Renaming files on download (Page 2): When I got my new D5200 2 years ago, I found out that since then I have taken over 17,000 photos! Thank goodness for digital cameras, SDHC cards...

Tet68survivor Loc: Pomfret Center CT

When I got my new D5200 2 years ago, I found out that since then I have taken over 17,000 photos! Thank goodness for digital cameras, SDHC cards and 2tb hard drives!

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

dsmeltz wrote:

Do you do that on download or after? If on download, what do you use to do it?

After post processing when the image is exported. Less concerned at the point of download because: (1) I may cull and delete some images and (2) I expect to rename images I don't cull when they are exported/saved. /Ralph

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

dsmeltz wrote:

I was looking at another thread http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-474574-1.html#7965904 and got to thinking about file names.

The default file names are usually not helpful. Do any of you automatically rename files on download? If you do, what is your process?

Thanks

I do not rename files until after I have processed them, I doo however name my folders on download!

Salo Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

I haven't renamed my photo files in quite a while now, but I recall that Windows, going back to XP (I think), is able to batch rename files. You can do it from File Explorer for sure which is easy or probably from the command line using wildcards.

anotherview Loc: California

Generally, folders group photographs with something in common -- like a date in time, an event (birthday party), a purpose (documenting a road trip), and so forth.

So a folder set up in this manner may contain very few or many photographs. In fact, a long road trip with folders named by place and date could generate many folders.

Morning Star wrote:

I don't take so many photos that I have enough in ... (show quote)

anotherview Loc: California

Adobe Bridge has a fast file rename function. I've found it very useful to distinguish files.

Salo wrote:

I haven't renamed my photo files in quite a while now, but I recall that Windows, going back to XP (I think), is able to batch rename files. You can do it from File Explorer for sure which is easy or probably from the command line using wildcards.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

dsmeltz wrote:

I was looking at another thread http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-474574-1.html#7965904 and got to thinking about file names.

The default file names are usually not helpful. Do any of you automatically rename files on download? If you do, what is your process?

Thanks

I download them with their "camera" names. After processing, I rename them and put them into specific folders. Then I delete any originals that I know I'll never use.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I do not rename images on download but assign them to a specific folder with the name of the shoot and also add keywords

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

When I import a batch of photographs taken over a period of a few days or so, they are named by year/month/ New folder ie: 2017-Jul-07-New Folder.
I then rename them to 2017-Jul-07-Subject, where the subject can be anything I want, such a place or event.

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

I download using Breeze Systems 'Downloader Pro' which renames the files as it downloads. I name according to Camera model and original file number. I could do the same these days directly in Capture One Pro but I've been doing it this way for years so haven't bothered to change.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

dsmeltz wrote:

I was looking at another thread http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-474574-1.html#7965904 and got to thinking about file names.

The default file names are usually not helpful. Do any of you automatically rename files on download? If you do, what is your process?

Thanks

Yes, I rename on import with Lightroom.

I also add basic keywords on import, and refined keywords during editing.

I file all my images based on the day taken, image names become "DNG - 20170101 - 101520", my initials, the date taken in YYYYMMDD format and then the time taken to eliminate duplicates

I do not bother with a manual search of my 50,000 plus images, ever, when metadata searches are instant in Lightroom.

My folders are day sub folders within year folders, easy to identify where an image belongs based on the file name if needed, but never need waste anytime searching for a particular image out of the entire collection due to extensive and accurate keywording during import and post processing, I also make use of GPS tracks from my phone to merge into Lightroom as metadata for each shot.

ddetloff Loc: Fair Haven, MI

I take photos of the ships on the great lakes and have created folders for each ship. I have LR set up to create sub-folders and rename my photos when I import them. This is what the filenames look like.

DJD_NIKON D700_20170704_13_15_00004.NEF

1) My Initials
2) The camera used
3) Date
4) Time
5) Photo number in this group

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I put my photos in Lightroom by year and date and add a more descriptive folder title. I don't rename the individual image files themselves. In my many years of working in image and document management industry I have found that trying to develop intelligent file names usually ends badly. It is much preferred in my opinion to use keywords and metadata to search for and organize the files.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Notorious T.O.D. wrote:

I put my photos in Lightroom by year and date and add a more descriptive folder title. I don't rename the individual image files themselves. In my many years of working in image and document management industry I have found that trying to develop intelligent file names usually ends badly. It is much preferred in my opinion to use keywords and metadata to search for and organize the files.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

pbphoto

As 'Anotherview' has already stated, in Photoshop/Bridge there is a facility to add keywords to your images (or in batches) and also to rename. If you already have this there's no need to buy anything else.