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FyxIt
Known Participant
June 9, 2024
Question

Searching using keywords

  • June 9, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 2123 views

I'm trying to find a way of searching for files on my hard drive using key words.

 

I have a structured list of my photographs on my hard drive that I usually browse with Bridge.. The number of photos has been growing over the years and I can no longer rely on my memory to find pictures on my hard drive list. So I thought of using Lightroom Classic to asign key words to my photos. If I do this can I use Bridge to search for photos with particular key words that I have asigned in LRC?

 

Currently, my preferred work flow is to browse with Bridge to the picture that I want to edit and then open it in Adobe Camera Raw, do my edits and then open the picture in Photoshop for further work. But I am finding that I am spending more and more time browsing rather than editing!

 

I have tried asigning some key words to pictures imported into LRC, by way of experimentation and then trying to see if I can use the advanced search options in Bridge. I've not been able to find pictures and make it work. I suppose that I could import all of my pictures into LRC and use its editing features before sending the picture to PS but I'm quite attached to my current work-flow!

Any ideas, please?

I use Creative Cloud and upload all of the latest updates all run on Windows 10.

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2 replies

F
FyxItAuthor
Known Participant
June 11, 2024

Hi Gary and thank you for your comprehensive reply. And you set me some qustions to answer!  Just on back up, I use Acronis to back up to an external hard drive on a daily basis. Ideally I would back up to the Acronis Cloud as well but it all starts to get a bit expensive. I've seen YouTube videos of systems to back up to dual external hard drives but I thought that was a bit pessamistic!

If I were to lean towards LRC more, I would need to import my entire photo collection. How could I ensure that the current hierachy and structure of my hard drive file collection was replicated on LRC? Is this by using "Collections"?  I see a "Folders" drop down as well.  How is this used?

 

In the mean time I will tick the "xmp" box in the Catalogue settings.

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 11, 2024

"How could I ensure that the current hierachy and structure of my hard drive file collection was replicated on LRC?"

When you 'Import' your photos to the catalog- Select the [ADD] option above the central window of the Import dialog.

Thus all your photos stay exactly in the drive folders where you have placed them.

The [ADD] option only makes a reference to the files where you have them and creates the thumbnails to view in the Library.

You can also check the [Include SubFolders] box  and by selecting a 'Parent' folder to import you also import its sub-folders, keeping the folder hierarchy exactly as it is.

 

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
F
FyxItAuthor
Known Participant
June 11, 2024

Hi Rob and thanks for your post. So what I did was:

  1.  I chose a file with sub folders on my PC's hard drive;
  2. Clicked IMPORT and highlighted my chosen folder
  3.  Clicked ADD;
  4.  Ticked the sub-folder box.
  5. 1,600 pictures were imported.

 

Where in LRC can I find that folder and sub-flder, please?

gary_sc
Community Expert
gary_scCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 9, 2024

Hi, @FyxIt, if you assign keywords into LRC, they are associated with that file in LRC's catalog, not the image. So, looking for that image via the keywords, you just assigned will not work.

 

UNLESS

 

In LRC's preferences for the Catalog, there is a checkbox that everyone should check:

If the changes (including keywords) remain in the Catalog, they are not with the file. But, if you check that, they are, and this should work. 

 

However, some thoughts from someone who uses both Bridge and LRC almost daily and who has almost 100,000 images in his catalog suggest that you might want to reconsider spending more time in LRC. First and foremost, LRC is a DAM (Data Asset Manager). Thus, it is made for people who want to find their images. In addition, with the advances made with masking and AI, I'm spending less and less time in PS for general photographic enhancement. 

 

I completely understand your statement that you are "attached to your current workflow." I do get that. But as things change, there sometimes can be a viable reason for you to reconsider your processes. As you stated, the number of images you have is becoming a problem, and you are looking for ways to keep doing what you've been doing. You might find that you CAN continue your current workflow through LRC and be better at it because of how LRC functions and its toolset. Remember, you only need to right-click on any image to open it in PS. When you save and close the image in PS, it goes back to LRC as a stacked image on the original—so you always have the original, unchanged image when and if PS (or any other 3rd party software, like Topaz) has an updated feature.

 

FWIW, one of the reasons I migrated to using LRC is that Bridge's search capabilities have always been "OK" at best. LRC search capabilities with the keywords built-in as they are created are vastly superior. 

 

BTW, you do not state where your images are located, but if you currently have more and more images, are they backed up? If you're interested in my strategy on backing images up, just ask. But remember, there are two kinds of hard drive users: those who've had a hard drive crash and those who've not had a hard drive crash yet.

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