Keywords, ratings and labels, and collections

[scorecards]

While it is great to have several ways to search for photos, Lightroom seems to have overdone it.

Why do we need labels or ratings when we have keywords. I can substitute the label red with any word I want, but this word can also be made a keyword so the label appears redundant. What am I missing?

I can see the need to collect photos that span across keywords. For example I may be doing a photo book on one of my sons from birth. I can filter on the keyword "Jack" and get all his pictures, I can filter out all pictures after a certain year if I want just his childhood pics. Then I can pick the pictures I want and assign them a label or put them in a collection. So I see the need for something other than keywords, but why do we need ratings, labels and collections?

I'd be interested in hearing examples of how others use any two or three of these tools, and why one works better than another.

 

[johnbeardy]

Keywords = objective and descriptive
Labels = internal and temporary markup, meaning nothing to the outside world
Ratings = mainly-permanent evaluation, though subjective
Collections = structured groupings

 

[scorecards]

That was clear and concise. Thank you.

 

[matonanjin]

As you said, johnbeardy's was very clear.

to expand, some of us use collections to organize images by photoshoot. for me that is various horse shows. Within that collection I will rate them or tag them based on whether or not I think they will sell. Those will go on my website to offer for sale.

Whenever someone buys one I put that person's name in as a keyword. More than once this has saved me a lot of searching when someone has contacted me about "remember that print I bought?" They have wanted to send the image to a magazine for advertising or some such thing.

Ron

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Very clear!

FWIW, there was a discussion a while back about what to use the colour labels for, and there were some excellent suggestions posted.

 

[eyeruh]

Why do we need labels or ratings when we have keywords. I can substitute the label red with any word I want, but this word can also be made a keyword so the label appears redundant. What am I missing?

Ratings have one benefit that can't be replicated as easily with keywords -- the ability to filter for all images with (for example) 3 stars or more. It's easier to just click on one of the star icons than to create a query of "all images with keywords 3star, 4star or 5star".

 

[Denis Pagé]

Good point eyeruh and welcome to the Lightroom Forums!

If you think that you will eventually come back with some questions, that would be fine if you fill your signature with OS used, Software versions, Camera models, raw or JPEG etc and a name if you wish. Just go to the "User CP" link in the blue bar top of this page...