Organise photos in Lightroom using Collections - Digital Journal of Photography

Adobe Lightroom Classic is unique in that it doesn’t use Albums but adopts something similar called Collections. Collections in Adobe Lightroom (both Classic and the cloud-based version) are a great way to organise and manage your photos.

Benefits of Using Collections

– Non-Destructive Organisation: Collections allow you to organise photos without moving them from their original location in the Catalog.
– Multiple Groupings: You can add the same photo to multiple collections, making it easy to categorise images in different ways.
– Smart Collections: Automatically gather photos based on specific criteria, saving time and effort in organisation.

By using collections effectively, you can streamline your workflow and keep your photo library organised in a way that suits your needs.

Here’s how to effectively use Collections:

Creating Collections

1. Open Lightroom:
Launch Adobe Lightroom and go to the Library module (for Classic) or the main interface (for the cloud version).

2. Access the Collections Panel:
– Lightroom Classic: Look for the Collections panel on the left side of the Library module.
– Lightroom (Cloud-Based): Click on the Collections tab in the left panel.

3. Create a New Collection:
– Right-click (or Control-click) in the Collections panel and select Create Collection.
– Alternatively, click the “+” icon next to the Collections header.

4. Name Your Collection: Enter a name for your collection and choose whether to create a collection set (a folder for organising multiple collections) if desired.

5. Choose Options: You can also select options like:
– Include selected photos: If you have photos selected, they will be added to the collection immediately.
– Set as a Target Collection: This allows you to quickly add photos to this Collection using the shortcut key (usually the `B` key).

6. Click Create: Once you’ve set your preferences, click the Create button.

Adding Photos to Collections

1. Select Photos: In the Library module, select the photos you want to add to a collection.

2. Add to Collection:
– Right-click on the selected photos, go to Add to Collection, and choose the desired collection.
– Alternatively, you can drag and drop the selected photos directly into the collection in the Collections panel.

3. Using Target Collections: If you set a collection as a target, you can quickly add photos to it by selecting the photos and pressing the `B` key.

Organising Collections

– Collection Sets: You can create collection sets to group related collections together. Right-click in the Collections panel and select Create Collection Set to organise your collections further.

– Rearranging Collections: You can drag and drop collections and collection sets to rearrange their order in the panel.

Smart Collections

1. Create a Smart Collection: Right-click in the Collections panel and select Create Smart Collection.

2. Set Criteria: Define the criteria for the smart collection (e.g., by rating, keywords, or metadata). Photos that meet these criteria will automatically be added to the smart collection.

Viewing and Managing Collections

– Accessing Collections: Click on any collection in the Collections panel to view the photos it contains.
– Removing Photos: To remove a photo from a collection, select the photo, right-click, and choose Remove from Collection. This does not delete the photo from your Lightroom Catalog; it simply removes it from that Collection.

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