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garycd
garycd
Known Participant
May 30, 2025
Answered

How to use Filters (or something) to view ONLY unflagged/non-collection photos?

  • May 30, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 447 views

I have just finished digitizing thousands of older, extended-family “photos.”  I have also created a structure for all the photos using Collections within “numbered” Folders. Now what I need to do is go through all the photos and drag them into an already created or newly created collection, and then have them disappear from the view.

 

I understand how to apply the Filter “Flagged,” but I can’t find one for “Unflagged.”  I have tried using the options for Smart Collections, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to created one for “Not in a collection.”

 

The key is, as I work my way through the couple of thousand photos, each time a photo or group of pictures are dragged into a Collection, they would disappear from the working “not collected” Collection, and I would  only be seeing unassigned pictures in my grid – and eventually know when all my photos are assigned somewhere.

How can I do that?

 

GaryCD

Correct answer JohanElzenga

To create a smart collection that shows photos not in any collection, use the following. 'Collection does not contain a e i o u y'. This shows photos which are not in a collection with one these vowels in their name, which is usually all collections. If you use collections with just numbers, then add '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0'. Note the spaces between the letters and the numbers. They make sure each letter and each number is considered separately.

 

2 replies

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
May 31, 2025

To create a smart collection that shows photos not in any collection, use the following. 'Collection does not contain a e i o u y'. This shows photos which are not in a collection with one these vowels in their name, which is usually all collections. If you use collections with just numbers, then add '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0'. Note the spaces between the letters and the numbers. They make sure each letter and each number is considered separately.

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga
A
Community Manager
AlekeCommunity Manager
Community Manager
May 30, 2025

Hi @garycd! On the far right side of the filmstrip, you should see filters for flagged, unflagged, and rejected photos. Could you check if those are showing up for you?

Let me know if that helps! 
Thanks!
Alek

 

*(If you mention me with an @, like @Aleke, I’ll get a notification and can respond faster.)*
garycd
garycdAuthor
Known Participant
June 7, 2025

Thanks, let me explain again.

 

Since I got these two replys, I have tried with no luck.  First, I realize that I need to be able to apply the filters to my "All photos" colledtion -- to avoid having to drag/duplicate them in a new collection.  Seond, therefore, I need to apply the filter (and be able to turn it on-and-off) to that collection.  Third, using all the drop down options that I get in the various filter panel, I can't seem to format a filter that would exclude all "flagged" photos ... including the a-e-i-o-u-y and numbers.  (I see and have tried all the MAC options.)

 

Still trying.

 

Gary

 

BTW, why do photos assigned to a collection get a "Flag" in the upper left corner, and a "black icon" in the lower right?

 

 

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