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Stacked photos - look like duplicates, how can I unstack?

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
May 31, 2024
5 replies
3071 views

I was going through some of my family pictures, and I noticed I have a lot of duplicates that have been created. They appear as stacked photos, but it's very confusing when I go through them, so I would like to remove the stacking and extra photos in my library view.

How would I do that? When I delete the stacked photo (if there are only two), it will remove both; however, I want to keep the original.

macOS

Correct answer JohanElzenga

These are indeed virtual copies. The first image, the one with the folded up corner, is the virtual copy. You can delete a virtual copy. If you delete the original image however (the second one), then the virtual copy will also be deleted because a virtual copy cannot exist without the original.

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richardplondon

Community Expert

These are virtual copies - additional image editing variations (alternative versions). These do not refer to distinct files on disk - they are sharing use of the same source.

In other words: showing two or more different treatments, for a single common file on disk. Like two different ways of enlarging and printing from the same negative.

A virtual copy may be "stacked" together with its corresponding master version, but not always so plus any stack may contain other photos as well, and what those are is not evident when the stack is collapsed. Deleting the top image when the stack is collapsed, automatically affects what is inside too so care is needed there. It is the turned-over corner 'badge', not stacking per se, that distinguishes virtual copies from master versions.

Virtual copies can make themselves automatically in some circumstances, for example if you go into softproofing mode and then make some visual adjustments based on what you see there, it will be a newly made virtual copy ("proofing copy") which then receives these adjustments, while the beginning image version is left as it was.

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/lightroom-classic/help/photos.html

scroll down this help page to the "Create virtual copies" section

JohanElzenga

Correct answer

Community Expert

These are indeed virtual copies. The first image, the one with the folded up corner, is the virtual copy. You can delete a virtual copy. If you delete the original image however (the second one), then the virtual copy will also be deleted because a virtual copy cannot exist without the original.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

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richardplondon

Community Expert

if you go to delete the master version of a photo that also has got one or more virtual copies, there is a warning to that effect.

If it is a particular virtual copy that you want to keep, and not the master version, you can first highlight that virtual copy and (in Library) use Photos menu / "Set Copy as Original".

This turns what was the master version before, into a virtual copy - and vice versa: IOW it is the unwanted one that shows the folded corner now, and so that can be selectively removed. Another reason for having the preferred version as the master, is so it can participate if necessary in writing / reading external XMP metadata.

mattvredAuthor

Participant

GoldingD

Legend

In each case, I see a two image stack, and one Virtual copy. The virtual copy not being in the stack. Looks like you created virtual copy's.

A for what is actually in each stack, you need to either expand the stack, or unstack. Do not just go and delete a stack, that deletes all in the stack, bad.

mattvredAuthor

Participant

It looks like Lightroom has two images for one physical file.

mattvredAuthor

Participant

Here's what I am seeing on my end.

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dj_paige

Legend

I can't open file attachments. Include your screen capture by using the "Insert Photos" icon.

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dj_paige

Legend

Right click on the stack and select Stacking->Expand Stack or Stacking->Expand All Stacks. OR double-click on the vertical bars just to the left and right of the image to expand the stack. Then select which photos you want to delete and delete them.

M

MisterTee

Participating Frequently

Thanks! That was easy!

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