Organization suggestions

[Newtricks]

Feel the need to update the way I file and index photo files. Shooting film I simply placed new negatives in archival sheets, added the sheets to numbered 4" ring binders, putting the most resent on top and kept a log of what was in which binder, when a binder was full started a new one, when I started shooting digital last year (for what ever reason) I put raw files in dated folders... this isn't working, makes finding things a nightmare. I'm experiencing a rather nasty bout of gout at the moment, since my days are spent with my foot either up on pillows or the desk (putting a sock on my left foot is excruciation) I figured this is as good time as any to reorganize. I'm thinking of putting everything uploaded from the camera to the computer in one file and everything converted to JPEG in another.

1. What filing system do you use, why and how does it work?

2. Is there a way to reset light room, meaning remove everything from the library and start anew?

Thanks,

Anthony

 

[AceCo55]

I shoot almost exclusively sports - if that's what you shoot I will come back and explain my system.
If you don't shoot sports then I suspect my system will not be relevant.
I will say I keep three versions (minimum) of each photo. The ingested JPEG goes into an "original" folder, a copy that gets edited goes into an "edit" folder and a resized version of the edited file goes into a "DVD" folder. I use these latter ones for creating season slideshows of teams.
The three folders all stay in each team's folder.

Can you categorise your shooting?

 

[KmH]

If you don't already have it I highly recommend - The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers

Lightroom is not a file management application, it is a database management application.
File management and database management are very different.
Image file database management is Lightroom's primary reason for being.

None of your image files are in Lightroom. Lightroom only keeps track of where on your computer (the memory path) the image files reside.
That's why if you move an image file using your computer's file management tools instead of using Lightroom's Library module to do so, Lightroom no longer knows where the image file is on your computer.

Some other key things to remember about Lightroom:
• Lightroom can only access 1 catalog at a time. So if you want the advantages of Lightroom's database management system ALL of your images you want Lightroom to keep track off need to be in a single catalog folder, that then has sub-folders that segregate your image files based on how you have decided to keep them organized.
• Using Lightroom's Collections feature and database management capability, you can make virtual folders (Collections) in the Library module that contain images from any variety of those sub-folders you have in the Catalog file in your computers memory. A Collection looks like a folder in your computer's memory but it isn't. It's just Lightroom putting all the various image file memory path information in a virtual folder.

 

[Newtricks]

I shoot almost exclusively sports - if that's what you shoot I will come back and explain my system.

I shoot almost exclusively birds, some other critters get in there from time to time.

 

[Derrel]

One big tip is to add keywords to your photos. You can type in a bunch of keywords, and paste them to multiple images in one operation. Keywords like "GBH", or "robin," or "red-tailed hawk", or "seagull" will help you zero in on entire sets of widely-separated images. Adding location information will help a ton too, like "Hwy 101", or "San Diego," or whatever.

 

[Newtricks]

Thanks Derrel.

 

[KmH]

Keywords are what make Lightroom's database management and search capability work.

That and more is covered in the book I recommended.

 

[JacaRanda]

Yup, keywords, star ratings, color codes etc.

 

[AceCo55]

EDIT: I created some lists below with different levels indented by certain amounts. However this formatting got lost when I posted. Hopefully it won't be too confusing.
Not sure how applicable my sports file organisation will be to you.
I divide all my sports photos into different sports and then within each sport they are divided again into the different levels/grades.
01 FOOTBALL
* A Grade
* B Grade
* Senior Colts
* Junior Colts
02 TENNIS
Seniors
* Town 1
* Town 2
* Town 3
Juniors
* Girls
* Boys
Within each of those are three folders: Original / Edited / DVD size ....... see post 2
At the end of each season I move all the folders files to a "YEAR" folder for that sport (and backed up twice more)

When I name a file, it has the following syntax"
Date(reversed)_Sport code_grade/level_sequence number_suffix for processing
eg 130624FA_004 ...... Taken on 24th June 2013, Football A Grade, file #004, original
130624FA_004e ..... Taken on 24th June 2013, Football A Grade, file #004, edited
130624FA_004ers ... Taken on 24th June 2013, Football A Grade, file #004, edited and resized

130624TJB_056e . .. Taken on 24th June 2013, Tennis, Junior boys, file #056, edited

 

[bratkinson]

I use Lightroom and sometimes Photoshop Elements for editing, but never liked LRs cataloging and it's keeping the changes for each photo in its LRCAT files.

So, my method is a remnant from the old PC DOS days (remember those?) and Windows where there's folders within folders within folders, sometimes 4 or 5 levels deep. My highest level is the general location (venue). So, for example, I have a folder named: Church. And within that folder are those named by event type: Baptisms, New Members, and so on (no weddings). Then, within Baptisms, are various dated folders, containing pictures from the baptisms of that date. And within a specific baptism/date folder, are my 'working' folders of RAW, JPGs SOOC (temporary only), JPGs from LR, JPGs from PS, and Cropped to Print. Within Cropped to Print are folders 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, etc. And in 4x6, for example, the pics already cropped as I want them to be for 4x6 printing.

I can quickly get to whatever I want simply by knowing the venue, event type, and date, then browse through from there. It works for me. But in the case of your being a birder, I'd probably categorize by bird species, then location, then date. In short, whatever is the easiest to 'follow' to locate a specific shot or group of shots is the system to use.

 

[Newtricks]

Keywords are what make Lightroom's database management and search capability work.

That and more is covered in the book I recommended.

KmH, I've worked with changing bags, bulk film, daylight loaders, inversion tanks, graded paper, beseler 23C, 4" ring binders and negative sheets since the 70's. Been retarded... um... retired since 2005, made the switch to digital 5 months ago thinking I know cameras and photography, feel like a babe in the woods.

The book you recommend seems to be the answer to my question. I don't think of Lightroom as a filing system just a tool for working with digital negatives , at the same time I know that once I change my filing system it will have to be updated.

Anthony

 

[Newtricks]

So, my method is a remnant from the old PC DOS days (remember those?)...

Intel's 8086 ring a bell? heh... 16 bit was top of the line. I have folders within folders within folders now and it's exactly what I'm trying get away from, though categorizing by species is a great idea.

 

[Trblmkr]

I do all of my filing by date.
Top Folder "2013 Photography"
Subfolders "20131225_WashingtonDC_Capital_Christmas_Tree"
Then the file names are the same thing "20131225 Washington DC Capital Christmas Tree ###"

This way I know everything I need to know just from looking at the name of the directory or file. When it was shot, where it was shot, and what the subject was.
All of my pictures have key words to break it down even more.
I use color codeing and stars to help me identify the ones I like (5 stars) and colors Red - HiPriority, Yellow - Expanded Depth of Filed, Green - Jpg for Web, Blue - HDR, Purple -Panorama. Of course they could all be Green since they are all exported as .jpg's to be posted on the web.
I shoot in raw, but convert all of my files to .dng so I don't have to worry about the .xmp side car