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Home / Photography Tips / Finding Lost Photos in Lightroom

find lost photos lightroom

Finding Lost Photos in Lightroom

November 25, 2015 by Darlene Hildebrandt

Updated: November 23, 2025

If you’re new to Lightroom (or even seasoned pros like myself) you’ve probably encountered the dreaded exclamation mark indicating that Lightroom cannot find your image. A moment of panic may ensue, but fear not – all is not lost, they are not gone forever, Lightroom just can’t see them.

This helpful video by Phil Steele will show you how to not only find and relink them so Lightroom can work with your images – but how to avoid it happening again in the future.

If you want more tips and tricks for using Lightroom check out these articles:

  • The Guide to Image Sharpening in Lightroom
  • How to Install Lightroom Presets
  • Using the Basic Sliders in Lightroom and Photoshop – a Comprehensive Tutorial
  • Step by Step Tutorial – Import Photos Into Lightroom
  • Portrait Retouching Using Lightroom in 10 Minutes or Less
  • Using Lightroom Keyboard Shortcuts

If you want more comprehensive assistance with Lightroom all in one course – check out our Lightroom for Photographers course.

About Darlene Hildebrandt

Darlene Hildebrandt, Master of Photographic Arts (MPA), is a Canadian photography educator and the founder of Digital Photo Mentor. She holds Canada's highest professional photography designation from Professional Photographers of Canada, served as Managing Editor of Digital Photography School, and represented Canada on Team Canada at the 2025 World Photographic Cup. With over 35 years of experience, from darkroom film retouching to modern digital editing, more than 17,000 students have learned to edit with confidence through her structured online courses in Luminar Neo and Lightroom Classic and the Digital Photo Mentor Community.

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