Tags and Folders are NOT mutually exclusive

Popular opinion on the internet suggests that the Tags and Folders based methods for picture organization are mutually exclusive. This means that if you decide to use Tags then you will not be using folders. Or if you’re using Folders to organize your picture, you cannot use Tags. This is very far from reality and in fact Tags and Folders are NOT mutually exclusive.

The reality is that even if you’re using Tags, you will be using Folders by default ! You have to have some folders where you’ll be transferring your pictures. Even if you put all your pictures into one folder you’re still using folders as your basis. The folders system is the basis of any computer operating system and every software (even picture tagging software) will be using the folder system on your computer.

The reality is that any Tags you’re using are based on an underlying folder structure that you’re creating when you’re transferring your pictures from your digital camera. Granted, tagging will allow you not to pay attention to the names of your folders, but you’re still using folders even if you’re using tags.

Now, that being said…I strongly maintain that even if you’re using tags you should be creating a consistently named folder structure as the foundation on which to create your tags. Without a strong folder structure your tags will not be very useful in the long run.

Essentials for organizing your digital photos

Here are the essential products and services I have come to rely on for many years to keep my media collection organized and safe. Even though these are affiliate links, I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Excellent Lightroom and Picasa alternative. If you need a cheaper and simpler photo manager then ACDSee Photo Studio for Mac (save 20% until Feb 15) or ACDSee Pro for Windows (save $20 until Feb 15) is my preferred solution for organizing all my media. It has a very fast browser, great image editing and it's simple to use.

If you do a lot of image editing like I do, I recommend using Adobe Lightroom Classic CC via the annual Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Lightroom has best photo editing capabilities even though it comes with a steeper learning curve. If you do image editing, Adobe Lightroom is my favorite.

I recommend Backblaze Cloud Backup for affordable & reliable unlimited cloud backup. I have been using Backblaze for backing up all pictures & videos for more than 5 years now. All my invaluable digital memories are safe and secure. This is the best solution especially if you have a large quantity of media files.

Use a reliable & affordable external hard drive for backing up everything on your computer. It is absolutely essential for keeping all your memories backed up and safe.

Start organizing now using detailed, step-by-step instructions and videos:
Personal Coaching (closed) Independent Course Private Lessons
Reference book Basics book Picasa book

YOURS FREE! 10 crucial steps most people miss when organizing their digital photos

Most people want to just organize their digital pictures and ignore these crucial steps right at the beginning...when they are shooting and transferring their digital pictures. Then they wonder why they can't organize their digital photos! Avoid most people's mistakes and start on the right track!

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