as instructions).
• Metadata (ratings, keywords, captions, camera data, etc.).
• Organization (collections, collection sets).
• Preview data (stored alongside the catalog in preview folders).

Because the catalog references files by their location, moving or renaming photo folders outside of Lightroom can cause “missing file” issues. A reliable habit is: move/rename folders from inside Lightroom (in the Folders panel) so the catalog stays in sync.

Edits are instructions, not permanent changes

When you adjust exposure, white balance, or contrast, Lightroom Classic does not rewrite the original pixels. Instead, it records a set of instructions in the catalog (and optionally in sidecar files). This is why you can:

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• Reset an image back to its original look at any time.
• Create multiple looks from the same file without duplicating the original.
• Batch-apply edits across many photos quickly.

Think of the original file as “read-only” and the catalog as a recipe book describing how to render that file when you view it or export it.

Where edits are stored (catalog and optional sidecars)

By default, edits are stored in the catalog. You can also write changes to files using XMP:

• For RAW files, Lightroom can create an .xmp sidecar next to the RAW.
• For DNG/JPEG/TIFF/PSD, the metadata can be written into the file header.

Writing to XMP can help with interoperability and backup redundancy, but it can also add background disk activity. For this course workflow, it’s enough to understand: the catalog is the primary source of truth for edits and organization.

The End-to-End Workflow You’ll Use Throughout the Course

This course uses a consistent, repeatable pipeline. Each step has a purpose; skipping steps usually creates extra work later.

As you progress, you’ll reuse the same sequence. The details change (different presets, different export sizes), but the structure stays stable.

Key Terms You’ll See Repeatedly (Quick Definitions)

• Catalog: The database file (.lrcat) that tracks photos, edits, metadata, and organization.
• Preview: Rendered versions of photos used for fast viewing in the Library module (Standard/1:1/Smart Previews depending on settings).
• Collection: A virtual grouping of photos inside Lightroom (does not move files on disk).
• Metadata: Information about a photo (EXIF like camera settings, plus IPTC like copyright, captions, keywords).
• Preset: A saved group of edit settings you can apply quickly (e.g., a consistent color grade or a sharpening baseline).
• Profile: A foundational interpretation of color/tonality (often used at the start of editing; profiles don’t behave like regular sliders).
• Virtual Copy: An additional editable version of the same photo without duplicating the original file.

Guided Tour: Library vs. Develop (What Each Module Is For)

Library Module: organize, review, and manage

The Library module is where you spend time finding and deciding. It’s optimized for speed when culling and organizing.

• Left panels (typical): Navigator, Catalog, Folders, Collections. Use these to move through your library and group images.
• Right panels (typical): Histogram, Quick Develop, Keywording, Keyword List, Metadata. Use these to add information and make broad adjustments when needed.
• Bottom filmstrip: Quick navigation through the current set.

Common Library tasks you’ll repeat:

• Apply flags/ratings to select keepers.
• Add keywords and basic metadata.
• Build collections for projects or deliverables.
• Filter and search using text, metadata, ratings, and flags.

Develop Module: color-correct, refine, and create a consistent look

The Develop module is for image quality and style. It’s where you do your main non-destructive editing.

• Profiles: Choose a starting point for color and tone interpretation.
• Basic adjustments: White balance, exposure, contrast, highlights/shadows, presence.
• Detail: Sharpening and noise reduction (typically after basic tone/color).
• Masking: Targeted adjustments to specific areas (subject, sky, brush, gradients).
• Presets and syncing: Apply a look and keep it consistent across a set.

A useful mental model: Library decides what to edit; Develop decides how it should look.

Practice Setup: Create a Reusable Folder and Import a Working Set

You’ll reuse the same practice images in later chapters, so set up a clean, predictable structure now.

Step 1: Create a practice folder on your drive

1. Create a main folder named LR_Practice in a location you can keep long-term (e.g., a dedicated Photos drive).
2. Inside it, create these subfolders:
   • 01_Originals
   • 02_Exports
   • 03_Catalog
3. Copy a set of 30–60 images into 01_Originals. Aim for variety: indoor, outdoor, mixed lighting, portraits/landscapes, and a few high-ISO shots.

Step 2: Create (or choose) a dedicated catalog for the course

1. In Lightroom Classic, go to File > New Catalog...
2. Save it inside LR_Practice/03_Catalog with a clear name, e.g., LR_Practice_Course.lrcat.
3. Restart Lightroom if prompted so you’re working in that catalog.

Step 3: Import the practice images (without moving them)

1. Open the Import dialog (File > Import Photos and Video...).
2. On the left, navigate to LR_Practice/01_Originals.
3. At the top center, choose Add (this keeps files where they are and simply adds them to the catalog).
4. On the right panel, set these basics:
   • Build Previews: choose Standard for a balanced start (you can build 1:1 later when culling).
   • Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates: enabled.
   • Apply During Import: leave Develop Settings as None for now; optionally apply a simple metadata preset if you already have one.
5. Click Import.

Step 4: Create collections you’ll reuse later

1. In the Library module, go to the Collections panel and click +.
2. Create a Collection Set named Course Practice.
3. Inside it, create these collections:
   • 01_Selects (for picks/keepers)
   • 02_Edit Queue (images you will develop)
   • 03_Final Exports (final chosen deliverables)

Step 5: Add a simple selection pass (so later chapters start smoothly)

1. In Library Grid view, do a quick pass and mark 10–20 images as Pick (flag) using P.
2. Filter by flagged picks and add them to the 01_Selects collection.
3. From those selects, choose 6–10 images with varied lighting and add them to 02_Edit Queue.

This creates a stable “working set” you can return to when practicing organization, editing consistency, and exporting multiple versions.