Smart Collections: Best Practices/Examples

[reidthaler]

Lightroom Version Number

current

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I think I've asked this before, (but can see how to find my previous posts) and have searched the 'net. I'm sure there has to be a post or article, but are there some great Smart Collections that are really useful or any purposes?

Thanks,

Reid

 

[clee01l]

I think I've asked this before, (but can see how to find my previous posts) and have searched the 'net. I'm sure there has to be a post or article, but are there some great Smart Collections that are really useful or any purposes?

Thanks,

Reid

John Beardsworth has created a complete workflow out of Smart Collections » Workflow smart collections. IMO Smart Collections don’t come any more useful than that. I’ve modified John’s workflow to include PublishService Smart Collections. At a glance, I can tell which images need keyword, Titles and Captions, which have been cropped or do not need cropping etc.


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[reidthaler]

Thanks! I'll send that out to my class today. It's likely more involved than most people may want, but it good the get the thought process flowing.

 

[PhilBurton]

John Beardsworth has created a complete workflow out of Smart Collections » Workflow smart collections. IMO Smart Collections don’t come any more useful than that. I’ve modified John’s workflow to include PublishService Smart Collections. At a glance, I can tell which images need keyword, Titles and Captions, which have been cropped or do not need cropping etc.


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+1 to what Cletus wrote about John's workflow system. And a big shoutout to John for creating this system. Speaking for myself, I have been able to put aside on editing project in order to work on another one. Then when I return to the first project, i know exactly what needs to be done

I create workflow keywords and smart collections for their presence. As I complete a workflow step, e. g. Star Ratings, I delete the StarRatings keyword. With this approach, my workflow is self-documenting.

 

[johnbeardy]

To teach it, I'd recommend deleting almost all the smart collections, as their number can be overwhelming.

Just this one shows the key concept of using a named collection "Current work" as a criterion. To monitor progress on a different shoot or set of photos, just change the photos in that collection (or rename collections).

It also shows the alt/opt trick to nest extra criteria. This will be beyond some people, but for others it's like mankind learning the secret of fire!

Also, since that article was originally written the Collections panel has gain extra capabilities. The filter box at the top of the panel was mentioned in the 2018 Thoughts update, and now collections can have colour labels. So this smart collection has the word "Warning" in its name, which means I can type Warning in the filter box and see just those items. Alternatively, a colour label would allow the same quick filtering.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

I have several what I call ‘warning smart collections’. For example as smart collection that searches for images without keywords. The image count of this smart collection should always be zero, but every now and then an image gets through without keywords, mainly iPhone images that are synced down. Seeing a non-zero image count warns me that I need to add keywords, and of course makes it easy to select the offending image(s).

 

[clee01l]

I have several what I call ‘warning smart collections’. For example as smart collection that searches for images without keywords. The image count of this smart collection should always be zero, but every now and then an image gets through without keywords, mainly iPhone images that are synced down. Seeing a non-zero image count warns me that I need to add keywords, and of course makes it easy to select the offending image(s).

This is included in one of John's WFSCs. I can tell which images need keywords and which nee Titles or Captions or which have had a crop applied.

 

[clee01l]

On import, I have an import preset that assigns the "purple" label to every image as it is the only color that can't be assigned via a hot key.. I use colored labels to track images through my work flow. Since using Lightroom as a front end to my Lightroom Classic, I have modified my Smart collection for images to be worked to those that have no label or a purple label. I move images to the "Work in Progress" queue by changing the label value to "Work In Progress" (Blue Label). And so forth until the image ends up in a Publish Service (red Label) or "Complete but not published (yellow label).

 

[GaryG]

I'm another +1 for John's Workflow Smart Collections. My only modification has been to add one or two smart collections. It is interesting what Cletus and Phil have done for their workflows. It is something I'll have to explore further.

 

[reidthaler]

I don't know that I would need to, but how do you assign purple on import?

I can see coming up with my own smart collections for my students. Obviously one for flagged images without keyword would be great. I think I'd also include:

Panos --Images greater that 8000 pixels,
B&W
Flagged images in the last calendar year by camera
Shot in the last month that need to be optimized
Shot in the last month that have optimized
Recent Edits

 

[clee01l]

I don't know that I would need to, but how do you assign purple on import?

I can see coming up with my own smart collections for my students. Obviously one for flagged images without keyword would be great. I think I'd also include:

Panos --Images greater that 8000 pixels,
B&W
Flagged images in the last calendar year by camera
Shot in the last month that need to be optimized
Shot in the last month that have optimized
Recent Edits

You create a Metadata preset and insert into the label field, the text value that corresponds to the value of the Purple in your active Color Label Set. You need to use an Import preset to assign that metadata preset on import.


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[reidthaler]

Is it this label field:

What value do you insert?

Thanks,

Reid

 

[clee01l]

Is it this label field:
View attachment 17262

What value do you insert?

Thanks,

Reid

Yes that is the label field. You insert the text value from your active ColorLabelSet that corresponds to the color label that you want applied on import.

Foe my Color Label Set, I use the value “To Be Worked” assigned to the color purple. If you do not have a different Color Label Set active, then the Default Color Label Set assigns the text value “Purple” OR “purple” to that color.


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[reidthaler]

Thanks, good to know.

I would like to get feedback on the workflow (attached) that I recommend for my students, few of whom are professional photographers, so a client based workflow usually isn't recommended. Instead, the gist of my approach is to created a import preset to download by year and month (and day if requested) and flag images as picks and puts those into collections.

In my teaching with individuals, probably 90% of my work is organizational issues--"Where are my images? Why are they missing? How do I get rid of dupes, etc." I figured there are only 3 scenarios of how images are" less than optimally organized" (meaning: a mess) and combinations and variations of those 3.