Lightroom newbie dilemma

[9.3]

I'm having problems - I've used Photoshop Elements for years, know it inside out, but Lightroom is defeating me .....
I seem to have managed to upload into the catalogue (?) a load of images off my hard drive, but they seem all jumbled up, stuff from 4 years ago alongside last weeks. I cannot make head or tail of it trying to organise images I want to open. I keep seeing screenshots of thumbnail images all over the screen but I've never got that, just a strip of them across the bottom.
I've YouTubed and Googled until I'm blue in the face to just try and get the Library bit sorted, but even now I can't find how to upload photos I've taken today.
Can anyone recommend a site/book/YouTube that can guide a seemingly complete idiot through the basics?

[Otispunkmeyer]

There is a way to sort images via date or whatever. Its not that easy to find IMO but its there. I think you need to be in the Library tab.

If you've put in a load of photos on I think you can just delete the catalog, and start a new one. LR is none-destructive so your original images always remain original.

[ian in lancs]

library / View menu / sort / capture date

[ian in lancs]

library / View menu / grid

will give you thumbnails

[9.3]

ian in lancs said:

library / View menu / grid

will give you thumbnails

Thanks Ian but I only get this. I'm using Adobe Cloud Lightroom so I'm presuming it's the up to date version.

[Otispunkmeyer]

In the Library window (not the drop down menu) then click on view (next to metadata) from the drop down menus at the top. Alternatively:

if you look along the bottom, next to the buttons "Import..." "Export..." you will see some icons. One that looks like a grid (gives you grid view of thumbnails. A square (gives you just the image thumbnail you have selected). X|Y which I think is some kind of comparison window. Theres a few others, but if you keep going along you will see "Sort" with a selectable option next to it. You can then sort by:

Capture time
Added order
Edit time
Edit count
Rating
Pick
Label text
Label colour
Filename
FileExtension
File Type
Aspect Ratio
Custom.

The A/Z icon with the arrows just flips which ever sorting method you picked (i.e. earliest date first or last).

[ian in lancs]

Library module

View menu
[
url]|http://thumbsnap.com/TTAgoPk7[/url]

[Craikeybaby]

ian in lancs said:

library / View menu / grid

will give you thumbnails

Or just press "G" on your keyboard.

With regards to books etc I find Adobe's guides to be helpful, they have a lot on their website and it is really worth working through it, before diving in.

I'd recommend creating a new catalog and just importing the new photos that you want to work with, this will help you learn the software and work out how you need to structure your files etc before importing the rest of your images.