Organizing and Finding Photos in Lightroom Classic: Keywords, Ratings, Flags, and Collections

A beginner-friendly organization system (the goal)

In Lightroom Classic, “organization” is less about moving files around and more about adding searchable information (flags, ratings, color labels, keywords) and grouping images without duplicating them (collections). A good system should let you: (1) quickly reduce a shoot to the best frames, (2) find any image in seconds later, and (3) keep your catalog clean without extra effort.

Two-pass culling: flags/rejects first, then ratings and color labels

What each marker is for (and how they differ)

• Flags (Pick/Reject/Unflagged): fast “yes/no/maybe” decisions. Best for the first pass.
• Star ratings (0–5): quality ranking. Best for the second pass and long-term sorting.
• Color labels (Red/Yellow/Green/Blue/Purple): customizable status tags (e.g., “needs crop”). Best for workflow states rather than quality.

Recommended mindset: Use flags to decide what survives; use stars to rank what matters; use colors to track what still needs work.

Pass 1: fast cull with flags and rejects

Goal: remove obvious mistakes and mark clear keepers without overthinking.

1. Go to Library and use Loupe View for speed. Turn on Auto Advance so Lightroom moves to the next photo after you flag/rate (toggle in the toolbar or via menu depending on your setup).

2. For each photo, make one of three decisions:

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   • Pick (keeper): press P
   • Reject (delete candidate): press X
   • Unflagged (undecided): leave it or press U

3. Use Compare or Survey view for near-duplicates (bursts, similar poses). Pick the best expression/sharpness and reject the rest.

4. When done, filter to Rejected and decide whether to remove them from the catalog or delete from disk (see cleanup routine at the end).

Pass 2: rank keepers with stars (and optionally color labels)

Goal: separate “good” from “deliverable” and “portfolio-worthy.” Only do this on the images that survived pass 1.

1. Filter to Picked (or at least exclude rejects) so you’re only rating viable images.

2. Apply a simple star system you can remember:

   • 1 star: acceptable record shot / reference
   • 2 stars: good, might deliver
   • 3 stars: deliverable / client-ready candidate
   • 4 stars: standout / strong portfolio candidate
   • 5 stars: best of the best / hero images

3. Use color labels as workflow status (example mapping):

   • Red: needs crop/straighten
   • Yellow: needs retouch (spot removal, skin cleanup)
   • Green: ready to export/deliver
   • Blue: waiting for client feedback
   • Purple: portfolio review later

Tip: Keep your color meanings consistent across all shoots. Consistency is what makes Smart Collections powerful.

Keywords: the fastest way to find photos later

Keyword basics (what to keyword)

Keywords are searchable tags. Use them for information you’ll want months later, such as:

• People (names, roles: “bride”, “CEO”)
• Places (city, venue, trail name)
• Events (“Smith Wedding”, “Product Launch”)
• Subjects (“headshot”, “sunset”, “macro”, “dog”)
• Client/project codes (“ACME_Q4_2026”)

A practical keywording workflow (fast, not perfect)

1. Keyword in batches: select a group of images from the same location/event segment and apply shared keywords once.

2. Then add specifics to smaller selections (e.g., individual names) only for the images that matter (3 stars and up).

3. Use a consistent format: pick one style for names and stick to it (e.g., Last, First or First Last).

Example: For a corporate event, batch keyword a whole set with ACME, conference, Chicago. Then add CEO Jane Doe only to the best stage photos.

Folders vs Collections vs Smart Collections (and when to use each)

Folders: where files live on disk

Folders reflect physical storage locations. Use folders to mirror how you store shoots (e.g., by year and job). Folders are good for: verifying files exist, moving a whole job (carefully), and understanding disk structure. Folders are not ideal for “groupings” like “portfolio candidates,” because a photo can’t live in two folders at once without duplication.

Collections: manual groupings without moving files

A collection is like a playlist: it references photos from anywhere in your catalog without duplicating them. Use collections for sets you curate intentionally.

• Client selects: create a collection named 2026-01 ACME Headshots – Selects and drag your 3–5 star picks into it.
• Portfolio candidates: a collection where you manually add your 4–5 star images across many shoots.
• Images needing retouch: a collection you populate as you notice issues (or use a Smart Collection for this; see below).

Smart Collections: automatic groupings based on rules

Smart Collections update themselves based on criteria (rating, label, keyword, camera metadata, file type, etc.). They are ideal for repeatable workflows and “always-on” dashboards.

Use Smart Collections when: you want Lightroom to gather images for you (e.g., all 5-star photos, all red-labeled photos, all high ISO images that likely need noise reduction).

Finding images fast: Library Filter bar (Text, Attribute, Metadata)

Turn the Library Filter on and think in layers

In Grid view, use the Library Filter bar to narrow results. The key habit is to filter in layers: start broad (folder/collection), then narrow (rating/flag), then narrow again (metadata/keywords).

Text filter: search by filename, keyword, caption, and more

Use Text when you remember a word: a person’s name, a venue, a project code, or a keyword you applied.

• Example: Search ACME_Q4_2026 to find every image tagged to that project.
• Example: Search for Jane Doe if you keyworded names.

Attribute filter: flags, stars, color labels, and file type

Use Attribute when you’re filtering by your culling and workflow markers.

• Example: Show only Picks and 3 stars and above to see deliverable candidates.
• Example: Show only Red label to find “needs crop” images (if that’s your mapping).
• Example: Show only Unflagged to find images you haven’t culled yet.

Metadata filter: drill down by camera, lens, date, location, and more

Use Metadata when you remember facts about the capture rather than words.

• Example: Filter by Date + Camera to isolate one day from a multi-day trip shot on two bodies.
• Example: Filter by Lens to find all images shot at an event with a specific focal length range (useful for reviewing consistency).
• Example: Filter by ISO range (if available in your metadata columns) to find high-ISO images.

Practical “find it in 10 seconds” recipes

• Find your best work from last month: Go to the month’s folder/collection → Attribute: Rating ≥ 4 → optionally Text: keyword portfolio if you use it.
• Find all images of a person across years: All Photographs → Text: keyword/name → Attribute: Rating ≥ 3 to focus on keepers.
• Find what still needs work today: All Photographs (or current job) → Attribute: color labels Red and Yellow.

Reusable Smart Collections you can build once and keep forever

Smart Collection set: “Quality”

• 5-star (All-time best)
  Rating is 5 stars
• Portfolio candidates
  Rating is greater than or equal to 4 stars
Flag status is Picked
• Deliverables (client-ready candidates)
  Rating is greater than or equal to 3 stars
Flag status is Picked

Smart Collection set: “Needs attention” (workflow labels)

These assume you use consistent color meanings.

• Needs crop
  Color label is Red
• Needs retouch
  Color label is Yellow
• Ready to export
  Color label is Green
Flag status is Picked

Smart Collection set: “Technical checks”

• High ISO for noise reduction
  ISO speed rating is greater than or equal to 3200
Flag status is Picked
• Needs crop (by aspect/flag alternative)
  Has adjustments is false
Color label is Red
  (Use this if you mark “needs crop” early and want to see which ones you haven’t edited yet.)
• Unculled (inbox)
  Flag status is Unflagged
Rating is 0 stars

Tip: Create Smart Collections inside a Collection Set named Dashboard so you always have a single place to check what’s next.

Collections in practice: three common real-world setups

Client selects (manual collection)

1. Create a collection named Client – ACME Headshots – Selects.

2. Filter the job to Picked and Rating ≥ 3.

3. Drag the best options into the collection (or add via shortcut while browsing).

4. Optional: create a second collection Client – ACME Headshots – Finals for the final delivered set.

Portfolio candidates (manual + smart combo)

• Smart Collection: Rating ≥ 4 and Picked (auto-gathers candidates).
• Manual Collection: Portfolio – Final where you place only the images you truly want representing you (curated, smaller set).

Images needing retouch (smart collection)

If you label retouch needs consistently (e.g., Yellow), you can avoid manual tracking.

• Smart Collection: Color label is Yellow AND Flag status is Picked

Cleanup routine: keep the catalog tidy without losing work

After each shoot (5–10 minutes)

1. Delete rejects intentionally: Filter to Rejected and decide whether to remove from catalog or delete from disk. If you’re confident, delete from disk to keep storage clean.

2. Confirm everything important is Picked and rated: Use a Smart Collection like Unculled (inbox) to ensure nothing slipped through.

3. Apply minimal keywords: Add at least client/project + location/event keywords so future searches work.

4. Set workflow labels: Mark remaining tasks (crop/retouch/export) using your color label system so Smart Collections can track them.

5. Move finals into a “Finals” collection: Keep a clean deliverable set separate from works-in-progress.

Weekly or monthly maintenance (quick checks)

• Review your Dashboard Smart Collections: clear out “needs crop/retouch” by finishing edits or removing labels when done.
• Standardize inconsistent labels/keywords: if you find variations (e.g., NYC vs New York), pick one and merge for reliable searching.
• Prune bloated collections: keep “Selects” and “Finals,” but archive or delete temporary collections you no longer need.