Will these books & programs help my photo re-organization and workflow speed?

WinsomeWorks

So... I have a partial mess to clean up with my photo organization, and I want to do before (or at least during) my new ventures into digitalizing old slides and negs. I'm not a person to whom organizational plans come easy, and don't want to re-invent the wheel (I mean, I'm willing to use someone else's basic system if I can make it work for my needs). I've read some old posts here & learned about some things that may help, but am not sure if the info. is new enough. I'll list what I already have & do, and then list my needs & thoughts. My basic question, which comes at the end, is "what other programs & systems do I need, to get organized??" I thank you for any suggestions or corrections too, and basic changes you think I should make in organizing. This is very long, but I hope any answers may help others too. Don't quote the whole thing if you answer!
Hardware/Software I already have:
1. Dell PC with Windows Vista
2. Maxtor 500 GB external hard-drive
3. Adobe PS2 (actually, Creative Suite 2) am fairly handy w/ PS, but clueless about Bridge and bulk processing
4. Irfanview (just for basic viewing - don't do editing w/ it)

How I currently organize:1. Manually create folders called YYYYMMDD_SubjectMatter (i.e. 20090824_NCsceneryChurch) & put files directly from camera card into the created folders.
2. Camera's original file # is on each file within the folder. If I edit a file & give it a new filename, I still keep its original #, like this: BananaLeafCloseHoriz_Gm_Wm=P8176622.jpg This means: Banana leaf closeup horizontal --Good with metadata (added in PS2)-- Watermarked-- Olympus camera's number P8176622 .
3. In this same folder, I may have a PSD, a non-watermarked, and a downsized version of this same file. I add a copy of some final edits to various other folders such as Recent Edits, Watermarked, Downsized for Panoramio, etc.
4. Scans (since I so far don't have many) are still in folders labeled "Scans from Slides", "Scans from Prints" etc. with subfolders such as Tibet, China, North Carolina, etc. I add a filename to each scan, starting with the date if I know it.
5. I backup everything to the Maxtor & also to DVD. Am running out of space on the Dell and the Maxtor.

Problems currently noted with this system:
1. If I don't have time to cull bad shots before backing up, then I'm backing up bad files needlessly. I don't want bad files in 2 places.
2. The Olympus I used previously numbered its files indefinitely. The Nikon DX1 I now use only numbers up to 9999, so I already have duplicate file #s unless I would go & renumber every one--Wow!
3. It's getting hard to keep track of the various versions of edited photos. Sometimes I have 7 different versions in various folders. Sometimes there's too much duplication.
4. My naming system is completely my own idea & I now want it to be compatible with whatever organizing I do soon or in the future.... I don't know if it is or not!!

Organizational Needs:
1. I don't typically do "shoots" for others... I shoot stuff (LOTS!!) & then decide to use it for various purposes such as:
a. Stock photography (various agencies)
b. to share with family (through SmugMug or email)
c. to display on SmugMug
d. to make into photo greeting cards
e. to geo-locate on Google Earth through Panoramio
f. to make enlargements (prints) in many sizes
g. school use
2. I would like to be able to find photos by both date and subject
3. I would like to have a way to separate photos a bit by originals, files in process, & fully edited files.
4. I'd like to better deal with Jpgs, PSDs, & TIFFs, and sometimes RAW of the same files.
5. I need a way to incorporate my upcoming film/slides-to- digital scans into my organizational system
6. I usually shoot in Jpg, but may eventually shoot more RAW.
7. I would like to have more info. embedded in each file, such as my name & etc. so that I'm less likely to have orphan files online

What I think I should start by getting: (my thoughts after reading old posts here and elsewhere... do you agree, or not?)
1. Adobe Lightroom & a Lightroom book
2. The latest version of the DAM (Digital Asset Management) book
3. Breeze Downloader Pro
4. more education about Adobe Bridge and bulk processing
5. Capture NX2 ?? (don't really know whether I should use this or Lightroom for the organizing... is it just overkill? I have Olympus files from 3 yrs. or so, but ongoing Nikon files now.)
6. More external hard drive(s)!!

Art Scott

WinsomeWorks wrote:

What I think I should start by getting: (my thoughts after reading old posts here and elsewhere... do you agree, or not?)
1. Adobe Lightroom & a Lightroom book
2. The latest version of the DAM (Digital Asset Management) book
3. Breeze Downloader Pro
4. more education about Adobe Bridge and bulk processing
5. Capture NX2 ?? (don't really know whether I should use this or Lightroom for the organizing... is it just overkill? I have Olympus files from 3 yrs. or so, but ongoing Nikon files now.)
6. More external hard drive(s)!!

My thoughts:

1- yes get Scott Kelby's A PS LR2 4 Dig. Photogs.......follow his suggestions on simple file management (DAM)
2- Use book above
3-have no idea.....never looked at it.....I use Notro Dest to upload and a simple PC EXpressCard CF reader to download cards to computer.
4-I again suggest sticking with LR2 and upgrading to 3 or higher whem the need truly arises
5-Again Stick with LR2 ....learn it inside and out....then if you want to learn something else do so.......
6- can never have too much HDD space....I do suggest using a system of 3 drives same brand and size....My last years size was 500gb and then 1 tb....this year starting off with 1 tb.........my system is no more than 2 files on a disk (straight off cards and completed files).....they are pretty much self explanatory...the file straight off card will follow the file until I am finished and then it is saved in the completed fil folder.....so that hard drive has the complete history of the files on it......when I hit around 10gb from full then I get 3 more drives.......I use Hitachi and Seagate...depending on price.....I prefer Seagate but that is just me......the other 2 drives I "copy" the files from the "working drive" to the back ups by simple drag and drop and wait for the pop window asking if I want to overwrite the existing files and I do so.......the reason for this method is that I have used a very expensive back up software in the past and whem I needed to use a backed up drive the OS could not read the file extension it has placed on the back ups and the company had died....so I was S.O.L. ............and decided that a straight copy was the best.....for my C drive I use a cloning software called Migrate Easy by Acronis..................

Good Luck

I forgot to mention that with LR there is a ton of meta data you can insert upon import....including copyright info with contact info and a whole slew of other stuff all explained in the Scott Kelby book and it is easy to understand, and that I change my files from NEF to DNG just in case NEF goes away and DNG doesn't.....final files are saved as LARGEST JPEG possible........Also make an non public unlisted Gallery to upload all of your final files to just as a back up on SmugMug................................

malch

WinsomeWorks wrote:

How I currently organize:1. Manually create folders called YYYYMMDD_SubjectMatter (i.e. 20090824_NCsceneryChurch) & put files directly from camera card into the created folders.

Good!

WinsomeWorks wrote:

3. In this same folder, I may have a PSD, a non-watermarked, and a downsized version of this same file. I add a copy of some final edits to various other folders such as Recent Edits, Watermarked, Downsized for Panoramio, etc.

I find it's helpful to put different types of files into different folders. So, I tend to have:

YYYYMMDD-Event: containing my original NEF's.

And then all of the converted JPEGS in a sub-folder.

I may create another sub-folder for TIFF/PSD files. And maybe another sub-folder for the files associated with HDR's and Pano's.

WinsomeWorks wrote:

2. The Olympus I used previously numbered its files indefinitely. The Nikon DX1 I now use only numbers up to 9999, so I already have duplicate file #s unless I would go & renumber every one--Wow!

Same with my D200. But I can change the file prefix (DSC_) via the camera menus. So, at the rollover, I change that to DCD_, DSE_, etc. I don't know if the DX1 has that capability but it's worth checking the manual or menus.

WinsomeWorks wrote:

1. Adobe Lightroom & a Lightroom book
2. The latest version of the DAM (Digital Asset Management) book
3. Breeze Downloader Pro
4. more education about Adobe Bridge and bulk processing
5. Capture NX2 ??

Capture NX has some strong points but DAM definitely isn't one of them. It really does almost nothing for the organizational issues.

Lightroom has some excellent organizational capabilities if you like the paradigm.

Products like PhotoMechanic are good at the tagging but don't provide a catalog.

I ended up cobbling my own solution together. The following notes may be of interest as you develop your own workflow:

http://www.malch.com/nikon/backgrounder.html

catspaw

huh, good point. I'm backing up photos needlessly.

*goes to rewrite her workflow*

Richard

You don't need all of the stuff that you listed, but you do need some of it. Start by reading the DAM book. It will give you a good overview of why you shouldn't rely on file and folder names to organize your pics and how a database will allow you to search for pics by keyword, date, place and many, many other things, as well as give you tips on physical organization of working, archive and backup files. Once you have digested that, you can start to design a new workflow. You have two problems here: first, you need to think about how you want to proceed in the future; second, you have to consider the steps it will take to incorporate all of your existing pics into the scheme.

Once you have designed your new scheme, post it here, and we can pick it apart. LightRoom is very handy, as it provides RAW processing, catalog management and print management all in a single package which integrates well with Photoshop. Add a good backup/synchronization product, and you have solid platform to work from. But there's no single answer to your questions, as many products may be used to give essentially the same workflow.

WinsomeWorks

thanks for all the ideas on organizing
You have all been very helpful with these ideas! Thank you so much-- glad to hear I'm not completely off-base in some of my direction & modes, but I do see I have my work cut out for me! A couple questions:

1. for Art Scott: My brain is a little fuzzy today cuz I'm under the weather, but I'm not exactly following this point & I'd like to understand it: "..my system is no more than 2 files on a disk (straight off cards and completed files).....they are pretty much self explanatory...the file straight off card will follow the file until I am finished and then it is saved in the completed fil folder.....so that hard drive has the complete history of the files on it..."
Am I right in thinking maybe you meant no more than 2 folders per disk?? But even if so, I'm not following the other part even though it sounds like something I should be doing! [oh, and incidentally, Art-- I perused your photos; one of my best friends grew up in little old Yoder, Kansas & probably knows the exact Amish store in which you've photographed toys. My spouse has Amish roots]

2. Another one for Art-- however, if you wanna wait a bit to clarify this one, I think my spouse will comprehend what I don't. I wasn't getting this part: "..the other 2 drives I "copy" the files from the "working drive" to the back ups by simple drag and drop and wait for the pop window asking if I want to overwrite the existing files and I do so.......the reason for this method is that I have used a very expensive back up software in the past and whem I needed to use a backed up drive the OS could not read the file extension it has placed on the back ups and the company had died....so I was S.O.L. ............and decided that a straight copy was the best.."(what I mostly don't understand is what would already be on the backups that would be "overwritten"?? and also, "straight copy" versus what?)

3. The DAM book I was talking about was actually going to be this updated one by Peter Krogh: http://www.amazon.com/DAM-Book-Digital-Management-Photographers/dp/0596523572/ref=pd_sim_b_1 I was also hoping to get one of these 2 Lightroom books, but am torn as to which is best. The first is by Scott Kelby: http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom-Digital-Photographers/dp/0321555562/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c and the other is by Seth Resnik: http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Lightroom-Workbook-Workflow-Workslow/dp/0240810678/ref=pd_sim_b_9 Reviews seem similarly good on the LR books.4. I have also had a bit of email conversation with an author named Lynette Kent. Her LR book also sounds exactly like what I might need as well. Anyone know of her books? They're here: http://tinyurl.com/4fjwse Here are the titles:
Teach Yourself Visually Lightroom (Wiley Publishing)
The Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks for Photoshop CS2 The Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks for Photoshop CS3
The Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks for Photoshop CS4

Lynette also talks about a program called Portfolio. The less I have to read, the better! I want to get busy organizing! So... which way to go??

arodney

Peter’s DAM book is a great start. Just don’t try to follow it by the letter. The best thing about it is getting an idea of what might work for you. Its like reading a book how to organize your files (on a computer or paper files) or organizing your closet or anything else. The system has to work for your needs! Peter’s book got my mind thinking about how I’d do things.

I’ll give you an example. In his book, he talks about file naming conventions. He always places his name (Krogh) into the start of the file name because he is primarily a stock photographer and wishes agencies and clients to recognize his name. I’m not a stock photographer. Its totally pointless to put my name in a file name. Instead, I want something descriptive in the name (Galapagos, dogs, Santa Fe). Some work with dates (YYMMDD). That’s cool if you work in that way. When I look for a photo of my dogs, I don’t recall what date I shot them but I do now I want to find pic’s of my dog Zia. So as you can see, you need to come up with systems that work for you.

If you like to learn via videos, in addition to Peter’s book, this Lightroom organizing video from Seth Resnick of D65 is worth every penny:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/videos/wamp.shtml