Ideas for organising photos in Lightroom

Wednesday 17 June 2026, 14:07 by Nando Harmsen | 1,343 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Organising photos can be a difficult task. It is never perfect, but you can aim to do it as well as possible. There is no single right way. That is why it is useful to get ideas for organising photos in Lightroom.

Managing files through Explorer or Finder is very limited when it comes to organising photos. A photo cannot be captured under a single heading. You need a catalogue or library to do it properly.

Every serious photo management system has a catalogue or library. Lightroom is one of them. In this video, Nigel Danson takes you through his way of organising things. It is a somewhat older video, but it is still relevant.

Danson shows how you can use collections and smart collections. He also uses syncing with the cloud. And all from Lightroom Classic. It may give you some new ideas.

Although this video is specifically about Lightroom Classic, many of the ideas can also be used in other software packages. Think of DxO PhotoLab, Capture One and Luminar. It is good to try out ideas to see what works for you.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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2 comments

Guy wrote on Tuesday 23 June 2026 at 11:17 | reply
From the old days, but I still think Picasa is great for organizing.
Also adding text, cropping, searching, and even rudimentary edits for beginners.
I personally use L.R. and Capture One, but stick with Picasa to keep everything nicely organized. Also free, especially since the program has been obsolete for a long time.
Are there still people who use or miss Picasa?
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Monday 29 June 2026 at 11:33 | reply
Do you then use two programs to organize? Picasa and Lightroom?
Translated from Dutch.

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