Photo Organizing Fool

I’m on a long trip and I’m a neat freak, so organizing my photos is kind of a big deal to me. It may seem a bit convoluted, but it’s working (as in, I can find the picture I want, when I want it — fairly easily anyway).

Here’s the photo hierarchy on my computer:

· Travel: As in current travel. I also have Travel Archive (photos taken before 2006) and Travel Master (my favorite photos of all time).

· Region: Broken down by more or less the same categories as my web site (Arab Region, Pacific, Asia, Australia, U.S., Europe, South America, Africa.)

· Country: Easy Peasy.

· City: I download my photos every 3-4 days, usually the night before I head out to a new city. This way, I’ll never lose too many photos if I lose my camera. I have a routine where I’m downloading my two cameras and Flip videos, while re-charging batteries, and packing. Highly efficient, if not so very sexy.

· Camera Type: City files are further divided by camera type: Nikon and my backup-pocket Sony CyberShot. We all know I’m lugging around my Nikon D90 daddy-o, which, by the way, I’m getting a little more fond of, but still never take it off the “auto” mode.

For more “active” activities, like biking, diving, etc. I’m carrying the smaller Sony. And usually when I go out at night. And when I’m feeling lazy. Ok, Ok, I’m still not really using the Nikon!

· Name of Photographer: Sometimes I download photos that other people have shot of me. This helps me remember that I didn’t take these photos (obviously, I’m in the photos…) and to attribute to the right photographer.

· Best of Series: I also keep a file of my 25 favorite photos. These are usually the ones I use in posts (but not always), so as I send them through Photoshop, I save a copy in this folder.

In fact, I apologize, I’m slightly behind on my “Best of” series, with my 25 favorite photos of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines still in the hopper. (I can’t help it! I’m moving so quickly and I have so much to write about!)

OK, reading over this list I’m a little ashamed of my anal-ness. I mean, look at this nomenclature for one 2-day period last week: Travel, Asia, Vietnam, Dalat, Sony, Photographer Name, Best of Vietnam. 7 categories — Man!

So to make it up to y’all that I’m a little behind in my “Best of” series and to prove to myself that my photo system works, here’re three of my favorite photos of Vietnam so far – which I found in a snap!

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This entry was posted on Saturday, April 9th, 2011 and is filed under Back Home.

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