Lightroom Classic continues to break workflows especially when deleting

[Zone_99]

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them because I just wasted an entire session...again.

My workflow for night sports pictures is:

1. Import
2. Reject
3. Then select the grid, "Photo->Delete Rejected Photos"

I'm left with my picks to edit which I first run through DxO Pure Raw to remove noise.  The key to this is I'm left with ONLY the .NEF raw files that I want to process.  

Recent versions of Lightroom Classic take forver to delete the rejects if they even do.  

This time around, I went through 649 shots from last night, rejected several hundred and went throught he above workflow.  Guess what?  Lightroom got stuck on the delete and couldn't delete the photos but was MORE than happy to remove them from my catalog!  So I'm left with ALL the rejected photos in the source directory which is useless.

I have to go through and redo all the picks so I can finish my workflow.  What a waste of time.

[Bob Somrak]

I just rejected 244 photos and did "Delete Rejected photos" and chose Delete From Disk and it worked correctly and very fast.  

[tmickow]

I do this process all the time, except that I use the Ctrl+Backspace keyboard shortcut to delete, instead of the menu choice and I've never experienced what you're saying.  Sounds like you aren't new to this, but are you sure you hit Delete from Disk instead of Remove from Lightroom?

If you're confident it's not user error, I'd post your system info (Help --> System Info) here and give whatever additional details you can, including where your images are located - local hard drive, external drive, NAS, etc.

[Todd Shaner]

Try going to menu File and select 'Optimize Catalog.' Restart LrC and try again.

[Zone_99]

Thanks for the replies.  

I ran through again and tried again and did the same "Delete from Disk" and it worked this time.  Still with the 'delete delay' though.   By that, I mean, until recently (sometime last year), "Delete from Disk" worked great and very fast. 

Over the last year, it's gotten to the point where it'll sit for anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes before the rejected photos are gone.  No idea why.

I also never do 'Remove from Lightroom'.  For me, if I've rejected a photo, I've rejected it.  I don't want it around, I don't want it taking up space, I don't want it in a backup.

I'll see if I can reproduce it.

[Zone_99]

Oh, and, I'll try optimizing the catalog as well!  I haven't done that since the last upgrade.

Thanks.

[richardplondon]

Not to suggest there is anything inherently wrong with your approach, but is there mileage in bringing the initial numbers down by eliminating all obvious duds within the import screen? That operates from embedded JPG so reviewing is relatively fast. Minimise your investment in copying files into the computer in the first place, and importing them, and generating LrC previews! As it emerges on closer inspection within LrC, that some others which have been copied in and imported, also turn out not worth taking forward - it is a much smaller job to reject and delete those few.

[SeanMcCormack]

If your intention is to delete the files you don't want, you're missing a faster workflow. 

In Import Uncheck all. Go to Loupe view in the Import window. 

Use the arrows to go between images and then use P to select for import. 

At the end, click the Import begin ingesting the images. 

Time saved for all that import time and preview generation time. 

[Bob Somrak]

Culling should be done in both Import and Library.  During import do what Sean suggests and get rid of the obvious duds and then after import use the Compare and Survey to further cull rejects.  No matter how you do it the Delete Rejected Photos should work and if not it needs to be resolved.  It seems to work ok for me but I am never deleting several hundred photos.

[GoldingD]

In LrC, using the Folders panel, create a folder, name it Rejects.

Filter on rejects, move them to that folder.

When you are totally ready to throw them away, then delete them.

If they do bot actually get deleted, but just removed, then they will be easy to flush out via your OS file manager.

Everyone has their own workflow. If I am on a Photo Trip a.k.a vacation, I will not cull at import. Two resons, I am not ready to format the SD card (and do not want to put up with rejects not imported but still on the SD card on following days, and not ready to format card) and, except for glaring obvious ones, I want to see a larger preview) . So while culling, I move rejects to the rejects folder. I will not delete them till the trip is over and I have had an opprotunity at home to double check.

[SeanMcCormack]

Culling at Import in no way affects what's on your card and is a specfic workflow for a specific task. This is for getting the photos that are needed NOW quicker, which is often the case with press/commercial/pr work. Sure, at your future leisure, import everything. Lightroom can skip the duplicates as you go about other tasks when you've less time pressure. 

Even with leisure photos, sometimes you want to grab a handful of photos to edit and post. For social, for family, whatever. Making a quick selection via the Import dialog lets you get this done and on with your trip. With the quick edits done and posted, let Lightroom import the rest while you go to dinner.