How do you label your image files?

[CJMORGAN59]

With digital, the number of images one shoots can quickly add up. Organizing them can be a challenge.

I thought about re-labeling my files like: 020331-0004.jpg to represent the forth image shot on the 31st of March, 2002. But perhaps there's a better system.

Although I appreciate that there's an infinite number of ways one could catalogue their images, I'm curious: what do each of you find to be the best method of labeling your image files for yourself?

CJ

[dn7elson]

You are expecting consistency ;) .....

I actually find that I use different numbering systems for different uses.

For my project (RE development) photos and other general categories, I will generally label them by a short project name and run the numbers sequentially.

For time sensitive (construction progress photos) I will generally use a date based format like you referred to YYMMDD-0001 etc. This allows for easy sorting of the images by date and file number. I use subdirectories to separate the various projects to minimize the file name size, although you could prepend or append this to the date-file format and have it all-in-one. Pick the name carefully so that your sorting results will be as you intend/desire them to be.

The thumbnail & graphics utility that I mentioned before (ThumbsPlus) has an option to use a Microsoft Access format for its index allowing you to use Access to query your graphics files. For someone that takes 1,000s of photos a year, this would make storing, tracking and retrieving a simple matter.


cjmorgan59 wrote:

With digital, the number of images one shoots can what do each of you find to be the best method of labeling your image files for yourself?

CJ

[gerry]

is there a fast way to rename files on mac?

[GenDEM]

I have a small perl script that renames my converted RAW G1 pictures from CRW_147-4971.jpg (or however it names in the camera, I can't remember) to just 4971.jpg. I then, by hand, rename it like this for travel photos:
"City Name - What it is (number).jpg"
for example
"Munich - Unser Lieber Frau Kirche (4171).jpg"

For non-location shots, like of animals or friends, just like this:
"Who/What it is (number).jpg"
Like this:
"Dragonfly (1228).jpg"

Tedious but worth the effort for me. I just wish there was some standard way to add notes to am image, not to a databse liked to the image, that wouldn't get smoked everything I edit the image :(.

I also keep the original RAW file in an archive directory.

[CJMORGAN59]

gendem wrote:
I have a small perl script that renames my converted RAW G1 pictures from CRW_147-4971.jpg (or however it names in the camera, I can't remember) to just 4971.jpg. I then, by hand, rename it like this for travel photos:
"City Name - What it is (number).jpg"
for example
"Munich - Unser Lieber Frau Kirche (4171).jpg"


If you're doing a lot of these all with the same name (but just changing the number with each file) then I came across a program the other day which might be of use (or at least I've found it useful for re-numbering files). It called CKRename and can be found at:

http://www.musicsucks.com/CKSoft/CKRename/

CJ

[pvdiamon]

I'm glad this topic came up. I am not sure what software to use. I download to Zoombrowser, but it doesn't let me change directories, or make new directories. So when you say you use subdirectories, do you create them FIRST, before downloading? And then register them before downloading? (How does one find this stuff out?)

Also, once I have downloaded to a directory, some photos need to be moved to other subdirectories. Again, with zoom browser, it gets screwy because of the registering nonsense. If you do it in another program, it seems to cause problems with the registry.

So, how do you manage subdirectories? Thanks, this will help immensely!!!!!

[onehotrx7]

Zoombrowser downloads the images to the image folder that you currently have open - it does indeed allow you to create new folders, from memory (I gave up on it once I tried breezebrowser) it's an option up in the file menu...

If you use the breezedownloader, it allows you to change the directory at the time of download, as an option under preferences... it also puts all the exif information into a txt file, so even if you lose the data when editing, it's still available (and breezebrowser will rename the exif if you rename the file within bb, and can also insert the exif data back into the file...)

Cheers,
Stuart

[zoobiewa]

I take on average about 1-2000 pictures a month with my g2. This is basically my current hobby: keeping a photo journal. I use a program (not-zoombrowser) to take the images off the camera. This renames them as something like IMG-0000.JPG. I leave them like this, but throw them into folders every thousand or so photos that I get. I also delete any blurry ones. Now, out of these pictures, I take the best 50 and make a set out of it. I usually have about 50 pictures that I am really proud of out of about 500 pictures. These I name using a renaming program, and use a very specific format so that I can post them to the web and use a simple search and replace to create an html file. the format for this is :

s-setname-01
all the way to
s-setname-50 for thumbnails

For the resized web version of the file I use this format:

z-setname-01
all the way to
z-setname-50

This way I can place the index.html file into the folder and ALWAYS have it as the first file, which is great for organization. I also have a zip file in the folder which is named _setname.zip, which holds all the full-sized original images with all the metadata. The set is set and the organization is complete!

[pvdiamon]

Thanks Stuart--I have now figured out how to add a subfolder in Zoom browser. It seems I am in the minority still trying to use it, but I want to try a bit longer before giving in and springing for breeze.

One further question on zoombrowser--I have directories in the wrong place, etc. I think I can now avoid that in the future. However, in windows explorer, I show some directories that don't even seem to show when I try to register them. What is the best way to simply start over? (I don't yet have an overwhelming number of photos). Do I deregister everything, fix it in windows explorer, and then reregister those directories? I don't want to lose any shots. Thanks.

John