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Can be an old question - Digital Asset Management

Cyril Jayant

Well-Known Member
Guys please forgive me as this can be an old question about the WORK FLOW. I FIND IT HARD TO MANAGE IT and I am having several hard discs and all my work is getting mixed up and things are looking very messy .

So please can you explain and show how you do it or a simple work flow to last longer a continuous work.

Thanks in advance ..
 
Hi Cyril,

which software do you have?

I use mainly Lightroom and I am thinking of adding something like Image Ingster to it. My workflow is:

1. Import images from CF card onto my PC in specific folders and during this change filenames to a more meaningful name (for this step I would like to find a better tool)
2. Import then the images into Lightroom and make basic "cleaning" with ratings for the keepers to save disk space

Theoretically I should then narrow more my selecton down and make already a little bit PP, but because of lack of time, I postpone this always to a later time :(
 
Hi Cyril,

which software do you have?

I use mainly Lightroom and I am thinking of adding something like Image Ingster to it. My workflow is:

1. Import images from CF card onto my PC in specific folders and during this change filenames to a more meaningful name (for this step I would like to find a better tool)
2. Import then the images into Lightroom and make basic "cleaning" with ratings for the keepers to save disk space

Theoretically I should then narrow more my selecton down and make already a little bit PP, but because of lack of time, I postpone this always to a later time :(

Hi dirk, Thanks for the answer and I appreciate your time .

I am using, Aperture 3 , PhotoShop cs , and some other plug -ins.
Like you use Lightroom, I am using Apeture.
Mostly I am doing analog and ( except 35mm digital on M8 )

I eliminate 90% .. one thing to rating for keepers before scanning. Then my next
worries is all my analog scans when I start how to archive the big files .
And then post processing how to stack them when they grow bigger some times. and I definitely need multiple sizes low resolutions etc.

This where I need the help. Do you have a suggestion for labelling and naming the files from the start. or specific way to get in faster to organising?

your answer was helpful and if you have time you can come back to me again?

many regards,

Cyril.:)
 
Hi Cyril,

there is no "perfect way" of doing digital asset management. Everybody has different preferences. If you want to read more about the subjekct in general. there is a book put there from Peter Krogh about DAM (digital asset management). But even the second edition of this book is for the softwarepart already outdated.

But the way he proposes the workflow is the most finetuned I have seen. Although I would never do it like he is doing it :) But it is good to read it and also to visit his forum to start thinking more in depth about the pro and cons of each workflow idea.

I am not a professional photographer. It is only a hobby for me. So I make it similar to Scott Kelby. I have on one external harddisk all images I ant to keep and a second external HD as a backup of this one. A second backup (which does not get updated very often) is in a nother house in another city. Just in case that sonething happens to my home (fire etc.).

The structure of the HD is the following:

Highest hierachy is years (as a folder name).
Second level within the years are folders with year_month and something meaningful as a short description. i.e. 2013_02_teneriffa
Third level is used very seldom. Only if I shot in a month so many images on different locations or events, so that it makes it easier for me to refind it with a subfolder. Especially helpful for my wife, who likes to cklick only through to see, what images she wants to print out for freinds and family :)

So the structure of the folders and subfolders would look like this on my HD:

2013
2013_02_teneriffa
2013_02_teneriffa_hiking
2013_02_teneriffa_loro_parque


Another thing are filenames. This is difficult and also depends whether you plan to sell images. IMHO Filenames should always have your initials, the date in the order yymmdd, the original filename and also something short to give a hint which camera was used (if you use more than one camera). Maybe also a hint of what it is dealing about, similar to the second level folder naming.

My problem for example is, that I use besides other cameras also 2 different Sigma cameras. Both Sigma cameras are using the exact same filenames, which is stupid because you risk to overwrite the files by accident. So this is why I am thinking now about software like image ingster, to make sure that immediately, even if I do not want to open Lightroom, the files get a unique naming while they are downloaded to my laptop and from teher to my external HD. Also software like Image Ingster can download at the same time the same file on to two different HD, which saves a lot of time and errors. You the have it on the working HD and on the backup HD at teh same time without doing it all again to copy over.

And these software offers als checking of the files for defects. Also it can at the same time insert already your most important/basic Metadata. So this is really a time saver and security tool.

I do not scan anymore. Since 2004 I do not shoot slides anymore. I will try in the future to scan/photograph the most important slides, so that they are digital and can be backed up easier. ut I will do this probably with a high resolution DSLR and a Macro lens. Scanning just takes too much time and my slides are not worth this ;)

I am curious, what other users are using and how they manage their DAM.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes
 
Hi dirk! I apologise as I could not come faster. Thank you so much and I appreciate your time and help answering me .
It was great I am going to follow as you you explained . That is really some thing new for me and hope if others also can get your points. Your explanation is very interesting logic and helpful . I must start on a way gutting all your point and before it is too late.

I see you again and have a nice SUN DAY!

many regards. Cheers!:D :D :D

Cyril[/quote]
 
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