RAitch these days started a thread "Workflow (from camera forward)". The replies were sparse, lean and not too optimistic. So I had a go at it und herewith start a new thread under the question RAitch formulated: "How do you manage your photos?" Thereby I keep in mind that your mileage may vary…
Any purely additive, any intuitive as well as any too elaborate system breaks down sooner or later. I originally intended to use hierarchical keywords, ie any lower level keyword is contained in the next upper level. Nice idea, but far beyond amateur practice - just as chris.bailey said: "is probably overkill and takes an age". And the very limited approach of attaching keywords in any case leads to very unwieldy file names. Only a so called Random Access System looks promising – similar to the computer's RAM or Random Access Memory. It doesn't matter where something is, provided you can access it quickly.
And this is what I do – with 7000 shots so far.
The Master Rule is "Severe Selection". I weed out newer and older directories ever again. As time goes by, the selection gets tighter, and what remains is ever more pleasing to look at. This is an excellent training for the "photo eye" too. The 7000 shots have been boiled down to presently less than 2000, including edited versions.
There are two aspects of a "RAS": firstly, a unique identification and location for every image, and secondly, means of access to any required image on shortest possible notice.
Firstly, identification and location:
Folder structure:
- top folder "images" (preferably NOT in the C:/ system partition!)
- folders by the year, "2003" - "2004" - "2005"
- sub-folders "year&week", ie "515", standing for week 15 in 2005, 11. to 17. April 2005
- images downloaded via card reader into the "year&week" folder – using Total Commander (TC)
The aim is to have the least possible number of folders within the year, and the shortest possible identifier. This reduces clicking, scrolling and reading on access to an absolute minimum. Using the full calendar date obscures the purpose and produces too many folders. Using the month means folders containing far too many images. Therefore I use weeks, in a flexible manner, as follows.
- rename the jpg files to "515_[consecutive number]_.jpg" (using TC)
- the consecutive number has 2 or more digits, with leading zeros for proper sorting
- crw files go to a sub-folder within "515" named "crw" and get the leading "IMG_[and any superfluous digits]" replaced with "515_". This establishes the time stamp and maintains the crw/thm pairs.
So we get typical file names like "515_08_.jpg" – with the utmost brevity in mind. The underscores improve readability and mnemonics. (Forget about repeat folders and files in 10 years time, they won't interfere with each other.)
Within the same folder "515", images of following weeks (in case of rainy weather etc) can be stored too and get appropriate leading digits "516", "517" etc., until a new folder, eg "518", is created to accommodate more bulk. If the constant weeding results in folders with little content, these images are moved to the next earlier folder and the empty folder is deleted - structure maintained.
Opposed to melding weeks into one folder, any folder can be split to suit current requirements, probably using an additional digit for time and/or number, eg "5152_281_.jpg" on Tuesday of week 515. That should cater for the most shutter happy or professional photographer, while remaining consistent with system and sorting.
The "year&week" structure has one more big advantage: I can swiftly enter the corresponding folders of earlier years, to see what happened then and to gain hints of seasonal topics, for impro*ve*ment and repeat shootings. The randomised content of any folder is rather of advantage than disadvantage, representing the inspiring versatility of photography. And anyhow, shots in the same context as a rule stay together.
Valid jpg's are retained. Edited jpg's remain as tif's (or appropriate) in the same parent folder. Converted crw's with new extension go into the parent directory, retaining their name for traceability. For the same reason, edited versions get a postfix like "515_08_a.tif", _ab, _abc, abc2 etc., reflecting the editing family tree.
Many people emphasize the need to downsample image files for smaller prints – I don't. My Canon printer's driver flawlessly produces crisp 4x6 prints from 10MB tif files – so why worry? The benefits are manifold: reduced file count, confusion and space requirements, and most importantly: any additional editing to the print version pertains to all eventual end uses. Down*sampling of course is required for Web and Mail use, where I often add the size to the file name, eg. "515_08_abc_600x255.jpg".
Now the crucial access issue, with two approaches I use:
ThumbsPlus (TP) provides so called Galleries, containing links to and thumbnails of the original images - while these remain firmly located in their "year&week" folder. For every interesting topic, a new Gallery is established and pertaining proxy information continuously added to it. Any image can belong to any number of Galleries – this somehow simulating a keyword approach. As the images keep their native name, they are easily accessed within the "year&week" structure.
But my prime access on shortest possible notice is a simple Excel file. For every "year&week" folder, I describe in plain language its content: events, locations, persons, buildings, nature, subjective impressions and experiences - you name it. A typical entry for a single event or topic folder or for images belonging together could run half a line. Not even the date is needed, as it is part of the folder and file names.
We can add any comment we feel like, technical or otherwise. We can use codes and color to identify particular images or topics. We can add/insert new info at any later date - eg pertaining to editing, exhibition, publication, sale, customers, price etc. By plain visual scanning and/or using Ctrl+F, we can search the whole content, and then locate the pertaining image files is as easy as before.
In TP, the thumbnail or slideshow views allow to visually scan any identified folder, even containing a large number of images - keeping in mind that I know what I'm looking for. (Other thumb*nail/album software or even IrfanView will probably do just as well.)
For backup, I copy the TP database, the Excel file and all current images to a second harddisc, and - since the total volume remains moderate due to the ongoing weeding - every now and again I save all this on DVD-RW's.
An Optimistic Approach
Such a RAS - Random Access System - can be implemented starting NOW, TODAY. This takes care of the future and prevents a continuously growing cemetery. Then the past can gradually be tackled as mood permits: open new "year&week" folders, assigning pertaining files to them according to file date, weeding out the duds and renaming the rest according to the above rules as consistently as possible. That should be a pleasant undertaking, being constantly aware that things keep improving.
The RAS as suggested keeps me constantly aware of my entire photographic treasures and thereby increases the emotional gain and pleasure I derive from it.
I really hope this helps - enjoy!
flowe
