How to mass-delete unrated images in Lightroom?

[ScottyP]

Hi everyone and happy Memorial Day.

I wonder if someone can help me with a Lightroom question.

How can I erase all of my un-flagged images? I would like to quickly flag or otherwise mark all the keepers and maybe keepers and then delete all the rest. I feel like there must be a way because having to hit each image with an "x" to reject it seems like too big a pain for there not to be a shortcut.

I recall someone on a forum told me how to delete all rejected images at once by hitting CTRL-BACKSPACE and that has saved me hours of wasted time over the last couple of years. I hope someone can suggest a similar shortcut for deleting all unrated images, keeping my flagged ones safe.

[amfoto1]

The only way I know of is to set a filter that chooses only unflagged, then highlight them all (Ctrl A), and then press "delete".

I use filters all the time for sorting and various other purposes... There are all sorts of possible screening methods with the combination of the colors, star "values", and three flag states ("pick", unflagged and "rejected") that LR uses. (I wish at times I could add more colors and/or star values).

When you delete, you'll be given the choice of deleting the imags from the LR catalog and leaving the original in place on your hard drive, or completely removing both the image in LR and the file on your hard drive (which is more permanent, of course).

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM 

[hsbn]

If you just want to delete, then use the filter tool bar to choose all the unflag/unrated photos, and use CTRL+A to select all, then delete them.

If you want to go through them also, try to use PAINTER TOOL in LR. Painter tool is the quickest way to assign flag to unimage. See more here: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/the-complete-picture-with-julieanne-kost/quick-tip-the-painter-tool-in-lig...

[ebiggs1]

"How can I erase all of my un-flagged images?"

Simply select unflagged from the drop down menu.   Press the delete key.

[ScottyP]

Hi Ebiggs. I tried filtering for unflagged and then selecting them all and hitting delete and it didn't work. I wonder what I might have done wrong.

[ebiggs1]

ScottyP,

When you click on the drop down, under Edit, Select Flag and then Unflagged, all unflagged photos will be selected.  You need do nothing further.  No hitting Ctrl-A.  Except hit the Delete key, if that is your goal.

You are not trying to select all th ephotos on your HD?  You can not do that all at once.  You must move to each folder and repeat this.

If I were you I would come up with a Star rating instead of flagging.  Flagging is either on or off.  There is no maybe.

I went ahead and flagged a few photos here.  You can see the ones that LR automatically selected.  It left the flagged ones alone.

[Skirball]

As Biggs said, I highly recommend using a star system, as well as "reject" which has the hotkey "X". The rating and flag system is brilliant and can really spead up your workflow.  First thing I do after upload is scan through all photos quickly assigning 1-5 stars, rejects, and I use the colors (hotkey 6-9) to signify post-processing that I need to do.   I do it very quickly and don't worry about the exact value of my stars, just a ballpark guess.  Then you go to >>Photo>Delete Rejected Photos, and get rid of all the trash.  Then I can sort by rating and work on the best on down.

[ScottyP]

Hi,

You guys are right. I use the flags and "x" rejects, but I need to venture out into stars or colors or even (gasp) keywords. It is something I had been putting off as I was learning Lightroom, but at this point I think I need to go there.

A related note: who worries the next Adobe Lightroom will go to the "Creative Cloud" .

[ebiggs1]

"A related note: who worries the next Adobe Lightroom will go to the "Creative Cloud" ."

I have been dealing with Adobe for 40+ years and one thing for sure, you never know.  I am a beta tester for them. They don't tell us much either.  I am going to "guess", likely.  Maybe 60/40 to go cloud.  Make sure you keep your copy up-to-date!

Photoshop and Lightroom plus the rest of CS are mature products.  Meaning the market is saturated.  The only new revenue is the few new photographers that enter the field.  This leaves Adobe to just do upgrades to make a profit.  Is the upgrade worth it?  Every 18 months or 2 years?   To some, yes but to others no.  Makes future predictions of revenue difficult.  The CC format guarantees a constant revenue stream, forever.  Adobe's profits are very high right now and their stock is up.  So your guess is a s good as mine.

You are also likely to see other mature software go the subscription route.  Microsoft Office 

There is also the misguided theory that bootleging would be better controlled but that hasn't happened.

[Skirball]

---

@ebiggs1 wrote:

"A related note: who worries the next Adobe Lightroom will go to the "Creative Cloud" ."

I have been dealing with Adobe for 40+ years and one thing for sure, you never know.  I am a beta tester for them. They don't tell us much either.
 

---

That's intersting, considering that Adobe has been around a little over 30 years, and Photoshop less than that.

My personal opinion, Lightroom won't go to the Cloud any time soon.  Too much competition for base level photo editing software.  Photoshop is a gold standard and for a far more advanced audience, they have the weight to thrust the Cloud on users.  Lightroom, while a great program, has far more competition and is marketed to more beginners, of which a lot of the dSLR market is founded on.  I don't think they'd risk that corner of the market.