[landscaped1]

So now that I have had my k20 for about 6 months the images are starting to pile up. Previously I had been saving my pictures in a folder with the year > month> and then whatever folder name the camera had given it.

The problem now is looking for images and being able to find what I need in a relatively easy way.

So, my question is how are other storing images? What works best for you? Any suggestions would be great!

[Wheatfield]

Buy Adobe Lightroom.
Seriously.
And then buy a book about Lightroom.
Scott Kelby does a good one, and is apparently a real nice guy.
Pay special attention to learning about keywords and start using them.

I don't do anything extra special, I import my photos via Lightroom into a directory named by activity photographed, then by subject and possibly by another identifier.
I assign keywords to them at the time of import, which makes it really easy to find, since I now have a directory tree and a library.

For example, a model shoot I did recently is in:
G/Images/Studio/Portraiture/Lindsey/Lindsey5
The keywords assigned at import were: Lindsey, Lindsey5/, portraits, with some being assigned nudes, Bella.
Perhaps a few other keywords, but you get the idea.

So now I have both a directory tree of image files (which isn't really necessary, you can just use Lightroom and keywords and dump everything into one directory), and I have a way of finding pictures by genre.
For example, if I want to see just the nude pictures I've shot of Lindsey and Bella, I enter that into Lightroom's Keywords window and there they are.

It's the smartest way of handling image files that I've found so far.

Also, at the same time I import the files from the card, I have Lightroom back them up to my Drobo in a directory structure that is identical to my Images folder.

Please do yourself a favour and back up your image files if you aren't already doing so.
You should have at least two of each file on separate drives and by rights neither drive should be your C drive.

[sterretje]

Basically the best approach is a small database application (I assume that that is what LR has build in).

At the moment I just organise using simple folders. My folder name is mainsubject.date (e.g holiday_umdloti.20091204, dogs.20090312). Next one can name the photo depending on finer details (e.g. name of the dog and date and time (didi.20090312.104431.jpg or didi_and_sokkies.20090312.112101.jpg)) although I don't do that at all occasions. Searching though this is quite easy using the standard OS tools, but the approach might be a bit limited. You can search for dates (*.yyyymmdd), main subjects (holiday_*.* or *_umdloti.*), sub subjects (didi.* or *didi*.*) etc. Biggest disadvantage is that I currently have to rename manually; biggest advantage is that one can still recognize the important information without any special software.

[rhodopsin]

My software also stores images in date folders; in addition to a three star rating system, the software has a feature to "tag" images with categories and notes, and can search for images based on the tag(s). I use tags for the lens used and for the photo category, such as "flora", "fauna", "forest", "feather", etc..

[landscaped1]

Thanks Wheatfield.

That is exactly what I was looking for. Something that is easily searchable and can be import to a drive at the same time. I have limited experience with LR but fortunately have every other Adobe product, so this one can't be that hard to learn.

And you suggested it be on a drive other than C?

I do back everything else up externally, but why not C drive?

I do use a laptop and carry it around alot, so all the extra drives can get to be a pain.

[paulelescoces]

Likely I was doing something very wrong, and in doing so I lost a bit of trust in the lightroom catalogues... I use lightroom and was intending to make use of the cataloging features... however I was starting to find that it seems quite easy to delete the images "in mass" when they are all catalogued in lightroom, I typically have backups regardless but did not want to take any additional risk.

I have a network drive.... organized as "Photos/Year/"YYYY-MM-DD Subject"
When I export from Lightroom I export 2 times... creating a subfolder in the "YYYY_MM_DD Subject" folder for "DNG"... and "JPEG"... I will typically then no longer store the PEF images.

I have 2 backups of this network drive, 1 stored offsite which I typically update each month.

[sterretje]

And you suggested it be on a drive other than C?

I do back everything else up externally, but why not C drive?

I do use a laptop and carry it around alot, so all the extra drives can get to be a pain.

I think that Wheatfield assumed that you have partitioned your HD with a partition for OS and programs and a partition for 'My Documents'. That way a re-install of Windows does not wipe all your pictures, music etc.

[Marc Sabatella]

The definitive work on image organization is Peter Krogh's "The DAM Book", and I can't recommend it highly enough.

[landscaped1]

Thanks Marc!

That looks like a great resource. Looks as though it even touches on setting up a lightroom workflow!

Thanks a bunch for the help!

[Wheatfield]

I think that Wheatfield assumed that you have partitioned your HD with a partition for OS and programs and a partition for 'My Documents'. That way a re-install of Windows does not wipe all your pictures, music etc.

That's exactly why.
If you get a virus or an OS failure or any of the myriad of things that can send a computer sideways, it's always the C drive that takes the hit (or the one that the OS is installed on, anyway).
Considering how easy it is to partition a drive, it's good insurance to do that to a single drive computer and then use the partition for data storage.
It is possible to frack up a partitioned drive pretty easily so it isn't really safe, but it's better than nothing.
I wouldn't consider anything on the same physical drive as my OS is on as safe data, though if the computer is never allowed onto the internet it's probably as safe as anything that's on a hard drive, so anything I keep on my single drive laptop is also on my desktop's mirrored drive as well as on my Drobo.

[KungPOW]

Buy Adobe Lightroom.
Seriously.
And then buy a book about Lightroom.
Scott Kelby does a good one, and is apparently a real nice guy.
Pay special attention to learning about keywords and start using them.

I don't do anything extra special, I import my photos via Lightroom into a directory named by activity photographed, then by subject and possibly by another identifier.
I assign keywords to them at the time of import, which makes it really easy to find, since I now have a directory tree and a library.

For example, a model shoot I did recently is in:
G/Images/Studio/Portraiture/Lindsey/Lindsey5
The keywords assigned at import were: Lindsey, Lindsey5/, portraits, with some being assigned nudes, Bella.
Perhaps a few other keywords, but you get the idea.

So now I have both a directory tree of image files (which isn't really necessary, you can just use Lightroom and keywords and dump everything into one directory), and I have a way of finding pictures by genre.
For example, if I want to see just the nude pictures I've shot of Lindsey and Bella, I enter that into Lightroom's Keywords window and there they are.

It's the smartest way of handling image files that I've found so far.

Also, at the same time I import the files from the card, I have Lightroom back them up to my Drobo in a directory structure that is identical to my Images folder.

Please do yourself a favour and back up your image files if you aren't already doing so.
You should have at least two of each file on separate drives and by rights neither drive should be your C drive.

Whoa!

And I thought all your subjects were rotties and grain silos!

______________

+1 for lightroom. It is the best library plus editing tool I have used. Well worth the cash. I wish it was the first one I tried.