How to rate photos in Lightroom?

How to Rate Photos in Lightroom: A Complete Guide

Efficiently rating photos in Adobe Lightroom is essential to a photographer’s workflow. Whether working on a single project or managing thousands of images from multiple shoots, Lightroom’s star ratings, flags, and color labels help organize, prioritize, and streamline your editing process.

Understanding Lightroom’s Star Rating System

Lightroom’s star rating system allows you to apply ratings from 0 to 5 stars to your photos. This system can help categorize images based on their quality or importance, giving you an organized way to focus on the best shots while deciding what needs to be edited, discarded, or further processed.

You can use the Library module in Grid View or Loupe View to apply a star rating. A photo’s star rating appears underneath the thumbnail, making it easy to see which photos have been rated at a glance.

Some photographers use the following rating system:

• 1 star: Needs improvement or minimal editing.

• two stars: Average image, which might need adjustments but is not a priority.

• three stars: Good image, edit as needed.

• four stars: Great image, suitable for portfolios or publication.

• five stars: Exceptional image, best of the shoot.

You create a visual reference of your best work by consistently applying star ratings.

Setting Star Ratings

Assigning star ratings in Lightroom is straightforward:

1. Select a photo in the Grid View or Loupe View in the Library module.

2. Press the 1-5 keys on your keyboard to assign the corresponding star rating.

3. If you need to remove a star rating, press the 0 key.

You can also click the stars beneath the image thumbnail to manually set the rating.

Flags: Pick or Reject Photos

In addition to star ratings, Lightroom allows you to flag photos as either Pick or Reject. Flags are useful when you need to quickly sort through a batch of images and decide instantly whether to keep or discard them.

• Pick flag (P): Indicates that a photo is selected for further consideration or editing.

• Reject flag (X): Marks the photo for deletion or exclusion from further editing.

To apply a flag:

1. Select a photo and press P to flag it as a pick or X to reject it.

2. Unflagged photos can be left as-is, or press U to remove a flag.

Using flags alongside star ratings, you can quickly mark images for deletion or editing.

Combining Star Ratings and Color Labels

While star ratings help classify images based on quality, color labels add another layer of organization by letting you categorize photos visually. Color labels are a powerful way to differentiate between various projects, edits, or types of photos.

Common color label uses include:

• Red: Photos that need urgent attention or editing.

• Yellow: Images pending review or awaiting client feedback.

• Green: Finalized photos ready for export or sharing.

• Blue: Potential portfolio images.

Assign a color label in Lightroom by:

1. Select a photo and apply the corresponding color label using the 6-9 keys.

2. right-click on a photo, select Set Color Label, and choose your color from the menu.

Color labels allow for a highly customized workflow when combined with star ratings. For example, you could use three stars, a yellow label for images that need more work, and 5 stars and a green label for portfolio-ready shots.

Using Hotkeys to Speed Up Rating

Hotkeys make assigning ratings and labels incredibly efficient, especially when you’re working with a large number of images. Here’s a quick reference to Lightroom’s hotkeys for ratings and labels:

• 1-5: Apply star ratings (1 = 1 star, 5 = 5 stars)

• 0: Remove a star rating

• P: Flag as pick

• X: Flag as reject

• U: Remove flag

• 6-9: Apply color labels (6 = Red, 7 = Yellow, 8 = Green, 9 = Blue)

These hotkeys allow you to move through your photos quickly, applying ratings and flags without slowing your workflow.

Creating a Rating-Based Workflow

Incorporating star ratings and color labels into your workflow helps streamline your editing process:

1. Initial Cull with Flags: After importing your photos, quickly review them and use flags to separate the usable photos from the rejects.

2. Apply Star Ratings: Once you’ve flagged your photos, assign star ratings based on quality. This will help you prioritize which images to edit.

3. Organize with Color Labels: As you work through your edits, use color labels to mark the status of each photo. For example, red could signify images still needing attention, while green could represent final edits.

Combining these tools gives you an efficient system for organizing and editing your images, especially when managing larger projects.

Using Smart Collections with Ratings

Innovative Collections are another fantastic tool in Lightroom, allowing you to automatically group photos based on specific criteria such as ratings, flags, and labels. To create a Smart Collection:

1. Go to the Collections panel on the left-hand side.

2. Click the plus (+) icon and select Create Smart Collection.

3. Set the criteria based on star ratings, flags, or labels. For example, you could create a collection of all your 4- and 5-star images or photos with a green color label.

This feature helps you compile your best images, saving time and effort instantly.

Best Practices for Rating Photos

• Keep It Simple: Don’t overcomplicate the rating process. A straightforward 1-5 star system and a few essential color labels will suffice for most workflows.

• Don’t Rate Too Many 5-Star Images: Reserve 5-star ratings for the best photos. Overusing the top rating diminishes its value.

• Review and Adjust: Occasionally, go back through your ratings. Sometimes, a photo initially rated as three stars may warrant promotion to 4 or 5 stars after editing.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

• Not Using Flags: Flags provide an essential layer of quick decision-making. Don’t skip this initial step.

• Overusing Star Ratings: Avoid rating too many images with the same star value without a thorough review.

• Neglecting to Back Up: Always back up your top-rated images. You don’t want to risk losing your best work.

Lightroom’s rating system is invaluable for organizing and streamlining your photo editing process. You can create an efficient workflow using star ratings, flags, and color labels, ensuring that you focus on your best images and achieve professional results. Whether you’re managing personal projects or working as a professional photographer, these tools will help you stay organized, make quick decisions, and prioritize your editing quickly. ✔