Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 | Adobe TV https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/tutorials.html
Those will help get you started. Honestly there is so much info out there it is hard to sort. When I need to do something I just type "lightroom how do I ????" into a search window and usually the answer is right there.
No question Lightroom is big and the learning curve is a bit steep. Once you get over the hump though it is smooth sled riding
Some points:
1) The key to Lightroom is presets. Every time you figure out something save it as a preset and then you don't have to worry again
2) The tabs across the top organize the functions. Start with Library and learn that, then develop, then the others as needed.
3) An organized system of file storage is very important (regardless of Lightroom). Make sure all your images are in a file hierarchy under a single directory. Mine is Pictures>Year>Day. This makes it easier for Lightroom and for you to make backups
4) Lightroom keeps info about your files but does not keep your files. This is an important concept. The files are totally separate and need backed up separate from Lightroom. The only thing in the Lightroom catalog is the metadata, develop instructions and a pointer to the actual file
5) Before you start importing. STOP. Get out paper and spend some time laying out how you want to do things. Set up presets or templates to do those things.
To start: click on the import button which opens the import screen. On the bottom it says "import preset" you need this set up before you import for real. On the right is a panel with "File Handling" and "Apply during Import" You need to set this up before importing. My file handling: Build previews = standard, Build smart previews = no, Don't import suspected duplicates = yes, make 2nd copy = yes to external HD. Under "Apply During Import" you need to have both your develop settings preset and your metadata preset set up before importing.
I would be most glad to help get things started for anyone, just ask. But remember Lightroom is tremendously configurable, so how I do things may not fit your workflow. But that is OK, if you have things set the way you want that will get you going.
---------- Post added 12-22-15 at 04:24 PM ----------
Originally posted by KiloHotelphoto a help book that list 18 steps just to import photos
Not sure if it is 18 steps but it might be. But you only need most of those ONCE. Because the Lightroom philosophy is configurability. It is NOT one size fits all. That is good and bad. Good in that you can do almost anything you want. Bad in that you have to set it up the way you want. If you want to just click a button and have everything taken care of without any thought to the process maybe Lightroom is not for you. But once setup properly Iimport is just about one click.
For example my import is:
1) insert SD card
2) click on import to open import screen
3) click on import
4) done
So two clicks.
Those two clicks accomplish:
1) Rename each file to yyyy.mm.dd.hh.mm.ss.sequence
2) Make a new directory for each day that has an image (if that directory does not exist)
3) Copy the renamed files into the directories on my file server
4) Make a copy on to the external hard disk attached to my computer
5) Apply a metadata preset with copyright info
6) Apply a develop preset with basic develop settings I want for all files
7) Add generic keywords if I want to add them
8) Build standard previews of the images
9) Eject the SD card
It took me awhile to get all that set up but once it is, two clicks and done.