Keeping track of duplicates and general DAM questions

[dsm]

I work for a stock photographer who has transitioned from film to digital in the last few years.

Unfortunately, we don't have a workflow set up for filing/cataloging images. He has duplicate files of

images scattered all across his harddrive. I don't have a problem setting up a workflow for new images

coming into the system, but I need to organize all the images that he currently has. Is there a program out

there that anyone can recommend for this particular use? <p>

I've scanned through the other posts, and wrote down the Digital Asset Management software programs

that are mentioned the most often, and I will be researching them, but more leads would be appreciated.

<p>

I have a couple of big obstacles. The first is that the photographer and his first assistant both access

these images from seperate computers, and files end up moved back and forth between them. The second

is that we need to be able to keep track of which files have been submitted to stock agencies, which

agencies they've been submitted to, and if duplicates of the file are created, they need to have the same

info available so that images don't get submitted to multiple agencies. Right now the first assistant keeps

track of these things in her head and in folders that are constantly moved and changed. It works okay if

it's just her using the system, but we need something that anyone could sit down in front of and

utilize.<p>

Sorry the post is so long! I'm looking forward to any advice that you all can give!

[godfrey]

Read first: "The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers" by Peter Krogh.

 

G

[dave chew]

You can find the above-mentioned book at www.thedambook.com

[emre]

You need an application with "versioning", like idImager.

[ellis_vener_photography]

another recommendation for http://www.thedambook,

[ken allen]

I've worked with corporations installing enterprise DAM systems. Avoiding the question of what software to use, they best advice I can give you is that if you can't get the images organized using the finder (Mac, Windows, whatever) a DAM tool will not solve the problem.

 

Focus on defining a method and organization first using the fastest and simplist database of all: the finder, folders and filenames.

 

Try this site for basics http://www.savemymemories.org

 

Of course if you can set up a central file server so everyone can save the files on the same machine, that will help you organize. Once you are organized look into DAM software.

 

Good luck,

Ken

[ellis_vener_photography]

"Right now the first assistant keeps track of these things in her head"

 

And you are rightto seethat you are screwed bigtime the minute she goes to work

elsewhere or is otherwise unavailable.

 

I agree with Ken.

 

 

The first thing you have to do is come up wiath a consistent file name structure. I prefer

one that is content independent and use Vener_YYYYMMDD-####

 

After that folders for each day: Vener_YYYYMMDD

 

after that a folder for each month : Vener_YYYYMM

 

Afterthat a folder for each year: Vener_YYYY

 

I dont use YYMMDD because that leads to confusion: Is 070202 July 2, 2002 or February

2, 2007?

 

You want to make it as idiot proof and as smart proof as possible.

 

 

Makeup backups at each step along the way.

 

Take the process in small chunks: first the new stuff as it comes in and then work

backwards in time.