John Hesp writes asking if I have any advice on cataloguing images. This is a big area and one which I have some problems with. Nevertheless I’ve developed a workflow and archive system that works for me, so let’s look at some of the principles.

Masses of Data

Storing digital images can soon become a nightmare. It is very easy to collect a large collection of images. The old mantra that no digital file ever exists until you have two — separate — copies, is very true when it comes to images. It is easy to loose them. The first set of images I took in the Pyrenees with my current camera have all been lost, luckily I had jpeg copies of some of them on Flickr. But some have been lost for good. I have no idea how this happened!

Not only are there lots of images but each one if a big file. I encourage people to shoot in RAW and them process to jpeg or TIFF when needed. But RAW files are huge. Each of my 6 mega pixel RAW files is between 9 and 12 megabites. As the megapixel count goes up, of course, the files get bigger.

So, real consideration needs to be given to managing files. You can easily get into the kind of mess that you can with over full, email inbox. Some of the same management tactics work with images. Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders blog is an inspirational place when looking to deal with email overkill and some of his techniques can be transferred to dealing with images.

So, where to begin.

Keeping Copies

You need to copy your images as soon as you get them into the computer. I put every set of images into a unique folder. I have an external hard disc just for images. Immediately I then archive the files to CD ROM or DVD using Roxio Toast (I use a Mac). I then convert (copy) the RAW files on the hard disc to Adobe DNG format.

The DNG format is a ‘RAW’ format that Adobe have developed as an attempt to produce a public domain standard. Some companies, such as Leica, now use this as a default but Nikon, Canon and others, stick to their propriety standards. Over time standards fail. Having both RAW and DNG (digital negative) files gives me a little piece of mind if one or the other becomes obsolete! The files on the hard disc are automatically archived on a dedicated archive hard disc using Apple’s Time Machine software.

So, immediately I have 6 copies of each file. A RAW and a DNG file sit on CD ROM, another set are ‘used’ on hard disc and a further copy of each is archived along with everything else on my computer. You may think this overkill, but even this system has failed!

So, we end up with a lot of images in a lot of places! That’s even before we start playing with them and saving them in jpeg, tiff or Photoshop formats! Fortunately, there are now specialist catalogue programs to help us.

Catalogue Programs

There are now a number of these, but be a little careful. There are image manipulation programs that have some cataloguing abilities and there are cataloguing programs that have some manipulation abilities. I find that you need one of each!

At the top of the tree is probably Apple’s Aperture program. This is not cheap but it is an amazing product. It is a lovely attempt to mirror the old chemical/film processes. It shares some processing features with Adobe Lightroom. Aperture is too pricey for me and my Mac really isn’t up to it, but when I upgrade the computer I will upgrade to Aperture. Incidentally, Lightroom is now bundled with Photoshop to make a kind of Aperture competitor. Most, if not all, Aperture users will still have a copy of Photoshop (and we’ll see why in later posts).

These are expensive programs. Fortunately there are cheaper options!

Expression Media

The cataloguing program for the most of us is Expression Media, which used to known as iView. This program is now owned by Microsoft and (certainly on the MAC) it is now bundled with fuller versions of Office. I can be bought separately though. Expression Media (EM) works for both PC and MAC. Be warned though this is probably more expensive if bought separately. If you upgrade your Office version you’ll probably have it — you may even have it already. In the UK EM costs £139 — not cheap but good value for money.

EM catalogues all kinds of digital media but in reality it is really a photographic archiver.

EM works through Catalogs. Each catalogue can keeps records of images and allows you to find them by date taken, file type and so on. The Catalogs also preserve EXIF information. Images can be tagged for location of anything of your choice. Catalogs can include various ’sets’ to which you can add images. EM is very effective and fast. EM’s tagging facilities are excellent.

However, you will need to think hard about a system for using EM (or even Aperture). Professional photographers have to be very thorough about indexing and tagging images but then again then often have staff to do this for them! I start off with good intentions. I want to tag images with all kinds of data, with the location of where it was taken and so on. But in all honesty it is too much hard work!

But before I describe my own workflow system it is worth looking at a few other EM features. EM has some pretty decent manipulation tools and is very effective at conversion to JPEG or TIFF. EM knows where your files are. If you need to move them don’t do this from the desktop. Do this from the EM catalog and you’ll find that all of your catalog links are altered – very useful.

So, this is my (simple) workflow system …

Files downloaded from camera to hard disc. The are placed in a simple folder structure, for example. Pictures/Snowdonia 03 08/

Files copies/converted to DNG format (before the compact card is reformatted).

Files copied to CD ROM or DVD. Discs indexed using Roxio Disc catalog maker (comes with Roxio burn products).

Hard disc files backup with Time Machine.

In Expression Media I then add the files to a catalog.

I might create a new Catalog for a specifc event, let’s say Pete and Anne’s Wedding or Pyrenees 08.

Sometimes I will simply add to another catalog. For example, I have a single Catalog for Shropshire and for Snowdonia. These are automatically tagged for date taken and so are easy to find.

As I work on the files I add any variants to the catalog folder. So, JPEGS or complicated Photoshop (PSD) file edits are edited to EM. It is easy to bring up a list of all PSD or JPG files within EM.

If I have time I might add some extra tags but increasingly I rely on the bare minimum. But EM tags can be searched using Spotlight or Google desktop, andnd this can be useful.

I don’t go as far as keeping a DVD copy off site, but maybe I should!

However, those images I upload to Flickr and kept on their servers for ever (or whatever that means). As I said earlier, I’ve had cause to be grateful for Flickr as it has saved my bacon on a few occasions!

So, there we are ..

That is my system. Expression Media was not cheap to buy initially but the upgrade costs have been affordable. I do find that a program of this effectiveness is worth its weight in gold when keeping a large image archive. There are other options. Personally, I could live with Aperture but would prefer EM to the new Photoshop/Lightroom system, but that’s just personal choice.

Your system needs to be able to help you find images quite quickly without the use of complicated tags. You could replicate this functionality in a bespoke data base, data capture tool, but it wouldn’t be as comprehensive and would probably be slower.

This sees me through. I wish I was more disciplined at tagging though ….