How to delete a copy from within a collection?

[raphaels28255986]

Hi guys,

I very often create one or more copies when adjusting an image to consider several variations before deciding. But then to delete the now useless copies I leave the collection and go to All Photographs to do so - or else copies, if deleted from within the collection itself, will remain in my library.

Am I missing something? Is there a more elegant way to delete copies from within a colletion?

Thanks a lot.

Raphael

[dj_paige]

Virtual copies can be deleted from within a collection. Just use the "Splat Delete" Alt-Ctrl-Shift-DEL.

CAUTION: No warning dialog appears to make you confirm that you really want to delete this photo. Once you do this, the photo is gone, and Ctrl-Z (Undo) doesn't help. Use at your own risk.

[raphaels28255986]

Thanks dj_paige.

I don't have Alt on a Mac 🙂 - and I'm only deleting a copy ... that disappears the way I do it now anyway ...

[JohanElzenga]

You do have Alt on your Mac. It's officially called 'Option' on a Mac, but on most keyboards the letters Alt are on that key too. CTRL should be replaced by Cmd on a Mac however, so it is Cmd-Option-Shift-Delete.

I am typing this on my iPad so I can't check, but I seem to recall that there is a safer way of removing images from the catalog when you are in a collection. That should have been added fairly recently. For virtual copies that is all you need to do, because they don't exist outside the catalog anyway. I'm not sure if I remember this correctly, but it's worth to check the menus.

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

I don't have Alt on a Mac - and I'm only deleting a copy

The Alt on a Mac is the Option button — and I don't understand the "only deleting a copy" remark, as if you select a copy (or any photo, really) then the Splat Delete causes the selected photo(s) to be deleted.

[raphaels28255986]

Thank you.

I meant deleting a copy is not the end of the world as opposed to deleting the master image 🙂

[raphaels28255986]

dj, it doesn't seem to work now.

Could it be the new LR update?  Thanks a lot.

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

Yes, I did remember it correctly. If you are in a collection, you can remove a photo (or a virtual copy) from the catalog by choosing 'Photo - Remove Photo from Catalog', or pressing Option-Delete (Alt-Delete on Windows). That's a lot less dangerous than using 'Splat Delete', because if you do this with a real photo, that photo does not get deleted from disk.

[raphaels28255986]

Wow Johan, thank you. That's a very elegant way to do it.

[raphaels28255986]

Johan,

When you say the image does not get deleted from disk, where does it go and how can it be retrieved?

Thanks a lot.

[JohanElzenga]

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@raphaels28255986 wrote:

Johan,

When you say the image does not get deleted from disk, where does it go and how can it be retrieved?

Thanks a lot.

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If it doesn't get deleted from disk, then it remains in the folder where it has always been. You would have to re-import it in Lightroom if you want to 'retrieve' it.

[raphaels28255986]

Thank you Johan.

The only 2 places any of my images has ever been in is my memory card - but of course it's been deleted from there since, and my Library, from which I accidentally deleted it.

So where do you suggest I look for it in order to re-import it into my library?

Thanks a lot.

[JohanElzenga]

What do you mean with 'Library'? The module with that name in Lightroom? Lightroom is like an address book. It does not store the actual images inside its catalog, but keeps information ('meta data') about those images in the catalog. Just like you write down the address details of your friends in your address book. The actual images are stored somewhere on your hard disk. You determine where that is in the Destination tab of the Import dialog, so I can't tell you where you stored your images.

[raphaels28255986]

Thanks Johan,

Works as you said it would.

So what is the advantage of Opt + Delete over just Delete, when I'm in collection?

[JohanElzenga]

If you are in a collection, then Delete only removes the image (or virtual copy) from that particular collection. Opt+Delete removes it from the catalog, like you asked.

[raphaels28255986]

Thank you Johan. 

When you say "Opt+Delete removes it from the catalog,", I don't know what "catalog" means. 

Opt+Delete sure doesn't delete the image from its initial folder, so to get rid of it entirely from the disk while in a collection I'm back to having to locate it in All Photographs and then deleting it. I then have to go back to the collection to continue my initial task. Very distracting.

My initial question was about whether there's a way to delete images from disk while in a collection. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Is there a way to do that?

[Rob_Cullen]

@dj_paige Gave you the answer in the post above-

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic/how-to-delete-a-copy-from-within-a-collection/m-p/1...

The keyboard Shortcut is known as "Splat Delete".

[JohanElzenga]

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@raphaels28255986 wrote:

Thank you Johan. 

When you say "Opt+Delete removes it from the catalog,", I don't know what "catalog" means. 

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Lightroom works with a catalog, so I could have also said "this removes the image from Lightroom". It does not remove it from disk, but I also mentioned that.

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@raphaels28255986 wrote:

Opt+Delete sure doesn't delete the image from its initial folder, so to get rid of it entirely from the disk while in a collection I'm back to having to locate it in All Photographs and then deleting it. I then have to go back to the collection to continue my initial task. Very distracting.

My initial question was about whether there's a way to delete images from disk while in a collection. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Is there a way to do that?

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You have already been given that answer. The 'splat delete' combo deletes the image from disk as well, but this is risky because it does not move the image to the trash. The image is really deleted, and so you cannot easily retrieve it if you made a mistake. Make up your mind, please, and do it carefully. One moment you asked about deleting from disk, but the next moment you asked about retrieving a deleted image. You can't have both from within a collection.

[raphaels28255986]

Thank you Johan.