Major Lightroom Problem (photography)

So last night every thing in my catalogue worked fine, today I open LR to export a few photos to send to a potential client and it can't find a single photo in my library, I really don't want to restore it to my last back up (which was a month ago). What do I do? HELP!!!!

Have you tried using a torch with red cellophane over the end of it? You can use the wrapper from a strawberry quality street.

This is how my grandfather used to navigate in his darkroom.

Alternatively, you could try turning it off and back on again.

Sorry if I have missed something.

sounds like an error between chair and keyboard Chris

sounds like an error between chair and keyboard Chris

yeah but undo doesn't undo any thing, nither does time michine back up to yesterday.... SO IF I BROKED IT HOW DO I FIX IT

Sorry, no idea.

Where are the original images kept? Are they still there?

Where are the original images kept? Are they still there?

I can find some in bridge, but a coupple of folders have vanished into the wind

This could tell you which files it thinks are missing.
Do you not know where your original folders are?

Have you moved a drive or renamed files outside of Lightroom?

Sucks, good luck.

Lil question for you Lightroom experts (Ivan!) from a newbie: I want to apply the same camera profile (in the Camera Calibration section of the Develop menu) to a collection of photos. I can't work out how. Please help!

Worked it out - thanks, Internet!

Presume many on here use LR and where as it's a great tool it is frustrating as fuck, so maybe we have a thread for quandries and tips as well as showing your lightroom results.

I'll start the ball rolling with the mother of all user fuck ups: I guess to create drive space I deleted about a thousand RAW files thinking the processed photos in LR would be safe. Oh no, they are now "Missing or offline" . Tried the usual ' show in explorer' searches but I think they've genuinely gone.

However, if you've experienced this you'll know the pictures DO appear in Lightroom just with the missing message and no ability to export or edit. So, as these images appear on my PC they MUST be somewhere and must be able to be copied to keep as a DNG or JPEG. Right ? Otherwise how the hell can they be showing if they don't exist ?

This is destroying my will to sleep so pleses and thank yous someone see an old soldier right......

The processed files aren't image files, they are sidecar files which just contain the changes that you've made to the original image file be it RAW TIFF JPEG etc.

I'm afraid that as far as I'm aware all that's left is the thumbnail files which are as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

Have to ask, aren't you backed up?

And yes I agree, when it works, it's brill, when it goes wrong, it's a pain in the tits.

I am backed up but can't find where. LR works differently to any software I'd used before so I guess I deleted the back-ups. My theory being as I could 'see' my unplublished shots wether processed or not I could happily clear space deleting the parent RAW files. I've lost 2096 pictures from 5 weeks of photography just cause I wanted space and thought I was removing duplicates.
Fuckingtons.

Oooh harsh. If you have a backup all is not lost though. How have you been backing up? You can set LR3 to ask you to backup or to automatically back up the catalogue but you'll need to have backed up your actual image files somewhere too.

I use time machine to backup to one external hd and do manual backups to another 2. If my internal hd goes or (more likely) I delete something I shouldn't have then TM is my first port of call and then the externals which due to the way I work aren't as comprehensive.

In preferences you can tell it not to delete the cached-files (standard is 30 days I think). Guess some google searching can help you out if Lightroom is keeping the cached.

If I understood any of the above two suggestions I'd buy you both a sandwich. I just want the pictures of me kidz !

Obvious one, but checked the recycle bin?

I am backed up but can't find where.

If you think you are backed up then it should just be a case of finding the files. What I was saying about backing up the catalogue is that LR3 might have asked you if you wanted to back something up but this would have been the catalogue (the sidecar files that have the changes you've made to images but not the actual image itself) so if you are under the impression that having done this you are 'backed up' then I'm afraid it's not good news.

Oh yes. Just shite in there. Playing with back ups now......