Is it possible to organize and separate photos by date in Lightroom's "Import" view?

[iRock1]

Like all the photo software by Apple. In these, when it comes to viewing/importing photos, files are grouped by date or events. However, when you have to import in Lightroom, all the photos are just grouped together in one huge mosaic (which, for worse, can't be sorted by date).

Is there a better way to view/organize photos before importing them?

 

[mollyc]

I'm not really sure I understand your question. The Import dialogue does allow you to sort in various methods. You can also specify where your images go under the Destination panel and you can have LR automatically make you date specific folders.

I'm not sure how you want to organize them before they are in the catalogue? You can also add keywords upon import. (my images are grayed out because the card has already been uploaded)

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[iRock1]

I'm not really sure I understand your question. The Import dialogue does allow you to sort in various methods.

None of which include date of capture.

I'm not sure how you want to organize them before they are in the catalogue?

The software could display the photos grouped by date, month, etc., instead of showing just one huge pile of files, so it’s easier to see what you want to import when there are thousands of files.

 

[mollyc]

None of which include date of capture.



The software could display the photos grouped by date, month, etc., instead of showing just one huge pile of files, so it’s easier to see what you want to import when there are thousands of files.

What’s wrong with capture time? Then sort into dates on the right as they import.

 

[iRock1]

What’s wrong with capture time? Then sort into dates on the right as they import.

That it seems to be based in the actual time instead of dates, i.e. all the photos taken in the morning go first and all the photos taken at nighttime go later, no matter the day (I might be wrong, but it’s the only way it makes sense to me, since the order that Lr creates has nothing to do with the correct order in which the photos were taken).

On the second part of your advice, the thing is to visually group together photos before importing them.

 

[mollyc]

I have never used the Apple programs for editing. But I guess I’m confused why you want them organized before they are imported. You can order them chronologically in the dialogue box. You can set them to upload into date specific folders. Lightroom isn’t meant to cull before importing. You cull after importing.

naybe you should look at something like photo mechanic. I haven’t used it but it might be closer to what you want.

 

[MacNut]

Lightroom imports them in the order the pictures are taken. You have to change the parameters after the files are imported.

 

[mollyc]

since the order that Lr creates has nothing to do with the correct order in which the photos were taken

You can sort LR by all sorts of methods. the heart of lightroom is a database, which is designed for sorting. but you have to get the images INTO LR first. You can't sort via LR if they aren't IN Lightroom.

I would love to help you, but I am honestly confused as to what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[Clix Pix]

I don't use Apple's Photos program and I don't use Lightroom. When I have a memory card filled with fresh new images I don't import directly into any software program; instead I simply start with creating a folder (which I do name by date) on the desktop and then after that use Fast Raw Viewer to quickly review and cull if I have a lot of images, or if there aren't that many images, I simply just go ahead and take them into one of my editing programs -- these days it is most generally DXO PhotoLab 3 -- and proceed from there. Only after I have edited an image will I change the name of the file to one which is more meaningful than DSC___whatever. Although it does not catalog images and create a DAM, DXO PhotoLab 3 does provide for entering keywords at the time of processing, so I usually do that as well, so that later even if just using Apple's own Spotlight I can retrieve images of Berries or Leaves or Crystal or Geese.....

 

[tizeye]

I don't use Apple's Photos program and I don't use Lightroom. When I have a memory card filled with fresh new images I don't import directly into any software program; instead I simply start with creating a folder (which I do name by date) on the desktop and then after that use Fast Raw Viewer to quickly review and cull if I have a lot of images, or if there aren't that many images, I simply just go ahead and take them into one of my editing programs -- these days it is most generally DXO PhotoLab 3 -- and proceed from there. Only after I have edited an image will I change the name of the file to one which is more meaningful than DSC___whatever. Although it does not catalog images and create a DAM, DXO PhotoLab 3 does provide for entering keywords at the time of processing, so I usually do that as well, so that later even if just using Apple's own Spotlight I can retrieve images of Berries or Leaves or Crystal or Geese.....

I do very similar and don't use Lightroom as an import tool from the camera. Rather, I use Lightroom to import the specific destination folder on the hard drive. Had high hopes for On One RAW to avoid the import entirely, but it has other issues related to its weak export module that is a deal killer.

I am having a hard time envisioning processing multiple day intermixed all in one folder - discussed later. I use the camera provided software to import all photos to a master folder "1-Sony" where the "1" assures that is at the very top rather than searching down to the "S", and it creates subfolders by date if multiple shoots are on the card. From there, I create appropriately labeled folders and cut/paste photos to that destination folder - determining which group of photos go where with multiple shoots on the SD card. It is that destination folder that I import into Lightroom and my sorting was done prior.

Apple is a little different on the initial import as Sony managed to make a so so program, PlayMemories, even worse when replacing it with Imaging Edge. Software apps is not Sony's forte! I will import on Windows, but not Apple, so do it the old fashion way, manually through Finder (camera drive, DCIM subfolder, etc) but first creating the destination subfolders skipping the 1-Sony step.

Intermixed would be so rare and usually resolved by the subfolder system. Multiple visits to the same place each have their own subfolder by date. 2 week vacation - subfolders by activity/destination, etc.

 

[mollyc]

I am having a hard time envisioning processing multiple day intermixed all in one folder - discussed later. I use the camera provided software to import all photos to a master folder "1-Sony" where the "1" assures that is at the very top rather than searching down to the "S", and it creates subfolders by date if multiple shoots are on the card. From there, I create appropriately labeled folders and cut/paste photos to that destination folder - determining which group of photos go where with multiple shoots on the SD card. It is that destination folder that I import into Lightroom and my sorting was done prior.

Everyone has their own system, and the beauty about LR (despite being subscription only) is that there are soooo many ways to efficiently catalogue and find images. Personally I keep all photos from one month in one folder (with a few rare exceptions). So all of my December photos are in one folder. All together. ? But I do add keywords. So all my Christmas photos are tagged, my daughter's birthday photos are tagged, my macro images are tagged. I share monthly folders with my family and it's easier (for my brain) to keep everything chronologically.

A few specific exceptions would be if I have a lot of photos from a vacation, I will sort them into a General folder and a Vacation folder within the respective month. We did got to Disney once and I actually sorted that vacation into specific day folders because I had so many photos. And in the summer I often take photos of swim meets and I sometimes keep them in outside folders because I don't want to find random kids (friends) mixed in with my own children's images.

The only thing I do wish I could do upon import is to assign tags to individual images, rather than all of them. If I don't tag immediately I will forget to. And sometimes I need different tags within one import batch. I just have to remember to do it after they are fully imported and batch tag in Library.

 

[Clix Pix]

I do very similar and don't use Lightroom as an import tool from the camera. Rather, I use Lightroom to import the specific destination folder on the hard drive. Had high hopes for On One RAW to avoid the import entirely, but it has other issues related to its weak export module that is a deal killer.

I am having a hard time envisioning processing multiple day intermixed all in one folder - discussed later. I use the camera provided software to import all photos to a master folder "1-Sony" where the "1" assures that is at the very top rather than searching down to the "S", and it creates subfolders by date if multiple shoots are on the card. From there, I create appropriately labeled folders and cut/paste photos to that destination folder - determining which group of photos go where with multiple shoots on the SD card. It is that destination folder that I import into Lightroom and my sorting was done prior.

Apple is a little different on the initial import as Sony managed to make a so so program, PlayMemories, even worse when replacing it with Imaging Edge. Software apps is not Sony's forte! I will import on Windows, but not Apple, so do it the old fashion way, manually through Finder (camera drive, DCIM subfolder, etc) but first creating the destination subfolders skipping the 1-Sony step.

Intermixed would be so rare and usually resolved by the subfolder system. Multiple visits to the same place each have their own subfolder by date. 2 week vacation - subfolders by activity/destination, etc.

I think it was when I got the RX100 V or VI that I first encountered Sony's Imaging Edge software and I quite agree -- it is NOT Sony's forte! I never bothered with PlayMemories at all and I only used the Imagine Edge software a few times until it crashed on me once and that was the end of that. I had other programs to use anyway. After that, I didn't bother with updating it or even installing it when I bought the MBP in late 2018. Not sure, it may still be on my 12" MacBook, come to think of it, but I usually don't use that machine for processing images anyway, sometimes only quickly reviewing them if I've done some shooting on a trip out of town.

Most of the time I have images all shot on the same day on the memory card, but once in a while I do forget to format the card when putting it back into the camera and then the next time I shoot and then get those images into the computer I look and think, "wait, I know I didn't just shoot 92 images this time! Bet I forgot to format again...."
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Everyone has their own system, and the beauty about LR (despite being subscription only) is that there are soooo many ways to efficiently catalogue and find images. Personally I keep all photos from one month in one folder (with a few rare exceptions). So all of my December photos are in one folder. All together. ? But I do add keywords. So all my Christmas photos are tagged, my daughter's birthday photos are tagged, my macro images are tagged. I share monthly folders with my family and it's easier (for my brain) to keep everything chronologically.

A few specific exceptions would be if I have a lot of photos from a vacation, I will sort them into a General folder and a Vacation folder within the respective month. We did got to Disney once and I actually sorted that vacation into specific day folders because I had so many photos. And in the summer I often take photos of swim meets and I sometimes keep them in outside folders because I don't want to find random kids (friends) mixed in with my own children's images.

The only thing I do wish I could do upon import is to assign tags to individual images, rather than all of them. If I don't tag immediately I will forget to. And sometimes I need different tags within one import batch. I just have to remember to do it after they are fully imported and batch tag in Library.

I do that, too, have all images shot during a specific month within one folder, and sometimes if need be, subfolders within that folder for particular events or whatever. I am not very good about remembering to keyword, although my editing software offers the opportunity, so some of my images are keyworded while others are not. I do assign specific titles or keyword(s) to folders and subfolders. New Year's Resolution: KEYWORD EVERYTHING!!!! .

 

[rocknblogger]

That it seems to be based in the actual time instead of dates, i.e. all the photos taken in the morning go first and all the photos taken at nighttime go later, no matter the day (I might be wrong, but it’s the only way it makes sense to me, since the order that Lr creates has nothing to do with the correct order in which the photos were taken).

On the second part of your advice, the thing is to visually group together photos before importing them.

No you’re wrong, time of capture is basically date of capture with the added benefit that the photos will all be in order of time first but for the same date. So if you took 50 photos on June 21st, 22nd, 23rd they’ll be listed in the order they were taken and by time for each day. Then the next date and the next and so on.

I'm surprised you thought it was anything other than that. It would be insanity to import strictly by time taken without regard for the date.

 

[robgendreau]

Maybe should submit a feedback to Adobe to have them rename that popup menu item to "Capture date/time" if that's the source of the confusion. It reads the exif DateTimeOriginal AFAIK, using ISO 8061 which sets the year, month, and day format. IOW, standard.

I do occasionally filter and sort across days, years, and months by say afternoons or mornings, or by seasons. Sort of a pain even after images are imported, let alone before (Any Filter helps, BTW).