How do you use color labels in Lightroom?

I'm only a hobbyist photographer who uses Lightroom for all of my post-processing. Right now, I use the pick flags for quickly culling my images. Some of my images are starred, but like my iTunes catalog, I've found that the rating I assign a photo is a bit subjective. I may love it one day and give it 3 or 4 stars and then a month later, think it only deserves 2 stars. I've watched hundreds of videos on YouTube and CreativeLive and just can't seem to come up with a decent way to use the color labels.

Do you use color labels in Lightroom? What is your method? One color for landscapes, another for panoramas, and a third for HDRs?

I know the color labels aren't necessary but I would like to find a way to use them to filter my images without using keywords.

Tagged for interest, because I've never used them either.

I use them to tell me what stage the photo is at development wise. Green for finished images (well at least finished for now LOL). Blue for RAW files that have been sent to PS for additional processing. Purple for Proof copies, that have been set up ready to print, so have the correct printer profile already assigned, as well as cropped to suit the aspect ratio needed for that paper size/layout, the crop ratio changes if you use a border for example, so all of those things make for additional copies. They are all in Print Collections, but it makes life easier when looking at folders.

I would not consider trying to use the colour labels to replace key words though. Although you can use text labels as well as the colours, but they all show up was white in the grid view. I always try to comprehensively keyword my images. This allows me to have whole hierarchies of Smart Collections, based on subject types and specific content. This is really useful for my Aviation images, as I have them sorted by Airshow location and year etc, as well as by manufacturer/type and also for display teams etc. Many of the images are in multiple collections, but that is fine as I then don't have to try to remember anything about an image, but can still find relevant images really quickly. I basically look at the smart collections as permanent sorts of the whole catalogue, these are also stored in collection sets too. They are useful as you can select the collection set, and see all the images in all of the collections within that set. One other thing that I do is use IPTC Subject codes to sort all of the images into different categories. I use unused values to make my own codes for things that aren't covered by the IPTC system.

Alan

Over the past few years, I've developed a system that works for me, approximately as follows:

I'll rate favorites in camera during/after the shoot. Lightroom will usually read these ratings.
On my initial cull, I'll assign and revise more star ratings. One star for a keeper, two stars for "Yeah, I like it a lot," three stars for the best of the set, five stars for portfolio-worthy.
Then I'll filter for all images with at least one star, and work on editing during my second pass.
On my second/editing pass, I'll add or remove stars to make sure I'm keeping enough for adequate coverage.
Images with zero stars get permanently deleted once I'm satisfied with my overall selections and have delivered the results.
I'll sometimes assign a black/Reject flag in my initial cull if I'm sure I don't want to see it ever again (missed focus, flash didn't fire, etc)

The white/Pick flag means the image is finished with editing and ready to publish/export/deliver​.

I use red color labels on a raw, to indicate I need to do more finishing work in Photoshop. Sometimes I'll additionally use yellow and green for this purpose - for instance, if I want to make several different sets to each be merged into panoramas or collages.

I use blue labels to indicate out-takes. I give these privately to the client just for a giggle, or hold onto them for blackmailing my friends.

This is my system for wedding photography.


2 star for initial pick.
Then 1 star to edit out.
Whats left as 2 star is for usb for client.
3 star photo album.
4 star favourites for internet
5 star portfolio.

Red for B&W
Yellow for photoshop.
Green B&W for photoshop.

0 stars are deleted from the hard drive, not worth keeping just to consume the hard drive space.

I admit that my Lightroom practices in these things has been pretty simple/unsophisticated​, but one thing I will repeat: DON'T use banners, flags or stars to replace the use of keywords! In fact, I have my Library folders, Collections, and keywords using some overlap but also with enough distinctive functionality to where identifying and locating images can be quite effective using one or more of these tools.

As to banners, stars, and the Pick Reject tools, I'd say look at the above suggestions. I pretty much stick with the Pick/Reject flags myself.

My keywords are very sparse, but my folder hierarchy and file naming is sufficient that I can find whatever I need out of my library (which is approaching 60k images across 2 drives).

I use colour labels to denote file type.
All my RAW files are set to Green automatically on import (using an import preset).
If I create a Virtual Copy I set that to Yellow.
When I create a TIFF or JPEG they are marked as Red.

I'm a hobbyist as well, so nothing too complicated for me. I'm not culling a thousand images from one shoot, etc.

I used the flags to pick images that stand out to me or to reject ones that I know need to be trashed - unflagged ones I'll keep and maybe review again later.

I use colors (usually just red) in a couple different ways. The most common for me is to signify an image that needs to go into Photoshop.

Another way I use colors is when I'm testing MFA on my lenses. I'll take multiple shots (different MFA values) and compare them to a Live View shot. I'll usually mark the LV shot red and the shot that I deem closest in sharpness in blue.

That's about all I use. No stars or other colors for me.

Thank you everyone for your input. So far, I like Dan's usage as it would help me differentiate between my iPhone snapshots (JPG) and photos taken with my DSLR (RAW) other than creating a smart collection.
Another idea I had was to use colors to show what images have been uploaded to different publishing services (i.e. Red for Flickr, Blue for Facebook, Purple for both Flickr and Facebook, etc.).

I use them for HDR and panoramas. The bracketed photos for HDR are labelled red and the output from Photomatix is green. Yellow is for individual photos that need to be stitched in PS/Microsoft ICE. Blue is after stitching. It's easy to see at a glance which photos are "source" material and which are "destination."

hi
yellow ->image to print
green -> to export ftp , jpg , usb stick , and so on
blue -> need to be post processed with photoshop (black and white ) or more retouching

i use only these 3 colors

I never really used color labels but there are some pretty interesting approaches in this thread. Learn something new all the time in this game.

I currently don't use color labels. I use star ratings: 1 star- passed first sniff test after import, 2 stars- initial processing has been done, 3 stars- more advanced processing and editing complete, 4 stars- sent as proof to client, 5 stars- approved by client and all editing complete.

I am liking the idea of using color labels to indicate image type. Thinking Raw, virtual copy and exported image to PS for starters.

ThreeHounds wrote in post #17561043
I am liking the idea of using color labels to indicate image type. Thinking Raw, virtual copy and exported image to PS for starters.

My thought on this, is that you're duplicating something that can be done with filters on the metadata that Lightroom can already see.

I prefer to use the stars & colors on those "intangible" things that can't otherwise be filtered or sorted.