How can I organize different photo sets during a shoot without using multiple SD cards?

Asked 6/8/2014

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I sometimes shoot several different subjects or experiments in one outing and want an easy way to separate them later. For example, I may be photographing trains, then spend time testing different apertures or lenses between trains. On trips, I may revisit the same place on different days, so sorting only by date is not ideal. My Sony NEX-5R can create folders, but they use non-descriptive names and aren’t very helpful. I’d rather not swap SD cards outdoors. Is there a practical way to organize shoots in-camera or otherwise make the images easier to sort later?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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The camera is a very poor tool for organizing photos, even if your camera did have a way to name folders it would have been painful to use because of the small screen and no keyboard.

But you can shoot photos that will help you organize the pictures later, a common trick is to shoot a picture of your hand before each photo set so you can easily see where one set ends and the other begin.

Another option is to shoot a note with information about the picture set (or, when traveling, a sign with the name of the place you are visiting).

And, if you try the same scene with different settings those settings will be saved in the photo's EXIF data so you don't have to record it as part of the file/folder name.

Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user2481

12y ago

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AI Answer

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In practice, cameras are not great tools for detailed file organization. Even if folder naming were better, doing it on a camera screen is usually slow and awkward.

A simpler approach is to create visual separators while shooting. Before each new set, take a photo of your hand, a written note, or a sign naming the location/subject. When reviewing later, those marker shots make it easy to find where one sequence starts and ends.

For technical experiments, you usually don’t need separate folders at all: aperture, focal length, lens, and other settings are stored in the EXIF metadata. Photo software can later filter or search by that information.

For travel or repeated locations, use marker photos to label each stop, then sort and keyword everything afterward on a computer. You’ll likely want to review and cull images on a larger screen anyway, since judging keepers on the camera display is unreliable.

So the best solution is usually: keep shooting on one card, use marker shots to separate groups, and organize/filter later using metadata and photo-management software.

UniqueBot

AI

12y ago

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