Inspiring

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P: Smart Collections to use current folder as source

Forum|Forum|3 days ago
April 23, 2026
3 replies
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I use a couple of smart collections for every wedding client. One contains only flagged photos that are also virtual copies, these are using for sneaky peeks for the couple, social media, etc.

The other is flagged photos that aren’t virtual copies, these are the final selections from culling that will be exported for delivery.

Being able to use the same smart collection that simple looks at the currently active folder, rather than have hundreds of duplicates, would be ideal and no doubt far more efficient than each smart collection needing to constantly check for changes.

I’m sure there are many other reasons why other users would also find this useful.

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

@richardplondon Yeah, it would be a pretty complicated setup, if it was even possible (you can’t target the active folder in a SC, so this is all only theory). If the OP does not want to use filters but prefers to use smart collections, then what I would probably do is setup some intermediate folders with smart collections referring to them. I would use these folders for my active clients. Once a client is no longer active, I would move their photos to an archive folder, freeing up the intermediate folder for the next client.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

R

richardplondon

Community Expert

Support for recommendation for named library filters. Taking the example where there were 3 different ways one wants to selectively narrow down from a given source - which could be a folder or could be a collection or a SC - this could be achieved with 4 named filters (the 4th resetting the filter). These can be switched between using the dropdown menu above right end of Filmstrip, and that is available across all modules. It is not then necessary to go back to Library to access a different source SC, nor to reopen the filter bar even.

Named filter selection above right end of Filmstrip

That said: if the source population is a standard Collection - you could set membership of that as one of the inclusion criteria for a set of working SCs. Then when you finished working on one project and moved to another, you could empty the respective standard Collection and then re-populate it anew. Or update what name of Collection each SC is referring to. The SCs would then perform their usual other selectivities, onto this different starting population.

As so often, virtual forms of organisation (such as Collections) seem to offer more fluidity in comparison with literal forms of organisation (such as file-system folders). Still: for some people fluidity = building on sand (grin) - we at least “know where we are” with folders!

ShootingPixelsAndyAuthor

Inspiring

Sorry Richard but I’m not really following what you’re saying here or how it might provide what I’m looking for.

As I said in my reply to John, named filters go some of the way but it’s the live count of images matching that the smart collection provide I really want. Say I’ve got 400 folders, each a different shoot. I want to look scan through each folder seeing all the images and then hit P as I go and this add the image to the smart collection and the total images in the collection is also updated on the fly. Currently I have to have a smart collection for each folder for that to work or I have to turn the filter on to see the count and then off again to continue seeing all the images. That might also reset which image is active unless the image I was on matches the filter too.

It’s not filtering I want, more knowing how many images have a specific set of attributes in the current folder.

R

richardplondon

Community Expert

If you have a given folder or collection open, and not filtered, above the left end of filmstrip you can see the name of that current source and (e.g.) “19 photos”. Exception: If there are currently some images stacked out of view you may see e.g. “17 of 19 photos”. The number present AND the number visible.

Now you apply a named filter, and fewer are visible. The display above filmstrip correspondingly changes to (say) “3 of 19 photos”. This tells you 3 photos within current source meet those filtering criteria. Hidden images may or may not do so.

If you then choose a different named filter, the filmstrip display and its count changes to (say) “5 of 19 photos” so you know that 5 meet these different filtering criteria, excluding any that are stacked out of sight.

If you switch source, you can apply the same named filters to that in the same way. Or you can combine multiple sources, and get a total filtered from those.

johnrellis

Legend

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I agree that it would good if there were easier ways to apply smart collections to the current source (folder or collection). Given LR’s current design, here are some alternative workflows:

- To limit a smart collection to just the photos in a folder, select the smart collection. Select all displayed photos. Then in the Folders panel, click the folder. The photos in the folder that are also in the smart collection will be selected. Optionally add those photos to the Quick Collection.

- Library Filters are generally easier and faster to work with when you want to limit searches to the currently selected source (folder or collection). To make anamed filter presets for flagged virtual copies and flagged non-virtual copies:

1. If the filter bar isn’t showing, do the menu command View > Show Filter Bar (keyboard shortcuts are listed in the menu).

2. Click Attribute.

3. Click on Flag button and the Virtual Copy button:

4. Click on the preset dropdown (“Custom Filter”) and at the very bottom select Save Current Settings As New Preset. Enter “Flagged Virtual Copies” as the name..

5. Click on the Virtual Copy button to turn it off.

6. Click on the Original Photos button just to the left.

7. Repeat step 4, using the name “Flagged Originals”.

ShootingPixelsAndyAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks John, I’d completely forgotten about creating custom filters which helps a bit. One of the benefits I see with smart collections is that it shows a live total of the images matching my choices without the others being filtered out - useful when culling for certain things.

Of course, thinking about it some more I now realise that if the smart collection did work on the active folder it will break when the smart collection itself becomes the active folder, that would probably result in a feedback loop, break the laws of physics and a Netflix movie!

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

“Of course, thinking about it some more I now realise that if the smart collection did work on the active folder it will break when the smart collection itself becomes the active folder, that would probably result in a feedback loop, break the laws of physics and a Netflix movie!”

A smart collection can never become the active folder because collections and folders are two different things.

Update: What will break this idea however is that as soon as you select your smart collection, there is no ‘active folder’ anymore, because you can’t select a folder and a collection at the same time.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

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