# Collections inside Collections



## PuppyDogMom (Mar 30, 2015)

Can you create a collection(s) as a sub-category inside a collection? For example, I'd like to create a collection called "Destin" and then within that collection, create Day 1, Day 2, etc.


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## Tony Jay (Mar 30, 2015)

Hi Emily, Lightroom has Collection sets that allow one to nest collections within them.
As an example I have a collection set named "Africa" in which I have many collections - mostly smart collections - that group images in various ways.
See below:






Tony Jay


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 30, 2015)

And you can have Collection Sets nested inside Collection Sets.


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## PuppyDogMom (Mar 30, 2015)

It's good to know I can do that. Now, how do I do that? Thanks, guys.


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## rob211 (Mar 30, 2015)

PuppyDogMom said:


> It's good to know I can do that. Now, how do I do that? Thanks, guys.



At the top of the Collections pane is a little "+" to use to create a collection or a collection set.

Or use the menu item "Library>New collection set..." It will give you the option to create that collection set within another collection set.

BTW, these have rules: a collection set can only contain collections or other collection sets, not individual photos. You can't have a mix of loose photos and collections sets within a collection set, so in that regard they are a bit different than folders in your Mac's file system.


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## PuppyDogMom (Mar 30, 2015)

Rob...thanks. I think I've figured it out. And, I've been doing something wrong when I have created my collections. I should have been creating collection sets. Not sure that I understand the rules, though.


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## clee01l (Mar 31, 2015)

PuppyDogMom said:


> Rob...thanks. I think I've figured it out. And, I've been doing something wrong when I have created my collections. I should have been creating collection sets. Not sure that I understand the rules, though.


You can create new collection sets at any time,  Then if you wish you can drag any existing collections to the appropriate collection set and drop them to nest the collections inside a collection set.


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## PuppyDogMom (Mar 31, 2015)

I'm finding that you cannot make a collection set a target collection. When I import photos they go into a dated folder. I'm trying to move them into a collection set but don't seem to be able to do that. Can it be done?


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## clee01l (Mar 31, 2015)

PuppyDogMom said:


> I'm finding that you cannot make a collection set a target collection. When I import photos they go into a dated folder. I'm trying to move them into a collection set but don't seem to be able to do that. Can it be done?


A Target Collection has to be a static Collection, not a Smart Collection and Not a Collection Set. Collection Sets can contain only Collections and other Collections Sets.  A Collection Set can not contain images. So, create a collection in the Collection Set and you can make that collection the Target Collection.


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## PuppyDogMom (Mar 31, 2015)

Sorry to be so slow on this. So, I can make a collection set and have it consist of collections? And each of those collections in the collection set can be target collections?


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## clee01l (Mar 31, 2015)

PuppyDogMom said:


> Sorry to be so slow on this. So, I can make a collection set and have it consist of collections? And each of those collections in the collection set can be target collections?


*Any* of those collections in the collection set can be target collection. You can only have one Target Collection at a time.  When you press the "B" shortcut key, the selected image is assigned to the Target Collection.  If you want to assign an image to one of several designated collections, those collections need to be smart collections. For example if the criteria for a Smart Collection is {Rating}{is}{****} any time you assign a 4 star rating to an image, it will automatically be assigned to the "4 Star Smart Collection".  Target collection becomes irrelevant at this point. You can do the same for color labels or keywords or any complex metadata characteristics.


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## PuppyDogMom (Mar 31, 2015)

Thanks, Clee...I think I'm getting the hang of it now. A little frustrating at first.


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## ronn356 (Feb 15, 2017)

Hello, all:

_My question on the topic:_ in Lightroom 4, how does one create a collection of photos as a subset of a collection? I am photographing for a blog and want the photos of each posting to be in its own named collection (a subset) within the larger collection name. The previously-mentioned suggestions listed above have not allowed me to do that in LR4. Is my version too low to have such a feature?

_Since I am mentioning LR4:_ I am using Lightroom 4 standalone and I would like to upgrade it to its highest standalone form. I do not use LR enough to justify a monthly subscription. Any advice on where to purchase an upgrade such as LR5 would be appreciated.

Cheers,
=rds


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## Hal P Anderson (Feb 15, 2017)

You can create collection sets in LR 4. They are collections of Collections. They aren't collections of photographs. However, if you select a collection set, all the photos in its collections will show in the grid view.

You can purchase LR 6 from Adobe. The upgrade price is about $80.


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## clee01l (Feb 15, 2017)

You can't LR6 at this Link:
Software & Services
Click on the Buy option for LR and the Click on the ▼ to change "Full" to "Upgrade" to get the Upgrade price.


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## ronn356 (Feb 16, 2017)

Thanks, folks, I eventually figured out how to purchase an upgrade of LR6, then I had to figure out how to get to the download link. Then I had to figure out how to load it onto my two computers. A lot of figuring and experimenting was done in order to successfully negotiate the Adobe web site maze. They certainly make it customer-centered - not!

I still have not yet found how to nest a collection of photos within a larger set, such as Desert Photo Shoot with subsets of Monday, Tuesday, etc. For my particular case, it is a book with chapters.

I will play with LR6 a bit to see if they have a feature that allows this procedure in my collections. Have you ever felt that you were doing things backwards? I may have mixed up what I can do with the group called "collections" as opposed to the group called "pictures" above it which is in "folders." I will go back to the manual and rethink what I am doing.


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## rob211 (Feb 16, 2017)

ronn356 said:


> I still have not yet found how to nest a collection of photos within a larger set, such as Desert Photo Shoot with subsets of Monday, Tuesday, etc. For my particular case, it is a book with chapters.
> 
> I will play with LR6 a bit to see if they have a feature that allows this procedure in my collections. Have you ever felt that you were doing things backwards? I may have mixed up what I can do with the group called "collections" as opposed to the group called "pictures" above it which is in "folders." I will go back to the manual and rethink what I am doing.


I don't believe you can do that in collection sets.

Collection sets can ONLY contain other collections, as already noted. So collection set "Desert Photo Shoot" can have collections "Day One" and "Day Two" inside, but NOT img1233_Saguaro.dng for example. That photo would have to be in a collection in the collection set.

And the collections/sets aren't real; they are kinda like labels, or virtual containers. The "real" container for the images is the folder out in the Finder, which is the same folder Lr is showing you. They are very different. Most importantly, an image can be in any number of collections but ONLY one folder. You'd say import into folders (cuz the images have to be copied off the card to real folders) in say a date based system. Then you could say use collections for each type of photo, or lump several days of photos into one collection, or both. Or have a collection just for cactus pictures. Meanwhile, that saguaro.dng sits in same folder you imported it to, and you have little reason to ever mess with that folder again unless you need to move it to make more room on your drive, etc.


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## clee01l (Feb 17, 2017)

Collection sets can contain other collection sets or collections.  Only collections can contain photos.  In the screen shot note the different icons used for Collection Sets, Collections and Smart Collections


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## Roelof Moorlag (Feb 17, 2017)

ronn356 said:


> I may have mixed up what I can do with the group called "collections" as opposed to the group called "pictures" above it which is in "folders." I will go back to the manual and rethink what I am doing.


Be very carefully if you want to go move images in the "folders" group. They can only reside in one folder and normaly you leave them where Lightroom put them on import. The rest of the organizing work is intended to be done with collection sets, collections, smart collections and (hierachical) keywords.


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