<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      type="guide"
      id="edit-nondestructive">

    <info>
        <link type="guide" xref="index#edit"/>
        <desc>Shotwell is a non-destructive photo editor - it does not modify your original photos.</desc>
    </info>

	<title>What happens to the original when I edit a photo?</title>

<p>Shotwell is a non-destructive photo editor. It does not modify your original photographs. That is to say, if you rotate or crop a photo, the copy in your library remains untouched. Shotwell stores your edits in a database and applies them on the fly as necessary. This means you can undo any alterations you make to a photograph.</p>

<p>If you want to see what a photo looked like before your modifications, press the <key>Shift</key> key. The original photo will be displayed as long as you hold the key down.</p>
    
</page>

