Digital Workflow – Photo Renaming

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With the ever growing number of digital camera, photos taken by each of us becoming staggering. So after a few years there will be so many photos that it will be difficult to find out a specific photo. So every file should have a unique name. Since photos from mobile camera or DSLR devices create images of same name after certain number of pictures are taken there is every possibility that a new image will have the same name like an old one. And it might cause you lose some valuable memories.

Professionals have specific ways to prevent this mishap.

I follow a scaled down version of professional workflow suitable for my need.

Renaming Folder & File

I usually shoot photos in jpeg format.
Download all images to desktop.

  1. Create folder according to date e.g. 2013-01-10
  2. Keep all the photos of the same day in this folder
  3. Delete all the unnecessary photos
  4. Batch rename all photos according to –

YEARMONTHDAY_HourMinute_Original file name

   20130110_1145_JUN_3538

(For Batch naming you can use ACDsee or Adobe bridge software)

  1. If you take RAW photos, create a new folder eg. 2013-01-10-RAW inside the original folder 2013-01-10 

Benefits 

* It keeps the folders organized
* It creates unique file name, so there will be no duplicate file name in future
* Using different cameras at the same time has little chance to create same name
* It’s also easy to browse through photos
* It will be easy to find out any photo

Folder-Structure

Batch rename

RAW-folder


About Author

Junaed is a Doctor by profession who started photography back in 1992. From film days to digital he is regarded as a very good Photographer. He regularly appears as a guest lecturer at various Photographic clubs & institutes.


Related Article :

  1. Digital Workflow – Picture Folder Organization
  2. Digital Workflow – Photo Backup