Keeping organized

katehammer · #1 (**permalink**) 12-19-2006, 05:34 PM

Hi all,

I'm brand new to this and I'm only working with one site right now (istockphoto) and one classification of image (Flash). I can see myself branching out to multiple sites and multiple media (photography, vector). I can see from a file management perspective this has potential to become a nightmare. Did I upload this to site x already? How about site y? Is it the right format for site z? etc.

So...any tips on photo/keyword/upload organization would be appreciated. Is there any software out there that can help in this effort that you like?

Thanks in advance!
Kate

PS if there's already a topic on this I apologize. I did do a search but may have missed it.

Gracey · #2 (**permalink**) 12-19-2006, 08:55 PM

Organized???? Hah!

I'm not terribly organized, but it's my own system and it works for me.

I have a separate folder for each site and inside each of those are three folders: Accepted, Rejected, and Waiting Approval.

When I upload I place a small low-res copy of the image (about 200pixels) in the waiting folder...when they get accepted or rejected the small copy goes into the correct folder. I do that for each site, so it can be a bit of a pain.

All my originals are stored on external hard drives, and also burned to dvds (you need to get the archive quality ones).

It'd be a nightmare if I had as many sites as some do, but I have folders for five or six...some I don't upload to anymore so it's not so bad.

There's probably some sort of software out there, but I haven't found one...then again, I haven't bothered to look too hard.

photobunny · #3 (**permalink**) 12-19-2006, 09:30 PM

Gracey how do you burn the images to DVD? I tried with nero express but it didnt work, I got all mine stored on CD right now, but they fill up rather quickish.

Gracey · #4 (**permalink**) 12-19-2006, 10:26 PM

Well, you have to have a dvd burner to burn to dvd. I have NeroVision SmartStart...it has the wave editor, photo, dvd, lightscribe...lots'a tools I don't use

Mainly just burn dvd and cd - I've got two burners. The old CD burner that came with the computer and a lightscribe cd/dvd burner. If you don't have the hardware, no software will do it, but burning photos to dvd is the same as burning to cd...just add them, select the burner you want to use and burn.

thesupe87 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-19-2006, 10:31 PM

i see dvd burners on sale for only $20 and sometimes free with rebate, here in the US. They've come down so much.

photobunny · #6 (**permalink**) 12-19-2006, 10:32 PM

Ok thanks for that information

I got a dvd burner, and all the nero suite stuff, dont really know whats in there as I only burn music and images to cd lol. Ive never used the burner for DVDs so Im not familiar with how to do it. I'll have alook through next time I need to burn images to disc.

ajn · #7 (**permalink**) 12-20-2006, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gracey

Organized???? Hah!

I'm not terribly organized, but it's my own system and it works for me.

I have a separate folder for each site and inside each of those are three folders: Accepted, Rejected, and Waiting Approval.

When I upload I place a small low-res copy of the image (about 200pixels) in the waiting folder...when they get accepted or rejected the small copy goes into the correct folder. I do that for each site, so it can be a bit of a pain.

All my originals are stored on external hard drives, and also burned to dvds (you need to get the archive quality ones).

It'd be a nightmare if I had as many sites as some do, but I have folders for five or six...some I don't upload to anymore so it's not so bad.

There's probably some sort of software out there, but I haven't found one...then again, I haven't bothered to look too hard.

I use exactely the same method... even the low res files are the same size.

I've created actions in photoshop to save all images to that size.

It's funny we use the same method as we have never talked about it, I believe.

Karimala · #8 (**permalink**) 12-20-2006, 05:03 AM

I'm a complete simpleton when it comes to uploading and organizing. Basically, it goes like this...

Upon completion of a batch, I use SmartFTP to upload to all the sites that have FTP capabilities.

Done. That's it! :-) SmartFTP allow you to upload to multiple sites at once, so I never have to remember where I left off. For the sites that don't have FTP, like IS, I hang onto the batches until I see their approval rate on other sites.

My photos are organized by photoshoot in folders that have names like "Pepto Birth Control Confetti Shaving Bear" or "Lake Tahoe Snow 120606" as they prompt my memory and I can find subjects easily. The Pepto-type folders typically contain images I shot in the light tent, and I include the name of each and every subject in the folder name. The Tahoe-style folder contains on-location shots, and I include the date so I can remember which visit to Tahoe it's referring to. If I end up shooting a lot of one subject over the span of a few days (like my recent Christmas ornaments), I'll bundle them into one generic folder simply titled "Christmas Ornaments". It sounds messy, but it works for me.

snokid · #9 (**permalink**) 12-20-2006, 05:42 AM

What works for me.

I have a folder called "to be uploaded", then sub-folders for all the sites I upload to. and one sub folder called "needs key words"

When I edit a batch of images I save them off to the "needs key words" folder.

Then I add the keywords and move them off to the different site folders.

Then ftp to all the sites that will allow it.

once uploaded I save them off to my last folder "stock pics" by cutting and pasting them, if you happen to cut and paste an image that's already there then I just overwrite it.

then my "stock pics" folder is automaticly backed up about 1 a week.

the only hiccup is when I decide to upload to a new site, then I make a new folder like "new site uploading" and move all the pics to that folder and back to stock pics when they are uploaded.

I don't keep track of who accepts or rejects what as to me it doesn't matter, I'm not going to spend a bunch of time retouching a image over and over to get it to go.

Bob

Gracey · #10 (**permalink**) 12-20-2006, 06:03 AM

Quote:

I don't keep track of who accepts or rejects what as to me it doesn't matter, I'm not going to spend a bunch of time retouching a image over and over to get it to go.

I don't change my photos for different sites, but i need to keep track of who accepted what and who rejected what.

That's how I keep my rejections to a minimum. After a while, you start to get a handle on what each site is likely to accept. Makes it easier for uploading too - I don't upload every shot to every single site. Some things I know won't fly on SS because of the content (not because of quality), but they'll be accepted on BSP or FP.

Why upload the type of image you know isn't likely to get accepted?

From doing that, at BSP I have one rejection...just one, and they offered to take a second look at that one. I told them not to bother, but up until I submitted that one I had a 100% approval rate there.

I don't know for sure (because I'm not a reviewer), but I would think that after a time you are likely to build a reputation based on your acceptance rate too - the less rejections you get, the more likely you are to get an unusual image accepted. At SS, I've had a number of images with diffusion filters accepted, but I often see others complaining that they don't accept them...