Library module Create a Collection Template

[adamrichardson]

Lightroom Version Number

Lightroom Classic 9.1

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I'm trying to figure out a way to easily create a repeatable template consisting of Collection Sets, Smart Collections and Collections. For example:

YYYY.MM.DD - EVENT (Collection Set)
-Photos (Collection Set)
-- Camera 1 (Smart Collection)
-- Camera 2 (Smart Collection)
-Selects (Collection Set)
--Unflagged (Smart Collection)
--Flagged (Smart Collection)
--Reference (Collection)
etc.

Note: Each smart collection would have a field for the shoot date.

I can export and then re-import the smart collections but I am manually creating the Collection Sets and manually changing the shoot date for the smart collections. I'm sure it isn't possible currently but it'd be great to change a common field within multiple smart collections. To speed up changing the date I'm trying some macro keyboard software but that's only saving a few key presses. If there's a keyboard shortcut to "Edit smart collection" the macro would save a few more key presses.

If what I've described makes sense - is there a better way to do this?

 

[johnbeardy]

Take a look at my workflow smart collections idea (here). It's based on a collection called "current work", so to make it look at different images one would either change the image in Current Work, or change its name to something else and give that name to another collection.

 

[adamrichardson]

Take a look at my workflow smart collections idea (here). It's based on a collection called "current work", so to make it look at different images one would either change the image in Current Work, or change its name to something else and give that name to another collection.

Thanks for the quick reply! Your workflow with smart collections is definitely along the lines of how I'd like to work in Lightroom and will come in handy! Thanks for sharing. I think the difference is I'm looking to create a permanent folder structure per shoot so that I can refer back if needed and easily see where I'm at with processing the images.

The impetus for this is that I came back from a 60-day vacation where I shot images every day and now have to sort through 10,000+ images (over shot for sure). I'm liking the smart collection workflow but having to re-create the collection structure for 60 days and updating the shoot date field 600 times isn't ideal (60 days x 10 smart collections). I may just have to bite the bullet and continue re-creating manually. For a single day's shoot it isn't too bad - maybe a minute or so to do.

 

[johnbeardy]

You can create that structure again and again, which is what I understand you want to do - though you now use the word folder - but it would be a scripting exercise because you'd need to change the smart collection criteria.

So my alternative is that one works with a single collection structure, just changing the items that are targeted by the smart collections.

 

[adamrichardson]

My use of the term "folder" wasn't clear - collection structure might have been better - the structure within LR Collections and not the OS folders. Sorry about that. I can certainly adapt your workflow to what I'm looking to do. I think that will work well as I'm not familiar with scripting.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out and for providing the workflow catalog! Much appreciated!