A little while back, we got started with using keywords to add tags to our images. A lot of my readers wrote in to thank me and shared that adding those keywords makes their images a lot more searchable.
However, it wasn’t all good feedback. You see, although keywords are useful, they can be really time consuming to apply! Today, we’re looking at using keyword sets, my favorite trick to cut down on keyword work.
What are keyword sets?
In short, keyword sets are groups of keywords that we can create and keep handy. Instead of adding “wedding” to every image, and then “June” to every image, we can put both keywords in a keyword set and put the set at our fingertips.
When we build keyword sets, we want to keep them fairly “high level.” That means keeping the keywords we use general. We would want to add “wedding” as a keyword, but probably not “flowers” since that won’t apply to every image.
Building a Set
When it comes to keywording, we are going to be doing all of our work in the Library module. This is where we handle the data that’s tacked on to images, and keywords are a perfect example.
To build a keyword set, first find the keyword panel on the right side of Lightroom’s Library module.
You’ll find the keywording panel on the right side of the Library module.
To get started with building your own keyword set, go ahead and click the dropdown arrow next to “Recent Keywords”:
Click the arrows to the right of “Recent Keywords” in this screenshot to get started with building a set.
Next, choose “Edit Set” on the menu that pops up:
Wrapping Up
Keywords are essential for building the data we attach to images, but take some time to apply. With keyword sets, we alleviate some of the pain and win our time back by keeping the common keywords at our fingertips.
Are you using keyword sets yet? Let me know how you’re applying your keywords.