What it does
Finds the photos that look sideways or upside down (faces, then the scene, then sky and horizon) and says which way to turn each one. Made for digital photos: phone and camera pictures, downloads, family photos. It only suggests: the originals are never changed.
Install once [3]
- Close Lightroom Classic. The installer asks: the Lightroom plug-in, the standalone app (does not require Lightroom Classic), or both.
- Windows: run
PictureOrgRotationCheck-Setup .exe (if Windows warns: More info > Run anyway), Next, I Agree, Finish.
- Mac: unzip the Mac zip, double-click Install Pivotwell, click Open once, choose what to install, Install. Intel Mac: say yes to the one-time setup.
- Start Lightroom: Library > Plug-in Extras > Check rotation (no Plug-in Manager step).
Updating: a new version is announced when you run it (Plug-in Manager > Updates: Check now); Install now installs it inside Lightroom, then restart Lightroom (or run the new installer over the old one). License is kept.
In Lightroom Classic [4]
- Library: select the photos (a folder, a collection, a whole import).
- Library > Plug-in Extras > Check rotation. No dialog; the progress bar's × stops and keeps the photos done so far.
- Read the summary: checked, how many look sideways, not checked.
- Filter: Text > Keywords > contains > Check rotation, or the purple label.
- Why each was flagged: the Pivotwell note in the Metadata panel (Pivotwell view).
- Flag only the sure ones: Plug-in Manager > Only flag when at least N% sure (off as it comes). The less sure get the yellow label, no keyword [4].
- Profiles: make them in the app (Profile, Save as...); pick one in Plug-in Manager > When to flag a photo [4, 5].
- Unsure ones first: Library Filter > Metadata, column How sure (Pivotwell), pick Low.
- Turn each one: Ctrl+] right, Ctrl+[ left (Cmd on a Mac). Or select them and use Plug-in Extras > Turn the flagged photos (turns what the keywords say, one at a time).
- Run Check rotation again on them: photos now the right way up lose the keyword and the purple label.
Undo: Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z) takes back the whole run. Check rotation never turns, crops or edits a photo; Turn the flagged photos turns only the ones you chose (Undo once per photo).
Keywords and label [4]
| Under "Rotation Check" | Do this |
|---|
| Check rotation - turn right | Rotate right (clockwise) |
| Check rotation - turn left | Rotate left (anticlockwise) |
| Check rotation - upside down | Turn twice |
Flagged photos also get the purple label. The keywords are never exported. A purple label you set yourself is never removed.
Standalone app [5]
- Start Pivotwell (Windows Start menu; Mac Applications > ThePictureOrg). It opens in your browser; nothing leaves the computer.
- Left side: Change to pick a folder or photos, then Check rotation.
- Each photo is shown the way it will be saved. To turn shows the flagged ones; Not sure and Least sure first bring up the doubtful ones (each card says how sure, out of 100). Buttons under a card: None, Left, Right, Upside down. Click a card for a big view: R L U 0 turn, ← → next, Space save or skip, Esc back.
- Save as (bottom): new turned pictures in a Turned folder (a JPEG stays a JPEG, copied exactly with only its rotation setting changed) or an XMP sidecar (for camera raw files: the turn itself, so Camera Raw, Bridge and Lightroom show it turned; or purple label + keyword). Then Save. Originals never change.
Good to know [6]
- It is a guess tuned to avoid false flags: close-ups with no faces, sky or recognisable scene can be missed.
- It checks each photo as it is shown (the file's or Lightroom's rotation, and your crop).
- Reads JPEG, HEIC (iPhone), TIFF, PNG, DNG and camera raw files, Lightroom panoramas too.
- Something looks wrong? Create an error log (Plug-in Extras, or the app's gear) and email the file from your Desktop; tick the box to add small pictures [7].
- Not working at all? Check my setup (Plug-in Manager, or the app's gear) says what is missing [7].
Trial and license key [3]
21 days free, then 7 days with a reminder, then a key is needed. Plug-in Manager > License (app: License): days left, Buy a license, paste your key, Enter key (checked offline). One person, 2 computers, complimentary updates within the major version. New computer: Remove license from this computer on the old one first. One license and one trial cover the plug-in and the app.
