I wish to request a drop-down option of 'is exactly when configuring Smart Collections to source images from a specific folder (exactly).
This will allow one to configure refined rules for a specified smart collection, without the interference of unrelated images that find their way into the collection because of one word.
Let me explain my scenarios a little more...
For reference, in the screen capture below, you'll see I have a top-level folder 'Australia' followed by sub-folders for each of the states. Within each state, I also have folders for each region and/or location to further catalogue my entire collection. These folders may partially include words of the chosen folder name. For instance, Western Australia will source images from any folder with 'western' or 'Australia'. Being that all sub-folders are contained within the 'Australia' top-level, the smart collection then sources images from all the sub-folders that have western in the name (noting that I have selected 'contains all'). Note that I choose not to use hyphens in my folder names or keywords for other reasons, and I feel there is no need for me to go into detail about in this instance.
Currently (as in the sample smart collection rules below) I configure Folder 'contains all' Western Australia', then I need to exclude other states to ensure no other images from folders outside Western Australia are included. They are because they are located as a sub-folder of Australia ... and images are included from those other states if there happens to be a sub-folder that contains the word Western within it. Another example... Australia/Tasmania/Western Tasmania - and of course there are many others too.
While there might be a couple of workarounds to eventually get to the collection I want, and I get that this is a set-and-forget task (at least until I create new collections, or new folders that impact the older collections), I need to exclude the other states within the rules to account for this and keep an eye on it over time to make sure they remain just as I want them to.
Here is workaround #1.
I then have a workaround #2, which seems to work until there happens to be a folder that has the word 'western' in it - in Victoria, any photos matching the criteria that I took at the location 'Western Treatment Plant' is also included, because that sub-folder is below Australia (as part of Victoria) ... so choosing a unique word to exclude is necessary... that's why I exclude 'treatment'.
Whereas, if Adobe enhances our options and includes in the drop-down for Folder selection, an option of 'is exactly', I wouldn't need to experiment with the best possible workaround for each smart collection. Nor would I need to review a smart collection as my image catalogue increases over time with new folders and keywords. Overall, using Smart Collections would be far more streamlined, easier, more efficient, and most of all less frustrating and more enjoyable to use.
Please Adobe... consider this as a Lightroom Classic smart collection rules option add-on smart collections can be created more speedily and efficiently from specific folders without the added headaches. You've already got 'is' as a drop-down option for image rating, so I'd imagine it would work similarly to this... maybe
Oh, and it would be wonderful to have the 'is exactly' option for Keywords too. The same principles apply, especially being that in this day and age, key phrases are widely used for many reasons.
So please everyone, please give this an upvote ... and Adobe... please give this some serious consideration for the benefit of all 🙏
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