Moving/organising files in Lightroom

ozlizard · 01-25-2010, 06:18 PM

I have had trouble getting my head around the way LR orgaises files. When I first set it up I put all my images into a folder called 2009 then imported each batch of photos into this folder by date. However as I wasn't really sure about what I was doing I inadvertantly created another folder called 2009 within the original folder which than beacme the destination for all my imports (with me so far!). As I couldn't work out how to change it I just left it like that. I recently had to upgrade to Windows 7 so had to reistall LR so thought this was a good opportunity to sort it all out. Well guess what I somehow managed to do it again!
So this is how I wanted to set it up. All files imported to a folder (eg 2010) by date, ok no problems there except for the extra folder also called 2010. I have it set up so that when I flag an image that is "completed" it is copied into a smart collection called (funny enuff!) "Completed Photos".
Well finally to the questions. The images in the duplicate folder (2010) should be in the original 2010 folder within their own individual date folders (there are 40 images). Can I move them? How can I get them to where they are suppoed to be? Any help appreciated, thanks!

Jim Royal · 01-25-2010, 08:27 PM

If you want to organize your folders by date, then you shouldn't be creating folders by hand at all. Lightroom will create the folders for you as needed.

I import my photos into a hierarchy like this:

Year
|- Month
|- Day

I create no folders by hand — Lightroom does it all.

The simplest way to proceed might be to simply re-import your photos, assuming you don't have many thousands (which would take a long time). Create a new catalogue, and don't create a single folder. Import them files and let Lightroom organize by date.

But before you do that, try simply selecting the 2010 sub-folder, right-clicking, and select promot sub-folder. that might do the trick.

ozlizard · 01-25-2010, 09:22 PM

Thanks Jim. I don't manually create the folders, as you say I just LR do that. I tried the "promote folder" option and it worked, altho it moved the all images from that folder into the last date folder of the original 2010 folder, but I can live with that! Thanks for the help.

RollsUp · 01-26-2010, 01:19 PM

You can move photos or a folder with photos around within LR.

Moving Folders and Photos in Lightroom

In the import dialog window you have options on how you want to organize the files, by date, by name etc.

Adobe Lightroom - Importing your Digital Camera Files into Lightroom

I also use year, month, day hierarchy as Jim Royal.

I hope this helps some.

dragonfly · 01-26-2010, 02:29 PM

I have to admit that I re-organize my files by genre. That helps me find them better than just date alone. I can still sort by date using various applications.

Jim Royal · 01-26-2010, 03:05 PM

Originally posted by dragonfly

I have to admit that I re-organize my files by genre

I have found that I'm better off using keyword tagging for that. I have found that creating folder hierarchies by subject eventually becomes unwieldy

Glen · 01-26-2010, 08:17 PM

Originally posted by Jim Royal

I have found that I'm better off using keyword tagging for that. I have found that creating folder hierarchies by subject eventually becomes unwieldy

Same here. I started with several folders for year, and then subject such as vacation or destination. Eventually I couldn't think of any reason to keep doing that as the smart collections did the same thing for me. Now I have one for the year - 2010 - and eventually I might even put them all together.

01-25-2010, 06:18 PM	#1
ozlizard Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bridgetown West Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 903	Moving/organising files in Lightroom I have had trouble getting my head around the way LR orgaises files. When I first set it up I put all my images into a folder called 2009 then imported each batch of photos into this folder by date. However as I wasn't really sure about what I was doing I inadvertantly created another folder called 2009 within the original folder which than beacme the destination for all my imports (with me so far!). As I couldn't work out how to change it I just left it like that. I recently had to upgrade to Windows 7 so had to reistall LR so thought this was a good opportunity to sort it all out. Well guess what I somehow managed to do it again! So this is how I wanted to set it up. All files imported to a folder (eg 2010) by date, ok no problems there except for the extra folder also called 2010. I have it set up so that when I flag an image that is "completed" it is copied into a smart collection called (funny enuff!) "Completed Photos". Well finally to the questions. The images in the duplicate folder (2010) should be in the original 2010 folder within their own individual date folders (there are 40 images). Can I move them? How can I get them to where they are suppoed to be? Any help appreciated, thanks!

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01-25-2010, 08:27 PM	#2
Jim Royal Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Montreal Photos: Gallery Posts: 179	If you want to organize your folders by date, then you shouldn't be creating folders by hand at all. Lightroom will create the folders for you as needed. I import my photos into a hierarchy like this: Year \|- Month \|- Day I create no folders by hand — Lightroom does it all. The simplest way to proceed might be to simply re-import your photos, assuming you don't have many thousands (which would take a long time). Create a new catalogue, and don't create a single folder. Import them files and let Lightroom organize by date. But before you do that, try simply selecting the 2010 sub-folder, right-clicking, and select promot sub-folder. that might do the trick.

01-25-2010, 09:22 PM	#3
ozlizard Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bridgetown West Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 903 Original Poster	Thanks Jim. I don't manually create the folders, as you say I just LR do that. I tried the "promote folder" option and it worked, altho it moved the all images from that folder into the last date folder of the original 2010 folder, but I can live with that! Thanks for the help.

01-26-2010, 01:19 PM	#4
RollsUp Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: AK USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,766	You can move photos or a folder with photos around within LR. Moving Folders and Photos in Lightroom In the import dialog window you have options on how you want to organize the files, by date, by name etc. Adobe Lightroom - Importing your Digital Camera Files into Lightroom I also use year, month, day hierarchy as Jim Royal. I hope this helps some.

01-26-2010, 02:29 PM	#5
dragonfly Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: on the wall Photos: Gallery Posts: 715	I have to admit that I re-organize my files by genre. That helps me find them better than just date alone. I can still sort by date using various applications.

01-26-2010, 03:05 PM	#6
Jim Royal Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Montreal Photos: Gallery Posts: 179	Originally posted by dragonfly I have to admit that I re-organize my files by genre I have found that I'm better off using keyword tagging for that. I have found that creating folder hierarchies by subject eventually becomes unwieldy

01-26-2010, 08:17 PM	#7
Glen Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 329	Originally posted by Jim Royal I have found that I'm better off using keyword tagging for that. I have found that creating folder hierarchies by subject eventually becomes unwieldy Same here. I started with several folders for year, and then subject such as vacation or destination. Eventually I couldn't think of any reason to keep doing that as the smart collections did the same thing for me. Now I have one for the year - 2010 - and eventually I might even put them all together.