Using Flags & Ratings

Topics Covered in This Lightroom Tutorial:

Flagging & Rejecting Photos, Rating Photos, Filtering Flagged & Rated Photos

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

In this exercise, you'll master the essential workflow techniques of flagging photos as picks or rejects and implementing strategic star ratings for your photographs. These organizational tools form the backbone of efficient photo management in professional workflows, allowing you to quickly identify your strongest work and eliminate weak images from consideration. Whether you're processing a client shoot or curating personal work, these skills will dramatically streamline your editing process.

Flagging Photos

The flagging system serves as your first line of defense against overwhelming photo collections. By quickly marking keepers and discarding obvious rejects, you'll establish a focused foundation for deeper editing work.

1. If you have not completed the previous exercises (1A–1F), finish them now before beginning this exercise. These foundational steps ensure your workspace is properly configured.

2. Make sure you're in the Library module, which serves as your command center for organization and initial review.

3. In the Folders panel on the left, select the Wyoming subfolder to focus your attention on this specific image set.

4. Click on the first photo, the motel (20110820_YourName_10), to begin your selection process.

5. Press E to switch into Loupe View, which provides the optimal single-image view for critical evaluation.

6. Press L to dim the lights, reducing interface distractions and improving your ability to assess image quality.

7. Press L again to completely fade the lights out. This "lights out" mode eliminates all visual distractions, allowing you to evaluate images with maximum focus—a technique used by professional photographers worldwide.

8. You're going to select approximately five photos and flag them as picks. Press the Right Arrow key to navigate smoothly through the photos, maintaining your evaluation rhythm.

9. Press P to pick photos for flagging. Apply this designation to approximately 5 photos that demonstrate strong composition, technical quality, or compelling subject matter. Trust your instincts during this initial pass.

10. To undo flagging when you change your mind, press U on any previously flagged photo. This removes the pick designation without affecting the image.

11. Press X to reject a couple of photos that clearly don't meet your standards. This actively removes weak images from your workflow, preventing them from cluttering future reviews.

12. When you're done with your initial flagging pass, press L once more to return to Lightroom's standard interface lighting.

13. Press G to re-enter Grid View, where you can see the results of your flagging decisions at a glance.

14. Notice the flagged photos display white flag icons in the top-left corners, while rejected photos show black flags with an X and appear grayed out. This visual system provides immediate feedback on your curation decisions.

Flags & Filters

With your initial flagging complete, you'll now refine your selections using Lightroom's powerful filtering and rating systems. This hierarchical approach allows for increasingly sophisticated organization as your projects develop.

1. At the bottom right of the screen, locate the menu above the Filmstrip panel that currently displays Filters Off, then select Flagged to isolate your preferred images.

2. This action displays only the photos you flagged as picks, immediately streamlining your view. Click on the first photo to begin the rating process.

3. Directly below the first photo's thumbnail, click on the third dot to assign this photo a 3-star rating. This represents a solid image with clear merit but room for improvement.

4. Click on the photo that stands out as your strongest work—the one with the most compelling composition, lighting, or emotional impact.

5. Click on the fifth dot below that exceptional photo's thumbnail to award it a 5-star rating. Reserve this designation for images that represent your best work or have clear commercial potential.

6. At the top of the screen, locate the Library Filter panel and click on the third star to establish a minimum rating threshold.

   This intelligent filter displays only photos with a 3-star or higher rating, effectively creating a curated collection of your stronger work while hiding lower-rated images.

7. Next to Rating, click on the greater than or equal to ≥ icon and select Rating is equal to from the dropdown menu. This precise filter now displays only the single photo you assigned exactly three stars, demonstrating how granular control helps in complex workflows.

8. At the top of the screen, in the Library Filter panel, click on None to clear all active filters and return to your complete image set.

9. At the bottom right of the screen, change the menu from Flagged back to Filters Off to ensure you're viewing all images in the folder. Note that this may have occurred automatically when you selected None in the previous step.

10. On the left, in the Folders panel, confirm that the Wyoming subfolder remains selected. Observe how the star ratings now appear as visual indicators underneath the photos you rated, providing permanent visual reference for your curation decisions across all viewing modes.