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Over time Ive created multiple different version virtual copies for a set of files for the purpose of creating versions with different aspect ratios. These can be found using smart collections because Ive added a keyword to each that relate to their aspect ratio.
However I didn't add any tags to the original and I want to create a smart collection that just has the originals, is this possible ?
There are 2 ways to do this, one in the Library module filter, and one in Collections.
In the Library module:
In grid view, you can filter by Text, Attribute, Metadata (or none).
In the Attribute filter settings, on the right, you have options for filtering to select (or deselect) the master photos, virtual copies, or videos. When you mouse over these three options a popup will show you what each one filters. See screenshots below for examples.
In a Collection:
In the collections filter rules, you can also make a smart collection where "copy name" does not contain "copy" - assuming you didn't rename any of the virtual copies to a different name. (by default LR names them Copy 1, Copy 2, etc.)
The "virtual copies" do not really exist. There is only one original file, Lightroom has a database entry of changes that are applied to the original file to get the look for that virtual copy.
You could create a smart collection and use the keywords "doesn't contain" for all of your keywords. That should give you a list of ones you haven't added the keyword.
Any file can be made to go back to the original by just using the reset button on the develop menu, so you can always get back to the original by making a virtual copy of an image and resetting it.
