

Is “Copy as DNG” useful?Ĭopy as DNG is one that you are less likely to use. Ultimately, the duplicated file is the one that Lightroom adds to your catalog. So instead, I simply want to duplicate the photos and put them in the right spot on my computer. For example, when I’m loading photos from someone else’s flash drive, I don’t want to move the photos from their flash drive onto my computer (since that would effectively delete them from their original location). It might seem odd, but it’s quite useful. So, if one of your photos is on your desktop but wants it to appear under Photos > 2017 > April, you can move the photo to the proper location while simultaneously telling Lightroom to add it to your catalog.Ĭopy is best if the photo you want to add to your catalog isn’t in the right location yet, but you still don’t want to delete it from its current location instead, you just want to duplicate it elsewhere.


Move is best if you’re trying to add one of your photos to your Lightroom catalog, but it’s not in the right place on your computer. It is ideal if you have a photo already in the right place on your computer’s hard drive. Specifically, there are four different ways to import your photos into Lightroom’s catalog: “Copy as DNG,” “Copy,” “Move,” and “Add.” Each one is there for a reason, depending on what you want Lightroom to do with your photos.Īdd is great if you don’t want to move the actual file on your computer to a new location you simply want the photo to show up when you open Lightroom. The top of the Import Dialogue gives you a few more options.
