How to assign multiple categories to Photos in a single pass?

[RichardP]

Can anyone suggest a technique for a problem that's defeating my poor brain at the moment?

I have done all of my initial work on a batch of photos - cull, basic develop, crop, keyword, etc, and I now have a collection of some 400 photos from a trip. I now want to categorise these as follows:
1. Those targetted for a photo-book
2. Those targetted for web gallery A
3. Those targetted for web gallery B

The issue is that these are overlapping sets - any given photo may be in 1, 2, 3, or any combination thereof (or none).

I can't think of a way to assign each photo to what will end up as multiple collections using simple keyboard shortcuts in a single pass through them - conceptually, I'd like to able to assign multiple colour labels to any one photo, but of course that's not possible.

Any thoughts would be most welcome - basically I want to end up with three (or more?) overlapping collections as quickly and easily as possible.:crazy:

 

[Modesto Vega]

The simplest way I can think of doing this is using keywords: Photo-book, web gallery A, web gallery B.

 

[Jim Wilde]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Keywords? Create 3 unique keywords, one each for PhotoBook, Web gallery A, Web gallery B. Then start working your way through the 400 photos in Library with the Keywording panel open, and start keywording them with the appropriate keyword(s). Once all three keywords have been used they'll appear at the top of the Keyword Set>Recent Keywords, so it'll just be a question of keeping your mouse over that set and clicking on the appropriate keywords as you move through the images.

Once done, either setup Smart Collections for each keyword, or filter on each of the keywords to populate static collections.

 

[RichardP]

Keyboard?

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Keywords? Create 3 unique keywords, one each for PhotoBook, Web gallery A, Web gallery B. Then start working your way through the 400 photos in Library with the Keywording panel open, and start keywording them with the appropriate keyword(s). Once all three keywords have been used they'll appear at the top of the Keyword Set>Recent Keywords, so it'll just be a question of keeping your mouse over that set and clicking on the appropriate keywords as you move through the images.

Once done, either setup Smart Collections for each keyword, or filter on each of the keywords to populate static collections.

Thanks - I can see that working. Given that I find it faster to use the keyboard than the mouse for this sort of work - would putting these keywords into a keyword set enable me to apply them using keyboard shortcuts?

 

[Jim Wilde]

Yes, that would work. Create a keyword set with the 3 keywords, then hold down the Alt key which will show you what number has been assigned to each keyword, and with Alt still held down click on the appropriate number to assign the keyword.

 

[Tony Jay]

Why not just use colour labels?

Tony Jay

 

[Jim Wilde]

Because each photo may fall into 1, 2, or 3 (or none) categories....so to use colour labels you'd have to use all 6 colours to cover all the permutations, then remember which colour matched which permutation. Do-able, but I'd certainly find the keyword route easier....

 

[Tony Jay]

Because each photo may fall into 1, 2, or 3 (or none) categories....so to use colour labels you'd have to use all 6 colours to cover all the permutations, then remember which colour matched which permutation. Do-able, but I'd certainly find the keyword route easier....

Yes, of course - hard to assign multiple colour labels simultaneously!

Tony Jay

 

[Modesto Vega]

Labels could be used, it is a little clunky because of the 7 labels for all combinations and as a result you cannot use colours, only 5 colours can be used.

Labels
-------
1) Photo Book
2) Photo Book - Web Gallery A
3) Photo Book - Web Gallery B
4) Photo Book - Web Gallery A - Web Gallery B
5) Web Gallery A
6) Web Gallery B
7) Web Gallery A - Web Gallery B