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Inspiring
February 26, 2024
Question

How to convert collections to folders?

  • February 26, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 1240 views

I would like to know how to convert collections synced from Lightroom Web to a normal folder on the disk so that it gets the same name on the disk as the name of the collection? So that I can then delete the collection and album from Lightroom Web? Thank you.

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3 replies

Legend
February 27, 2024

Create a new folder on your disk, drag the entire collection to the folder in Lightroom. The photos will copy to your drive.

Inspiring
March 5, 2024

And what should I do then? Add them to LR Classic? Will the changes I made on the iPad also be added to those photos? Does LR Classic recognize these photos?

Legend
February 26, 2024

If you are using Lightroom Classic (which you did not say you were), there is Jeffrey Friedl's Folder Publisher plugin, but that produces exported photos in folders that match collections.

Inspiring
February 26, 2024

And there is no other option? I thought that when I take photos on the go, I will import them into the Album in LR Web in iPad, edit them, synchronize them in LR Classic, and then move them from the Collections in Lightroom Classic to the normal folders on the computer...

Inspiring
February 26, 2024
quote

And there is no other option? I thought that when I take photos on the go, I will import them into the Album in LR Web in iPad, edit them, synchronize them in LR Classic, and then move them from the Collections in Lightroom Classic to the normal folders on the computer...

By @Mystical_inspiration1549

 

When you take photos on the go and add them to the mobile or web version of Lightroom, the originals are stored in Lightroom Photos in the cloud, and then when you connect a Lightroom Classic catalog to that, Lightroom Classic downloads the originals to the local folder location that is set up in Lightroom Sync settings, (A) in the picture below. The exact folder they end up with depends on which folder organization setting is set up in those settings (B). If you want to control which folders the synced images end up in, this is the way.

 

 

Because they are already in folders according to the settings above, there is no further conversion of folders. However, an Album in cloud Lightroom equals a Collection in Lightroom Classic, so if those photos were also part of an Album in cloud Lightroom, you will already find that replicated as a Collection in Lightroom Classic.

 

Here is the big problem with the concept of “I want to convert collections to folders.” They are technically not the same thing! A folder is a specific location in a specific file system. But a collection is just a list of references, like a music playlist; it does not include actual files but only a list of files. One advantage of this is one image can be a member of multiple collections, and a collection can contain images from multiple folders. Those features cannot be reconciled with folders, because a file system folder cannot contains files from other folders, and one image can exist in only one folder. (You can sort of but not completely get around that using shortcuts/aliases.)

 

If your goal is to preserve any organization you had in web/mobile Lightroom, use Albums in web/mobile Lightroom to organize them, and then in Lightroom Classic, work with the Collections converted from those Albums.

 

If your goal is to organize synced images downloaded to a Lightroom Classic catalog, change the sync location in the settings above, or use the Folders panel manually drag them from their download folders to the folders you want.


Thank you very much! I understand. What should I do if I need to free up space in LR Web and keep synced files in LR Classic?

john beardsworth
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 26, 2024

There's no automatic way. You'll have to do it manually.

Inspiring
February 26, 2024

How can I do this? Normally drag to Folders?