LR newbie questions

[dantemat]

I am trying LR and a bunch of questions aroused:

1) When importing how to rename files this way: origin IMG_4567.CR2 to something like 20D_14567.CR2
2) How to keep track of which exports or even develops (more than 1) I have done for any image. Parameters, resolution, color profiles, etc.
3) It is possible to include a watermark or I should do that on PS
4) I haven't found the way to import a complete HD from the root. I can only import a folder.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[MBehrens]

1) Full set of File Naming: settings in the import dialog
2) See the History panel on the bottom left of the Develop module
3) See Overlays in the Print module
4) I believe that is correct. One folder at a time. This isn't picasa, its not going to try to manage all of your images on your HD. And its real strength is as a raw processor.

[jjj]

You can also batch rename images in LR by presing F2. And customise them to something far more useful than 20D_14567.CR2
I use date - description - number.ext     e.g. 2009-05-17 George Galloway 003.CR2  date is filled in from EXIF details, so I only need to aselect and add dd description part. I always rename after import since I very rarely name all images imported with same description. Actually I use Bridge to rename  as it can name jpeg/RAW pairs in one pass.

You can import an entire HD's content if you want. I've done it.  LR will import subfolders.

Watermarking in LR is a bit poor and puts what ever you have in copyrignt field on bottom of image and can do also do it when exporting, making web galleries.

[dantemat]

Thanks a lot for the answers. I'm learning.
Anyway, the name is not quite important when you tag images, is it?

[MBehrens]

Anyway, the name is not quite important when you tag images, is it?

That's right! You're getting the idea of DAM. My file naming is simply the date and camera assigned number. Use tags - captions - titles to describe all of the aspects of the image.

Look into smart collections to use these attributes to "automatically" organize you pictures.