How do you delete lightroom files???
Jun 9, 2019 03:33:34 #
I'm getting way too many files but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to permanently delete files in lightroom. Any help appreciated. I've search online but can't find anything either, which seems weird! Thanks
Jun 9, 2019 03:50:24 #
Easy to do, select the images you want to delete then right click on one of the selected images. In the dialog box that pops up, select the second from the bottom "Remove Images". Another dialog box then asks if you want to just remove the images from Lightroom or delete from disc. Select delete from disc and your photos will go to the recycle bin and will be permanently deleted when you empty the bin. This is for Windows, but the procedure is similar if you are using a Mac.
Jun 9, 2019 05:43:44 #
cathy.nordstrom wrote:
I'm getting way too many files but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to permanently delete files in lightroom. Any help appreciated. I've search online but can't find anything either, which seems weird! Thanks
Hit X on your keyboard for those you want to delete. As many as you want. Then; photo, on the top menu. At the bottom of the drop-down select; delete from disk.
Jun 9, 2019 06:30:29 #
traderjohn wrote:
Hit X on your keyboard for those you want to delete. As many as you want. Then; photo, on the top menu. At the bottom of the drop-down select; delete from disk.
Jun 9, 2019 08:02:42 #
If you have a Mac, just hit the delete key. A box appears that asks if you want to delete from the hd or just from LR.
Jun 9, 2019 09:13:37 #
Can I suggest you stop for a moment and consider your use of Lightroom? The tool Lightroom is a library manager, and within its technical insides, the tool is database management software for the management of image files. The software will manage an unlimited number of images. My library contains 78,633 images this morning.
I don't look at all 79K. Rather, I use various filters to isolate or otherwise limit the images presented. One useful view is the "Previous Import" which is applicable until you import more images.
The next relevant view / organization is the use of "Collections". These are virtual folders and have no relation to the folder structure of the images on your disk. However, Collections are only as effective as your active placement of imported images into those collections. Being a virtual tool existing inside LR, collections can be either permanent or temporary. You might carefully organize your images in collections by subject or location, etc. You might also have a "WIP" collection you just dump images into when you plan to revisit, but just not right now. Unlike folders on disk, an image can exist in multiple collections at once. Deleting a collection does nothing to the actual image file.
As database management software, the Library Filters are frequently used tools, both in the main "All Photographs" Catalog view and within all of Collections you may create (as well as within folder views within LR). Metadata filters lets you add / remove column filters such as date, camera, aspect ratio, etc. One or several metadata filters can be combined with the Text and Attribute filters to isolate images.
So, if I want all the images from July 17, 2015, my ability to find them can include methods:
a) Metadata filter by date
b) Keyword search = Kings Island, where we happened to be (or Cincinnati or Ohio, as two other text keywords I added to the images during editing)
c) The Kings Island collection inside the Ohio collection set, again based on organization work I did when editing the images in 2015
I don't keep any images that are not complete and ready for presentation. I don't keep slightly different versions of the same thing. I don't keep out of focus misses. I don't keep unflattering views of people. Or said another way: I aggressively cull and permanently delete.
Usually, I delete in two steps. First, every image to be deleted is marked as 'rejected' with the 'x' key while the image (or group of images) are selected. When working in a collection, the 'reject' images can be removed from the collection, but the images can't be deleted from a collection. Rather, you need to view all images from the 'All Photographs' view of the Catalog. There, use the Attribute Filter and isolate those images with the 'Reject' attribute flag. In this view, you call 'select all' for the filtered Rejects and (on Windows) press <Delete> where you're presented with a dialog to remove from the catalog or remove from the catalog and delete the underlying image file.
And to "really delete" the image files, you have to empty the (Windows) recycle bin as the deleted image files are moved to the Recycle Bin by LR during the step above.
So, this is a long-winded request that you consider what you're using LR for? It is not a tool for just your current work. Rather, Lightroom should be an ever-growing library of all your digital images ever, whether you keep everything or only your finished and best work. In my view and usage of LR, you can't have too many images, just like you can't have too many book, or money, or cameras, or tomatoes ....
I don't look at all 79K. Rather, I use various filters to isolate or otherwise limit the images presented. One useful view is the "Previous Import" which is applicable until you import more images.
The next relevant view / organization is the use of "Collections". These are virtual folders and have no relation to the folder structure of the images on your disk. However, Collections are only as effective as your active placement of imported images into those collections. Being a virtual tool existing inside LR, collections can be either permanent or temporary. You might carefully organize your images in collections by subject or location, etc. You might also have a "WIP" collection you just dump images into when you plan to revisit, but just not right now. Unlike folders on disk, an image can exist in multiple collections at once. Deleting a collection does nothing to the actual image file.
As database management software, the Library Filters are frequently used tools, both in the main "All Photographs" Catalog view and within all of Collections you may create (as well as within folder views within LR). Metadata filters lets you add / remove column filters such as date, camera, aspect ratio, etc. One or several metadata filters can be combined with the Text and Attribute filters to isolate images.
So, if I want all the images from July 17, 2015, my ability to find them can include methods:
a) Metadata filter by date
b) Keyword search = Kings Island, where we happened to be (or Cincinnati or Ohio, as two other text keywords I added to the images during editing)
c) The Kings Island collection inside the Ohio collection set, again based on organization work I did when editing the images in 2015
I don't keep any images that are not complete and ready for presentation. I don't keep slightly different versions of the same thing. I don't keep out of focus misses. I don't keep unflattering views of people. Or said another way: I aggressively cull and permanently delete.
Usually, I delete in two steps. First, every image to be deleted is marked as 'rejected' with the 'x' key while the image (or group of images) are selected. When working in a collection, the 'reject' images can be removed from the collection, but the images can't be deleted from a collection. Rather, you need to view all images from the 'All Photographs' view of the Catalog. There, use the Attribute Filter and isolate those images with the 'Reject' attribute flag. In this view, you call 'select all' for the filtered Rejects and (on Windows) press <Delete> where you're presented with a dialog to remove from the catalog or remove from the catalog and delete the underlying image file.
And to "really delete" the image files, you have to empty the (Windows) recycle bin as the deleted image files are moved to the Recycle Bin by LR during the step above.
So, this is a long-winded request that you consider what you're using LR for? It is not a tool for just your current work. Rather, Lightroom should be an ever-growing library of all your digital images ever, whether you keep everything or only your finished and best work. In my view and usage of LR, you can't have too many images, just like you can't have too many book, or money, or cameras, or tomatoes ....
Jun 9, 2019 09:34:21 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Can I suggest you stop for a moment and consider y... (show quote)
Agree 100%
My Lightroom library just keeps growing, even if images have no Lightroom edits. Every image editing session begins and ends in Lightroom, so even an image edited in Photoshop started in Lightroom where the original still can be found.
The only images that get deleted are obvious DOA shots - ones with no hope of even becoming an abstract, and with the software tools today, it seems there are fewer and fewer of them!
Jun 9, 2019 10:12:07 #
Jun 9, 2019 13:17:02 #
Jun 9, 2019 13:41:40 #
There are times when an image just has to be deleted.
When I import a shoot, I import all the images. They include out of focus images, images of my foot because I was holding the camera too casually, and images that my wife demands that I delete.
You can select all those images in the usual ways ( click, ctrl/cmd- click, and shift-click). If you are in the library grid mode (keyboard shortcut g), pressing delete will allow you to delete all the selections from the catalog or the disk. Outside of the library grid mode pressing delete will only act on the primary selection.
I keep all the reasonable images and use collections and color labels to organize them.
When I import a shoot, I import all the images. They include out of focus images, images of my foot because I was holding the camera too casually, and images that my wife demands that I delete.
You can select all those images in the usual ways ( click, ctrl/cmd- click, and shift-click). If you are in the library grid mode (keyboard shortcut g), pressing delete will allow you to delete all the selections from the catalog or the disk. Outside of the library grid mode pressing delete will only act on the primary selection.
I keep all the reasonable images and use collections and color labels to organize them.
Jun 10, 2019 06:36:16 #
cathy.nordstrom wrote:
Wow, thankyou so much! I will rethink this whole thing.
It is a really easy process to delete the pictures you do not want. Your world will still be intact. Some people just love to ramble on.
Jun 10, 2019 06:58:30 #
I import my images into LR Library then go through and x the throways. Once they're marked, you can batch delete them using control backspace. If you're sure you don't want them, go ahead and choose delete from disk. Good idea to keyword the keepers next. I can sort on "yard wildflower blue" to bring up all those type of pics I've ever taken because I added those keywords just in case. I don't have to remember which date I took them or keep the one-time-use of an export I shared in Facebook.
Jun 10, 2019 07:52:59 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Can I suggest you stop for a moment and consider y... (show quote)
Good morning, my Canon friend:
I agree with all you said above about using the data-base management properties of LR more in-depth than just using it as an image editor. I want to comment on one statement that you made about not keeping OOF images. I used to throw away anything that wasn't sharp also. But then I discovered the magical healing powers of Topaz Sharpen AI and how it can restore the focus with the stabilize option. So now, if OOF is not too bad, I will not automatically discard and give Topaz a chance to fix it. It won't fix ugly, though.......
Jun 10, 2019 08:13:17 #
Always great advice here Cathy also Anthony Morganti on utube has a great tutorial free and Kelli 1 is also helpful for a fee. Enjoy
J
J
Jun 10, 2019 21:06:55 #
cathy.nordstrom wrote:
I'm getting way too many files but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to permanently delete files in lightroom. Any help appreciated. I've search online but can't find anything either, which seems weird! Thanks
Do you use Lightroom CC or Lightroom Classic CC
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.