What's going on with my folders?

[Mr_RossDuncan]

Lightroom Version

Lightroom Classic 10.4

Operating System

1. Windows 10

For years now I've been meaning to try and figure out what exactly I do wrong every time I import into Lightroom Classic.
I know it's going to be something so simple that I should have twigged to it before, but, as yet, I've not worked it out.
On import, under the destination tab, I select the year and the month I want the images to be imported in to.
Lightroom, for reasons that remain a mystery, will automatically create a new year and a new month folder each time I import.
I can end up, at the end of the month, with 10 or 12 Year and month sub-folders all stacked on top of each other
At the moment, I just ignore it, and at the end of each month drag (through Lightroom) and drop the images into the one correct monthly folder.
If you look at the attached image you will see I have created a folder for 2021, I then create a sub folder for each month as it rolls around. Including for the latest month of October.
On my next import Lightroom will automatically create yet another 2021 folder and then yet another October folder nestled within.
It will continue to do this until the end of the month where, as I say, I drag and drop the images all into the one October folder and delete the rest before starting it all over again for November.
I'm assuming I'm doing something wrong on import in the destination tab, I've tried all kinds of different approaches, but nothing seems to stop this multiplication of folders.

 

[Jim Wilde]

It would be better to post a screenshot of the Destination panel of the Import dialog. It sounds as though you have chosen to "Organize By Date", with "Year/Month" (i.e. 2021/October) specified as the date format. That's fine, but when you set things up like that, you then need to be selecting the parent folder, not an existing year folder. Because you are selecting an existing year folder, your settings are basically telling LrC to import by creating a year/month structure BELOW the selected target folder, which leads to the situation you describe.

 

[clee01l]

The Parent folder (the one that you want the date and month sub folders to be nested inside) needs be highlighted in the destination panel before you import. In the example that you show, “August” was highlighted as the parent panel. It should have been the parent folder for “2021” that has April and August as sub folders.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Philippe Coudé du Foresto]

And once fixed, I suggest to create an import preset with your settings. Using the preset at import will avoid manipulating the settings manually and its inherent risk of mistake, and will guarantee that LR will always import using the same rule.

 

[Mr_RossDuncan]

It would be better to post a screenshot of the Destination panel of the Import dialog. It sounds as though you have chosen to "Organize By Date", with "Year/Month" (i.e. 2021/October) specified as the date format. That's fine, but when you set things up like that, you then need to be selecting the parent folder, not an existing year folder. Because you are selecting an existing year folder, your settings are basically telling LrC to import by creating a year/month structure BELOW the selected target folder, which leads to the situation you describe.

Hi Jim, thanks for the advice, I've attached a screen grab of my import set up and you're correct, I do have it set as "Organize by date" and "year/month". I'll try another import and change that setting and see how I go.
Typically, when I import, I will click onto the current month and then import, as you suggest, this is causing LR to create another date formatted 2021/October underneath, thus creating a never-ending trail of folders as I go through the month.
Thanks again,
Ross

 

[Rob_Cullen]

set as "Organize by date" and "year/month".

That is OK. Leave it just as it is!! BUT-
For any of the Folder Templates that include a forward slash '/' You MUST SELECT THE TOPMOST PARENT FOLDER that is ABOVE the YEAR folders, and Lr will 'automatically' find the 2021 folder and insert the 'new' MONTH folder under the correct YEAR parent folder.

Highlight the {Lightroom} folder!

 

[clee01l]

Following on from my previous comment and Rob's explanation. Your parent folder is the one named "Lightroom". The Import settings as you have is are telling Lightroom to create a folder "2021" (if it does not already exist) and a sub folder "October" (if it does not already exist) UNDER the highlighted folder and your highlighted in your example is "August"

 

[Mr_RossDuncan]

That is OK. Leave it just as it is!! BUT-
For any of the Folder Templates that include a forward slash '/' You MUST SELECT THE TOPMOST PARENT FOLDER that is ABOVE the YEAR folders, and Lr will 'automatically' find the 2021 folder and insert the 'new' MONTH folder under the correct YEAR parent folder.
View attachment 17293Highlight the {Lightroom} folder!

View attachment 17294

Thanks for that Rob, great information and that will help my import decisions from now on. Cheers, Ross