Can Lightroom rename catalog photos to match exported filenames?
Asked 11/6/2014
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In Lightroom, my imported photos keep the camera filenames (for example, DSC123), but I export them with a different naming scheme for clients. Later, if a client refers to an exported filename, it’s hard to find the matching original in Lightroom because the names don’t match.
Can Lightroom rename the photos in the catalog so the originals use the same naming scheme as the exported files? If so, what’s the best way to do it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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There are a couple of ways around this problem:
After importing the photos, select them all in the Grid view, then hit F2 or say Library > Rename Photos...
You can use the same renaming rules here as on export, except now your master files are named with the same scheme your client sees.
If you find value in the camera's native file naming scheme — say, because it gives you the shutter activation count — you can still get that. When you rename an image from within Lightroom, it remembers the previous name, and shows it in some of the Library view's Metadata panel modes. (Not all.) I prefer the "EXIF and IPTC" mode.
When renaming on export, the Custom option lets you include the original file name as a component of the new name. You could rename files named like
_IGP1672.DNGtoAndersonJ_042_IGP1672.JPG, for example. The photo describes itself: "I am the 42nd photo in the Joe Anderson shoot, made from the master file_IGP1672.DNG."
Originally by user4141. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4141
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. In Lightroom you can rename the photos in your catalog so their filenames match what your clients see.
Use Grid view, select the images, then choose Library > Rename Photos (or press F2). Lightroom lets you apply the same kinds of naming templates used during export. You can also do this during import, which is often the easiest workflow.
If you still want to preserve the camera’s original filename, Lightroom keeps track of the previous name and can show it in certain Metadata panel views.
Another option is to keep your current originals unchanged but include the original filename as part of the exported filename, so both names are visible.
If your goal is just to relate exports back to originals, exporting with Add to Catalog and Add to Stack can also help, since the exported JPEG will stay grouped with the source image in Lightroom.
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