Finding images NOT in a collection

[stevevp]

Lightroom Version Number

15.5.1

Operating System

1. macOS 26 Tahoe

The method described in the closed thread below, isn't working for me - most of the results returned are in a collection. Is there now a better way to locate images not in a collection please?

Thread 'Finding pictures NOT in a collection'

Apr 10, 2021

I looked at several similar previoius questions, but I am still a little confused.

I want to find an easy way of determining which of my "exported" pictures are NOT yet in a collection.

The exported pictures are in different folders but I have previously added "export" as the copy name and have "export" as a keyword.

Any assistance will be most appreciated.

Paul in Australia

• pn1
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Lightroom Classic (folder-based, subscription)

 

[johnbeardy]

You not tried a smart collection with source name does not contain a e i o u ?

 

[stevevp]

That was the solution in the post I referenced. For some reason it's not working for me - I am leaving a space between the letters. Same result if I use a - z and 0 -9.

 

[Califdan]

Please send screen shot of the Smart Collection Rules.

 

[stevevp]

Many thanks for the replies.I attach a screen shot of the Smart Collection Rules and an example of a photo which definitely appears in a collection. The Smart Rule is doing something as it is "only" picking up about 30k items of a 92k total.

Incidentally, I had hoped this exercise would help me identify for deletion, photos culled from collections where there is no option to delete from disk. I hadn't expected to find 30k photos not in collections!

 

[johnbeardy]

The smart collection looks fine. To prove it's wrongly returning 30k, can you select one of the 30k and right click, Go To Collection. Are any collections listed?

Should have looked at second screenshot....

 

[Jan Roelof]

Many thanks for the replies.I attach a screen shot of the Smart Collection Rules and an example of a photo which definitely appears in a collection. The Smart Rule is doing something as it is "only" picking up about 30k items of a 92k total.

Incidentally, I had hoped this exercise would help me identify for deletion, photos culled from collections where there is no option to delete from disk. I hadn't expected to find 30k photos not in collections!

This photo appears to be in a collection called "2023-10-12 12:29", which does not contain a, e, i, o or u. In your case, maybe you should use "a e i o u 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9" in your rule.

 

[stevevp]

This photo appears to be in a collection called "2023-10-12 12:29", which does not contain a, e, i, o or u. In your case, maybe you should use "a e i o u 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9" in your rule.

If I add 0 1 2 3 4 etc the count reduces by about 120 images and the "2023-10-12 12:29" entry goes.
I then realised that there are quite a few photos in Published Collections and not in Collections (which is probably not best practice). I have now added Published Collections to the rule which reduces the count to about 28k. A random check of images in the Smart Collection now doesn't show any collections listed so I guess the rule is now working. Unfortunately it shows that my catalogue is in a bigger mess than expected eg I have a lot of processed keepers not in a collection.

 

[clee01l]

I have a lot of processed keepers not in a collection.

Isolate them and create a collection "ToBeCompleted". Then decide how you want to organize these .

I use labels to define "Completed" images . One type is completed and Published. The other is Completed and not published. "Completed and Published" images are assigned the red label and "Completed and not Published" are assigned the yellow label Visually these stand out in grid view

 

[stevevp]

Thanks Clee001. It should be fairly simple to label all the images which have been published to SmugMug collections. Meanwhile I am shuttling any clearly definable large batches of photos eg from a particular trip into a Quick Collection and then into a named Collection, keywording along the way.

The bigger problem I have, and the purpose of the original exercise, is locating the images which I have removed from collections but not from the disk so I can delete them. Going forward, I clearly need to either do my culling from folders not from collections or flag those images I want to remove eg with the X key so that I can easily find them later and delete them. I did not expect to find 30k images not in collections when I started this exercise. The joys of digital photography and "spray and pray"?!

 

[clee01l]

The bigger problem I have, and the purpose of the original exercise, is locating the images which I have removed from collections but not from the disk so I can delete them.

The Only way I know to find images that are in your filesystem but not in the catalog is to use the Synchronise folder option on each parent folder. You can then reimport these to delete them permanently from Lightroom AND the disk

 

[lightroomtoolbox]

I guess Any Filter plugin will find them very easy. Did not tried, but that plugin has many many features

 

[Califdan]

If you removed images from collecitons as you say,

The bigger problem I have, and the purpose of the original exercise, is locating the images which I have removed from collections but not from the disk so I can delete them

Removing an image from a collection does not remove the image from LrC and unless you used a special 4 simultaneous key combo cannot delete them from disk. Those images removed from collections will still be shown in exactly one folder and may be shown in other collections and Publish Services. So, if your goal is to physically delete from both LrC and from disk all images that are in zero collections, you must first determine the images that are in the catalog but are not in any collecitons. This has been discussed in this thread already. Once identified they can be selected and marked with a "reject flag" (assuming you haven't used that for something else) at which point you can use the "Delete rejected photos" command and select the option to delete from disk.

If, on the other hand you are seeking to delete images that are NOT in the catalog at all, as mentioned earlier you can open the import dialog and in the left panel group select all the drives and and parent folders that may contain your images. Import them into the catalog using the "Add" mode and be sure "don't import suspected duplicates" is checked. LrC will place these in a special collection in the Catalog Panel called "Previous Import" You can then select them all and delete them from LrC and from Disk.

Note 1: Be sure to do the delete step before doing another import as the subsequent import will first clear this special collection and you'll lose the which images those were.

Note 2: In the import dialog don't pick your entire Internal HD as it contains millions of 'images' most of which have nothing to do with your photography. This includes images used in apps and by the Operating system. Also don't pick folders containing your LrC catalogs as LrC previews will be found. You need to pick drives and folders that are likely to contain your images and not other extraneous images and not your LrC catalogs.