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Virtual Copies

Make a virtual copy of a photograph if you want to retain the original.

You can also create virtual copies with different editing, such as a black-and-white version.

Lightroom doesn't duplicate the actual photograph.

Instead, it creates another editing instruction file for the photograph.

There are several ways you can create a virtual copy.

On Tool Bar?	No
Keyboard Shortcuts	Ctrl + '
Right Click Menu	Create Virtual Copy
Menu on Top of the Screen	Photo > Create Virtual Copy
On Thumbnail Border?	No
Other & Related Methods	When you create a new collection, you can select Create a Virtual Copy.

The virtual copy has the white corner.

How can you tell which thumbnail is the original, and which is the virtual copy?

Look in the lower-left corner of the two thumbnails.

The lower-left corner of virtual copy is folded back.

If you don't see the white corner, press j until you do.

When you make a virtual copy, Lightroom automatically stacks the original and the virtual copy.

If you have several virtual copies in the stack, use the Compare and Survey views to compare them.