Usually transferring pictures is the simplest step of any photographer’s workflow. However, the results of transferring your pictures can affect your entire picture collection. There are some simple things that anyone can do to transfer their pictures in an efficient way. I can think of five things that proved to be very helpful over the years in the way I organize my photo collection on my computer.
Make sure you have set up your camera’s date and time properly
It is very common to see beginning photographers who do not pay attention to this detail after purchasing a new digital camera. Many times the cameras don’t come setup for the place where you live and the date and time are way off. It is very important to set your camera’s data and time correctly (Read 5 Steps to optimize your camera).
Insert your card securely into the card reader.
No comment here…just do it !
Have a separate transfer folder.
This is where I pile up all the images I transfer. This is very helpful when I just want to see the pictures quickly and you don’t have time to file and tag them properly. In this folder I delete the really bad pictures (like the ones my daughter takes of the floor and ceiling). This transfer folder will contain subfolders for each set of pictures I took in a given day.
My Pictures TRANSFER
Create a separate sub-folder for each day of shooting.
This sub-folder should go in your transfer folder. It should be something like: 2009_01_28. So my folders look something like:
My Pictures
TRANSFER
2009_01_28
2009_01_29
Rename each image so that the file name contains the date when the picture was taken.
The image file name that my camera creates has no meaning to a human, so having the date in the file name will help a lot. Some people prefer adding the date to the original file name others don’t want to change the original file name. I prefer renaming my pictures date_counter…or something like: 2009_01_28_001.jpg. So, the transfer folder for my pictures will look something like:
My Pictures
TRANSFER
2009_01_28
2009_01_28_001.jpg
2008_01_28_002.jpg
2009_01_29
2009_01_29_001.jpg
2008_01_29_002.jpg
Go through the folder names you have just transferred and create meaningful names.
There is great advantage in naming my folders right after I transfer them. Why? Well, for one thing the images are fresh in my mind and I can easily create a folder name that is efficient for later filing. (Read Organize your pictures in 5 easy steps). So, if I have time I rename the sub-folders. Once I name them in a consistent way, I can move the folder in the right place later and then I can start tagging the pictures if I don’t have time when I transfer them.
Recommended reading:- Is it a good idea to rename your image files?
- 5 easy steps to transfer your pictures using Windows XP Photo Wizard
- How to select your best pictures
- Add precision to your picture collection by adding layers of organization
- How to insert precise tags in folder names
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