Get started

Open an existing folder of photographs

Use Add Folder when the images already exist in the location where you want to work. Browsing a folder does not make a backup or ingest copy. To transfer a card to your computer first, use card ingest.

Before you start

Connect any external drive containing the folder. Begin with a small practice folder whose images you can safely rate or caption. Keep any .xmp companions beside their originals. If you open a camera card directly, later metadata or rename actions may affect files on that card.

Open and inspect

Choose Add Folder in the workspace header. In the system picker, select the folder containing your images and open it.
Wait for folder discovery and metadata loading. The loading overlay reports filenames, discovered counts, and metadata progress. An estimate appears once measurements are available; it can change as more files are discovered.
Select an image in the grid. Open it with its Open control or use Space while keyboard focus is in the image grid.
Move through images in the viewer, then close the viewer to return to the grid.
Use the folder sidebar or folder tabs to switch between sources. Recent Folders returns to a previous source. Closing a tab or removing a library reference is different from moving source files to Trash.
If another program adds or removes files, use Rescan current folder. Confirm the scan result and retained selection before continuing.

Understand what is saved

The files remain where they were. IBP retains library/workspace references and review state through its normal storage paths. Returning to visited folders can reuse unchanged embedded review metadata during the current session. New or changed files are checked again, and sidecar review data is refreshed. Folder reuse does not mean the app never reads the disk.

Check the result and recover

Confirm the folder name and image count, then open a photograph to confirm its identity. If the grid appears empty, clear search, star/color filters, and Camera Tagged sorting; a filtered grid can hide files that are present. Check that the drive is mounted and the selected folder contains supported media. If a preview fails, record the extension and error; do not rename a RAW file to .jpg. See Workspace controls, RAW and bursts, and Troubleshooting.