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05/20/2008 11:01:12 AM · #1 |
The Problem
a choatic disorganised system of saving files, with different versions of each picture....raw, psd, big jpeg for laptop monitor resolution, small jpeg for DPC or blog, all in various directories, on different discs and backups.
The Consequence
can't find photos when I need to. Dont post process them as I would like to. Have multiple duplicates and backups, all over the place.
The Equipment
Nikon D300. PS CS3. Adobe Bridge. Laptop, and now 160Gb external HDD.
The Solution Needed
An organised file system that makes sense, so that I can drag and drop files from the card to the directory on the archival hard drive right away.
How should I do this?
- transfer RAW files from the card to the external HDD, and give each file a unique name, like YYMMDD_***.NEF. This would be the date, followed by the original camera image number. That'd be unique, as long as I take less than 999 pics on a single date. Is there some batch utility that would do this for me?
- then, when I process a photo, I have YYMMDD_***.PSD, and YYMMDD_***.jpg
- if I save a sepia jpeg version, say, this might become YYMMDD_***_sepia.jpg.
But I was also thinking of having different folders, called, eg, Originals, PSD's, High Res JPEGs and Low Res JPEGs, with a version of each file saved into each of these directories.
Or, should I have a directory for each date I download images from card to HDD, with a brief descriptor, and each version of the post processed image would then stay in that folder. So, I might have a folder called 080520_BrightonBeach, in which I then have all my files nested.
Aargh, I'm confused, about the best way to do it. I want to get it right, finally.
How do you do it?
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05/20/2008 11:05:17 AM · #2 |
I order all my folders sequentially. For example: 099 - BrightonBeach
I put all the original files in that folder. I have a sub folder called "Edited" where I put all my edits, and within that folder, I have a "Web" folder for anything I save to web.
This seems to work well for me as it is easy to search folder names when looking for a topic. |
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05/20/2008 11:11:57 AM · #3 |
So, does each sequential numbered folder have it's own "edited" subfolder, and "web" folder?
Or, do you have one folder called "edited", and one folder called "web", which would then each have a subfolder called "099-BrightonBeach"? |
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05/20/2008 11:16:05 AM · #4 |
Each folder would have it's own folder system
098 - Trees
- Edited
- Web
099 - Brighton Beach
- Edited
- Web
000 - Favorites
This way everything is organized based on what I was photographing that day. I also have one folder where I put all my favorite shots so that I don't have to search through all my folders to find them.
Just one way of doing it... |
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05/20/2008 11:16:48 AM · #5 |
I shoot in RAW and keep copies of all original RAW files in folders named with a date: 2008_05_20
Within the folders I keep the renamed RAW files: 5d_20080520_9823 (camera_dateyyyymmdd_image#)
I user Renamer to rename the files from IMG_9823 replacing the IMG with 5d_20080520 (camera name + date).
When I convert RAW files to JPEGs, I put those in a separate folder: 2008_05_20_JPEG
Method in my madness... |
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05/20/2008 11:32:56 AM · #6 |
I use a simple naming convention.
I make a file..."Baseball"
I make subfiles..."Cardinals", "Cubs", "Tigers", whatever. I save my RAW images per there subfile.
In each subfile I name the image with certain aspects that make the image unique..."2008_Cardinals_AL_v1". If my image was black and white, I would name the convention as "2008_Cardinals_AL_BW_v1".
I always use 'underscores' to help read the title, and I always use 'versions' to help keep the title in order.
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05/20/2008 12:11:54 PM · #7 |
I download all images directly to a folder labelled "RAW Originals" (I only shoot RAW). I created this folder inside the Pictures folder inside my Home folder (Mac OS X). The Pictures folder also holds folders for each file format I save, i.e. TIFFs, JPEGs, dpcJPEGs, PSDs, etc. (One exception are personal/private files which I archive, edit, save, print, publish, slideshow etc. in and via iPhoto).
Files are labelled ddmmyyLocationSubject. The metadata contains keywords and additional info.
With OSX, I don't worry much about backups, since Time Machine backs up every change hourly to an external FW drive. When I replace the backup drive, I label the drive by year(s), including a secondary backup (II), and trash the contents of all image folders on the internal drive.
I've never lost a file or had to hunt for an image I couldn't locate.
Message edited by author 2008-05-20 14:38:28. |
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05/20/2008 12:49:20 PM · #8 |
mine goes like this:
2008
- 05 (month)
- - 20 - Ross Farm (day, subject)
the final file contains all images, RAW, PSDs and final JPEGs or TIFFs. I use metatdata to do a quick keyword - usually just the subject name. that's it. it's straighforward and seems to work quite well for me.
eta: if a shoot is very big, like for a wedding etc., then each section of the shoot gets its own sub-folder (prep, ceremony, formals, cake, party, etc.)
Message edited by author 2008-05-20 12:51:05.
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