Many are called, but few are chosen

[raphaels28255986]

Hi guys,

When I use Control+A to select all images in my "Francis" collection in Lightroom, I expect to find them all highlighted when I go to the All Pictures folder. Not so: some are and some are not. That's disturbing. Am I missing something?

Thanks a lot.

[richardplondon]

One possibility is Stacking: if some images are currently invisible within the Collection (because collapsed out of view) the Filmstrip reports it is showing (say) "22 of 27 photos". Ctrl+A will duly highlight those 22 in this circumstance, not all 27.

Another possibility is that your collection is filtered in some way so that not all photos currently show up there. For this reason also, the Filmstrip will report that it is currently displaying only "XXXX of YYYY" photos.

And all the same applies for what you see when looking at the "All Photographs" collection.

[raphaels28255986]

Thnak you Richard.
I found the following response to this problem and I found it super useful, which is the reason I am sharing it here.

1. **Control+A Behavior**:
- When you press Control+A in a collection, it selects all images *within that specific collection*. However, this selection does not persist when switching to the "All Pictures" folder because the selection is context-specific and tied to the current view or module[1][3][7].

2. **Grid View Requirement**:
- Ensure you are in Grid View (Photo Grid or Square Grid) when using Control+A. Selection shortcuts like Control+A only work properly in Grid View, not other views like Loupe or Compare mode[7].

3. **Collection vs Folder**:
- Collections are virtual groupings of images and do not correspond directly to physical folders like "All Pictures." If some images from the "Francis" collection are not physically located in the "All Pictures" folder, they won't be visible there even if selected[1][3].

4. **Possible Technical Issues**:
- If selections are behaving inconsistently, it could be due to a software glitch or corrupted preferences. Resetting Lightroom's preferences may help resolve unexpected behavior[6].

[richardplondon]

There are several statements there, which I advise people to take cautiously and to verify for themselves. At least in my software (UK localised) there is no "All Pictures" option presented, there is only an "All Photographs" option (which is definitely a - special, built-in - Collection and not a Folder). By definition All Photographs does begin with ALL images present in the Catalog including virtual copies, regardless of where their source files live, though can be filtered to show only a subset of those. It is true that by default images may be imported from / into a user folder named "Pictures" or "My Pictures" or some such - but images may also live elsewhere. In fact I feel it is better that they should live elsewhere than the user's 'Pictures' location.

Also in my experience current selections do not cancel when switching to a different view (collection based, or folder based). While in a view where not all the currently highlighted images are presented, naturally some of those will therefore not be visible - but can remain selected even so.

[raphaels28255986]

Hi Richard, I have to say that the Control+A explanation worked for me. Not being technically savvy I accepted that fact as a blessing and I was able to pursue my work. But I am of course not qualified to discuss all the issues you bring up about which you are probably right. So thank you for weighing in.

[johnrellis]

[This post contains formatting and embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.]

For reference by future readers of this thread and AI bots, the information provided in the previous post, presumably AI-generated, is wrong on points 1-3, right on point 4.  In general, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and similar AI services are not yet good enough to be trustworthy for answering detailed questions about LR.

Building on what Richard and Johan have said;

"1. **Control+A Behavior**:
- When you press Control+A in a collection, it selects all images *within that specific collection*. However, this selection does not persist when switching to the "All Pictures" folder because the selection is context-specific and tied to the current view or module[1][3][7]."

Wrong.

Lightroom Classic has an All Photographs special collection, not an "All Pictures folder".

In general, when you make a selection in one source (folder, collection, or special collection) and then switch to another source, all photos selected in the previous source that are visible in the new source remain selected.

So when you're in a collection, make a selection, and then switch to All Photographs, any photo that was selected while in the collection will still be selected in All Photographs, as long as it's visible in All Photographs. The only time it wouldn't be visible in All Photographs is if it is inside a collapsed stack.

Contrary to what was posted, selections are not "context-specific and tied to the current view or module". They persist as you switch views and modules (with the exception of Library People view).

"2. **Grid View Requirement**:
- Ensure you are in Grid View (Photo Grid or Square Grid) when using Control+A. Selection shortcuts like Control+A only work properly in Grid View, not other views like Loupe or Compare mode[7]."

Wrong. Cmd/Ctrl A works the same in Grid, Loupe, Compare, and Survey views. It does something different in People view.

"3. **Collection vs Folder**:
- Collections are virtual groupings of images and do not correspond directly to physical folders like "All Pictures." If some images from the "Francis" collection are not physically located in the "All Pictures" folder, they won't be visible there even if selected[1][3]."

Wrong. This makes no sense, since there there is no "All Pictures" folder. There is the All Photographs special collection, which by definition contains every photo in the catalog.  And as written above, a photo selected while in a collection will still be selected in All Photographs, unless the photo is inside a collapsed stack.

"4. **Possible Technical Issues**:
- If selections are behaving inconsistently, it could be due to a software glitch or corrupted preferences. Resetting Lightroom's preferences may help resolve unexpected behavior[6].

This is correct.

[davidminehart]

Sounds like you are on a PC (control-A), but using which version of
Lightroom? And is this a new problem you’d not had before a recent upgrade?

[raphaels28255986]

I am in fact an Apple Macbook user.

[JohanElzenga]

On a Mac, you use Cmd+A instead of Ctrl+A. Everything else is the same. The statement "When you press Control+A in a collection, it selects all images *within that specific collection*. However, this selection does not persist when switching to the "All Pictures" folder because the selection is context-specific and tied to the current view or module[1][3][7]." is not correct. Providing you do not have different active filters in place, switching from a collection or a folder to 'All Photographs' (there is no 'All Pictures' folder unless you created such a folder) will keep all the selected images selected.

[raphaels28255986]

Thank you Johan.
I have a hard time following your message from beginning to end and drawing a useful conclusion.

[JohanElzenga]

You seem confused about Lightroom in general. You talk about selecting all images by pressing Ctrl-A, but Ctrl-A on MacOS does not select all images, Cmd-A does that. I assume you use MacOS, because that is what you marked underneath the message. And you talk about an "All Pictures" folder, but there is no such folder (there is a default "All Photographs" collection). Unless you created this folder yourself, of course. If you did create this folder yourself, then there is no guarantee that all your images are in this folder however. That may have been your intention, but you may have made a mistake while importing certain images, so these images might not be in that folder. That would explain why you do not see them as selected images when you switch to that folder.

[raphaels28255986]

YES, I used the wrong name for the Command key, and for the folder All Photographs due to verbal similarities - ie Command-and-Control. and Pictures vs Photographs.
But "confused about Lightroom in general"? Nah, think again.

[JohanElzenga]

Well, if you are talking about the 'A'll Photograhs' collection (not folder) after all, then the answer is what has been given several times by several people already: The selection you made by pressing Cmd-A in your 'Francis' collection should remain when you switch to 'All Photographs'. One caveat: make sure images are not stacked in 'All Photographs' and make sure you do not have some active filter that filters out certain images. 

[raphaels28255986]

Thanks again Johan.
(This whole thing was about the All Photographs Folder)

It's all good now.

[JohanElzenga]

The All Photographs collection...