Photo Organization
I'm looking for a way to organize my photo image files. I have countless files, jpg and raw. As of now they are just being sorted by date. This is OK for now, but doesn't make for a very organized library. What are some way that you are handling your file sorting, organizing methods, etc.
Is there software you're using you can recommend. I'm open to all ideas.
Thanks
Is there software you're using you can recommend. I'm open to all ideas.
Thanks
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Eric Welsch on -
I can create and manage folders. I am looking for a better way to organize what I have. Either by subject, date, style, etc.
-
Permalink Reply by CameraClicker on -
In the early days of computing, upgrading a program that organized your photos meant re-organizing all your photos. Being jaded, I just keep mine in sets of folders, one branch for RAW and one for JPEG. Each branch contains years which contain months and in the months folders there may be folders for topics or events.
If you want software, try Lightroom. You can download a trial from Adobe. It will let you add tags and quality indicators so you can do searches.
-
Permalink Reply by nathan mccreery on -
File your photographs using a date system of some sort, as you now are, then create a separate subject index, perhaps as an Excel document. For instance a folder of sunsets then just list the dates in it. I'm certain you could probably add a thumbnail. At one time I had over 300,000 negs on file of portrait sessions. That would be unmanageable without a numbering system. Each file had a name and a file number and we kept the file by file number, cross indexed to name, in a master file. For instance Jones Family - 2010 file #30,010. Filed as Jones family with all their information and the file #. Look up the name, get the file #, find the file. I'm certain some derivative of that could be used.
-
Permalink Reply by Sherry Webb on -
As far as software, it depends on budget and what you really need. I currently use Photoshop Elements 7 and am able to create smart albums or albums and tag by keywords...such as flowers or pink flowers or what have you. Once I have organized myself, I can then edit my photo using "elements" of photoshop. So far, it has done a very good job for me and cost me around 150 or less. At some point, I do want to try Lightroom....I hear you can do many of the same things as you can in photoshop elements as far as organizing into albums, tags etc...I think it has the ability to do some basic editing as well such as sharpen etc...I have not however had the pleasure of working in Lightroom ... yet. I think you also benefit from having Adobe CS5 or what ever version you can pick up. To me personally, obtaining both lightroom and CS5 is an absolute budget breaker...you can probably buy a new Canon 60D for the same price. I have heard of others but, it wasn't photoshp so I qiickly forgot them....lol
-
Permalink Reply by Eric Welsch on
-
As I read your replies, I think what I'm trying to do is categorize and do sorting of the files. When I download files from my camera, I now use Canon's Digital Photo Professional. It creates the folders by photo creation date. That type of simple organization seems ok. What I'd like to do is then have the ability to call up all photos with a similar topic, no matter when they were taken. I guess that would be more of a software thing. Something that would work similar to music or MP3 sorting. Like by genre, artist, album, etc.
-
Permalink Reply by Eric Welsch on
-
I came across some software on www.photools.com called IMatch. Has anyone used or know of it?
-
Permalink Reply by Lance on -
After trying a few different applications I settled on ACDSee PRO (now up to v.3 and beta testing v.4). My method, with all files I create, not only image files, is to label them with the International Date Standard. That system shows the dates as "YYYY-MM-DD". Using that method files will sort both chronologically and numerically. When I import images from my camera's SD card, I rename them using the file properties (without extension) that has been added by my computer, and labelling with a suitable subject. As an example, an image file reads like this:
2010-10-30 07-42-14 - IMG_9152 Rainbow Lorikeet
ACDSee allows batch renaming, so once I type in a subject (Rainbow Lorikeet, from the above example) and choose to add File Properties to the beginning of the name, ACDSee will rename however many files I have chosen, and place them in the folder I nominate.
My images are filed in folders, sub-folders and in many cases, sub-sub-folders. For example, I take a lot of images of birds, so the main folder is named "BIRDLIFE", while the sub-folders in Birdlife are named individually with name of each bird variety. Similarly, I do that with say family photos (genealogy is one of my other interests). I have a folder labelled "FAMILIES", with the sub-folders named with SURNAME FIRST NAMES for each family group . Holiday and day trips are treated similarly, as another example. I have attached a partial view of some of the folders as they are displayed in ACDSee.
ACDSee allows categories and tags which I use extensively. Searches can be conducted using tags or categories. However, because of the way my folder system is structured, I usually don't have to resort to using the search facility all that often.
If anyone is interested in the technical reasons for the International Date Standard, this site explains it in full detail:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/iso-time.html - Attachments:
-
Permalink Reply by Eric Welsch on
-
I appreciate the information. Thank you very much.
-
Permalink Reply by Katie Vanderhaeghe on -
This is something that I have struggled with, and for a long time somewhat ignored (which I definitely do not recommend for anyone). One day I noticed I had literally more than a hundred folders all titled with the date.. ahk. Now I use mother folders for the year, and then inside I have folders for each month, then inside that are all my individual folders that are titled something appropriate, or if they are just snap shots from that day then I sometimes just leave the date as the title). Whenever I resize/edit images then I make a folder inside the folder. I also use rating systems to quickly see the best images in the folder, and I have just recently started going back and adding tags to my images, since it is still tedious to find images of specific things instead of specific events.
-
Permalink Reply by Lance on
-
Good to read you are now "tagging", Katie - it is so important. Your folder structure sounds similar to mine. ACDSee has a ratings system, though I must admit I have not used that, so your message has prompted me to look at that aspect of it too :-). With any type of "filing" on the computer, it is so easy to fall into the trap of "I'll do that later" but "later" gets further and further away. And before long, the files and folders are one big mess :-(. You seem to be well-organized now, so it must be a breeze to flow to what you need.
-
Permalink Reply by Ana King on -
Very good advice, For me it's finding the time. :\
The day job reigns supreme..
Recommended:
Latest Activity
Glenn P replied to Chris (Frog)'s discussion JUNE 1st, 2012 PICTURESOCIAL DAILY CHATTER AND PHOTO SHARING AND THE MACRO THEMES. in the group PictureSocial Daily Sharing and Chatter Forum"Yes, adorable indeed."
Glenn P replied to Chris (Frog)'s discussion JUNE 1st, 2012 PICTURESOCIAL DAILY CHATTER AND PHOTO SHARING AND THE MACRO THEMES. in the group PictureSocial Daily Sharing and Chatter Forum"Looks fun but cold."
Free Photography Tips
We offer free daily photography tips for all experience levels. Click Here to Subscribe Now!.
© 2012 Created by PictureSocial.com.
