Having decided how you’ll keyword your photos and whether to use a flat list or hierarchy (Lightroom Classic), you're ready to start assigning keywords to your photos. All the principles we looked at before apply to both versions of Lightroom, but … Click to continue
Should I use flat or hierarchical keywords?
In the last post, we were talking about the kind of keywords to add to your photos, but this week, let's talk about the pros and cons of flat vs. hierarchical keyword lists. Please note this only applies to Lightroom Classic, not the cloud-based … Click to continue
What kind of keywords should I assign to my photos?
As the number of photos in your catalog grows, finding a photo is essential. One of the best ways to do this is by assigning keywords to your photo(s). Keyword tags are text metadata used to describe the content of the photo. Unlike collections, … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 4 – Cleanup
In the last few posts, we've been merging multiple catalogs into a single new Master catalog. Once the photos are all in a single catalog, you can finish cleaning up. Fix Missing Photos If any photos are still marked as missing, now's the time to … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 3 – Using Import from Another Catalog to Merge
In the last post, we finished gathering information about the catalogs and created a plan of action. With all of the information to hand, you're ready to start merging catalogs. Open Lightroom and go to File menu > New Catalog. This will … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 2 – Prepare Catalogs for a Clean Merge
In the last post, we figured out which of your multiple catalogs you want to merge into your new Master Catalog. We want a smooth merge of catalogs. so there's a little more to do to prepare. Then we'll be ready to go ahead with the merge. Stage 2 - … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – Stage 1 – Identifying Catalogs
In the last post in the series, we gained an overview of the process of merging multiple catalogs into a single Master catalog. The first task is to identify which catalogs contain metadata you want to keep. The easiest way to do this is to make a … Click to continue
Merging Catalogs – The Overview
In another post, we discussed the arguments for and against multiple catalogs. So, if you decide to merge some catalogs, how do you go about it? In this first of five posts, we'll take an overview of how to merge catalogs and some of the reasons you … Click to continue
Should you have one catalog or multiple catalogs?
Since version 1.1, Lightroom has been able to create and switch between multiple catalogs. But the question is, just because you can, should you? Should you have one catalog or multiple catalogs? There is no 'right' number of catalogs. As with the … Click to continue
What is a Lightroom catalog?
There are basically two different types of local image management software - databases (catalogs) and file browsers. So what's the difference? What actually is a Lightroom catalog? Let's compare to a physical library of books to illustrate. File … Click to continue
Why learn to edit photos using sliders?
Most new photographers edit photos using profiles, presets and filters. So why bother learning to edit your photos using the sliders? Photo editing is like a language Photo editing is a skill, just like any other. If you’re trying to learn a … Click to continue
How do I reset Lightroom’s Preferences?
If you find you're having odd problems with Lightroom, resetting Lightroom’s Preferences file can solve all sorts of ‘weirdness,’ so it’s a good early step in troubleshooting. Let's take a look at how to simply reset Preferences, and also how to find … Click to continue
How do I rearrange existing photos into a new dated folder structure?
In a previous post entitled How do I reorganize my Folders panel we discussed how to create, rename and delete folders, and how to move photos between folders. If you're moving to a dated folder structure, Lightroom won't create the folder structure … Click to continue
How do I reorganize my Folders panel?
Lightroom only automatically organizes photos (for example, into dated folders) while importing. But if your existing folder structure is a mess, you can tidy it up manually by creating, moving, renaming and deleting folders and photos. While … Click to continue
Why not organize photos into folders by topic?
Having decided where to store your photos, you also need to decide how to organize them. Why not just organize your photos by topic? Before you used photo management software, such as Lightroom, you may have organized your photos into folders by … Click to continue