Organizing photos

[handicap18]

I keep my digital image files the same way I kept my photo albums: In order I take the picture.

When I download my RAW files I use Nikon Transfer and have it set up to automatically to download to 2 different hard drives, 1 internal and 1 external. Each RAW file is then sorted by year and month taken.

Same thing for JPEG's. I have a file under My Pictures for each year. Within each year is each month. I don't change the file names so they are the same that the camera creates (until I get over 9,999, then I have the transfer software add a 1 at the beginning to make a 5 digit number to keep then in order).

If I edit any images they go in a seperate folder (still keeping the original in the original folder). For me this system works.

When I first went digital I would change the file names and had all kinds of folder, but I found it way to much work to eventually not only sort the images, but then to find them later. I then went to a 4 folder system under each year, but I was taking to many pictures. Doing it monthy makes the folder smaller. I can find an image just as fast as someone else can with using all those tags and what not. I don't like using Lightroom for that kind of thing, to me its extra work to get the same thing done. However, I will say that everyone has their system that works for them, so go with what YOU find the best.

 

[SharonLovesMickey]

I store my photos by year-->month-->event

I backup all my photos and share them on www.smugmug.com

 

[wdwwishes]

I'm a Mac user and use iPhoto. The photos are arranged into one main "photo library" as well as by events. You then give each event a name. You can also assign keywords and ratings to your photos. To search the photos you can do so by event name, keyword (s), rating or date. I find it a nice system. I do have a backup hard drive but still burn all of my photos to c.d.s

 

[DisneydaveCT]

My system is similar to others on this thread.

I have folders for each year, followed by subject folders (a series of photos of one subject) or monthly folders (for everyday life photos). If I decide to keep the photos after reviewing them on the computer, I rename each photo with one or two words for the subject with the numerical date of the photo. For example, "SpaceshipEarth010109." If I save multiples of the same subject, shot on the same day, then I add a letter to the end...SpaceshipEarth010109a.

Part of the reason I name my files this way is that I use a commercial printing service, which also prints the name on the back of the photo. So if someone is looking at one of my photo albums and they want a copy of the print, it is easy for me to find it in one of my storage systems. I save copies on flash drives and on-line.

 

[tubachick]

I keep various folders on the cpu with name date like many of the others here, I burn CD's of large events or trips, or Months if not one large event. I also back up on-line and on an external hard drive.

 

[rileysmommy]

I have a folder listed for each year. 2007, 2008, etc.

Within each year's folder I have monthly folders. Jan, Feb, etc.

Within each month's folder I have folders with each event. In Dec's folder I have folders labeled Christmas morning, dance recital, decorating the tree, etc.

I try to remember to burn the monthly folder at the end of every month but I am really bad about it. I do need to go burn the 2008 folder right now. I keep all my photos on my EHD.

The only exception to this filing system is Disney. They get their own folder and their own CD's burned because there is just too many photos.

 

[blackears]

I make a master folder for the year, another folder w/i the year folder for each month. My PSE 7 downloads according to the date, I just have to select w/ folder to put it in. If I need to remember something particular about that date, then I add it onto the date name (11-19-08-Kevin's Bday party) Pretty simple so far, now I just have to work on back-up to DVD...

 

[KarenAylwood]

All of my folders are labelled as such: Year_Month_Date_Event

For example: 2008_12_25 Christmas or 2008_05_15 Mom's Visit (even though the pics went from the 15th to the 20th, I have the day as the start date).

That way I have it by date, but I also know what the event was just by looking at the folder.

I have them on my computer hard drive only when they are not backed up. When I get about 2 GB worth of pics, I backup. I burn them on a DVD, upload to smugmug and put on my external hard drive all at the same time. Then I delete from my computer (I don't have enough space to keep everything... I'm hovering at over 26GB worth of pics from the last two years!).

I put them on DVDs because they hold so much more. Each DVD is labelled 2008: Jan-November, or Disney: 2007 & 2008, etc.

I'd love to use Bridge to organize and put key words and such, but I just haven't had the time yet. I got my XSi in August and have been shooting too much to keep up! I'm just lucky I am diligent enough to back them up on a regular basis

 

[qtzar]

I use Lightroom to import my shots in a folder structure of Year\MonthNumber\DayNumber so December 25th of 2008 would be in 2008\12\25. This import routine is an easy to select option in the lightroom import screen.

The folder structure is sitting on a 3 terabyte Network Attached Storage device which is setup in a RAID5 configuration which means if one of the disks in the array goes bad the pictures are safe and can be recovered once the bad disk is replaced.

When importing into Lightroom I attach keywords to the pictures to help make finding them faster. So if i need to find Christmas pictures from Disney I can do a search for 'WDW XMAS' and it will pull them all up.

Once the images are imported into Lightroom I'll examine all of them and give them ratings and delete any images which did not turn out good. There is no point in keeping bad images, they just take up disk space.

After rating the images I'll do a small bit of post processing on the 5 star images to make them as good as possible and then I'll export them in full quality into Flickr and export them a bit smaller into iPhoto so I can sync them to my iPhone.

Hope this little workflow helps.

 

[PixieDust32]

Organized me???? Oh boy I don't think so. I do try.

 

[PhotobearSam]

We just got a 1 TB external hard drive so I was wondering what way is best...Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Groucho]

i haven't used lightroom for the organization area yet although i do keyword stuff to make it easier(if i do) later...i save all my stuff under a main folder that lets me know what it is ie "zoo" then a subfolder that describes it...ie "dec gorilla photos" , " 08 touch tank" what ever...numbers and dates mean nothing to me so i use as few as i can i am paranoid about saying my computer space so that is why i haven't used lightroom's yet...it's on my c drive although maybe i can use it and actually save them someplace else...(i need to do some lightroom book learnin'). i back up to dvd and save them all there as well. i haven't even looked at the vista photo stuff since i am happy with what i am doing

What is it that you're worried about Lightroom saving? It leaves the photos wherever they are now, no need to more them around. The catalog will probably be on your C: drive (though you can put it anywhere you want), but it's relatively small - I've got almost 22,000 photos in mine and it's all of 254 megs. It does have a camera raw cache that's a gig... but hey, if you have the hard drive space, it's just going to waste if you don't use it.

 

[ssanders79]

1. I offload the images from the memory card to my laptop using Bridge.
2. Tag the images using Bridge.
3. The images are saved in folders on my HDD. 1 folder per day. ie. 20090105.
3. When I get to about 3 GB I burn them to a DVDr.
4. I verify the images are burned and delete the files from the HDD.
5. The DVDr is put into a fireproof box.

My method is not ideal as I only have immediate access to the most recent files on my laptop, but I am OK with that.

 

[anut4disney]

Organized me???? Oh boy I don't think so. I do try.

Bless you I thought I was the only one.

 

[ALittleDisneyFan]

When I upload mine to the computer I date the file names and then stick them into the designated Month folder. Once the year is done I stick all the monthly folders into 1 year folder.

 

[princess-lola]

After I get my photos downloaded on the computer, I edit them if needed, then I put them in their correct file.
I have five folders: dogs doing cute stuff, birds, outside photos, everything else and holiday photographs. I'll probably make more folders one day; but for now that system is working fine for me.

 

[npmommie]

thanks for all the great suggestions! I reorganized my pics into yearly folders, and subfolders by the month.
I still have to get organized with backing up to cd. I also have Picasa, but I don't know if this qualifies as online storage? i like it though because i can browse thru my pics and see them all.
i may look into smug mug

 

[rtphokie]

download

I copy photos off CF cards onto my PC using picassa. Delete the duds, edit the good ones, organize them by folder, tag the ones I want to upload and then upload them straight to SmugMug all from Picassa.

The thing I like about Picassa is that it doesn't maintain much of a database of it's own. It organizes things by folder just like your PC does. I used Adobe Lightroom's predecessor (I forget the name, it was much cheaper and much less feature right) and it maintained it's own database rather than move files around by folder. When that database got corrupted (and it did, a lot), all the organization work I'd done was lost. If you move around photos outside of the program, it would really confuse it.

Picassa is simple and as effective because of that simplicity.

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

Can someone help me know if I have my facts straight?
Picasa organizes pixs on your computer and also stores online?
however Picasa is not unlimited storage?
Smugmug is online storage only - unlimited with paid plan?

I am looking a new program to help me organize my photos - right now I use pictureproject and I hate it! I'm still a newby to digital and I don't do much with editing - but I am trying to learn more. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!
TIA
Ellen

 

[sixbits8]

Is anybody aware of any software that will help me organize all of my digital pictures? I have pictures from 3 different cameras and I need to get them is some kind of order. I take a look at them, get overwhelmed, then get a headache! I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks!