A DAM Migration... A digital pack-rats story

[MJLawler]

Like Dan’s post I’ll post my migration plan / story here for all to see, discuss, provide feedback etc... I hope that this thread will prove some more information to those just starting a dam setup or too those who already have one and looking for alternatives.
(For reference I’m on the PC side here, Pentium 4 hardware and Windows XP.. sorry Mac guys )

The old system... aka a hodge-podge of organization.

Well if you’re like me you save everything. I’m a pack-rat… I admit it I save everything. I have 3,4,5 versions of photos, most just temporary files. Is it organized... err well sorta. I would just put photos in folders that sort of had a structure to them like, Main category\ sub-category\ short description of the event or subject it was about. Then some other folders for the different type of files id create. Thou I have been doing better at organizing it just ant cutting it anymore.
Finding a photo... If a friend, family member or err a client! Called me up tomorrow and ask for a photo(s) from say 2 years ago. Id be like.. yah I’ll get back to you in a few days. I’d then have to go thru several DVDs, text, excel files to find the per said photo(s). hmm not good...
So enough of my babbling... the old system went like this:

Hardware....
One PC
(techy info, Pentium 4 3GHz(HT), 1GB of ram, (2) 120GB pata hard drives, 1 DVD-RW and 1 CDRW drives)
Backup… to DVD’s

Software....
ACDsee, BreezeBrowser, Neat Image, Photoshop CS2

Directory structure....
The second hard drive held all the photos etc... example of directory structure goes something like this.
Photos
   .
   . . Events
   .    .
   .    . . VBPC 2005 Awards Banquet (notes, info files)
   .          .
   .          . . ~org (original jpgs)
   .          .
   .          . . p (derivative photos ready for print)
   .
   . . Family
   .     .
   .     . . Gia's riding lesson (original jpgs and derivatives, print and web sizes)
   .
   . . Sports
         .
         . . Gym
                .
                . . 060302-04 Tyson American Cup (notes, info files)
                .
                . . 060302 (original jpgs by date)
                .
                . . 060303
                .
                . . 060304
                .
                . . 1 (first sort of good photos)
                .
                . . c (cropped images mostly from the directory above)
                .
                . . f (filtered images, noise removal)
                .
                . . p (print ready)
                .
                . . t (temp folder)
                .
                . . w (web size images)

File naming....
Well some files where named P9053329.jpg(camera named), Some where 2004_1254.jpg. However, most of them id rename like this 060302_0002.jpg
 (YYMMDD_SequenceNumber.jpg). I’d reset the sequence number for what ever event or day I was shooting. Since I only shoot one event per day it’s worked out well.
My derivative photos or the photos I’ve work on in Photoshop would get a character added to the start of the file name to designate what type it was. Ex; p060302_0002.jpg would be a print ready file and w060302_0002.jpg would be a web size version.

Workflow....

1.   Photos would be copied from the cf card to a dated folder(YYMMDD) under Photos\new folder.
2.   Create descriptive folder and subfolders under the subject for which they where shot.
3.   Copy the files to the ~org or dated directory under the descriptive folder.
4.   Add information files (event info, player /people list, score sheets etc…) to root event folder.
5.   Rename photos and rotate photos for proper orientation.

(ex; YYMMDD_SequenceNumber.jpg)
6.   Backup folder to DVD’s. if the folder was to big it fit on a DVD. I’d make subfolders for each DVD (ex; \1 , \2 )
7.   Began sorting photos in ACDsee or Bridge.
8.   Crop photos in Photoshop saving them to a crops folder. Batch processing would add a derivative character to the start of the file name and place it in a corresponding folder. (ex; Jobx\c\c060302_0002.jpg)
9.   Run photos thru noise removal software (Neat Image) as needed. Photos saved to a filtered folder. (ex; Jobx\c\c060302_0002_f.jpg)
10.   Work the photos in Photoshop with an action thru Batch processing. This would also add a derivative character to the start of the file name and place it in a corresponding folder. (ex; Jobx\p\p060302_0002.jpg)
11.   More work in Photoshop for other derivative types as needed. Again the action and batch processing would add a character to the start of the file name and place it in a corresponding folder. (ex; Jobx\w\w060302_0002.jpg)
12.   Backup the whole lot to DVD.
[/list]
A mess hu.?.

[Joe Reifer]

Hi Michael -

Is your only backup going to be DVDs? I would highly recommend using both DVD and an external harddrive to backup your files, one of which should be kept off site.

You can get an external 300GB Firewire drive for under $200 these days - pretty reasonably priced insurance in case your computer crashes and the DVDs you're trying to restore from don't work.

Best,

Joe

[MJLawler]

Yeah only too DVDs so far . Problem is I’ve run out of funds. So I’ll have to wait a bit before purchasing a external hard drive or two. Thanks for the heads up thou, I keep forgetting the externals are getting cheaper and cheaper every week.

A few question for Peter, Dan or anyone else.
1. Should I use a working directory for new photos/ jobs. Instead of working out of the Org and Der directories? Sort of like what Dan has... and then copy or move the files into there buckets.
2. Should I do the cataloging parts early in my workflow? Like at step 6...

rgrds,

[wombat2010]

1. Should I use a working directory for new photos/ jobs. Instead of working out of the Org and Der directories? Sort of like what Dan has... and then copy or move the files into there buckets.

I use a working directory and like it very much.  There is less to think about (buckets-wise and organization-wise) and it is easy to back up.  If you use your originals and derivatives directory you either are behind in your backups (with hours of editing not backed up, or even days/weeks of images not backed up) or you are burning a handful of slightly changing DVDs per day.  Talk about wasting time and money . . .  .  I have a simple server in my house (old PC) that I back up my working directory to in addition to an external drive.  Still doesn't help if the house burns down--for that, online or offsite storage is probably the most viable for frequently changing files.  Personally, I am having Verizon FiOS installed next week (15 MB/s down, but more importantly for backup purposes, 2 MB/s upload), which will make backing up to an online storage site viable.

2. Should I do the cataloging parts early in my workflow? Like at step 6...

I like to do all my cataloging at once, so I sometimes do it later in the workflow like you do.  Peter and many others prefer at least doing bulk metadata entry early.  I am dealing with much smaller numbers of images, so it is more feasible for me to do all of my tagging at once at any point I feel up to it.  Not doing it all together, for me anyway, would make me forget which images I fully tagged and which I only started tagging.

Stephen

[peterkrogh]

I could not function if I did not have a working files folder with lots of room (it's gotten to more than 60 gigs at some times.  Just came back from Europe with 60 gigs of new files, so I guess I'll set a new personal record).

And while I add bulk metadata the first time I see the files, I will generally not catalog the images at all until I have made the DNGs.

For some images on tight deadline, I'll put in a catalog as I edit them.
Peter