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Inspiring
December 4, 2022
Answered

Where do images go when Removed from Lightroom?

  • December 4, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 2923 views

Hi guys,

An image I was working on for a while disappeared when did "something" - can't remember what. It all happened very fast.

It's not in the Trash I think because I looked, and that in itself is a hit-and-miss exercise.

 

But hopefully it's in the Removed from Lightroom heaven, wherever that is? How do I look for it there?

 

Thanks a lot.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer raphaels28255986

In a Collection, if you are certain a given image needs to be deleted from disk as well as from the Catalog completely including from this Collection - you can use a key combination with Delete.

 

This is sometimes referred to as a "splat delete". It operates immediately. No options dialog, no opportunity to cancel before it proceeds, so be advised!

 

Windows: [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Shift]+[Delete]. MacOS: [Cmd]+[Option]+[Shift]+[Delete].


Thanks a million, Richard.

2 replies

Inspiring
December 4, 2022

If you are referring to Lightroom Classic, and you chose the option to remove from Lightroom, then the image was removed from the catalog but it is still in the folder where it was imported to. You will have to do a system search using Finder to locate the image in that case.

Inspiring
December 8, 2022

Thanks Jim. You are 100% correct.

dj_paige
Legend
December 4, 2022

If you chose to delete from disk: On Windows, the photo goes to the Recycle Bin. I don't know where it goes if you are using a Mac. If you chose to delete from the catalog, then the photo file remains wherever it was.

 

Have you used the tools in Lightroom Classic to search for this photo, by file name or by metadata or by capture date? What happens when you try?

Inspiring
December 8, 2022

Yes, and I found it.

Thank you!