How to Cull Photos in Lightroom Classic

In this video we will be learning how to cull photos in Lightroom Classic using collections. The usage of collections (as opposed to using folders) is important because it does not affect our actual photos in the storage location in any way. Here is the video:

This video is from our Lightroom Classic Workflow and Organization course, which has 24 videos, which 27 videos and 3 hours of content. You can access the full course via Udemy.com, using the link below:

Lightroom Classic Workflow and Organization course

Video Summary

This tutorial by Creative Pad Media explains the “culling” process in Lightroom Classic—the essential step of selecting the best images from a large shoot before editing.

Key Steps and Workflow:

• What is Culling? It is the process of filtering through an entire photo shoot to pick out the best shots, discarding those with technical flaws like closed eyes or missed focus [00:12].
• The Picking Process:
  • Initial Round: Open the collection and use the keyboard shortcut ‘P’ to “Pick” or flag the photos you like [04:14].
  • Filtering: Use the filter bar to show only “Flagged” images, hiding everything else [06:54].
• Using Collection Sets: To stay organized, group related collections (e.g., “All Photos,” “Rough Selects,” and “Final Selects”) into a single Collection Set [08:55]. This creates a clean hierarchy without duplicating files on your hard drive [15:11].
• Secondary Round (Rating): For a final selection, give your top picks a 5-star rating (by pressing ‘5’) to narrow down exactly which images will be sent for editing [12:23].
• Efficiency Tip: Building “Standard Previews” during import can reduce the slight lag experienced when flipping through high-resolution images during the culling process [03:29].
• Non-Destructive Organization: The tutorial emphasizes that collections are virtual; they don’t move or change the original files on your computer, allowing for a liberal and organized workflow [15:26].