Beginner Importing photo's - best practice?

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I'm looking for some advice on best practice for importing, storing and backing up photos.

I just managed to transfer and re-sort my entire photo archive into folders by yyyy,MM,DD extracting it from the clutches of iPhoto!
To do this I used a great Bash script from this website (MikeBeach) https://goo.gl/rAbgoG
Tweaked it and sorted approx. 80,000 pictures over 40ish hours.

Now I have them all sorted I want to ensure that I have a good workflow to keep them sorted. I also need to find a way to store RAW files. I have tweaked the script above to use as a general importer but I wondering if there is a better way. I have found a tool called rapid photo downloader that offers some improvements but is there a better way?http://goo.gl/M8jHVk

So I'm keen to hear how you all manage your photo archives, not just Linux users, but also Windows and Mac.

Also any best practice for backup - I'm saving to a local 2tb internal HDD (just pictures no OS) that is back'ed up to a Synology NAS and I rsync the folders to an external USB that's reasonably up-to date...

Thanks!
 
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It is a very personal thing the possibilities are endless but you'll have to find your own.

This is how I do it (I don't use any kind of library!):

a HD is devoted only for my pictures archive and it is, of course, backed up
  • copy the folder on my cards to the desktop
  • perform renaming if necessary
  • open the folder with my RAW converter for a first culling
  • copy the folder to my archive HD
  • reformat the card —only now, never before
  • second culling and PP only through my converter
  • publish what I need. The end.
I hope it helps you.
 
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I do it very simply using Lightroom.

Import from card, renaming to date+filename, this sorts everything by date.

I then do my selection and editing and build collections of keepers (or flagged photos) and then export those to an "exports" folder that is sub-divided by year to upload to Flickr / FB / printing etc.

I have Google photos monitor my exports folder as an auto-backup (using their unlimited storage option which has a very good compression algorithm) and I copy all raws and exports to an external hard drive every year for further backup (although I have now just started to get Lightroom to automatically copy files to a separate drive.
 
I decided early on to shoot RAW, and to treat them like negatives, keeping them for ever. I use Lightroom. So my workflow is,

  1. shoot far too many pictures, mostly crap
  2. Import them into an existing folder structure based on "Year / Location - Event - Month" (This works for me, it's personal, other people will have other options). Events can be 'walking' or 'ComicCon' or 'Birthday', etc. Just something short and descriptive. I also rename the files based on camera and date.
  3. Whittle them down from the 9 million I took to the 3 I want to keep and post-process. I then keep the RAW.
  4. If I want a JPG for any reason, I go, export it as JPG, use the JPG for whatever I want, and then delete it again.
  5. I keyword the RAWs to provide a second hierarchy, and I've created some collections in Lightroom to create a third hierarchy. Generally though, the directory structure does it for me.
 
I categorise by subject matter - it doesn't matter to me when I shot it.
I do need to be able to find a picture of a certain subject though, if I get a request for a certain thing, I have to be able to find it easily....how am I going to remember what day I shot it on? I don't know what day of the week it is, I am lucky if I know which month we are in.
 
Lensflare said:
I do need to be able to find a picture of a certain subject though, if I get a request for a certain thing, I have to be able to find it easily....how am I going to remember what day I shot it on
Click to expand...

so a Free Copy of Daminion would do this for you and tell you what Date it was Shot.
 
Using Lightroom, in "Pictures", I created an "Imports" folder, within which I have three sub-folders, (a) "Raw imports", (b) "DNG convert/Rename" and ( c ) "Keyword/GPS info". I download all images from the camera card using general import keywords to the (a) folder. These are culled etc. and then moved to the (b) file for PP, conversion to DNG and renaming. (I use a general myname / year / number regardless of subject.) Next I move the images to the ( c ) folder for refining/adding keywords and adding GPS info. Once this batch is complete, I move it to the relevant year folder.
The advantage of this method is the discipline it imposes on me to conduct my image management in a way that prevents me from forgetting essential metadata. Subsequently all images are readily found by using the LR metadata search facility. Keywording is an essential component of the metadata information. File management by metadata is more flexible than trying to remember in a conventional folder system which folder you put the images in. Disadvantages of my system will be for those with large numbers of images to download, who cannot afford the time taken by Lightroom to generate previews for culling etc. I understand Photo Mechanic before using Lightroom, is the choice for many who have to work faster.
I backup externally to three separate hard drives using Chronosync. I also backup the catalogue every shutdown to the main external hard drive. Photo images are backed up less regularly to all three drives.
 
Lensflare said:
I categorise by subject matter - it doesn't matter to me when I shot it.
I do need to be able to find a picture of a certain subject though, if I get a request for a certain thing, I have to be able to find it easily....how am I going to remember what day I shot it on? I don't know what day of the week it is, I am lucky if I know which month we are in.
Click to expand...

As I said, it's personal. I know that I was at ComicCon in Birmingham in 2015, so I go to 2015, open that folder, scroll down to Birmingham - Comic Con. Everyone needs a different filing system - you need a tool which supports multiple filing methods.
 
As you say, it's personal. I suggest the tool you need is called Digital Asset Management. A good "DAM" system allows you to use the metadata already embedded in the files which is then used to filter the whole folder base if necessary. The real power behind Lightroom is the database engine, which allows you to carry out specific searches to find the photo you're looking for. That is why it is so much better than trying to work through a folder based organisational system. For those who use Lightroom, it will transform their image management if they take the time to learn working with metadata in Lightroom.
 
stryvya said:
so a Free Copy of Daminion would do this for you and tell you what Date it was Shot.
Click to expand...

You credit me with the intelligence to be abe to use it though - I had to be shown how to answer my new mobile phone......apparently you have to swipe the green telephone symbol, not press it like I have been for 15 years or so. I couldn't answer the phone for a week and had to keep calling everyone who tried to call me, back and tell them the phone wouldn't answer incoming calls.

Keep it simple!
 
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HA, Ha hahaha! Finely a kindred spirit. Dam phones. The work of Women and the Devil. And you press the RED, STOP button to turn em ON! I'm going back to pigeons I tell ya.




Probably take better photos than me any way :-(
 
Lensflare said:
You credit me with the intelligence to be abe to use it though - I had to be shown how to answer my new mobile phone......apparently you have to swipe the green telephone symbol, not press it like I have been for 15 years or so. I couldn't answer the phone for a week and had to keep calling everyone who tried to call me, back and tell them the phone wouldn't answer incoming calls.

Keep it simple!
Click to expand...
Re. The 'phone / swipey thing. :plus1:
 
But Knowledge is Power! :) Perhaps we are straying a little from the OP's question for more knowledge.
 
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