I was planning to write a book for a long time but it was not easy to put everything together and edit the content so that it is clear and easy to follow. Well, after many weeks of work, I was able to put it together in a beautiful PDF document that has bookmarks for easy navigation. Now, you’re the judge if it’s clear and easy to follow.
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When learning something new the first steps are always the hardest and the most important. In order to accomplish something, you have to start somewhere. This is also the case when it comes to learning how to organize your pictures. I can talk a lot about efficient folder structures, image metadata, IPTC, XMP and other things like this. But many times I people simply ask me: how do I start organizing my pictures? I think that’s a great question.
Last month I have created a 
It is rare when a complex problem can have a simple solution. Most of the times however, a complex problem can have a simple solution that only works well for some of the times. When “some of the times” is “most of the times” for you, then the simple solution will work fine. However if “some of the times” does turn out not to be “most of the times” then the simple solution breaks down very easily. This is the case with the folder based method of organizing your pictures. So, how do you know when folders are not enough?
I am not sure about the history of peanut butter and jelly. I am pretty sure that nobody at that time was thinking to combine the two. So how did it get so popular? Probably somebody in some kitchen somewhere has combined the two ingredients, most likely by accident, and they liked it and told their friends. Tags and folders are two methods of organizing pictures that many think don’t go together. This article will show that they can be used together to create a very efficient organization structure.
Creating a strong folder structure is the best way to start organizing your digital pictures. Such a structure can be expanded with the use of tags if needed (see 
There are quite a few software programs that allow you to mark your favorite pictures through some kind of sign (a star, a colored square). Then this kind of software allows you to locate your favorite pictures by adding labels to these groups of pictures. The problem with this approach is lack of portability. If you want to give a whole folder of pictures to your friend but he’s not using the same software then all your favorite pictures will not appear on as favorite on his software.
The fundamental problem with digital picture organization is the very large quantity of pictures that one has to be able to manage. Only by dividing this large quantity into smaller and more manageable groups of pictures, one can successfully organize their digital pictures. This approach is nothing new; it is in fact an application of the age old principle of “Divide and Conquer”. This is how the Romans used to conquer new people and lands, they would turn them against each other and would divide them before they would conquer them.
If you have been taking digital pictures for a while you’ve probably been forced to deal with organizing your pictures. You have also probably been asking yourself if the method you’re using is a good method. Currently there are two different approaches to picture organization: using tags and using folders. There are a number of software programs that support either or 
Organizing your pictures is like construction in many respects. How does one build a wall? Brick by brick! Simple right? However, without a carefully laid out plan all those bricks on top of each other make no sense. You need to build multiple walls that will make up the rooms and restrooms and the kitchen. Without a larger plan, all those bricks laid on top of each other will make very little practical sense. This illustration applies to organizing your pictures as well. Each of your pictures is one brick and each folder one wall. But how do the walls come together to form a room? What is the larger plan?
I have written last week that it is very important to learn how to use your operating system and your folder structure to organize your pictures, instead of relying on some software that tries to do it automatically. This week I will describe how to name your folders so that you would be able to find your pictures quickly. My method is based on the names you give to your folders. Yes, it takes a little more time but the payoff will be great in the long run.
This article will show you the basic steps necessary for setting up your folders so that you can see the most important information about your pictures. In particular the following steps outline the process necessary to add the 
