“Finding images with no keywords in Lightroom”

Lightroom user? Keyworded your ENTIRE back collection since you started using it? Ha, didn’t think so. Still got notes in Excel about when/where you shot what?

Let’s walk through finding images you haven’t added any metadata keywords to yet. Sure, this process might pickup some images you don’t need but that is the beauty of Lightroom, you can just edit your final collection.

I’ve submitted a “find images with no keywords” function to Lightroom’s feature request site. I don’t expect a patch in my inbox any day soon. But in the meantime, let’s do a quick walk through how to find those rogue images:

1) In Library module, make sure you filters are turned off.
2) Select all the keywords in the keyword tags panel.
3) Next select all the photos being displayed (Ctrl-A).
4) Now select the Library panel and click “All Photographs”.
5) Then use “Edit” > “Invert Selection”.

If you only have a few images, then create a quick collection of all the photos which are now selected. You can also choose File > Show Quick Collection or press Command-B (Mac) or Ctrl-B (PC) to display the quick collection images only and choose File > Return to Previous Content (press Command-B or Ctrl-B again) to restore the previously selected image selection in the content area. Easy right?

Got a boatload of images to go through? Let’s make a permanent collection. Press Command-Alt-B (Mac) or Ctrl-Alt-B (PC) to save a quick collection as a permanent collection to add to the Collections panel. This is what you want. It’s a long term record of your search. Once you’ve gone through it you can delete it and repeat the process to see if you missed anything or added any images as such. It’s permanent in name only really. A quick collection isn’t going anywhere but you may want another quick collection for other reasons.