How do you organize your photos?

[dgiglio3087]

I've been trying to get a better system for organizing my photos, and I'm just not sure how I should do it. So you just finished shooting some photos and now it's time to take your sd card and upload them to your computer. Do you just take what's on the card and make it a folder with date or name? Or do you sort the photos into categories like "fish" with a sub folder for each kind of fish? Or are you using software to sort for you? I use a Mac and I have used iPhoto but I'm not confident in it just because of the way when you delete a photo it doesn't really delete it off your computer just out of iphoto kinda like iTunes. Plus the sorting on it sucks either way

 

[CJO]

I just have mine under an aquarium folder and then under dated folders.

CJ

 

[swannyson7]

I have mine categorized by FTS, PTS (partial), SPS, LPS, Softies. The coral folders are subdivided into each coral with dates so that I can keep track of growth progression.

 

[Mitchell]

I name a master folder with the location/name of each job. Then I have a sub folder with the date. ( I shoot at the same LFS's on a weekly basis) I upload everything into the date folder. I then back up to an external drive and I burn a dvd or 2 or 3...Kind of redundant I know but Hard Drives are meant to fail at some point so I have to be prepared.

Inside that dated folder I have several others...a working folder, a finished folder and a 800dpi folder for my internet uploads...its sounds confusing but it all makes sense to me. lol

 

[dgiglio3087]

There isnt a wrong answer , I'm just trying to see what works well for others

 

[keokea]

I use adobe bridge for everything, Then it's backed up on a external hdd along with the home media server. I like swannyson7 sub directory method though, also like Mitchell said hard drives fail

 

[cdness]

I have things separated in a multi-tiered folder structure as well. Sometimes it is confusing but it works for me... Examples below

Top Tier: Family, Pets, Trips,

Under Pets I have: Big Guy (Dragon), Lenny (Turtle), Chinchillas, Reef Aquarium

Under Reef Aquarium it is organized by year folders. Under the year folders are monthly folders. Within the monthly folders are subfolders for when I edit a photo (to save the original) and if I upload them to PhotoBucket pre-formatted...

May not be the best but it works.

For backup I have been looking into Carbonite as I need to find something Off-Site. It takes at least 15 DVDs to back up my pictures and hard drives do fail...

 

[Paul_N]

I have folders for different topics like, House,reef, halloween 09, Christmas 08...etc If I am in a hurry I just have a folder on my desktop to dump the pics in to be sorted later called New Pics.

 

[Gitsoe]

pretty much like everyone but I use Adobe Light Room or Aperture

 

[dgiglio3087]

I have folders for different topics like, House,reef, halloween 09, Christmas 08...etc If I am in a hurry I just have a folder on my desktop to dump the pics in to be sorted later called New Pics.

Thats the approach ive been taking, and it seems to be working although i end up with a few folders with only 1-2 things in each one.

 

[Paul_N]

Thats the approach ive been taking, and it seems to be working although i end up with a few folders with only 1-2 things in each one.

Just means you're not taking enough photos....lol :tongue:

 

[dgiglio3087]

Ya u right ha