On Jan 23, 2008, at 8:51 PM, Luyee Jiang wrote:
Dear Mr. Garry,
How do you keep your photo files? In your computer or external storage?
I feel it is hard to organize my photos. It is easier to keep it in my computer, but eats huge space. If I save them into CDs, it is very hard to find the specific picture.
I am consider to get a external hard drive for my photos only. What's your suggestion? If so, how large the space I should get?
Thanks for you help,
You ask a very good question Luyee Jiang!
Here's my suggestions.
Yes, get an external hard drives... 500 gigs or better.
And you should have a CD/DVD burner
But, remember, Hard Drives can and do fail.
As a result I do this...
When I download my photo shoot from the camera's memory card, I down load the photos to two different locations. One hard drive for storage and the other hard drive is my working drive (which is separate from the System or boot drive).
Before I do any work on my photos (I don't delete, I don't throw away any photos) I immediately back them up to two DVD sets for archive. (One may suffice, but 2 is always better than one.)
The photos on the DVD's are my "negatives". I put them in a dark safe place. I write on the dvd disks the Name of the shoot and the dates (if you are really paranoid you just write on the DVD's cover... )
I do not alter one of the sets on the storage Hard drive. (In my case it's a large networked drive). Eventually that drive will fill up and I will put it away for archival storage.
When I do that, I plug in and activate the drive every 6 months or so to make sure the drive stays in working condition.
I then reduce my "working" photos to the "keepers", and Portfolios, or "books" (what ever it is I'm working on...)
I now use Adobe's Light Room, which is also an excellent database program, to keep track of my "Catalogue" of photos (That's what Adobe calls their data base files for different libraries of files.)
You can print thumb nails of the keepers and keep those with the DVD's or in a separate folder.
When you are done with the "keepers", etc., those too get backed up to DVD and put a way.
It takes a bit of work... but its worth doing correctly.
There are many catalogue/thumbnail programs for the PC and Mac that allow you to do the above in an efficient manner, and provide a way for you keep track of photos without having to directly view all the photos. (you just flip through their thumbnails).
Free Catalogue and Conversion Programs that make it real easy to keep track of your photo files. Some can convert the photos and graphics to useable sizes and file formats are:
NOTE: Photo files that are archived are never reduced in resolution, never-- Just remember rule #1, never throw away data.)
Conversion program
1. XnView http://www.xnview.com/
Works like Adobe's Bridge. It doesn't save a "catalogue file" it makes thumbnails on the fly.
Converts file formats and makes thumbnail pages
2. IrFan View http://www.irfanview.com/
3. Picasa ( WEakness: Only exports files in jpg format) Http://picasa.com
4. Also check the software bundled with your scanner, printer or digital camera
Commercial Catalogue and Conversion Software
1. Photo Tools http://www.photools.com/
2. iView (purchased by MicroSoft and is now Expression Media) http://www.iview-multimedia.com/
3 Acdsee http://www.acdsee.com/
4. Directory Opus http://www.gpsoft.com.au/
Directory Opus is file management software designed to ENTIRELY replace windows explorer, it includes a graphic converter and and ftp program.... (I used this program on my Amiga many years ago and now it's available for the PC!)
5. On my Mac I use Qpict to catalogue/find my older stored photo files, and my "keepers".
I was using Qpict before Lightroom came along, and now I pretty well just use Lightroom for all my photo duties. However, Qpict is real handy though with the thumbnail previews to locate a specfic file. I sometime will use Apples iPhoto for things other than cataloguing the photos, but I am now exporting the files to iPhoto from Lightroom for what ever that purpose is.
There are many other programs like Canto Cumulus, ThumbsPlus, Extensis Portfolio 8, Check 'em out you might really like one of them.
This ought to keep you busy, eh.
