Catalog

When you first start the program, Lightroom automatically creates a catalog for you. By default, this is Lightroom “Images” folder on your computer.
If you are satisfied with this, you have nothing more to do.
If you want to create it yourself, however, at a location on your computer where you want it, then you have this possibility.

In order to create a catalog, click “File” in the menu bar and click “New Catalog” in the drop-down menu.

This opens a window where you can enter a name for the new catalog and a location for this on your hard drive.
I chose the name “Peter Lightroom” and on the desktop.
Click the “Save” button.

This will first close the open catalog, there you will be asked if you would like to back up.
More on this later, but now I do not want to back up, so I click “skip this time.”

This opens the new catalog.
This is not so easy to see,

but what if I zoom in, you see that the new catalog is now open and two catalogs are available.

Let’s see what we find in the directory or catalog that Lightroom has made.
The most important document in this folder is “.lrcat” file.
This is the catalog file where Lightroom tracks every detail of the photos imported into Lightroom.
This is the file that you backup, when you are asked to backup the data at the conclusion of your catalog creation.

By default, it asks you once a week, if you want to make a backup of your catalog.
If you would like to change this, click “Edit” in the menu bar and click “Catalog Settings” in the drop-down menu.
In the “Backup” change the setting.

Working with multiple catalogs

Although one catalog is enough for most of us, there will be some who want to work with multiple catalogs.
When you double-click the icon of Lightroom, while holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard pressed, it immediately opens the desired catalog.
This opens a window with a list of the available catalogs.
Select the catalog you wish to open and click the “Open” button.
If you wish to open this catalog when you start Lightroom, select the checkbox “Always Load this catalog on startup”.

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