Organizing Your Images
(Short Version)
by Wren McMains
-
Transfer Images from Camera Card to an "Originals" folder.
- I recommend limiting the overall size of these folders to what fits on DVD (or CD if you can't burn DVDs).
- I find keeping originals organized chronologically works well.
- I keep my folder names short (see long version for my reasons).
-
Rename during the copy using a naming convention you like, but one that guarantees all names will be unique.
- Keep the names of the original files short.
- Names like DSC_2199 aren't very useful, everyone with a Nikon camera has images with names like that. When you see an image with a name like this you have no idea where it came from.
- I recommend using your initials as part of the name.
- Use a convention that allows unique names if you take over 10,000 pictures or you buy a new camera.
- FastStone is great for this step because it has a powerful "rename during download" feature.
- Click for screen shots of using FastStone download and rename and Suggestions for Naming from the long version.
-
(Optional) Tag images by adding keywords.
- When people talk about tagging images they may be referring to either adding keywords or to rating images.
- Keywords allow you to search for images in a large image database based on individual or combinations of keywords which describe the image.
- This is also a good time to store your Copyright in the image file if your camera hasn't done it for you automatically.
- When adding keywords be sure you use software that stores the keywords inside the images, not in the program's database. You never want to become wed to a particular program, something better will always come along.
- For more on keywords, see the long version.
-
(Optional) Batch conversion of RAW images.
- I shoot RAW 99.4% of the time, but like having JPG images because they're quicker to review and for a lot of website work are all I need. I highly recommend shooting in RAW; its sure nice to have the RAW version when you need it. For the details of this process, see Batch RAW Conversion in the long version.
-
View the images and tag (rate) any you like; the ones worth showing someone else, or maybe printing.
- Adobe Bridge allows you to tag images using a 5 star rating system.
- FastStone allows you to tag your favorites.
- Click for screen shots of using FastStone tagging.
-
Copy the "tagged" (highly rated) images to a subject folder.
- For the subject folders use names that makes sense to you and describe the shoot.
- I organize my subject folders by year, but depending on what you shoot another organization structure may make more sense for you ... by organization structure I mean you don't want to have to look through hundreds of folders to find the folder you're looking for, you want to group the folders for each shoot under other folders which have names that describe the entire group.
- Don't worry much about this, it's easy to change this structure later. (Unlike the names of original images which you should never change.)
- Personally I avoid names with spaces and special characters in them, I find that if I use a capitol letter at the start of each word, or use a hyphen or underscore as a word break, it's easy to read the name and I won't have trouble later when using the name for files and folders on the internet (or in certain programs I like to use).
- For example, I might have subject folders like: SusansBirthday, WashingtonDC-May2008, JohnSmith, etc.
- Although I group my subject folders by year, you might have groups like: Portraits2008, BlueHerons, Travel, Family2008, or whatever makes sense based on what you shoot.
-
Only edit images in your subject folders, this protects the original images.
- When creating variations, I always keep the original image name as part of the new name. This allows me to find the original version of any image should the need arise in the future.
- I like to keep only one copy of each image in the subject folder; this makes it easy to show someone the images without their having to look at several variations. I keep PSD versions and any variations in a sub-folder where I can easily find them in the future.
-
I know there is all kinds of software that organize your images for you without your "doing anything", but ...
- If you organize into folder structures that make sense to you and you know the locations of these folders you never have trouble backing up and/or loosing images.
- Avoid software that builds a database of keywords without storing the keywords in the image files ... you'll loose all your work when you find better software to use and now you'll also have the problem of backing up this database as well as your images.
- Note: Photoshop stores the keywords and ratings for RAW files in associated the XMP file. When moving or copying files, be sure you keep these files together.
- Backup your images, especially the originals.
Suggested next choices:
ImagingTips.com Site Map
2388