Do you apply your workflow to pictures taken by others?

[Lana]

I have a big family and I usually save family pictures shared via text messages, facebook, etc.   But I just save them.  I don't change filenames or even categorize them.  I haven't found a system or workflow that works for pictures I haven't taken.

I'm curious what you do with family pictures (or any pictures) not taken by you.

Thanks in advance. 

[RogueMD]

Lana,

This is in part what I purchased IM to do. I have 20,000 photos, in many formats, and these are all stored in Folders on my computer. I have attempted to organize them many times, but have failed until now. If those photos have metadata, such as date fields that are correct, ie, photo taken in 1955, with a date created field of 1955, then this is really very easy. If not, IM can help you find and correct all the incorrect data, apply keywords and it is the first program I have found able to do all this, but, it is not for the faint of heart. This is a lot of work, and correcting bad data is much harder than it seems.

SO, yes, this program works, but you have to want to put in hours to scrub up your data. Once done, the corrected data is writable to the file, jpeg lets say, and can now be shared with the keywords, and dates. I strongly advise experimenting with a small sample to learn it's capabilities and how to use hierarchical keywords to make sure your entries are consistent, which is the biggest error I have.  It always helps to have examples to discuss specifics.

Dennis.

[sinus]

Lana,

This is in part what I purchased IM to do. I have 20,000 photos, in many formats, and these are all stored in Folders on my computer. I have attempted to organize them many times, but have failed until now. If those photos have metadata, such as date fields that are correct, ie, photo taken in 1955, with a date created field of 1955, then this is really very easy. If not, IM can help you find and correct all the incorrect data, apply keywords and it is the first program I have found able to do all this, but, it is not for the faint of heart. This is a lot of work, and correcting bad data is much harder than it seems.

SO, yes, this program works, but you have to want to put in hours to scrub up your data. Once done, the corrected data is writable to the file, jpeg lets say, and can now be shared with the keywords, and dates. I strongly advise experimenting with a small sample to learn it's capabilities and how to use hierarchical keywords to make sure your entries are consistent, which is the biggest error I have.  It always helps to have examples to discuss specifics.

Dennis.

Hm, I am not sure, that I understand fully.
If I put files from another source (not from me) into the IMatch-system, I put it first in my normal workflow-folder (all new files comes there).
Then I give such pictures a new filename with the renamer in always the same "format":

20191015-1004-376716-s-coo-wiktora_a

First the date, then the time (1004 = 10.04h), then a unique number and then the letter, what I change in such cases.
Instead the normal -s- (from me) I put a -f- there, means "fremd" (stranger).

Hence the filename would be here:
20191015-1004-376716-f-coo-wiktora_a

I can search of course for all -f- what means, all photos NOT taken from me.
In my workflow there could (or should) not be another "-f-" to avoid confusion.

In my case I store then such a file (automatically by renamer) into a folder-by-date - system.
Means, photos taken by be and by strangers are in the same (monthly) folder.

I think, this is more logical to me to have ALL pictures in the same date-route instead having pictures from others in another folder.

But of course I could change this any time.

Next step is to give some description to the file.
I have there in the metadata a filed for the author of the file, if I want, I can put there instead my name the name of the real photographer (if I know it).

And then I can start to put this file into categories, e.g. for family members and so on.
And/or I give keywords with names of people, who are on the pics.

Very important is for me, having always the same file-naming-system.
And a good folder-system.

This is the basic for IMatch (for me), after this comes all the power of IMatch (categories, collections....).
You could of course have only 10 big folders, what you could all nicely hold in categories and so on, but if files are growing, it will come the day, where you would wish, you had created a clever folder-system. (my opinion).

After this basics, comes the also important workflow-system, how use categories, for what you will use flags, stars, dots and so on ......

IMatch gives you a lot of possibilities, but the real power comes from you.
Like driving a car: you can have the best Tesla, Porsche, Bentley or whatever with a lot of power, but the real "art of driving" comes from you. 

[Lana]

Thank you both for your input.  You're right - I just need to use the power of iMatch.  In my mind, the pictures needed to be saved because they are family pictures. But I was feeling overwhelmed trying to justify devoting my time and effort to catalog and organize those pictures.  After all they are not MY pictures.  Basically, I just wanted to know if any of you applied a different workflow and if so, how is it different from your regular workflow.  I really feel those pictures need to somehow be marked different from my pictures - I guess filenames is the best way to do that.

I need to think about this more, but thank you for giving me something to think about.

Again, I appreciate your input.   

[Mario]

Changing the file name may not be the best idea.
Keeping the original file name is usually helpful for tracking purposes. Or, maybe a relative refers to a file by name in the future...?

Why not use an XMP label to mark these files as "external". You can create your own label in IMatch (Edit > Preferences > Metadata) and associate with a color.
This way you can easily filter for these files, you see in the File Window if the file is not one of yours (by the label color) etc.

Alternatively, you can just give all external files a "credit" line (Metadata Panel).
If you have multiple external sources (persons delivering images to you), you can differentiate the images easily by their credit line, like: "Uncle Bob" or "Martha".
This allows you to filter the files easily, if needed. And to search for them. To sort them.
If you want, create a data-driven category based on the credit tag.
IMatch then organizes your files automatically by the source. To see all images from "Uncle Bob" you only need to select the corresponding category.

Using a DAM like IMatch makes all this possible. Why not use it?

[sinus]

Changing the file name may not be the best idea.
Keeping the original file name is usually helpful for tracking purposes. Or, maybe a relative refers to a file by name in the future...?

People uses a lot of different way to organize pictures, files.
I can only say my point of view.

If you have not only 50 pictures from your family-members (and maybe friends and so on), if you do not change the filename, you have quite quickly a mess.
Except you use really a very clever, consistent system of IMatch.
But even then, having files like

dog-ana-with-snow-dezember
huawei891
Carl and Nora in the mountain of western hill with peggy, but also with dat Paul
Ana404124azb
DJI_0015
newest.version. with & peter.handy
IMG_20180203_102953
DSC-8191

is not very good, for my pont of view.

What I do, of course, is copy the filename before changing it into a metadata-field.

But, from familiy-members or friends I have never, really never seen, that anyone refered to a picture name.
What I have heard are things like "I have sent you a pic, a month ago or so, you know, me in the red blouse" ... and so on. 

For me personally, changing the filename is a very good thing, you can also find files easy without IMatch, simply inside folders with Windows (and surprisingly I must use this also from time to time).

my 2cents

[Mario]

What I do, of course, is copy the filename before changing it into a metadata-field.

Tip:
When you rename a file in IMatch, it keeps the original file name in the XMP::xmpMM\PreservedFileName\PreservedFileName tag, as it is custom with XMP.
This tag is only set when it is empty, which means that the original file name is retained, even if you rename multiple times or in multiple applications.

[RogueMD]

Lana,

I strongly advise experimenting with a small sample to learn it's capabilities and how to use hierarchical keywords to make sure your entries are consistent, which is the biggest error I have.  It always helps to have examples to discuss specifics.

Dennis.

As you can see, there are capabilities in IM that do not exist in any other program you have used before ("Photos" programs from M, G, A ... for example, or any other...), and, as you see, a variety of approaches. They way I see it, this is a librarian function, and you have to either learn or develop a system that works for you, and that you can explain to the person who takes over the job from you.

Small data sets to test and experiment, ask questions like "how do I find ... " and every scenario you can think of, how YOU THINK, and ask or experiment what options might solve the problem. In my custodial role, the key is I can deliver the photos back to others. EG. A PDF book of "photos by uncle bob" chaptered by Year or Decade ... That way others can appreciate the fruits of your labors without knowing a thing about XMP. As always, begin with the END in mind. The last thing you want to do is exactly what I did, play with several different programs which has created a mess of illogical and non matching keywords to search on. My work is now much harder, which is compounded by certain corrupted file formats along the years.

IM can do it, I am sure.

As to HOW, well, I too put new photos into a "camera roll" folder, and do all the preliminary manipulations there. At 6 month intervals, I transfer them to my "All Photos Master v2020" folder/database. And lets not forget backup backup backup, experiment on copies, never originals...

Sounds like a 2020 New Years project

Dennis

[jch2103]

Alternatively, you can just give all external files a "credit" line (Metadata Panel).
If you have multiple external sources (persons delivering images to you), you can differentiate the images easily by their credit line, like: "Uncle Bob" or "Martha".
This allows you to filter the files easily, if needed. And to search for them. To sort them.
If you want, create a data-driven category based on the credit tag.
IMatch then organizes your files automatically by the source. To see all images from "Uncle Bob" you only need to select the corresponding category.

This is what I do. Simple, easily done and allows easy finding or grouping of images from a particular person. Trying to do a similar thing just with file naming seems much more complicated. A filename can include only so much information, but using image metadata (via IMatch) gives much more power and flexibility.

[BanjoTom]

Like JCH2103, I usually put the source of family or other images that are NOT my own in the "Credit" metadata tag; and I also, where and when it's possible, put the source into the Copyright tag, e.g., "© 2019 Uncle Bob A**** ".   

And since most  of the subjects in family photos are well known to me, I identify them in the Description and also use keywords or categories to identify them.  So I can easily find all the photos by "Uncle Bob" that show one or more particular family members.  VERY helpful and easy!

[ubacher]

I keep a category tree called SourcePhotographer
Underneath I have:
Wife
Daughter
OtherPhotographer
Internet
SCAN
   Non-Photo
   Document
   Painting-Artwork

As to who/what is show on the photos I use my regular categories. 

[Lana]

Thanks all, lots of great suggestions here. 

[Bri Wit]

I use folders for myself, and certain family members, then larger groups like soccer parents, friends, and historical photos and documents for each grandparents family tree, and one for collected reference images. Under those source root folders I use date based folders and file names since it is quick, and less complicated than naming based on content. IMatch makes it easy to search and sort on subject once data is entered and the date is easy to find when IMatch can't open it for me. I color code the folders for easy visibility and also have the creator name in the footer. On ingest there is no color, this means metadata needed. Once I complete data entry I'll color code them green for ready to process or mark them as inherit color for done. I might do a light edit on photos from family members, but since they shoot jpgs there isn't much that can be done. I also use labels for workflow, again no color means metadata needed, green ready to process, red for retouch, yellow for screen, blue for print, and more. I love that IMatch labels have the power to make up for shortcomings in raw processors label features.