how to find the right catalog where pictures were last edited?

recently, i created a bunch of catalogs to sort out my photos as i went on a long photography trip.

I have a set of photos which I've edited previously, but can't remember which catalog it was stored in. Is there a search function where i can determine the catalog location? i tried searching 'lrcat' in all my drives and opening them up - none of them showed the presence of that set of photos.

help appreciated. thanks!

the.forumer wrote in post #16277337
recently, i created a bunch of catalogs to sort out my photos as i went on a long photography trip.

I have a set of photos which I've edited previously, but can't remember which catalog it was stored in. Is there a search function where i can determine the catalog location? i tried searching 'lrcat' in all my drives and opening them up - none of them showed the presence of that set of photos.

help appreciated. thanks!

Boy, umm, I can imagine that being a problem! If you are going to use multiple catalogs, well, you need to come up with some kind of naming "convention"! In fact I use specific names for my files and folders even though I only use one catalog! Together with using keywording and collections, it makes it pretty easy to find stuff!

+1 for using a single catalog

tonylong wrote in post #16277357
Boy, umm, I can imagine that being a problem! If you are going to use multiple catalogs, well, you need to come up with some kind of naming "convention"! In fact I use specific names for my files and folders even though I only use one catalog! Together with using keywording and collections, it makes it pretty easy to find stuff!

yup, i usually use a single catalog. created multiple catalogs this time because i have too many photos (10k+) to edit, and it becomes messy if it's all under one roof.

any advice i can use to dig out the right catalog then?

the.forumer wrote in post #16277477
yup, i usually use a single catalog. created multiple catalogs this time because i have too many photos (10k+) to edit, and it becomes messy if it's all under one roof.

any advice i can use to dig out the right catalog then?

Well, first off I'd keep everything in one "master" catalog. That way you can find things easily, using keywords and/or collections, or any useful ways.

Once things are in separate catalogs, well, unless you have applied keywords to the actual image files, or have given identifiable names to the files and/or the folders, well, I dunno! I guess you'd have to either open each catalog in LR or open the folders in your file browser (with viewing thumbnails on) in order to find what you're looking for!

I have about 50,000 images in my LR catalog. The files are in my external "library" hard drive, organized into yearly "parent" folders, and then into specific "shoot" date/name folders. My Lightroom Collections are partly a "mirror" of that organization and then also a breakdown of categories of shoots. I also have keywords applied. With this approach things are pretty easy to find. Also, LR displays things ordered by your Capture time if you wish (the default). So, I've occasionally resorted to just viewing "All Photographs" and finding something from a specific time.

But if you are going to use separate catalogs, make sure you name things properly!

+1 to all the above. There really is no good reason to have more than one catalog. As you have found out all it does is make it harder to find the images you want. It is far easier to find images if you keep them all in one catalog. When importing just have LR put all images from a shoot into their own separate folder. Then apply keywords and use Collections/Smart Collections to easily find them.

I would strongly suggest watching at least the first four (short) videos on this page http://tv.adobe.com …be-photoshop-lightroom-5/ to learn how best to use Lightroom.

sure. guess i'm pretty clear that i shouldn't be using multiple catalogs for organization in the future. so is it fated that there's no easier way to find the right catalog my images are located in?

Its not the use of multiple catalogues that's the problem. Its as already stated, you need to have a clearer naming system in place.

the.forumer wrote in post #16287126
sure. guess i'm pretty clear that i shouldn't be using multiple catalogs for organization in the future. so is it fated that there's no easier way to find the right catalog my images are located in?

The only way to find them now, after the fact, is to look through each catalogue.
In the future finding images would, as Lowner mentions, require a system whereby you name the catalogues in such a way as to clearly indicate what images are in it. Of course that system can still break down if you have images that fall into more than one category and could thus go in more than one catalogue. Add to that the extra time wasted when you load LR and the default catalogue isn't the one you want. Meaning you then have to navigate to/open the required catalogue.

I would certainly suggest combining all your current catalogues into one. Then you can sort all your images/shoots using keywords and collections/smart collections.

Dan Marchant wrote in post #16287201
The only way to find them now, after the fact, is to look through each catalogue.
In the future finding images would, as Lowner mentions, require a system whereby you name the catalogues in such a way as to clearly indicate what images are in it. Of course that system can still break down if you have images that fall into more than one category and could thus go in more than one catalogue. Add to that the extra time wasted when you load LR and the default catalogue isn't the one you want. Meaning you then have to navigate to/open the required catalogue.

I would certainly suggest combining all your current catalogues into one. Then you can sort all your images/shoots using keywords and collections/smart collections.

Yes, that would be your best way forward right now. Open one catalog that you decide will be your one and only catalog in the future. Now go to File > Import from Another Catalog and one after another select all your other catalogs. This will import the photos with any editing, tagging, etc. that was done in the second catalog. Once you have your entire collection in that one master catalog you can easily find those photos that you are looking for by filtering by date. Then you can delete all the other catalogs and the preview folders associated with them, just be careful not to delete your new master catalog

I do work with a youth organisation which means that I have to keep those images separately. Having a separate catalogue for them on a removable drive is a very simple way of doing that. Everything else goes in together.

Alan