File Names for Pictures

Mike Bartenhagen · Jan 6, 2002

Can anyone give me suggestions on how to name my files in an easy an organized manner. I recently purchase a 3.3 megapixel camera and we have been taking a lot of pictures. I used to have a 640 x 480 camera and we did not use it that much so I would basically type a description of every photo. I do not get that done with the new camera as we are taking many more pictures. Currently I use the Windows ME wizard to import pictures to my computer and it puts the pictures in a folder based on the date they were downloaded and it calls them Picture 1, Picture 2, etc. I have two problems with this. The first is that I have many pictures with the same name (Picture 1) and although they are in different folders I can see the possibilty for major problem with duplicate file names. My second problem is that I have not decided what program I want to use for editing, printing, etc. and every time I want to use a new program they want me to "register" the image files. Because the ME wizard puts the files in a folder based on the day they were downloaded I have a lot of folders and this takes a lot of time to do.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

BillDrew · Jan 6, 2002

I'd suggest using the date as part of the file name, and keeping the date in the file name as it is edited/modified. That will allow you to get back from a final picture to the original - and to other pictures taken a the same date/occasion. Something like 020107pic001, 020107pic002, ... for originals shot on 7 Jan 2002 and AuntMartha020107 for a final edited photo. That way you will know where to look for a chance of finding a picture of Uncle Fred in your originals. Take a look at IrfanView ( http://www.irfanview.com - freeware) - it has a batch renaming feature that might do what you want.

Put your originals onto CD exactly as they come from the camera with no editing whatsoever. Those are your digital negatives. Also, if you keep a "shooter's diary" you will be able to search it with a simple "find" for key-words and quickly locate those negatives.

Ray Bowers · Jan 7, 2002

Mike Bartenhagen said:
Can anyone give me suggestions on how to name my files in an easy
an organized manner. I recently purchase a 3.3 megapixel camera

Check out PIE 3.2, http://www.picmeta.com . Nice thumbnail viewer, easy lossless rotater, and a great tool for renaming pictures -- very robust, lets you rename based on many differet parameters. I love it for resequencing the files and numbering in order (even if my camera's counter rolls back over to 0001).

30 day trail version I think. I used it and bought it within 2 weeks myself. For $20 I think it is a steal. It is the first thing I use to view, purge, rename and rotate pictures before burning masters on CD.

[email protected] http://www.RayBowersPhotography.com

Don Schaeffer · Jan 8, 2002

I just use the Windows ME thumbnail feature for a first examination of my pictures. I change the file name with a brief description of content (about 12 characters). I add an "a" to the label of the pictures I later modify to print. I usually save only the pictures with the "a" label onto my zip disk and delete the rest. When the zip disk is full I make a CD Rom.

Ray Bowers said:
Mike Bartenhagen said:

Can anyone give me suggestions on how to name my files in an easy
an organized manner. I recently purchase a 3.3 megapixel camera

Click to expand...

Check out PIE 3.2, http://www.picmeta.com . Nice thumbnail viewer,
easy lossless rotater, and a great tool for renaming pictures --
very robust, lets you rename based on many differet parameters. I
love it for resequencing the files and numbering in order (even if
my camera's counter rolls back over to 0001).

30 day trail version I think. I used it and bought it within 2
weeks myself. For $20 I think it is a steal. It is the first
thing I use to view, purge, rename and rotate pictures before
burning masters on CD.

-Ray
--
[email protected]
http://www.RayBowersPhotography.com

--Don Schaeffer

Ray Bowers · Jan 9, 2002

Don Schaeffer said:
I just use the Windows ME thumbnail feature for a first examination
of my pictures. I change the file name with a brief description of
content (about 12 characters). I add an "a" to the label of the
pictures I later modify to print. I usually save only the pictures
with the "a" label onto my zip disk and delete the rest. When the
zip disk is full I make a CD Rom.

That will work for small number of photos, but for hundreds or thousands... Well, time to find a tol to help. That's what I recommended PIE 3.2 for. Plus thebatch more lossless jpg rotate is nice.

-Ray

[email protected] http://www.RayBowersPhotography.com

Matthew S. · Jan 14, 2002

Mike,

Get yourself a photo catelog program. I use ImageAXS. You keep the photos in their original names, you keep them any where you want (such as CD, hard drive), and then assign keywords to each picture (Mom, Dad, Uncle Bod) and when you want to search for a peticular picture, you use the keywords. You can also use the data, file size, pixels, etc. When you have searched for all pictures of Mom at Christmas, you can view them in a slideshow, copy them to a CD, move them to a different folder.

This is the only way to go. I have over 3000 pictures and can find any picture I want in seconds.

I just went to find you the address of the company and they no longer sell it....hum....

Well, it is a Windows product any way and I want to go completely to Linux and I have plans of trying to create the same application (can't find one in Linux) for Linux with Java. I know there are other photo cateloge programs out there that do the same thing.

Good luck.

Matt

Mike Bartenhagen said:
Can anyone give me suggestions on how to name my files in an easy
an organized manner. I recently purchase a 3.3 megapixel camera
and we have been taking a lot of pictures. I used to have a 640 x
480 camera and we did not use it that much so I would basically
type a description of every photo. I do not get that done with the
new camera as we are taking many more pictures. Currently I use
the Windows ME wizard to import pictures to my computer and it puts
the pictures in a folder based on the date they were downloaded and
it calls them Picture 1, Picture 2, etc. I have two problems with
this. The first is that I have many pictures with the same name
(Picture 1) and although they are in different folders I can see
the possibilty for major problem with duplicate file names. My
second problem is that I have not decided what program I want to
use for editing, printing, etc. and every time I want to use a new
program they want me to "register" the image files. Because the ME
wizard puts the files in a folder based on the day they were
downloaded I have a lot of folders and this takes a lot of time to
do.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Search

File Names for Pictures

Mike Bartenhagen

Active member

BillDrew

Guest

Ray Bowers

Forum Enthusiast

Don Schaeffer

Veteran Member

Ray Bowers

Forum Enthusiast

Matthew S.

Leading Member

Keyboard shortcuts