There are three ways to get photos into Lightroom Classic. Two of them — used without understanding — can quietly wreck your library. Today you learn all three.
⚠️Photos in the wrong place. Duplicates everywhere. Files gone from where you left them. This lesson prevents all of it.
Navigation
Three Ways to Open the Import Dialog
📂
File Menu
File → Import Photos and Video. Always there, always works.
Reliable
⌨️
Keyboard
Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + I — fastest path once you know it.
Fastest
💳
Import Button
Bottom-left of the Library module. Big. Obvious. Perfectly fine to use.
Easy
💡Lightroom can also auto-open the Import Dialog when you plug in a memory card — set this in Preferences → General.
Left Panel
The Source Panel
Where are your photos coming from? The left panel answers that question.
1
Memory Card / Card Reader
Lightroom lists your card under Devices. Look for your camera's card name — usually a brand label, not your camera model.
2
A Folder on Your Computer
Already copied photos off your card? Navigate to that folder. Its contents appear in the center grid.
3
Include Subfolders
If your source contains nested subfolders, check "Include Subfolders" so Lightroom doesn't miss anything hiding one level deeper.
📍Can't find your card? It's probably listed by the card brand — SanDisk, Lexar — not by your camera model.
Critical Decision
Copy · Move · Add · DNG
📋
Copy
Copies photos from the source to your destination. Originals stay on the card. Safe. Use this 99% of the time.
✓ USE THIS — Default choice
✂️
Move
Moves photos and deletes from source after import. If import fails mid-way, photos could be lost from the card.
⚠ Beginners avoid this
📌
Add
Adds photos to the catalog in-place. No files copied or moved. Only use when photos are already in your organized folder structure.
Use sparingly — advanced
🔄
Copy as DNG
Copies and converts proprietary RAW files to Adobe's open DNG format. Conversion takes longer. Personal preference.
Optional — DNG advocates
✅Simple rule: importing from a memory card? Choose Copy. Full stop. Move and Add are greyed out when a card reader is selected — Lightroom protects you automatically.
Center Panel
The Center Grid
Review thumbnails before anything lands on your drive. But don't linger — this is a quick pass, not a culling session.
Check / Uncheck All — buttons at the bottom let you select or deselect every photo at once
Hover to zoom — hover over a thumbnail to see a full-frame preview and spot blurry frames
New Photos filter — bottom toolbar dropdown → "New Photos" hides shots already in your catalog
Sort by Capture Time — keeps everything in chronological order as you review
⏩Import everything — including the slightly blurry ones. Do your real culling in the Library module where the tools are much better.
Right Panel — File Handling
File Renaming
😬
IMG_4721.CR3
Tells you nothing. Camera resets its counter eventually — you'll get duplicates across shoots. Impossible to search or sort across drives.
VS
😎
2024-06-15_0047.CR3
Date first (sortable), sequence after. You instantly know when it was shot. Files sort correctly in any file browser, forever.
⚙️
How to build the template
Select your images → press F2 on your keyboard (or go to Library > Rename Photo(s) → Template dropdown → Edit → add Date (YYYY-MM-DD), type an underscore, add Sequence # (0001) → Save Preset. Do this once and forget about it.
💡Your original filename is always stored in catalog metadata — you can always look it up later if you need it.
Right Panel — Apply During Import
Apply During Import
Three fields. All three are worth your attention. Set them once — every photo benefits automatically.
🎨
Develop Preset
Apply a starting-point preset to every imported photo. Great for lens corrections or a consistent camera profile.
Try "Adobe Color" for RAW files
📝
Metadata Preset
Stamp every photo with your copyright, contact info, and creator name automatically.
Always use your copyright preset
🏷️
Keywords
Type broad keywords for the whole shoot — event name, location. Comma-separated. Add specifics later.
Saves hours over time
✅Build your Metadata copyright preset now: Metadata menu → Edit Metadata Presets. Takes 2 minutes. Protects every photo you ever import.
Right Panel — Destination
The Destination Panel
Where will your photos actually land? Get this right before you click Import.
1
Choose Your Root Folder
Click your Photos root folder — the one single location where all your photos live. Lesson 03 covers building this structure in depth.
2
Organize by Date
In the "Organize" dropdown, choose "By Date." Lightroom automatically creates date-based subfolders: 2024 → 2024-06 → 2024-06-15.
3
Check the Folder Tree Preview
A live folder tree at the bottom of the panel shows exactly where files will land. Look at it before hitting Import — it's your final sanity check.
📁Date-format tip: set the format to YYYY/YYYY-MM/YYYY-MM-DD for a clean three-level year → month → day hierarchy.
File Handling
Don't Import Suspected Duplicates
💥
Box Unchecked
Lightroom imports everything — including photos from this card you imported last week. Now you have duplicates. Manual cleanup required.
VS
🛡️
Box Checked
Lightroom compares filenames and metadata. Photos already in your catalog are greyed out and skipped. Zero duplicates. Every time.
📍
Where to find it
Right panel → File Handling section → "Don't Import Suspected Duplicates." Check it. Lightroom remembers the setting — you only have to do this once.
✅Importing the same photo twice happens more often than you'd think. This checkbox is your safety net.
Efficiency Feature
Save an Import Preset
Set everything up once. Click one button next time. Spend three seconds on import setup — not three minutes.
1
Configure Everything First
Set your Copy mode, rename template, apply-during-import fields, destination, and duplicate check exactly how you want them.
2
Find the Preset Dropdown
Bottom of the Import Dialog — a dropdown that says "None." Click it → "Save Current Settings as New Preset" → name it "My Standard Import."
3
Load It Every Time
Open the dialog → click the preset dropdown → choose your preset. Every setting snaps into place. Confirm your source, click Import, done.
💡Create multiple presets for different workflows — one for weddings, one for travel, one for club shoots. Each can have different keywords or destination folders.
Lesson Recap
3 Things to Remember
1
Always Choose Copy
Originals stay on the card. Move is for advanced users only. Add is for files already in the right place. When in doubt: Copy.
2
Rename With a Date Template
YYYY-MM-DD_0001 is a filename you can find, sort, and trust. IMG_4721 is a filename that will haunt you in three years.
3
Save an Import Preset
Set it up correctly once, save it as a preset, and the Import Dialog becomes a three-second non-event — every single shoot.
🧠These three habits are the difference between a photographer who finds photos and one who loses them.
Your Challenge
🎯
Do This Before Lesson 03
Takes about 10 minutes. Set up your import workflow once and you'll never have to think about it again.
⚙️ Open the Import Dialog and set the mode to Copy
🏷️ Build the YYYY-MM-DD_Sequence rename template and save it
📁 Choose your root Photos folder as the destination
☑️ Check "Don't Import Suspected Duplicates"
💾 Save everything as an Import Preset named "My Standard Import"
Up Next
Lesson 03 — Lightroom Classic
Folder Structure: Build a Library That Lasts
You know how to import. But import to where? We'll build the folder structure that keeps your library navigable for decades, cover the 3-2-1 backup rule, and nail down where your photos should actually live.