Saturday, February 26, 2011

Organizing Digital Photos and Files


I've not been doing much new genealogy research lately, but instead have been working to try to tame the digital beast that is my genealogy photos and files.  It's not going to do me any good to have all of these photos, etc. if the file names remain cryptic ones such as IMG_0339.


I've been slowly identifying each of the photos with a unique identifier by the name of the subject and the date that the photo was taken:


LeMaster_Corinne_10Jun2000
LeMaster_Corinne_30Nov2010
LeMaster_Eileen_25Dec2010
LeMaster_Eileen_25Dec2010(2), etc.


Photos that have multiple individuals, I'm making copies of them both, identifying both and filing under the appropriate family name files. Thus, photos of both of my nieces at Christmas time are filed as such:


LeMaster_Lauren_Honeycutt_Ashley_24Dec2010
Honeycutt_Ashley_LeMaster_Lauren_24Dec2010, etc.


Photos for tombstones simply have the word tombstone after the name, rather than a date.  I've yet to begin sorting and standardizing the files of census records, etc. but imagine I will create a similar system.


My goal is to have these photos so organized that at the next family reunion, I can easily share the entire collection based on an individual should someone desire.


How do you organize your digital images and scans?

1 comment:

Kellie said...

This is very similar to what I do. I make copies of photos and census reports and file them with the individual people as well - it makes things much simpler, even though it's an extra step.

Good luck!!