Review groups of similar photographs

What you will do

Group similar photographs to scan a large shoot more quickly, then open a group to compare its members and select the photograph you want. The group cover is only a compact view of its members; it is not a recommendation of the best photograph.

Before you start

Create a project and import your photographs. Wait for their thumbnails to appear, then choose the four-square gallery button in the top toolbar.

Steps

Enable grouping and choose the similarity level

1. Find the grouping control in the top toolbar: the stacked-rectangle icon with a small dropdown arrow, immediately before the sort control.
2. Open its dropdown. If Similar is disabled, close the dropdown and click the main grouping icon to enable grouping, then reopen the dropdown.
3. Click Similar.
4. Adjust Similarity Level: while watching Detected groups. Raise the level to require a closer match. Lower it to group photographs more loosely.
5. Check the resulting groups against your shoot. Each collapsed group appears as one cover card with a numbered badge at the lower-left of its thumbnail; photographs outside a group remain as separate cards. If photographs that belong together remain separate, lower the level gradually. If a group includes photographs you would rather compare separately, raise it.

A collapsed group uses one cover card with a numbered badge; photographs outside it remain separate. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

Expand the group and review its members

1. Click the grouping dropdown arrow again to close the menu.
2. Click the numbered badge with the small group icon on a cover thumbnail. The group’s members appear as separate cards, while photographs outside the group remain visible.
3. Compare the members and click the photograph you want. Its card gains a blue outline, and its filename appears beside the photo counter.

Opening a group does not select all of its members.

Expand a group to compare each photograph as a separate card. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

Collapse the group or return to separate photographs

Changing the grouping view can change the active photograph. You can keep the group expanded. If you change views, reselect the photograph you intend to use before continuing. You are ready to continue when the photograph you want has the blue outline and its filename appears beside the photo counter. Choose the view that suits your next task:

• To keep grouping on, click the group icon at the lower-left of the original cover thumbnail. Its members return to one cover card.
• To see every photograph separately, click the main grouping icon in the top toolbar to turn grouping off. The group badges disappear and every photograph appears as a separate card. Similar is disabled in the dropdown while grouping is off.

Turning grouping off removes group badges and shows every photograph separately. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

Optional: review groups in another layout

You can complete the task in the gallery; you do not need to repeat it in every layout. Use a detailed view only when a larger active photograph helps you compare the group. The middle view button places the project filmstrip below the photograph, while the right view button places it to the left.

In the gallery:

1. Choose the four-square gallery button.
2. Click the numbered badge on a group cover. Its members appear as separate cards; other groups remain collapsed.
3. Click the group control on the original cover again to collapse its members into the cover card.

Expanding one gallery group leaves other groups collapsed and unrelated photographs visible. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

In the horizontal detailed view:

1. Choose the middle view button.
2. Select a group cover in the lower project filmstrip, then click its numbered badge. A second filmstrip opens immediately above the project filmstrip and shows the members of that group.
3. Click a member in the second filmstrip. It becomes the large photograph, receives the blue selection outline, and its filename appears beside the counter.
4. When you have finished comparing the group, click its group control in the second filmstrip. The second filmstrip closes; the project filmstrip and large photograph remain.

In the horizontal detailed view, the members of the active group appear in a second filmstrip above the project filmstrip. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

Switch the active group in the second filmstrip

When the second filmstrip is open, you can move directly to another group: click its cover in the lower project filmstrip. The second filmstrip changes to that group’s members, and the large photograph and filename change to its active member.

Selecting another cover in the project filmstrip replaces the second filmstrip with members of the newly active group. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

The blue outlines in the two filmstrips identify different things: the lower project filmstrip marks the active group cover, while the upper second filmstrip marks the active member.

Use the second filmstrip in the vertical detailed view

1. Choose the right view button to open the vertical detailed view.
2. Select a group cover in the project filmstrip on the left, then click its numbered badge.
3. The group members appear in a second column on the left, to the right of the project filmstrip. The group covers and other photographs remain available in the project filmstrip.
4. Click a group member to make it the large active photograph.
5. When you have finished comparing the group, click its group control in the second filmstrip. The second filmstrip closes without removing photographs from the project.

The group members appear in a second column to the right of the project filmstrip on the left side of the viewer. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

If it does not work

• Similar is disabled: close the menu, enable grouping with the main grouping icon, then reopen the menu.
• Detected groups remains 0: check that the thumbnails have loaded, then lower Similarity Level: gradually. The photographs in your shoot may not be similar enough to form a useful group.
• Only one photograph is visible: look for a numbered group badge on its thumbnail. Click it to expand the group, or turn grouping off to return to separate cards.
• You are unsure which member is selected: check the blue outline and the filename beside the photo counter before continuing.

Related topics

• Import photos
• Select and deselect photographs
• Inspect a photograph and zoom in
• Rate photographs for culling
• Filter photographs during culling