worldcycle Loc: Stateline, Nevada

I am currently traveling and after I download the day’s photos from my SD card I then cull my photos in Lightroom. The keepers and “maybes” I want to keep on my CD card. Is there any way I can delete my discards from my CD card using Lightroom? It should be easy because we you download and have it not download suspected duplicates they show as files to be downloaded. Searched the program data base and have not found a solution if there is one.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

First and foremost: you should always delete images using the camera with the card in the camera. This best practice is universally accepted as the proven method to avoid unexpected problems and / or corruptions of the card. Moreover, mass-delete (or format) is the preferred method to delete images 'in camera' rather than selectively deleting individual images.

If you're willing to play with fire because you didn't bring sufficient SD cards to cover the duration of your travels, you should review and adjust your LR workflow to something like:

1, Reconsider your need to delete files from the SD card instead of buying more SD cards. Avoid unexpected problems by stopping here rather than continuing with this idea.
2, Rather than LR import with copy, instead import the new images from the SD card with no copy / move of the image files.
3, Mark your rejects with X and then select the Rejected images and delete from the catalog and disk ('disk' being the SD card).
4, For all remaining images, use the computer OS to copy those images from the SD card to the computer's storage. Sort by shooting date, as needed, to isolate the new images being copied.
5, Return to LR and update the image location from the SD card to the computer. You can do this by finding the folder / drive in the Folder view of the LR library, right-click the SD card and change the location the new folder on the computer.
6, As a fail-safe, remove the SD card and run the catalog verification of missing images (Library / Find all Missing Photos). If nothing is missing with the SD card removed, you should be good to go. LR will remember the SD card as a source location of images. The LR catalog should report zero (0) images at this source.
7, Note the steps above are rather careful and clever in their precise execution. You'd be better served by not attempting this process and instead buying more SD card storage and keeping all your images on your cards until you get home. When you get home, just merge your travel LRCAT and the image files on the laptop into your master home LRCAT and permanent storage. When satisfied with the merge, you can format the SD cards that remain as 'backup' pending the merge work at home.

A few alternative approaches exist for steps 4 & 5. You might delete the rejected images, and then, "remove" the remaining images from the LRCAT. That's remove, not delete. Now, instead of copying the images to the computer, you can re-import from the SD card, with time using the "with copy" option. The only available images on the SD card are the culled files. You can decide which of these convoluted approaches is more efficient to attempt, understanding the risk of making mistakes. Honestly, I don't recommend either.

moonhawk Loc: Land of Enchantment

I don't think "remove from disk" deletes files from the SD card, does it?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

"Disk" is simply where the image file resides when imported into the LRCAT. If still on the SD card, that is the "disk" aka location where the file resides.

UPDATE -

So I wrote the "logical" process earlier. But now when I grabbed an SD card with images I imported earlier this week, my only import options are "copy as DNG" or "copy". I can't seem to enable "more" or the "add" function that is the basis of my earlier process ideas. I picked SD images that were culled later, so from my LRCAT, these few images are entirely "new" to my LRCAT and I should be able to import.

If you cannot "add" from the SD card as the source, none of the ideas presented earlier are possible, negating the entire idea of using LR to "cull" images from the SD card as source. Our OP will need to attempt / confirm with their equipment and software.

worldcycle Loc: Stateline, Nevada

Thank you. I played for a while with your idea a felt it was a lot of hassle to save space. It was a thought on my part. I have got plenty of both SD and Compact Flash cards for my journey and 2 external hard drives as well. Thank you for your answer for I am sure others out there have the same question.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I use my camera to delete all images I do not want because it is so fast. Then I write down the file numbers of the ones I want to load into photoshop and then only download into photoshop the ones I want to work on.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Does your camera have a rating option? That's the all-electronic and intended method for 'remembering' specific in-camera images.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I rate them, I only use the best ones in photoshop. Anything that is not chosen for photoshop is deleted.

CliffMcKenzie Loc: Lake Athens Texas

Never touch the individual images on the card. Paul was correct to point out best practices and SD cards are cheap. Just came off a 3 day shoot on the Texas coast. Each night, removed the card, uploaded to portable. The software knows what it upload prior. Now home, 1,700+ images uploaded from card (not portable) to main computer. Culled images with PM and now uploaded 140+ images to LRC. Key, only after successfully having images backed up in two places do I format the card(s) in the camera. Never touch individual images on the card.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I mean using the star-rating as the sorting / selection criteria for which images to copy off the card. Those ratings can be seen by the OS when sorting the image files.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Sorry for the misunderstanding. No, I do not use a star rating.for selection.

Canisdirus

Yup...best way.

I only have 4 or 5 stars...keeps it simple. The rest get deleted...in camera...all at once...never one at a time.

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

No.

Without asking why? it is logically and nearly physically impossible for Lightroom to delete read or modify a file from the memory card. Regardless of whether you download from a card before or during a Lightroom Import Lightroom does not save a record of the original address of the file unless you import with ADD which is likely ambiguous in that situation.

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

This is why I like cameras with dual card slots. I write RAW files to both cards - Card 1 is my "working" card and Card 2 is my cumulative backup.

I take out card 1 every night and download all of its images to LR. Then it goes back into the camera for a Format, so it's empty for the next day. Card 2 remains in the camera and the next day's images are added to it as they're shot. And so on.

I have yet to fill up a 32GB Card 2 on a 7 day family trip - my Olympus EM-1 puts out 21MB files - but if I got close I have a second 32GB card ready to swap in. They don't weigh much, and aren't very expensive compared to, say, a single tank of gas.

Of course, this only works if you have dual card slots.

Chappy1101 Loc: Glenview, IL

Wow, how can we make a simple workflow complicated! Why are 2 card slots better than an extra card - when it comes time to switch because you filled the primary card for the first time? Why is it so hard to treat the card as read-only when it comes to Lightroom or the PC OS. Edit, erase, reformat all you want — FROM THE CAMERA. Simple. What am I missing here?!