What is a good way to keep track of all these files?
Your digital camera came with a CD with photo management and image editing software. You could use that. You could develop your own system of folders and ways of filing them by date and topic names. You can find free software to help you out. You can pay for software to help you manage your digital files. You will have to choose the best method for you. Professionals use a combination of software and techniques. But first, you need to learn...
About metadata used in graphics software
Metadata is data about data. It is the descriptive information embedded inside an image or other type of file. Metadata is important in this age of digital photos where users are looking for a way to store information with their pictures that is portable and stays with the file, both now and into the future. To manage your files, you want to be able to specify descriptions and keywords and then search your repository using that information.
The metadata captured by your camera is called EXIF data, which stands for Exchangeable Image File Format. Most digital photo software can display EXIF information to the user, but it is usually not editable.
EXIF data, also known as Camera Data, cannot be altered.
There are other types of metadata that allow users to add their own descriptive information within a digital photo like copyright information, a caption, credits, keywords, creation date and location, source information, or special instructions. IPTC is the standard developed in the 1970's by the International Press Telecommunications Council. Around 1994, Adobe Photoshop's File Info form enabled users to insert and edit IPTC metadata in digital image files and so it was adopted by stock photo agencies, and other publishing businesses outside of the news media.
XMP is the new XML-based Extensible Metadata Platform developed by Adobe in 2001. Adobe worked with the IPTC to incorporate the old IPTC headers into the new XMP framework and in 2005 the IPTC Core Schema for XMP specification was released. XMP is an open-source, public standard, making it easier for developers to adopt the specification in third-party software. XMP metadata can be added to many file types, but for graphic images it is generally stored in JPEG and TIFF files.
You have choices.
It is recommended that you use a system that works with EXIF, IPTC and XMP metadata. Prior to these metadata standards, every image management system had its own proprietary methods for storing image information, which meant that the information was not available outside of the software — if you sent a photo to someone else, the descriptive information did not travel with it. XMP Metadata allows this information to be transported with the file, in a way that can be understood by other software, hardware, and end users. It can even be transferred between file formats. Some older software does not support XMP metadata, and you risk losing this information if you edit and save your files with embedded metadata in one program and transfer the files to a program that doesn't support it. You may be stuck with the system you started with like Picassa, Kodak Easy Share, and brand-specific software that came with your camera.These are commonly used programs for adding metadata and searching for files based on that data:
- Amateur quality, usually limited in feathures, folder-based organization.
- Adobe Photoshop Elements v.5 (incorporates the older Adobe Photo Album)
- Picassa (free from Google)
- iPhoto (Mac)
- Professional quality, unlimited database size, includes XMP metadata, professional features:
What does ANR Communication Services use?
We use Adobe products for metadata entry including Adobe Photoshop (v.7, CS, CS2 in "browse" aka The Bridge). The Media Library uses Cumulus by Canto for database search and file retrieval via a server. A standalone version is MediaDex. It can be used to catalog any digital asset, not just photos, but it isn't easy to learn. IMatch 3 has the same capabilities (Mike Poe is testing it now) and seems easier to use. More choices for a "professional" can be found here.
Should you change the photo file's name?
You can, but it is often helpful to keep track of the generations of files that may come from one shot. You may have an original RAW file, a TIFF copy for printing, a JPEG for web, a cropped version, etc. If your original camera file were "img_5023.cr2," you might want to put the original file name in the metadata field "description" so every copy/generation would carry that original file name in it and you could always find the archived original. Or, you could include "5023" in the file name of every version of that same shot, "Cherry_blossom_5023," for example. Search your computer for 5023 and you'll find all the versions of that shot.
Contact Mike Poe, Media Services Manager, for help evaluating photo management software.