How to create and use Virtual Copies in Lightroom - Digital Journal of Photography

In Adobe Lightroom, you can easily duplicate a photo with various edits using the Virtual Copy function. Here’s how to use virtual copies in Lightroom:

What are Virtual Copies?

In Lightroom, a virtual copy allows you to create a duplicate of a photo without actually duplicating the file on your hard drive. This means you can apply different edits, settings, or metadata to the same original image while keeping the original intact and unaltered. Crucially, VCs allow you to visually compare the effect of various edits on what’s essentially the same photo, without the huge file sizes of TIFFs. It’s an essential feature of a parametric editor and critical for my workflow.

For more information on the benefits of Virtual Copies, visit this page.

How to Create Virtual Copies in Lightroom

Select the Photo: In the Library module, select the photo for which you want to create a virtual copy.
Create a Virtual Copy:
- Right-click on the selected photo and select “Create Virtual Copy” from the context menu.
- Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl ‘ (Windows) or Cmd ‘ (Mac).
Edit the Virtual Copy: Once created, you can edit the virtual copy independently of the original. Any adjustments you make will not affect the original image.
Identifying Virtual Copies: In the Library module, virtual copies are indicated by a small badge in the corner of the thumbnail, showing that it is a virtual copy of the original.

Benefits of Using Virtual Copies

Experimentation: You can experiment with different editing styles or settings without altering the original image.
Multiple Versions: Create multiple versions of the same photo for different purposes (e.g., colour vs. black and white, different crops, etc.).
Space Efficiency: Since virtual copies do not take up additional disk space like actual file duplicates, they are a space-efficient way to manage different edits.

Managing Virtual Copies

Deleting Virtual Copies: If you no longer need a virtual copy, you can delete it without affecting the original photo. Right-click on the virtual copy and select Remove Photo.
Exporting: When exporting, you can choose to export either the original or any virtual copy, depending on your needs.

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