Lightroom Tip of the Week – how do I sort out collections in Lightroom?


Yes I know I have written about this before – how do I organise my photos in Lightroom? And in particular the ever increasing number of collections.

Not well is the answer.

I have overthought this. And to be perfectly honest I am fed up. I have not sorted this, and now have endless collections.

Time to act.

Put things back to simple where they should be.

Lets get back to the beginning.

My folder structure is as follows.

1. Import

2. Sort

3. Commercial work

4. Dorset

5. Hampshire

I had to add back in Poole and Sandbanks as separate folders as I wasn’t happy with them being within Dorset. For some reason. I know I really should have bigger things to worry about!

So yes I also have

5. Poole

5. Sandbanks

And then we are back on plan.

6. London

7. England

8. World

9. There doesn’t appear to be anything in 9. Oh well lets call that future proofing.

10. Working files

99. Personal.

That is it. And this is what I have actually done in Lightroom. Yes I have written about something then actually done it.

So to keep the good work going, I am going to do the same with my collections. Well sort of.

I am going to creat collection sets as follows

1. Portfolio

2. Stock

3. Commercial work

4. Dorset

5. Hampshire

6. London

7. England

8. World

9. Web pages

10. Years

Each Collection set will have the following collections within it.

  • To edit
  • Edited
  • Black and white
  • Others as and when needed.

I will try this and see how it goes. Basically I have endless collections, so many I can’t keep up with where I am up to.

The Portfolios folder will have the following sub-folders

  • BIPP 2016

And significantly

  • 2017 Top 10 – this is where I will start my best of 2017 collection. I know organised or what?

So I am trying to make Lightroom work for me.

This is another thing that I have sorted for the future by stopping and thinking about it.

And guess what. Whilst writing this I just got on with it. But it is one thing to have an idea, another actually doing it. I had a quick think about how best to approach this incredibly tedious task, the need for which I created entirely myself. And the answer came to me.

How do I sort all these collections?

Easy.

I created a new Collection Set called “Collections to sort” and put every collection in there. Yes I have actually done this and now have an organised structure to work with. I have started from scratch but not thrown out all the work done to date.

Another issue sorted in my never ending quest – how do I organise my images in Lightroom?

Rick McEvoy Photography Blog

Lightroom Tip of the Week

Friday 6th January 2016

www.rickmcevoyphotography.co.uk

Rick McEvoy

I am Rick McEvoy, an architectural and construction photographer living and working in the South of England. I create high quality architectural photography and construction photography imagery of the built environment for architects and commercial clients. I do not photograph weddings, families, small people or pets - anything that is alive, moves or might not do as I ask!! I am also the creator of the Photography Explained Podcast, available on all major podcast providers. I have a blog on my website where I write about my work and photography stuff. Rick McEvoy ABIPP, MCIOB

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