Beecher's Handouts /

Computer / 4.2 - Get Organized!

Let's say you went to Paris in 2005.

Then, in 2010, you want to find a particular photograph from the trip.

A few years ago, you could easily have sorted through packs of prints, looking for the photograph.

Today, your digital photographs are in folders with arcane names.

And, each folder is full of unlabeled photographs.

What's what?

Folders and files like those above may not be a problem now.

But five years from now, you're going to have tens of thousands of photographs on your computer.

Get organized now!

There's software to help you.

Or, you can devise your own system.

For example . . .

Step 1: Create Folders

Create a master folder, and save your photographs chronologically by month.

You can also use the numbering system that your camera gives your photographs.

Use the number of the first photograph in the folder as the name of the folder.

Some cameras reset back to 1 when you insert an empty memory card.

Often, they can be set to continuous numbering.

Step 2: Edit & Move

You may want to copy your photographs to subject folders as you edit them.

You can use software, such as Photoshop Elements, to rename batches of files.